Mt. Fuji Climb #2

It was a dreary morning. It's been a dreary month. I'd say 6 out of 7 mornings I wake up to fog or, super low clouds of grey, or rain. That is rainy season in Japan for ya. So, it was 5:30am, overcast skies, and my Japanese teacher, Wato San, picked me up outside my apt. Bless her soul, she woke up at 4:30!! But Wato San is an avid mountain climber. Climbing is her hobby. She wants to climb any and every mountain in Japan, and she probably will succeed. Sometimes she wakes up early, drives to a mountain, and spends 10 hours climbing it, just for the sheer enjoyment of the activity. I really admire her strength and endurance.

We arrived at the 5th station on the mountain at 7am, and took in the view: fog and strong winds whipping the trees back and forth. "Hmm, what should we do?" we thought. We ate our breakfast in the car, then put on our rain gear and decided to climb as far as we could. She said we definitely wouldn't make it to the top (10th station?) because if the wind was strong here, it would surely be furious up there. So we loaded only the little gear we would need for a somewhat "half-hike."

Happy to be hiking!!

Climbing Mt. Fuji is literally just that: CLIMBING! from the 5th to the 6th station is just hill work on switch-backs. Once we reached the 7th station we started to actually climb up the rocks. Its really amazing; molten rock makes for really good climbing rock! Knobs and ball shapes make great handles and foot grips. Maybe these rocks have been corroded by rain and snow, making them this way. Either way, we were climbing up and up. My climbing stick became a little "jama" as they say in Japanese (it means "in the way"). But on the way down I really used it to brace myself. I think I would have fallen 50 times if not for my stick! ** I was thinking, as I climbed and listened to only the sound of rain pelting my hood, "Now I know why Moses carried a staff when he climbed Mt. Horeb!" But then I thought "How did he ever climb down with two stone tablets?!?" Horeb must have been a little more "ameteur-hiker friendly."
A view from one of the 7th station buldings. You can kinda see the switch-backs.

New camping/living building. That hose on the left is a rain water hose. There isn't any pipage to bring water up the mountain, so for people who live up there during the climbing season, their source of water comes from rain- which is caught and hosed into these giant vats.

A picture of our reflection in the nice new windows of this camping/living building. That's my backpack and climbing stick on the floor.

We reached the 8th station and knew this was the furthest up we could go "safely." We'd already passed some snow and come above the rain, but there was fog and wind above us too. We sat and had a snack: She brought grapefruit *good job*, I brought chocolate cookies *so me*. Hey, when you're climbing a mountain, you need some comfort food!
Here we are, standing under the 8th station sign.
The way down was tricky; a couple times I lost my balance and fell back a bit, and the wind really whipped me about a few times. But God always caught me, I know his hand was with me, just like it is now, and will be forever, Hallelujah!

What I learned on Fuji Climb #2:
1.The Abraham thing.

2.Fuji is not for the faint of heart.

3.Don't complain about tired legs, blistered heels, cold wet hands... The whole point is to climb the mountain in the midst of these elements.

4.Focus on the goal , not all the things that try to take me away from it .

5.Patience! Patience! PATIENCE!! The slow and steady can keep the pace and finish the climb. Really, you MUST go slow on Fuji, its the only way to finish!

6.Don't rush or you'll ruin!

Sioux City came to Japan!

...well, Miss Sioux didn't actually come to Japan, but a delegation of four people from Morningside College came, representing Sioux City as an entity.

President John Reinders, Mrs. Robin Reinders, Gene Ambroson, and Terry Curry made a memorable journey through the land of the rising sun. I'm sure they'll never forget their travels here. And I'm sure, they'll always remember their experience at Kusakabe Elementary School.

The foursome arrived on a blazing hot afternoon, wearing their suits and ties! At the entrance of the school, curious 2nd graders greeted them with popping eyes and wide grins. I don't think the kids had ever seen such big people! I was so proud of the students; they introduced themselves in English! YAY!

After touring the school and poking our noses into a few classes, we made our way to the 6th grade class, which I was to teach, and they observe. We started class with a surprise "American Dance," aka the "Cha Cha Slide!" Terry and Robin gladly joined us, which thrilled the students!

The "Cha Cha Slide" featuring Mr. Uehara's 6th grade class!

After gettin' our groove on (and sweating like mad) the kids settled down, but my heart was still racing. It's a big deal when your alma mater comes to observe what you've done with the education you've been given. Kind of like in the Bible, it says "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to him who has been entrusted with much, much more will be required."(Luke 12:48) I felt the weight of that truth, but I must say I also felt love and grace just emanating from all four of my guests. They smiled and took interest, and took lots of pictures (Gene!).

Don't the kids look hot? But they really did a good job!

We are using the map on the board to practice giving directions, like "turn right, turn left, go straight, go back, stop."

I think one of the highlights, though, was after class. All the students wanted autographs from all the Americans! It was so great, they just swarmed around them, thrusting pens and notebooks in their faces, and saying "Sign! Sign!" I was even asked to "sign!"


As the group left the school for their next tour (they were booked solid!) they encouraged me so much, reminding me that what I'm doing is important. The way I treat my students, build relationships with them, encourage and teach them, is making an impact in their little lives. Sometimes I feel like English is the "side item" that most people don't care about. But actually the students have a great time in English, because we play games and sing songs. This exposure to the English language at an early age is preparing their eyes, ears, and minds to embrace this ever-increasingly international language. They absolutely WILL NEED to know English in the future, and I get to be a part of teaching them. Wow. My job is awesome!

President Reinders shaking hands with Principal Amemiya; a neat connection!

Thank you, Sioux Citians, for making the long journey overseas. Your encouragement to me personally, and your connections made with the Sister City relatonship are invaluable.