Outbound

Well, we had our English worship service again today. About the same number of people showed up. Surprisingly, a large number were 1st-year nursing students. Not as many English students showed up--probably were all sleeping! The service itself went well, although it was a little weird not having Amanda there. We had become a pretty seamless unit the last couple of worships and it wasn't quite as smooth as when she was here. As usual, I was a little handicapped due to the language thing. I tried to make sure I was using simple words, short sentences, etc. Nonetheless, when I got kinda "excited" in the service all of that went out the door, and I began to sound somewhat more like I normally do. I hope I didn't totally lose all the students then. One guy did come up to me afterwards and said that it was a message he needed to hear, and two of the ladies said afterwards that it made them cry. I hope that's a good thing.

So that's one thing I don't have to worry about until December. Two things of note happened this afternoon: 1) I had an absolute REVELATION as to my costume for the upcoming Costume day this Friday, and 2) I saw one of the best sunsets I've ever seen here.

Regarding the former, I was eating lunch with Satsuki and Yudai (an English student and former English student, now nursing). Satsuki asked me what I was doing for costume day, and then Yudai said that my costume last year was one of his favorites. (I draped a white bedsheet over me, cut two holes in a paper plate, wrapped my old Pathfinders necktie around my neck, going, I suppose, as the Ghost of Pathfinders Past.) So that put it into my head that fancy commercial costumes aren't always the best or most memorable. Now, last Xmas I'd bought a Santa outfit to use in one of my classes around Christmas, and I figured that I'd just wear that for costume day this year. But with Yudai's comment in my ears, I had a flash of inspiration as I was leaving the apartment today on my way to the afternoon Bible study we have here.

I'm not just going as Santa Claus. I'm going as Hawaiian Santa Claus.

The inspiration came as I happened to see my silly bright-red Aloha print hat sitting near my door. I'm not sure of the exact combination, but it'll be a Frankenstein abomination consisting of this Made In China Santa costume and a full complement of my Aloha gear--hat, red Aloha shirt, board shorts, etc. It's also going to be TOTALLY FREAKING AWESOME.

And by "Awesome" I mean really ridiculous and silly, to the point where people will be laughing at me rather than with me. But if you can't lighten up and laugh at yourself on a costume day of all times, you've got a pretty bad life, no? I cannot wait for this Friday.

As for the sunset, we had our afternoon Bible study as usual, but then some of the students wanted to have a dinner afterwards. We were all gathered in the fellowship hall where we normally have potluck, and the sky looked dark and cloudy. Definitely not material for a good sunset. Suddenly, though, out of nowhere, the whole Western sky lit up all pink and stuff. It actually had a kind of creepy, end-of-the-world sort of feel to it. But it looked really nifty and I went out to have a look. There were all kinds of colors in the sky, and some dark bands still hovering in the middle of the pink and gold light. In fact, the mix of light and dark clouds made the whole scene look like an ocean of light, with the darker clouds appearing as islands or land masses in the distance. Pretty awesome, particularly for someone who considers "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" the most significant spiritual/theological book ever written...it really was an end-of-the-world-type scene, but it wasn't so creepy anymore. Using one's imagination, it could be seen kind of like a glimpse of the Other Side, just beyond the veil of tears. For some reason, all of a sudden, the old hymn which goes as follows popped into my mind. It was weird because I don't know the song very well (try not at all!) But the words came into my head, and it seemed perfect for the occasion:

On Jordan's stormy banks I stand
and cast a wishful eye
to Canaan's fair and happy land
where my possessions lie.

I am bound for the promised land,
I am bound for the promised land.
Oh, who will come and go with me?
I am bound for the promised land.

InDEED.