School Days!

Agape International School

Dust off the old uniform, it's time to get back to school!

Though I don't think their uniforms were actually dusty after the 6 week summer break (yes, that's right, much shorten than the 3 month summer American kids are used to!), but they had to be ready come Monday morning on August 27th! The kids had a great first week of school and are quickly back into the swing of things! They do ACE, which is a program I had never heard of before now, but it works well for them because all the students are at very different levels. Every two weeks or so, the kids complete a pace, which is a workbook for each subject. Structure and self-responsibility are two main themes I am noticing with the ACE system. When a student has a question or needs to correct their homework, they put a pink or blue clip on top of their desk and wait (work on something else) until a teacher gives them permission to score, or helps with their question. I was amazed at how well the students knew the rules and how they all just jumped into what they were supposed to do!

All the students at Agape, somewhat bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on their first day back to school!

Studying Proverbs in chapel

Hard at work! Noah is just sitting up for some fresh air, but he is working hard too!

My little nook! I love it!

Day to Day

At school, I keep quite busy! Here is a list of the things I do while at school:

-Play piano for chapel
-Help monitor the students
-Read
-Record Hymns
-Work on my Social Justices online CollegePlus! course
-Help with Wednesday Adult English Class
-Have English conversation time with Natsuki
-Visit with the 7 amazing Agape students!
-Eat my yummy obento (lunch) that Mrs. Winters prepared!
-Plan and prepare for Musical Fridays*
-Think and pray about what ministries I will be involved in or start when I get home
-Memorize Scripture
-Take walks or bike rides
-Skype my mom outside on my iPod, and make Mr. Wyatt think I am talking to a wall!
-Smile and laugh

*Musical Fridays are my name for the music classes I will be teaching for the next 4 Fridays! The classes will be a combination of studying what the Bible teaches about music, music history, musical elements and appreciation, and singing practice. This Friday will be our first class! I have from 9:00-11:45 to cram all these amazing topics in, so I'm trying to be picky and choose only the most pertinent and useful information for the students and their situation. I'll let you know how the classes go!

Last But Not Least...

Alyssa Winters!

Alyssa Winters is the youngest child of the Winters family! She is 5 years old and loves to do many things! She loves to sing, help with chores, have her nails painted, play at the park, play with her friends, eat peanut butter, and play dollies. 

Alyssa loves to have her picture taken and see the picture, even if I take a picture of something we both are looking at! Alyssa and I have many fun times together! Once in a while, I get to put her to bed and we read a book, sing a song, giggle, and pray before she goes to sleep! 

Just last week, Alyssa started wearing glasses! One of her eyes is "stronger" than the other, so they are trying to even them out, I think. We have all been getting used to her in glasses! I think they fit her personality well! I just hope they stay on while she be-bops around!

I had a little "interview" with Alyssa, and I tried to write exactly what she said, so you could catch her "essence!"

Very Candid Questions: (What she said, is what I typed!)

(Translations and explanations in parenthesis!)

Jordan: Where do you go to school?
At Youchien. (Kindergarten)
I'm learning how to draw stuff at Youchien. We can play outside and color. We have lots of fun.

Jordan: What other things do you do?
Play outside, and ride on the bus, that's how I get at Youchien.

Jordan: Anything else?
I like to play tetsu bo. (A bar kids do flips over).

Jordan: Do you usually bring a lunch to school?
Yes, like obento. (Packed lunch)

Jordan: What do you usually have at lunch at Youchien?
I have onigiris a lot of times. One time I picked flowers and bring it home.

What is onigiri?
It's rice and you make it into a triangle. Sometimes I have furikake in it and sometimes I have plain rice.
(Furikake comes in little packets, and it is seasoning that you mix into your rice. There are many different flavors. Alyssa's favorite flavor is "chicken" which is actually salmon)

Oto-chan is my friend, and Maina-chan is kind of a friend, but sometimes she doesn't want to play with me and she's a little bit, like, mad. Sometimes Oto-chan wants to play with me, but a lot of times she doesn't because she has a lot of friends, like 6 friends or 7 friends, or 10.
My other friend is Uutsuke, he is 5. One time we played at our pool here. We have a blow up pool.

Jordan: What is your favorite food?
Beans, and chicken nuggets! (When she says beans, she means beans that her mom cooks, they are kind of like snap beans, but a little different. She just eats the beans out of the skin.)

Jordan: What do you say when you answer the phone?

Moshi moshi! (This is how you answer the phone in Japanese. I'm not exactly sure how it translates! Just today, Alyssa and I were playing. I was the Doctor and she was the patient, and I called her on my "hand" and she answered, "Moshi moshi." Her mom was laughing and said she knew she would do that! It is very interesting to see that, though Alyssa belongs to an "American" family, she was born and raised in Japan, and therefore, is more familiar with the culture.)

Jordan: Where do you keep your shoes?
In the genkan. (The genkan is the place just inside the front door. This is where all the shoes are kept. To many Japanese it is still considered "outside" so it is common for someone to just walk in and holler into your house.)

Let's go play, that's all I need to say.
A-L-Y-S-S-A, I have lots of fun with my sister!
Good Bye! Sayounara!

Alyssa, displaying a yummy snack nuts and little dried fish! 

Wearing our Ukatas, ready for Natsu-Matsuri! (Summer Festival!)
Alyssa taught me how to do a festival dance, and we did it at her Youchien festival and our town festival!

Here is a video of Alyssa singing a kids church song! Some of the words are not quite the same as what is written in the book, but, it's still amazing how much Alyssa knows! She sings often, and picks up songs very quickly! She is also learning piano from me, and is doing wonderfully! She practices her frog hops, finding all the keys, Chairs, and Katydid! I forgot to mention, that Alyssa is teaching me "Jap-nese" (that's how she says it!). We practice reading Japanese on some flash cards she has and play games in Japanese! She knows so much of the language, and it is so amazing to watch her play and converse easily with her Japanese friends! She is learns most of her Japanese at Youchien. Well, here is the video!

Another Special Guest...

Kayla Winters!

Kayla is a sweet, thoughtful, and careful young lady. Patient and caring, she is a great older sister to Alyssa! I have often seen her helping Alyssa and encouraging her to do right. Kayla is also disciplined! I know this because I am teaching her piano, and have given her some practice tools to make her practice times efficient and effective! Kayla has implemented these tools and is reaping the benefits of her diligence because she is able to play a hymn arrangement that is quite challenging for her. Kayla has adorable curly hair, and though she so badly wants it to be long, she is learning to be patient and content with what God has blessed her with now! Kayla is a great help with the laundry, dishes, cleaning, meal prep, and other chores and is well on her way to being a wonderful home-maker! She has many great ideas, and in time, will learn to have more confidence in the gifts and abilities God has given her! I am SO thankful to be her “temporary” big sis! We have such encouraging and delightful times together laughing, talking, biking, baking, and studying God’s Word! I cannot wait to see the godly beautiful woman that Kayla will be and is already becoming! 

Here is what she has to say...

Hello!  My name is Kayla Winters.  I am 12 years old.  I live in Fukuoka, Japan as a missionary kid.  I came when I was 3 years old, so I’m use to living here.  

Since I’ve lived here from when I was little, it’s all I’ve known so I like it.

 One thing I like about Japan is that it’s safe so kids go out all the time on their bikes to different places.  For part of 6^th grade I got the experience to go to Japanese school.  For most of elementary school I was home schooled, but it was nice to see once again what Japanese school was like. I say “once again “because I also went

to Japanese school for kindergarten and the first semester of 1^st  grade. 

Candid Questions:

Jordan: Do you prefer chopsticks or a fork?

Kayla: I can use both and like both

Jordan: What do you do with your futon about once a week?

Kayla: take it out on the balcony and beat it

Jordan: What is the first thing you do when you enter a house?

Kayla: take my shoes off

Jordan: When do Japanese people wear slippers, in what rooms?

Kayla: they take their slippers off when they go in the bathroom

 and tatami mat rooms(tatami=straw mats)

I Always Dreamed of Having a Little Brother...

Until Now! 

Watashi no Ottoto wa Wintersu Esan desu! (My little brother is Ethan Winters!)

Right from the start, Ethan and I have got along great! We have had many laughs together and many good conversations!

He is a very talented young man! Ethan is bilingual (he speaks Japanese and English), he plays violin and guitar, enjoys school, loves airplanes and knows tons about them and is amazing at drawing them, likes to ride his bike, is very good with directions, and laughs often! He is also faithful to read his Bible and memorize scripture! Him, Kayla, and I have had some good Bible devotion times together! There are more great things I could tell you about Ethan, but I want you to hear from him, so here is a bit about him and life for him here in Japan!

Hello my name is Ethan Winters.  I am 13 and a missionary kid to a foreign country.  I live in Japan!  Having the ability to speak two languages is very easy, for I am fluent in Japanese.  A lot of people ask me if I ever think in Japanese, but I don’t.  However, I have been told that I talk in my sleep in Japanese by my mom.  Sometimes my brain is trying to speak in Japanese, and it comes out in the opposite language.  This has happened many times while I’m having a conversation. When that happens it is especially funny when I am having an English conversation and randomly say something in Japanese.

Candid Questions:

Jordan: Do you dream in Japanese or English?

Ethan: I think I dream in both languages.

Jordan: What size mattress do you have?

Ethan: I have a futon. (a Japanese style mattress with no sizes)

Jordan: What side of the road is the “right” side to drive on?

Ethan: The left side is the “right” side of the road in Japan.

Jordan: Which way do you open a book? To the right or to the left?

Ethan: Most Japanese books I read in I open to the right.

As you can see, Ethan is an American who has grown up in Japan. This is the country and culture he knows best, yet his native tongue is English and his parents, though they know the Japanese culture and have adapted their lives to it, are American. Spending time with Ethan and listening and asking questions is always interesting and thought provoking! Trying to place myself in his shoes has been a learning experience! I asked him where he would like to live when he is older, and he said he isn't sure yet. I'm looking forward to seeing the man he grows up to be, and I will be praying for him to be a godly leader wherever God leads him! He is a unique young man, and I am blessed to be his "temporary" big sister, or, his Onechan.

Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.