One Year Done!

Well, I think it is safe to say that I am not to great at this blog thing. Especially as I watch my friends post several a month!!! And I am struggling to do one a month!! What's wrong with me??

That's not the right question. It is not a matter of what is wrong as much as why I am not so motivated to blog. Part of it is that I just have never been a consistent writer.. I have always been sporadic in journaling and such. Another part is that I have been trying to do most everything out of my own strength.

 A big part is that I have been a bit selfish this year and I didn't want to admit it. I did not use my time too well and ate horribly.. suffering the consequences of both those now! I guess that was more the first half (or 8 months or so) and I have been coming out of my self induced life coma for the past 4 months. There has been so much good because God is good and never quits.. though I know I missed out on so much and I don't want to miss out on anymore!!!

Yata! I did it! I year finished and it was great! My Farewell Dinner

At the restaurant with some wonderful students! And Alex, who is replacing me!

This week I finished my first job in Japan, packed everything, and started a new job. I didn't know where I was going to live until a week before I had to be out of my apartment that my company rented for me. The place I wanted to move into filled up from May when I spoke to them. They wouldn't put me on the list back then because I didn't have a new job lined up yet. So, with searching for another place and many people praying with me that God would open the door.. HE did!! I will be moving in August 1st and for now I'm staying with friends. Oh, and I can walk to work! Yeah!

Two weeks before my job finished and I needed to be out of my apartment a comment from a friend prompted me to call and ask (the apartment I wanted) one more time. I did and they told me a guy had recently called and said he might cancel and was letting them know by Friday. I was so excited and grateful!! That left me to wait a week, with only one week left to find a new place if the guy moved in after all.  I talked to my mom on Skype and asked her to pray. She told me she had been praying that someone would cancel so I could get in!! Thanks Mom! Thanks God!!

Yellow door is where I am staying, Green one above will be mine#1213

The Balcony view with Train in tow ;) 11th floor,I will be on 12

So this last week and a half has been hectic. With the saying goodbyes, packing, waiting, saying hellos, and time lines for cleaning, working, and getting my stuff picked up all moved up! I didn't sleep much and dived into my new job right away. Last day at Aeon was Friday July 20th and first day at American School was Monday July 23rd. First day was prep for the next three days of teaching 7 3&4 year olds. I also went from working PM to AM so my body is freaking out a bit. The 3 days of singing, playing, teaching, cooking, and cleaning are finished and tomorrow I prep for my regular class, decorate my classroom, and observe classes so that I can teach on Saturday and be ready to take over the 4 year olds come August. Having 7 of them was a bit challenging but my regular class is only 4 students. I had three of them this week so we have been getting to know each other.

There you have it,  some of my life lately. You didn't miss much from my lack of blogs since much of it would have said the same things. I have a great church, a lovely Life Group, good friends, tons of amazing conversations with non Christians about Jesus and I get to go see my brother in Sept.!!! Can't wait!

10th to the sky..I'm moving to 12th.. so high!

This past year wasn't bad, but it could have been amazing. Trying to depend on yourself or other things to get you living to your fullest potential won't work. Just like a light bulb only lights up when it is connected to the source so we light up best when we are connected to God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit. So, I am started a new season with so many changes at once, and the best and most beneficial will be depending more on God, worshiping Him everyday, listening to His precious voice, and getting filled with His power each day so that I might thrive and make a positive impact around me.. and enjoy life so much more!! A new season can start anytime.. so if you need let it start now, in an hour, or tomorrow... you don't have to wait! God is always available and desires to be your strength!

Bikes!! All the way Down!

The 11th is where the colored lights are...

Goodbyes, Celebrations, & Disney!

Our last day together.. Bye Hlulani!

Heather, Leann, friend, Anna, Luke, me

So a lot has happened since I last wrote... maybe because I missed April (sumi masen- sorry in Japanese). The end of March came with some hard goodbyes. My good friend Hlulani headed back to Zimbabwe. We were studying a book together and sharpening one another here... I miss her but I know God has big plans for her back home!!  We also said goodbye to James & Heather.. as it was time for them to go back to Australia. They lead my life group and had come to help with the church.. they are missed yet the work they started is thriving! So I don't have a pic of James but Heather is on the far left. With the changes we had to switch around some life groups, so now I am with Anna & Leann in the picture and Ester (not pictured here). It's been great and I look forward to going deeper with these great women.

Right after saying goodbye I went to a wedding for two friends from church. It was lovely and since Greg is from England, and his family doesn't know Japanese, the ceremony was in both languages. Tomoko was a beautiful bride! Just after that I went to a celebration for my friend Daisuke, who is now officially a Dentist!

Posing for pictures as Man & Wife!

Cutest Program ever!

We both love being goofy...

See! Congrats Daisuke! Pray for him!

Get ready for a lot more pictures... I will do another blog soon to tell you more about what God is doing in me.. for now I hope you are enjoying this glimpse into my Spring so far...















So I had a great time celebrating at both these events. Daisuke is around all the time yet isn't sure about Jesus so please pray that he will find what he is looking for as he looks more and more into Jesus.

A street I pass on my walk to work!

Our Hanami group!

Tomoe & I after church.. so pretty!

With the start of April came the Cherry Blossoms!!! I passed many on my way to work so I got to see them from start to finish!! Such a blessing! Hanami is a cherry blossom (or sakura) party. My new life group had one at Tsurumai park on Easter before church. We did a picnic and I got to share about the Resurrection of Jesus with my friend Kaori, she had never heard it before. At church we celebrated that Jesus is ALIVE!!! And after church I went back to the park with my friend to see the lanterns come on.  

Meet Duffy & Sherrie May

They projected the scenes on this and Mickey was on top

Our hanami group was bigger but a few had to leave early. Kaori is on my left.  I have many pictures I would love to show though I am trying not to go too crazy here. I have posted many on Facebook and you can always ask me for more in a comment... just let me know. So, this was the beginning of April.


In the middle I went to Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea with my friend, and our new sister in Christ, Sachie, before she heads off to study abroad in Australia. We had a great time and I so love Disney! It was fun for me to compare the similarities and differences to Disneyland. We went the week kids went back to school in hopes it would be less crowded!! And it was! We got to do everything we wanted to and our longest line was maybe 40 minutes!!! We went to Disney Sea first. There I met Duffy for the first time. One out of every three people at Disney Sea was wearing, holding, or hanging Duffy and/or Sherrie May on their person. It was Spring Voyage so they had lots of flowers, including characters made of flowers. Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Journey to the Center of the Earth were all at Disney Sea... everything else was new to me. If you have questions about it just let me know. We finished the night with Fantasmic, which is my favorite show at home. I was very excited to see how they did it here. It was the same concept but done quite differently and Mikey and everyone were speaking Japanese, of course! I filmed a lot of it though it would take a lot of time to re-watch and edit.. so that might just be for me.  The thing Mikey stood on was also like a video screen and it looked like Mikey's hat at the very end. You can see the levels that rose up and down throughout the show depending on what they needed to show or do. So fun!

Entrance to Disney Sea

Almost done.. a few more pics of Disney and then you are home free ;)

Tower of Terror across the port.

I love King Louie!

New Orleans Goofy?

Thanks Walt!

The next day we went to Disneyland. It was a Monday so that is why is was less crowded, and I asked God to let us do all the rides and stuff so He might have helped on that too ;) I could go on and on about it but I will spare you. I'll just give a few more pictures. I hope you are enjoying them :).  They had an Easter theme going on so there were character eggs all around the park. We had fun spotting them as we went on all the rides. I have most of those pics in an album on Facebook. I am having trouble deciding on which pictures, so I need to stop before I put all of them here. It's been a fun, yet sometimes sad, past two months. Now it is Golden Week here so we get the whole week off. I decided take it easy and enjoy the people around me. I've had some lunches with friends, done a bit of shopping, a bit of resting, a bit of cleaning, and tomorrow I am off to the zoo with a group I don't know well... pray that the light in me illuminates as we enjoy what God has created!

Please pray for me. God has definitely been showing me a lot and some of it is not easy. Just pray that I keep growing and moving forward in who I am as a daughter of God! Thanks. Let me know if you would like me to pray for you too.

Spring is on it's way!

As I sit and contemplate life with my trusted companion I just kept thinking... when is Spring going to come...

My Southern California roots are showing. I do enjoy having the seasons but I find my heart wanting warmer weather each day. I walk to work everyday and my shoes have worn down so that the water comes through the bottom on rainy days like today.

But I love that I can walk to work everyday! In the Fall I got to enjoy the pretty leaves as they changed and last month we had a couple days of snow, some days it rains, but many days the sun does shine and I get to watch ducks in the river and hear the birds flying overhead. I am looking forward to Spring to be in full swing, though I also want to live today to the fullest. I have been growing up in many ways... I have actually started cooking and packing a lunch/dinner for work (not everyday yet but many of them ;). My apartment is the cleanest it has been since the week I moved in, and I plan on keeping it so that I would have no embarrassment if someone dropped by unannounced. I have been getting up earlier so that I can get stuff done in the morning before work. I am connecting more and more with other women and have used to my walk to work these past weeks to pray for others.. God has placed different people on my heart at different times.. some in Japan, some in California, and other places as well. I have been so blessed to meet so many wonderful people around the world. So, I still have much growing to do though it is good to celebrate the steps forward along the way... I am doing well and looking ahead to better and brighter days!

My word for 2012 is Illuminate! In one sense it is for me.. that God will illuminate in me so I might see more clearly who I am and what I need to do; surrender, confess, forgive, heal, etc... and it also represents my deep desire this year for God to illuminate through me to bring light, hope, and freedom to those around me! Before I came to Japan God brought to me through others that I would make an lasting impact here even if it might not be so visible at first. I trust the Holy Spirit that He is working all of the time and any part He uses me in I am delighted to be of service. I tend to like and want tangible things yet in my journey of surrender this has been very freeing.. to not know all the details. That has increase my faith and helped me to let go of needing to know everything! It's okay to not know sometimes and now I am also learning to let go of being understood all the time. Both of those are difficult for me but the Freedom in Jesus is so much better... I want to make you understand but that is not my job... I feel a sentiment of Jesus' message was an invitation to take look and if you see fit after weighing what you find in Him to follow, then follow. If not, that is your choice. So, I am praying for Jesus to illuminate in and through me and I welcome anyone who wants to take look, go ahead.

Feb it snowed!

The flowers are here! March.

I pass this little field of trees on my way to work. I enjoy them all the time even though they were just bare until the snow covered them last month. Then the weather got a tiny bit warmer and a couple of the trees started to flower. I think they are some sort of fruit tree because I heard the plum trees flower around this time. Each week more of the trees were getting there flowers and so I took the first pic in Feb. and the second just last week. And next month I will get to go see some cheery blossoms!! Pictures of those to come after spring is fully here! So, like these trees; bare, snow covered, flowering, and maybe fruit to come soon.. our journeys have beauty, harshness, neutrality, joy, and sorrow...  yet I find joy and beauty every time I pass these trees in each season. There is also joy that is available to all of us and beauty to be found no matter where we are in our journey. Have a beautiful day, week, month and Spring!

It's been 7 months already?? Are you kidding me?

First off I want to apologize for taking an unintentional 4 month break from blogging. It is amazing how time just keeps moving forward whether you want it to or not! This is something I have always known though it seems so easy for many of us to forget.

So, I have unintentionally gained some weight, not gotten far on the language, and have had 3 colds in that last 2 months.... I would guess they are all related to not intentionally taking care of myself. It has finally dawned on me that I need and finally want to change that... the fact I am putting it in print means a lot, which also explains why I haven't blogged in a while (or sent many emails, etc.) Please pray for me in this... thanks.

Onto better things... here are some updates to catch you up, and the plan is to blog at least once a month form now on :)

Hara Staff Halloween 2011.

October: This was a whirlwind, busy month at work... so that is all I did; eat, sleep, work, church... Halloween week we had to wear a costume all week... fun, but tiring. To be honest, October is a bit of a blur for me.

November: This month was quite emotional for me. I was tired from Oct and really missed my family deeply for the first time in my life. I spent a lot of time with them on skype and started leaning on God more again... as a result I made it through without dying and was able to start focusing on others again!! My co-worker offered to go get some Turkey (which is really hard to find in Japan) after Thanksgiving (he saw I was a bit emotional).. so after work we had a Turkey dinner around 10 pm.. it wasn't like Mom's but it was still yummy!

Shiho & I enjoying some Mochi

December: As I began to focus more on others I realized that I didn't have many connections with Japanese people. I knew quite a few but didn't have any friendships. So, I started getting intentional on that. I prayed and asked God to connect me with some Japanese women. I decided to stay in Japan over vacation and prayed that would be a time of getting to know the women God was putting on my heart.... and He answered! I went out with all them we had a great time! Please pray that I can truly be a light in thier lives and we can build lasting friendships.  Christmas was wonderful and my friend Ayumi came with me to church... it was her first time ever!

Shiho & I showing you a bit of Osu Kannon

January: I was sick with a cold but I was not going to miss out on building these relationships... so I went out with Shiho and her husband Ken to Osu Kannon. And got my new computer!! With some wonderful ladies I went to the Nagoya Port and Aquarium for the first time!!! New Years eve I was skyping with my brother Ken at midnight and we prayed for Japan together (with the sounding gongs in the distance). New Year's day I went to my pastors house and we had a time of worship, prayer, and eating yummy food as a church family! I am not giving this info in order but that doesn't matter.. Jan. started off great.. then back to work and it was fine. Church and Life group are wonderful. And this month my friend Hlulani and I started meeting to pray and study Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard.

Midori, Kaori & her son, me, Yoko & her daughter at the Aquarium!

Kahori, Tomoe, & I New Year's Day 2012!

That is still continuing in Feb. Though I now know for sure that I am staying in Japan at least another year. I will not be continuing with the same company so I need to start job hunting ASAP. It turns out people apply really early for jobs in Japan, so even though I can't start working until August I need to be applying now... so strange to me. Please pray I find the right job and new home in the right time.



Thank you so much for reading and sticking with me. I am so fortunate to have great people in my life. More exciting blogs to come in the future. Until then, have a wonderful Feb. God bless you!

Watashi wa Susie desu :)

The day I left CA... July 1, 2011

That means..  I am Susie.

Before I left many people felt the Spirit gave "Identity" in various ways to speak into my life. It is something that  I always believed was no problem for me... until... in my 28th year of life I lost a brother.  I changed, some good and some bad, and lost some years not knowing who I was. As hard as that is to admit, I need to confess that it is true. I spent time in denial trying to convince myself that I was who I was before. Every time  I taught interpersonal communications I encouraged students to do self reflection often to keep the self concept realistic and healthy...though  I learned that in denial you can fool yourself pretty easily.

Since God was clearly telling me to take a real look at myself I decided it must be time... and a good idea. So, here I am in another land, just barely learning the language, living on my own, working more hours a week then I ever have before, wearing clothes that don't feel like me, without anyone who truly knows me, unable to read labels and signs, and just sometimes feeling like a 12 year old.. thinking I am grown up but knowing  I need help, even to read a menu (thank the Lord for pictures!). On top of that my first month I was without a computer and my second was a spiritually heavy time in Japan.

Kamakura, Tokyo with Kathy & friends

Now I am in my third month...  I have had to lean on God and, being that He knows me most, ask Him to help me see who I am.  I am now taking a Japanese conversation class once a week (no $$ or time for more right now). I have gone 2 weeks and can count to 10 and introduce myself.. and a few others things. This language is less direct and the same sounds get repeated often, so please pray  I can memorize and use it correctly ;). I am slowly listening to God and doing some self exploration into who i am. When I look I feel wretched sometimes, and not so bad others. When I ask God  I feel special, worthwhile, loved, gifted, strong,  wise, that  I have a purpose, beautiful, and liked. I am trying to ask God every day to remind me so that where I lack I can grow into who  I am, who God created me to be!!

Kathy & I with Hachi
(hachi is 6 in Japanese)

I want to encourage you to do some self reflection... are you who you think you are? are you who you want to be? are you moving or static?

And please let God be a part of the process because He created us and knows us more deeply then we could ever know ourselves... and even so, He loves us more deeply than we can understand, and the biggest shocker to me is... He likes us and desires us to get to know Him... He wants YOU around!!!

So, who am i? i am a daughter of the everlasting King! i am a Princess! i am a saint! i am an ambassador for the Kingdom of God! i am a mighty warrior! i am loved & liked! i am God's creation! i am who God created me to be! i am Susie!

What????????????
Science Museum.. my 2nd day in Nagoya, Japan

Enjoying a bath house with my sister at the base of Mt Fuji.

Who are you????


Thanks for Reading! Please pray for me... that  I remember who I am, get on a better schedule, and learn the language well. Thanks. 

One Month Down

Tomorrow marks one month since the day I got on a plane to move to Japan. I am moved in to my apartment and am full swing into my 40 hr/week schedule. I am anxious to start learning Japanese and dive more into the culture. It feels like I have been here for longer, which is bringing on feelings of being behind... like there is this invisible schedule of what I need to have done by now...

Anyway, there is a holiday coming up here in Japan call Obon... people believe it is the time when relatives who have passed on come to visit so many go to be with family and pray for their ansesters. Because of this I get a week off work (as do most people in Japan). During this time I will be blessed to see my living sister! Kathy is traveling right now and come Aug. 8th we will travel some of Japan together for a week. I am very excited! Please pray for us as we navigate new places with no Japanese to speak.. and pray for Japan as they pray for those passed on... pray the Holy Spirit will meet the people here and speak to them with love and hope.

I have been having computer trouble and so staying connected to my family & friends has been hard since I have been here. Tomorrow, August 1st would have been my dad's birthday. I am struggling a bit emotionally and have wanted to talk to family more... though at the same time I am calling out to God more and trying to learn how to better deal with my emotions. I am being stretched in new ways and though some of it is uncomfortable I welcome it so that I may become more of who I am!

Today was the third Sunday I was able to go to church. I found a great church of about 40-50 people that is in English and Japanese... so I can't speak Japanese yet but I can sing praises to God in Japanese already, which is way cool! The church is called Grace City and it is a church plant from Australia. The lead pastor is from England and the congregation is a mix of English speakers from different countries and native Japanese folks. The church is passionate about the Lord and about Japan. It is so wonderful to find others here like minded that want the same thing... to see the nation of Japan (and the world) experiencing the fullness of the Kingdom of God! My desire is to bring HOPE and FREEDOM to all I meet.

I would love to post some pics but my camera seems to eat batteries in less than 10 minutes, which makes it a challenge to take pictures at all. I am slowly making friends, enjoying my students (of all ages), blessed to have found a church so quickly, can't wait to dive in more deeply.

Please pray for me:
-For my emotional and Spiritual states.. that I will lean on God more and mature in dealing with my emotions, especially grief.
-For a new computer, gym membership, etc.. that I will be a good steward with what I have a make wise decision of when & what to buy or join.
-For friendships to develop more quickly and for fellowship
-For health for me and my school... this is a time when many kids get sick.
-For the language, that I will find the right class to join and catch on quickly.

Thank you so much for caring about me. Thank you for your prayers. Please let me know if you'd like prayer as well. take care and please dive into the spring that the Holy Spirit offers and be filled with joy, laughter, hope, peace, and rest.

"Suit Up"... I have to ;)

So I have survived 2 days wearing a suit. I will don my third tomorrow as I continue to train for this new job and gear up to teach my first class to real students (though I'm not at my school yet and they know it will be my first time). That means I have been in Nagoya, Japan for just over 3 days.

I can't believe it's only been 2 days of training since we have cover so much! There is still 6 full days of training left!! I hope I can remember everything. I am training alongside some great people, four have been to Japan and three speak Japanese, and us 3 remaining are here for the first time. We are enjoying exploring some of Japan together, though not much yet since we are training from 11 am to 8 pm everyday. We will be together until next Wednesday when we all move to our schools and into our apartments. We all are within 30 minutes of Nagoya's center. It's nice to be doing this with others.

I am focused on taking in my new job for now and will get more into learning Japanese when my brain has more space. I also will look for a church, try to find the swing dancers, and rediscover who I am. Some of us might try a hip hop class and there is a hiking club... some are talking of doing marathons (not me).. there will be many adventures, challenges, laughter, tears, and personal growth this year. I pray that in it all God uses me to be a light and bringer of freedom to all around me.

My move to Japan is underway. I don't feel like I live here yet but moving into my apartment next week will help with that. Please pray I do well with my job and that I find balance as I adjust to living alone in this new nation. Thanks.