Amanda Yuill

Dear Friends and Family,

Things I tell the students

1. Sure, if you give me chocolate, we can have free time instead of Math.
2. To boys who are play fighting:  No hugging in class!
3. To a girl and boy who are play fighting:  No flirting in class!
4. You really shouldn’t hit him while I’m looking!
5. Please stop chewing the candy I gave you if the principal comes by.

Fundraising

I’ve been speaking to various pastors about speaking in their churches about Japan but haven’t actually spoken in a church yet.  Here’s hoping there’s a rash of pastors calling me to say they’ve decided I can speak one Sunday!  I’ve spoken in Bible studies and with individual sponsors though – so that’s good!

Supply Teaching

I’ve been working 4 days a week this trip instead of my usual 5 days a week.  I’ve been teaching various grades and subjects.  One kindergarten boy explained about all of his Lego creations.  There was an energy source on top of his spaceship above where the captain sat but the captain didn’t use it – he had crew members who did that!

Visiting Friends and Family

Yes, I’ve been doing a lot of this and if I haven’t got to see you yet and you’d like to see me, let me know – and soon – I’m booking in June now!  Just kidding – the end of May is also still free.  I’ll be heading out to Ottawa the last weekend in May for beaver tails and to see if I can catch a glimpse of our Prime Minister (that doesn’t sound so exciting, eh?)

Prayer Requests

1. Really good time management skills and priority setting skills.
2. Motivation and inspiration.
3. Peace.

Love,

Amanda

p.s. The pictures are of  a butterfly in the crabapple tree in my backyard and pictures I got from students while supply teaching.

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Dear Friends and Family,

Funny Signs I saw on Vacation in the UK

1. “Whit’s yer hurry” – carved into stone underneath the town’s name – like the town motto or something!!
2. “Butcher”, “Farm Shop”, “Restaurant” – on the side of a big, barn like building with a door under each.  I wonder what “Farm Shop” means?
3. “Near here is the reputed site of the well where St. Patrick baptized many of the local inhabitants in the 5^th century AD” – a well?  “OK, Larry, just sit in the bucket there….”

Amanda, Where are you and what are you doing?

I moved at the end of Jan. to Kawasaki city – a 20 min. train ride from downtown Tokyo.  I live with 2 good girlfriends now.  They make very good food!

I moved to work with the Altar House of Prayer however it closed 2 weeks after I moved.  So, I’m now working with the House of Prayer for All Nations (HOPFAN) in Tokyo.  We’ve been working closely with them for the past couple of years so I know Pastor Gilberto and his team well.  It’s a Brazilian church so it’s very lively!!

What Happened to Last Months Newsletter?

Sorry about missing last month – I actually got quite sick with an infection and went to the hospital 7 times in 4 days – 3 times as an emergency!  However, I am all better now.  I am just being careful not to get sick again!  Don’t worry, it’s not contagious!!  I don’t have the cooties.

Yeah!  I Went on a Real Vacation!

The last two weeks of March I spent touring around England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales with my parents visiting friends and my godson.  I also saw many statues, churches, castles and sheep.  I ate fish and chips, bangers (but no mash), sticky toffee pudding, b’noffee pie and scones with cream and jam.  I have now gained back all the weight I lost when I was sick!

What – You’re in Toronto Again??

Yes, yes, I’m actually home for 2-3 months this time fundraising (and spending time with my boyfriend ; ) ).  If you would like to have me come and speak at your church or Bible study, or if you just want to see me, please let me know!

Prayer Requests – please pray!

Luv,

Amanda

p.s. Pictures are of  my dad and I at Dublin Castle and steps at Edinburgh castle.

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Dear Friends and Family,

On Moving Day Make Sure…

1. You know where you packed your toothbrush and pjs.
2. The toothpaste cap is tightly screwed on before packing it.
3. You didn’t pack the key to the new place.
4. You throw out the garbage instead of moving it to the new place.
5. The van you rented fits down the tiny Japanese street you now live on.

New Job

On Feb. 1, I started working full-time with the Altar International House of Prayer.  I will be helping them with prayer meetings, Bible teaching and taking short term mission teams up to do disaster relief etc.  I had worked with Royal House of Prayer in Saitama for 3 ½ years.  They gave me a good-bye party and made my favourite foods including sweet bean soup.

New Apartment

I moved from Saitama to Kanagawa – sort of like moving from Newmarket to Oakville.

I moved in with 2 roommates who are also on staff at the Altar IHOP.  The first night we stayed up talking until past midnight!  I also plan to borrow their clothes!  It’s been over 5 years since I lived with anyone – I plan to make the most of it!

My new room is 6 tatami mats big (9X12ft).  Everything I own (except for a trunk at my parents and some dishes in the kitchen) is in that room, along with 1/6 of the closet!  There is only one closet in the apartment.  It’s amazing how much you can fit under the bed!

Prayer Requests

1. For the staff at the Altar IHOP as we enter into a new season.
2. For salvation of the Yakuza (Mafia) bosses.
3. More money.  Or maybe less expenses.  Or both.

Luv,

Amanda

p.s. Pictures are of the goody-bye party at Royal HOP and me in a kimono.

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Dear Friends and Family,

Reverse Culture Shock I had in Canada

1. I felt thin and short.
2. The bananas were huge!
3. Looking for my earthquake kit.
4. The towels at the gym fit around me twice!
5. I had to use a chair to reach my dad’s cereal.  If I use a chair in Japan, I can practically climb on the roof!
6. I missed eating Pumpkin salad.

Supply Teaching Gems

1. No – don’t eat that (to a kindergarten student).
2. Fri. morning recess treats in the Staff room (Do eat that).
3. 3 carol sing assemblies in one week when I didn’t have much of a voice… Thumpity, thump, thump, thumpity, thump, thump in my head for a week.
4. You don’t have to go back to schools you don’t like (John McCrae).
5. Having students recognize and remember you (Candy? What candy?).

Fundraising

I was able to speak at 3 churches and 2 Bible studies.  It was supposed to be 3 Bible studies but I lost my voice.  I spoke at a Hanukah celebration and a Christmas Eve service.  I also go my picture (ok, just my back as people are praying for me) in an article written about Pentacostalism.  All in all, pretty eventful!

Really Fun Things

I got to lead my uncle’s father to the Lord.  He’s battling cancer and made the decision with tears.

I also got to take one of my salsa friends from Tokyo to a salsa club in Toronto when she came to visit!  It’s always fun speaking Japanese in Toronto – I get the best looks from people.

Prayer Requests

1. Praise for the apartment I’ll be moving into Feb. 1 with 2 friends.  It’s a good location and very cheap!
2. Opportunities to share Jesus with friends I’ll be leaving behind when I move.
3. More monthly sponsors.

Luv,

Amanda

p.s. Pics are of the New Year’s Eve meal with a family from church.

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Dear Friends and Family,

Things That Aren’t OK in Church

1. Loud Farts.
2. Asking a professional for free help (they say it’s ok but it’s not).
3. Smoking during the sermon
4. Taking change from the offering plate.
5. Asking a married couple when they’ll have kids.
6. Telling a single person what they need to change to get married.
7. Telling someone God told you to marry them.
8. Asking the Pastor “How’s it hanging?”
9. Raising you hands for worship when you forgot deodorant that day.

10. Visible bra straps. (Not that they should be invisible but they shouldn’t be showing).

Trip to the Disaster Zone

We took another team from the U.S. and Canada up to Iwaki, Fukushima to do disaster relief – mostly cooking for those in shelters and the volunteers.  I’ve been hearing and translating many survivor stories.  One man was on his fishing boat when the waves came – they weren’t too big when they hit him so he was ok but he wasn’t allowed to go home for 3 days due to the nuclear disaster.  His wife and son were at home on the 2^nd floor and survived the 2 waves.  Their next door neighbour was on the first floor and didn’t survive.  They live with his sister now as their house is wrecked and there is no fishing due to the radiation.  His wife is scared to go back to their house.  He allowed us to pray for him and his family.

** If you would like to come in the summer of 2012 to do relief work, please let me know. **

I’m moving to Tokyo

Starting Feb. 1/2012, I will be leaving Royal House of Prayer to work with the Altar House of Prayer in Tokyo full time (with the blessing of my pastor at Royal).  I will be moving into Tokyo hopefully in Feb., but maybe March.  I will continue on with the same kind of work I have been doing – praying, teaching English, leading the young adults group, taking teams to do disaster relief and leading worship.  My pastor told me maybe I’ll find a husband in Tokyo…

Prayer Requests

1. Praise that the lady who’s been coming to the Fellowship group became a Christian this past month.
2. I would find a nice, cheap apartment close to the centre of Tokyo without a lot of key money to be paid up front.
3. My time in Toronto would be successful.

Luv,

Amanda

p.s. Pictures are of me leading worship and the CRI team that came to do disaster relief.

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Dear Friends and Family,

International Lane Swimming Rules

1. Stay on your own side of the lane.
2. Don’t start just before someone if you are slower than them nor just after someone if you are faster than them.  In fact, there are usually only a couple of people in each lane, so why not start when the other person is at the other end?
3. If the person behind you is faster, stop at the end of the lane and let them pass.
4. If you hit someone or bang into someone by mistake, stop and apologize.
5. Lane swimming is not a race.  If you want to race, join the Masters club.

I wish all the seniors at my pool knew these rules!

Saturday Night Fellowship Young Adults Group

I co-lead a young adults group on Saturdays.  We often have 12-15 people from all over the world.  We meet in one member’s apartment and another member makes dinner for us.  Recently I’ve been playing guitar and leading worship as my co-leader just got married and doesn’t come as often J.  We sing in English and Japanese.  Then, I do a teaching (which is translated for those who need it – often into two languages).  Two of our members are being baptized this Saturday.  We have one lady who is not yet a Christian coming regularly and people often bring friends.  Recently we have been low on men – only 2-3 – we’ll have to work on that…  I mean, we offer lots of food and lots of women, what’s the problem?

Update on Relief efforts in Japan

It has been 6 months since the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster.  Much has been cleaned up in Japan.  It’s incredible, really.  However, there is still much work to be done.  The churches in Tokyo are still sending teams up about once a month to volunteer.  I will be going back to Iwaki in Fukushima Prefecture to volunteer Nov. 18-20 with a team from the States (I will be the translator for this team – not sure whether to laugh at that or not…).  If you would like to donate towards this trip, please go to http://www.thealtarihoptokyo.com/ .  It is exciting to be a part of what God is doing there!

Prayer Requests

1. More monthly sponsors.
2. Supernatural help when speaking Japanese (I mean, God knows Japnaese so…)
3. More opportunities to share the gospel with my English students (one of them told a story about praying to her mother and getting a miracle last week).

Luv,

Amanda

p.s. Pictures are of  Japanese fruit and German friends visiting my church.

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Dear Friends and Family,

Some Favourite Japanese Words

1. なずかし nazkashi – means nostalgic – used when hearing an old song on the radio that reminds you of your high school days – could also mean “Man, I’m old”.

2. いいなあ　iinaa – more of a sound meaning “I want one”.  As in, your friend just came back from Hawaii and brought a boyfriend as a souvenir– iinaa….

3.  さああ saaaa – again, more of a sound meaning, “No, but I can’t say no because it’s incredible rude, so I’ll make this sound instead”.  Similar to the sucking of teeth.

4. ね nee – exact same word as the Canadian “eh” – makes me feel at home!

5. ほしがっき、だいふく、大学校いも hoshii gakki, daifuku, daigakku imo – ok this is really just a list of food I like – dried persimmons, red bean paste covered in rice dough and candied Japanese yams.  Delicious!

日本語学校を卒業しましあ I Finished Japanese Language School

Thank you so much to all those who supported me this past year as I went to language school 3 hrs/day.  I really did improve!  In Japanese, I have to say that I “graduated” school even though I didn’t finish their program – I did move through 2 levels of the program.   My favourite mistake was when one student was trying to say that he didn’t wear anything special on dates but ended up saying he didn’t wear anything on dates.

しもだビーチのやすみ Vacation at Shimoda Beach

I took a 4 day vacation – my first in over a year!  I went to the Izu Penninsula to Shimoda Beach and spent the time swimming and lying on the beach.  I went with 2 friends and managed to keep my ministry to them under 2 hrs!  Turning off ministry is hard!!  One morning I went to the beach early and watched 100s of crabs protecting their territory from each other.  I called it “crab wars”.  Of course, when I went close to get a picture, they all went down their holes into the sand.  I guess I won!

Prayer Requests

1. More monthly sponsors.

2. Safety for the men working on expanding the balcony into a terrace at church.

3. I will continue to improve in Japanese as I continue to study on my own.

Luv,

Amanda

p.s. Pictures are Shimoda Beach and a giant moth I saw there!

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Dear Friends and Family,

How to Ride a Bike in a Skirt (A Very Important Skill in Japan)

1. Wear a full, longer skirt (as the folds in the skirt keep you covered), not a short, tight skirt (but not too full or it will get caught in the back wheel).
2. Leggings are still in style in Japan – use this to your advantage.
3. Keep knees closer together than normal.
4. You can raise the bike seat a bit.
5. On windy days, it’s best to keep one hand on a knee even in the longest skirt.
6. If uncomfortable, you can stand up to pedal or stop pedaling when passing someone.
7. When getting off, lean the bike down and pull your leg across the bar, don’t swing it over the back.
8. Take the back streets/wear sunglasses/remember the people you’re passing don’t know you.
9. Remember, everyone does this in Japan (Ok, not the men – they wear suits).

Summer Vacation

I had a 2 week summer vacation from Japanese Language classes – although I still went to work at the church everyday.  I spent more time visiting friends and women from the church.  One day, 4 of us women from the church got together for lunch.  It was at 1 pm, so I thought it would be done at 3pm.  However, all the women had arranged for someone else to make dinner for their families (or left it in the fridge) that night.  So, we had dinner together too.  I got home around 11 pm!!

Saturday Night Fellowship

I co-lead an international young adults Bible study on Saturday nights.  My co-leader just got married and is only coming once a month.  He is our worship leader and so I have been learning the guitar.  I can play quite a few worship songs at about ½ the regular speed.  Give me 2 months and it’ll be better.  We also didn’t have a place to meet for quite a while as many people moved.  However, we finally have at least 2 places where we can meet in women’s houses now!  One of the women cooks dinner every week – and she’s a good cook!!

The Christian Roots of Japan

This is a book I have been reading which states that Christianity came to Japan in 199 A.D.  It says there have been over 1 million martyrs in Japan.  It shows how Christianity used to be the biggest religion in Japan.  It’s very interesting research that changes the acknowledged history of Christianity in Japan!  It’s very exciting!

Prayer Requests

1. More monthly supporters.
2. Salvation of family members in the church.
3. A change in the thinking of the Japanese about Christianity.

Love,

Amanda

p.s. The pictures are of  the 1pm – 11pm lunch with women from the church and 2 other friends I met with over my break showing the size of a Japanese dessert.

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Dear Friends and Family,

As you know, I spent 5 days volunteering in Iwaki, Fukushima .

Come Volunteer in Fukushima and Sendai in the Spring 2012!

Anyone can volunteer – Christian or not, young or old – if you want to come, come!  There is a powerful move of God going on in Iwaki, Fukushima and you have a chance to be a part of it!  So many exciting things are happening in Japan right now – rumours of important people becoming Christians, a worship revival among the youth in Hokkaido, and revival in Tohoku where the tsunami, earthquake and nuclear disasters hit.  With all the Christians going to volunteer in Tohoku, the way the Japanese view Christians is changing rapidly.

The Fisherman’s Story

I was picking up glass from around the house next to the Fisherman’s house when he and I started talking.  I asked for his story.  When the tsunami came, he was at sea.  He was 30 km from shore so the wave wasn’t big when it hit him.  He was not allowed to go home for 3 days though because of the problems at the Nuclear Power Plant.  His wife was at home and on the 2^nd floor when the wave hit.  Two waves went through their house.  They are less than 1 km from the ocean.  When it was over, she went to the evacuation centre near her.  The man who lives beside them was on the 1^st floor when the wave hit.  He died.  Now the Fisherman and his wife live with his sister.  He cannot fish because of all the radiation in the sea.  His wife is scared to go back to the house.  I told him we could clean his house for free and gave him the church’s number.  He let us pray for him.

The Grandmother’s Story

I worked at the Grandmother’s house cleaning it up.  She provided lunch for a team of around 15.  She was not at home when the tsunami hit.  The house in front of hers is gone.  Only the foundation is left.  The house behind her is still full of garbage brought in by the wave.  Nobody knows if the owners died or are living somewhere and just haven’t come back.  The grandmother plans to move back to her house.  We cleaned it but it is still missing 2 walls and needs extensive work.  There is one other man who moved back into his house on her street.  He has running water.

Global Mission Center

Pastor Mori pastors Global Mission Center – a church in Iwaki that houses and feeds volunteers from literally all over the world.   The church asks for $2/person to help cover costs.

The schedule is:

6  - 7am – prayer meeting (optional)

7:30 – 8:45 – breakfast

9  - 10am – morning meeting where jobs for the day are listed and you choose which one you’d like to do.

11 am – 4 pm – volunteer hours (lunch sometimes included)

5:30 – 7:30 – dinner

8  - 9pm – sharing meeting to hear what has happened during the day

Volunteer jobs include moving large debris, moving and separating small debris, cleaning houses, hotels and churches, making food and serving it to people in shelters and many other jobs.

The General Conditions

Most areas (except for those near the Nuclear Power Plant) have been swept for bodies, animals etc.  Other than that, some areas have been cleaned and some haven’t.  There are piles of cars and garbage everywhere.  Cars are still found in houses and many houses would fall over if you touched them.  Some houses have been cleaned and fixed but most haven’t.  The people are tired of living in shelters and with family.  Many have moved other places to start life all over again.   When you ask if you can pray for people, they say yes.  Many are becoming Christians.

If you would like to come:

If you would like to come volunteer, a 7 – 10 day trip would cost about $3000 – $3500 in total.  The clean up will take at least 4 years so if you can’t come in the spring, come in the summer or fall!  There are still earthquakes and tremors, some of which are quite big.  You would need to reconcile the fact that it may not be safe at times.  If you want to come click on “contact me”.

Luv,

Amanda

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Dear Friends and Family,

You Know it’s Hot When

1. You choose clothes based on what doesn’t show sweat.
2. The classroom can either have air con and body odour or a nice smell and be over 30 degrees (body odour isn’t all that bad).
3. It feels quite nice when your apartment gets down to 28 degrees (from 35).

Charity Concerts

I attended two charity concerts to raise money for disaster relief in Japan.  The first one was at Queensway Cathedral where I was interviewed over Skype.  Friends who were present tell me my face was on the jumbo screen… I brushed my teeth beforehand.  The second was in Japan and included a youth band, kids band, ventriloquist (in Japanese, of course), and my friend on piano (not accompanying the ventriloquist).

Japanese Language classes

I passed my 3Q level Japanese test!  I only took it after pressure from the teachers and both they and I were quite surprised when I passed!  The 1^st third of the test being Kanji – Japanese writing, which I don’t really do…. Thank you Jesus for multiple choice!  I start my last term of classes in two weeks.  This past semester I spent wondering why the girl in front of me always wore the same t-shirt every day.

Sunday School

I continue to teach ukulele to the 8 yr. old boy in our church.  He and I are both improving.  He can now strum with less force than a rock musician now and I realized I was playing “D” wrong and now “Blessed be the Name” sounds a lot better!  He and I are also improving our Japanese children’s songs.  I teach him the songs and he corrects my pronunciation!

Prayer Requests

1. I will be going to volunteer in Sendai and Fukushima July 11-15.
2. Complete healing for my back (it continues to improve).
3. Wisdom for the Japanese leaders.

Love,

Amanda

P.S. Pictures are of  the charity concert here in Japan and a Japanese sized dessert!

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