Note: Long blog š
“For the moment, just let me know your willingness”, Janet wrote in her email as she asks for volunteers to clean OMF’s guest house in Karuizawa.
We are located in Chiba, that is about 2-3 hours drive to Karuizawa.
I was more than willing! To help and to go. So and so that I said “Yes” even if the planned dates to go at that time is beyond what my visa allows me.
My visa expires at March 7th (extension request got denied) and the invite is to clean from March 19-23. Good thing that the cleaning schedule was moved to the last week of February because the OMF van won’t be available for the first requested dates.
And so we went.
We spent 4 days in Karuizawa. The time was spent with cleaning, fellowship, silence, and rest. This is the best part of my Serve Asia trip.
Thank you Lord Jesus for this experience. Even now that I’m back in the Philippines, I look back at our short trip to Karuizawa with warmth and gladness. We were tired because of all the hard work from cleaning but even that didn’t feel like work.
Cameras Used: Canon 600D & Sony Alpha 7C
Photos by: Rachel, Kangsan, Harry, and Janet
Special Experiences
That I clearly want to highlight and never forgetā
My Corner Room
Janet led me straight to my room when Kangsan and I arrived at the guesthouse. The house smells of old cabinets and has a subtle hint of kerosene from the heater. They say smell has a very strong impact in keeping memories so Iām really thankful for this. No sarcasm. Karuizawa felt (and smelled for that matter) like a warm and beloved home.
So, we entered my little corner. Itās a fairly small room. One single bed, one chair, one clothe rack, one heater, and a keyboard on the corner. What makes it special are the trees that surround the room. The gentle sunlight passing through the curtains are magical for me. And I donāt want to forget the mornings I spent reading the Bible while the birds were singing so loud and clear.
Itās also cozy at night! It has a little lamp so I read before I go to sleep during the 3 nights we stayed here.
Jogging Surrounded by Nature
No regrets in bracing the cold morning (~2Ā°C) and packing heavier bags to jog for 2 days in Karuizawa. It was worth it. If ever the Lord allows me to go back to Karuizawa someday, I will run in this beautiful place again.
This morning exercise is special to me not just because of the nature but also because it reminded me of my childhood. I grew up in a similar place. Our house (then) was also surrounded by nature. We would wake up to roosterās crow. And we would also hear the birds so very clearly. We could also run around, pick some flowers, and go home to a warm home with a warm breakfast.
Ahhh, the power of memories. Going back to Karuizawa ā
Fellowship and Games
Our mornings are spent working, our late afternoons are spent travelling, our evenings are spent playing 7 wonders š
This is Jessy and Harryās games and this is why I adore Jessy so much. Haha. She introduced a lot of games to us and sheās so patient to teach all of us!
As a person whoās really bad at games (hence why I donāt play as much), I found out that itās a good way to spend time with people. Writing this now with 8 family games in my Shopee cart. Thanks for the influence, Jessy!
We also spent a lot of time talking about meaningful, fun, and funny things ^o^
Midnight Snacks!
You would think that jogging early in the morning would knock me off to bed early. Wrong. Haha!
For 2 nights, Micha, Kangsan, and I chattered, laughed, and played til past midnight. And yes, also ate! We ate so much to the point that on our 3rd day, thereās not a lot of food to indulge during our lunch. Our bad.
It was really funny because we have to be veeeery quiet as little noise can be heard all over the floor. We did our best to stay quiet. On our last night, we played games in Kangsanās room until 2:00 am (i think). Ahh, only fun memories. I really thank God for my youth.
A Rest House
How I wish I can write about every little details. I want to write more about Janet and Peterās sweetness and wisdom. I want to write more about all the learnings from this place, or the advises I got from these missionaries while lounging on the heated blanket, or just the quiet and restful time I spent with everyone. But, as I am well aware of, I can only express so much.
Our time in this rest house in Karuizawa will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you, Father, for this experience. Thank you, Father, for the people I spent this time with.
It didnāt even feel like we worked. But we did. It was hard work to clean the house but also yokatta that thereās 6 of us. We were the biggest cleaning team so far.
Thank you God that You provided a place where Your children can rest and find peace.
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 ESV