Other things I did

• Went to a Christmas party organized by and for the young adults at Budonoki church. They even had a little 'talent show' time. The actuary guy juggled and another guy did a magic show. Wow... these Tokyo Christians are so multi-talented... It was nice to see how they interact just like brothers and sisters.
• Last minute running around Tokyo on the afternoon/night before my flight. I squeezed in some more sightseeing starting at about 4 pm on Sunday. I bought a Tokunai pass (day pass) and yeah... just poked around Tokyo
• Budonoki church had a Christmas service on the Sunday before Christmas. Thanks to Eline's translation, I was able to hear some testimonies of how God worked in people's lives. It was really encouraging. My impression was that Japanese people are quite private so it is wonderful to see that they feel so comfortable opening up about personal issues and difficult pasts in front of their church family.
• Late night talk with an OMF missionary from Singapore. She's a single lady who is going to be involved in counseling. There's a lot of marriage and parenting problems in Japan due to husbands putting in so many hours at work (as well as other factors). Talking to Singaporeans is nostalgic for me because of their accent and personalities. I feel like I'm talking to an older cousin or something. I'm not sure how to explain it but I have an affection for the way that they talk. I interacted with some other Singaporeans on this trip. Sometimes they insert random Malay words in their conversations. I just find them and the way they interact with each other very amusing. They tend to be very "matter-of-fact". And I find their sense of humor and very... funny!
• Passing out Christmas CDs with a Singaporean team. It is so interesting to contrast Singaporeans with Japanese. Singaporeans (at least the ones that I've interacted with) are so outgoing and excitable (I think). Japanese are so quiet and reserved.
• Babysitting de Boo kids. I really enjoyed it. It is kind of a nice feeling to tuck kids in at night. Enjoyed some VeggieTales with them too.