I can use some prayer.

Right now, I'm a tired basketcase. Not a good combination. Why tired? Because LaVera, the person who's finishing out the time here in Date, got here at the beginning of this week. What does that mean?

First, just the logistics of getting a foreigner registered in a Japanese city. Green card, health insurance (because it's universal in Japan), car insurance, name stamp, cell phone, bank account, etc.. Of course, if I was in Tokyo, the people at the city hall, stores, and post office would be able to speak some English. But I'm not, so I have to brush up on some Japanese that never gets used.

Second, I've been noticing that when people want to talk to her, they look to me... to translate what they're saying. At least have the courtesy to look in her direction when addressing her! Yo, mad props out to the translators of the world. It is tiring work.

Things should lighten up in a couple of weeks as she picks up a few responsiblities.

Why a basketcase? Because when she arrived, I realized that my time here is coming to end very soon (a little over a month to be more exact). It's such a mixed bag. On one hand, I'm real excited about coming back home for all the obvious reasons. But on the other hand, I've been here for a semi-extended amount of time. It feels like graduating from college all over again in the sense that it's what I've known for the last few years, and it feels sorta comfortable in that way. And then, there's just all the other garbage that just doesn't help. Yuck.

Taken from the passage read during the chapel time (Bible reading after an English class) for one of the classes today... John 4:13-14 is fitting.