Adjusting

I've been putting off updating the blog because I wanted so badly to give nothing but a positive happy report...  But the truth is, it hasn't really been that way lately and I guess there's no more denying it.  I have been quite homesick lately...  Homesick for America.  Over the past couple of weeks it has really started to settle in that I'm living in a foreign country.  It has been a hard thing for me to adjust to, a whole lot harder than I expected.  I guess this is what they call culture shock.  Everything is different.  I'm adjusting to two new cultures--military life, and life in Japan.  Nothing about either of them is familiar to me, and I guess that makes me feel pretty unstable.  While on base, though most everyone is American and speaks English, I'm uncomfortable because all of the buildings look the same, all of the houses look the same, and I'm constantly aware of the fact that I'm on a military base.  It doesn't exactly make me feel at home.  When off base it's totally different, totally foreign in a different way.  It's a foreign language, foreign food, foreign people, foreign buildings, foreign climate, foreign vegetation, nothing that reminds me of home.  I find myself constantly dreaming about going home.  But that's not an option, Aaron can't leave, and I'm not leaving him.  It would be different if we were just on vacation, visiting this beautiful, interesting place... but we're not just on vacation, we're living here for three years.  I know that this situation in and of itself is not bad, it's just so incredibly new for me that I'm overwhelmed.  I don't know how to live in a foreign country and I don't know how to be a military spouse.  I've never done it before and I don't have anyone telling me how to do it either. :)  I'm thankful that no matter where in the world I am I have God and that is comforting.  When I pray about all of this my only conclusion is that I'm being pruned.  Of what yet, I'm not sure...  I just know that it's painful!  I just pray that the outcome is lots of fruit for God's glory.  Deep in my heart and my mind I know that this will get easier and I will adjust to both of these lifestyles.  That just doesn't do a whole lot for what I'm feeling right now.  I know I probably sound a little depressed and I'm sorry for that, but maybe the fact is that I am a little bit.  It's just going to take time.  Thankfully Aaron doesn't really share any of these feelings at all.  He is an explorer at heart and he loves it here and rarely even thinks of home.  It makes some for misunderstandings between us, but at least we're not both struggling.


On a more positive note...  Aaron and I are now settled into our house and have received all of our items from the states.  We have been getting to know some really great people from our new church.  We've had the fortune of exploring more of the island including a place called 'American Village' that is basically restaurants and shops located in 'American' style buildings.  It did kind of remind me of home.  We also visited a botanical garden and a place called Zanpa Point where you can walk out on the coral and look in little tide pools that have collected sea cucumbers, crustaceans and some small fish.  As much as I miss home it's still fun to explore the many wonders this island has to offer.  I know we will never run out of adventurous things to do.  Hopefully some of these spots will eventually become some of our regular places and will help me to identify with this as home.


Here are some recent pictures: