Manza Beach Resort

With all the stress of work and being unable to leave the island, Dayne and I decided to take a long weekend to relax at the Ana Intercontinental Manza Beach Resort. Although it turned out to be alot of fun, the trip started out very stressful.

We left home around noon on Saturday and drove for about an hour only to realize we had driven in a large circle for the last 20 minutes of our trip. We then tried to explain to the Japanese speaking gate guards that we had reservations at the hotel and follow the signs pointing in several directions to the parking area. The only parking designated for the actual hotel was done via valet parking. We gave them the car and checked in with someone who spoke very minimal English. Once arriving in our room, we felt very out of place with everything being almost too fancy and no one speaking our language. A series of freak-outs then ensued as we tried to talk ourselves into staying. However, once we went out to the beach and began our activities, all our fears were pushed aside and we had a great weekend.

The resort

Interior of Hotel


The room had traditional tatami mat floors and shoji screen closets as well as a strange window into the bathroom.


The view off the balcony was amazing.


Lounging at the beach

They had a diverse selection of food and restaurants. The main ones were an American Grill, European Buffet, Japanese Sushi Restaurant, Chinese Restaurant, and a traditional Okinawan Buffet. Eating Supper at Karin Chinese Restaurant


Day Two

After a European style breakfast we explored the stores in the resort and along the beach. They also have a local market set up in the lobby every morning.


Since we are not currently dive certified we were unable to take advantage of the awesome diving opportunities. Instead we went on a submarine tour of the reef. It was really cool to see all the different kinds of fish until I started getting sea-sick with the rough waters. Surprisingly the fish come right up to the windows.


After the submarine tour we went up to the top and had a nice cruise.


We also had planned to go parasailing but it was cancelled because of the rough waves.



That night we got a chance to try the Okinawan Buffet. We loved it not just because of the food but while dining we got to experience the traditional Ryukyuan music and dance theater.
The dance performed is called Eisa and is performed at all major ceremonies on island.

The women with the flower hats are supposed to be water lilies, a symbol of peace and tranquility.

Shisa dance: Lion Dog (guardian of the warrior spirit)




The plan was to stay another day and do snorkeling and a sunset cruise but they were cancelled due to weather and we were ready to get home. We had fun while we were there but were very relieved to come back to everything familiar.

Our Stocking's Full This Year

I subscribed to an online magazine called "Wives in Bloom." It is a place for christian military wives to get advice and encouragement. The article I read today really opened my eyes and I thought I'd share it with you. I realized that I've been doing alot of complaining about this Christmas season not really feeling like Christmas. It feels empty with family, cold weather, warm sweaters, snow, the smell of baking goods, lights, and music. We can have some of those things now that our stuff has arrived such as decorations and music. I can also cook some of our Christmas favorites. Still, some things we cannot change and I start feeling sorry for myself that my Christmas is not as full as it should be. It's all about perspective though. We are truly blessed to be where we are and have all the opportunities we have been given. Christmas isn't about the warm fuzzy feelings we get, the decorations, the music, or even the food. It's about celebrating God's love for us in sending His son to Earth for us. I copied and pasted it below, but to read the actual article you can go to: http://wivesinbloom.com/2010/12/the-big-stocking/.


The Big Stocking
Submitted by Jocelyn on December 5, 2010 – 8:04 pm No Comment.
by Melissa Fisher

A few years ago, while my husband was deployed, I traveled back from overseas to the states so that I could spend the holidays with my family. My boys, ages two and four, and had seen Daddy come and go so often that this second deployment didn’t seem to faze them. Nevertheless, we were all looking forward to our trip home.

While decorating my parents’ house for Christmas, my four-year-old, Braydon, started to realize what the stockings were for. As he pulled them out of the box, he declared, “I’m going to need a bigger sock!”

In light of this, my mom found a large, three-foot-tall stocking to use for Braydon. We filled each of her grandkid’s stockings on Christmas Eve, and while the other stockings were full to the brim, the large stocking was so big that it was only full in the toe. We were looking forward to the moment he would see his big stocking and chatted about the idea of taking pictures of the kids standing in it.

The next morning, all of the grandkids ran downstairs to dig into the stockings. We tried to hide our smiles as we watched them read each name to figure out which one was their own. To our surprise, Braydon saw his name, looked at the stocking, and burst into tears.

“It’s empty!” he cried.

It broke my heart to see him so sad and we immediately tried to explain that there were, in fact, toys at the bottom. He never really did get over the traumatic “empty stocking” feeling even as the morning continued as he couldn’t shake the thought that someone may have forgotten him.

It still makes me laugh and cry at the same time to think of that morning. I remember sympathizing with him, though, as I felt like something was seriously missing in my holiday. With my husband gone, I felt like I had these hopes for a decent Christmas, but inside I felt mostly empty and wanting more. By the end of the day, my son was throwing his first-ever tantrum, I was mentally exhausted, and I wondered why I had bothered to celebrate at all. I was so busy filling my stocking with what I thought was important—parties, shopping, and even family gatherings— yet my stocking was never full. And all the while I was screaming at God, “It’s empty!”

God still speaks to me like he did that day. “It’s not your holiday,” he said, “It’s Mine.”

With all of the hustle and bustle surrounding the day, I never took the time to marvel in God’s goodness of sending his son to this earth. So many people, pre Christ, would have loved to be alive in a time where they could not just hope for a Savior, but celebrate his birth. Why can I not grasp this amazing blessing? I don’t have to hope for a savior. I don’t have to wonder when, where and how he arrives. I get to celebrate!

Even though my husband is expected to be around this year, I hope I don’t let it deter me from the fact that I am purposely celebrating Jesus’ birth. I hope that I’m able to set the “Me” aside long enough to see the “Him.” God has given me the biggest stocking, called Life. And the best news of all is that if I can sacrificially empty it of my petty desires, I will reap the benefit of seeing my stocking being filled—overflowing—with Him.

About the Author:
Melissa Fisher enjoys running, traveling, and writing Bible studies for YoungLives. She currently lives in Arizona with her two young children and her husband who is an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force. Her blogs can be found at www.teenmombiblestudies.wordpress.com and www.memyselfandqwerty.blogspot.com.

The Joys of Moving: Organizing Our New Home

All of our household items have arrived and were delivered Wednesday (the 1st). Our house is now in complete chaos but I already feel I'm making progress. The living room is in order and the kitchen is basically done. One thing I should have expected is that everything (even though it's been packed tightly in boxes) is covered in dirt and filth. It's been a pain to wash ALL of our dishes. And then as soon as the piles went down and I had more room, I'd find another box with more kitchen stuff. Adding that to the dishes we were using for meals and cooking. It seems right now like it will never end. I have now started to work though the spare bedroom (where we had them put ALL the boxes). I have started to find our boxes of clothes and I'm starting to feel that this process will feel much like the dishes. I just feel very blessed to a dishwasher and my own washer and dryer. If I was still doing things like I had to in Dodge this would be a very annoying process. I'm trying to stay positive. Progress is being made pretty quickly and it will all be worth it in the end. I'm excited to have it in order and start decorating.

Our New Church

It took some time but we have found our new church home and we can't wait to join in on all the different ministries they have. We have tried several churches off base but it was difficult to find one that spoke English and had sound doctrine. The ones on base were non denominational and gave blanket messages that didn't give us the spiritual nourishment we needed. We finally found Calvary Chapel Okinawa and have been going there for almost a month now. The people are very friendly (a mix of Americans and Japanese), the messages go deep and verse by verse, and they have many ministries reaching out to the Japanese community and military youth. Another thing I really enjoy is that we sing the worship songs in both English and Japanese. I was able to find a few videos our worship leader posted on youtube back in February. It's a Wednesday night service but we still sing the same songs. You can also listen to sermons at calvaryokinawa.com. Just click on the "podcasts" link and "Sunday morning messages." We actually had a guest speaker this week that used to be a member of the church but now travels around Asia with Franklin Graham. Pastor Rick will be back this week though. Right now we are going through the book of Matthew.



In other news, TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!! yay 21!!! The downside to this is that I couldn't renew my license until my actual birthday and because the mail takes so long I won't have a new one for probably a month. I now have to convince Dayne to take me everywhere and I feel bad making him go places right after he gets off work. Hopefully it will come in soon. Speaking of coming in though, OUR STUFF HAS ARRIVED ON ISLAND!!! They told me it would be another month on Tuesday. I don't know how they were that off but I'm happy. We will have our dishes, our microwave, our fall clothes, and our holiday decorations. If I don't post this next week it's because the house is in chaos, but I will post pictures after I get everything in order.

Our Thanksgiving

With being so far from home I was worried that this Thanksgiving wouldn't be anything special. I bought all ingredients for the typical Thanksgiving foods. We then got invited to spend Thanksgiving with Dayne's boss. There was another couple there with a 2 yr old, a woman with 4 kids whose husband is deployed, and a single airman with no friends or family around. It was interesting and fun. We had turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, spinach salad, a shrimp pasta, rolls, corn, pumpkin pie, and fudge. Then we played Taboo men vs. women. The men cheated. lol. It was pretty close though. It was really nice to be with other people on Thanksgiving.

Tonight we did our own Thanksgiving since I had already bought everything. We had turkey, stuffing, green bean casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and cherry cheesecake. Everything turned out really well for my first Thanksgiving cooking, especially the turkey. Even without family around, Thanksgiving was still alot of fun this year.

Our Thanksgiving at home:

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

With Thanksgiving this week, it's hard not to get caught up in thinking of all the food; especially with this being our first Thanksgiving on our own. I've never cooked a turkey before and I'm slightly afraid it will be disastrous. Then there's the media imposing on your Thanksgiving happiness telling you of Black Friday deals and things you must have for the Christmas season. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT WE HAVE, NOT GREEDILY SHOVING OTHERS OUT OF THE WAY IN NEED OF MORE STUFF. I'm not saying I have a problem with Black Friday, I love all the deals you can get but hate the craziness of it all. So many things seem to get in the way and it can be hard not to let them overshadow the main purpose behind Thanksgiving. Despite what may have happened to any of us this year, we can always be thankful for something.

I am thankful:

1. I have such a wonderful husband. He is so good to me and I'm pretty sure I don't deserve it most of the time. Let's face it, I'm a handful. He is very patient, always kind, makes me laugh and smile every day, and continually makes me want to be a better person. Love you, Honey!

2. To have a large family of both blood relative and in-laws that love me. I don't know what I would do without any of you.

3. For the technology that has allowed us to stay connected with family and friends. It really makes it seem like we are not as far from home.

4. That even though we are not in the U.S, we are still in a place where we can attend a great church and worship God freely.

5. For a gracious and loving God who sent his son to take the payment for my sins, desires to have a growing relationship with me, loves me unconditionally, and has blessed me with so much more than I could ever ask for.

6. For the opportunity to travel and learn about other cultures.

7. It is not unbearably cold like it usually is this time of year. I've had trouble being joyful about the lack of holiday feel. How can I not be happy? WE LIVE ON A TROPICAL ISLAND. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for that.

8. For my washer, dryer, and dishwasher. It seems like such a simple thing but it makes my life much less stressful.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!


Cute candy turkeys I found online. Maybe someday I'll have a reason to make them.

Traffic: Red, Green, and In-Between

In my last post I mentioned the traffic. Although some things feel very much the same as they do in the States, there are some very distinct differences in the way the signs look and the behaviors towards other drivers. First of all, everything here in Japan is completely compacted: the lanes; the parking spaces; and therefore, the cars have to be as well. The most common cars are the small cubes (ignore the two work vans): The other personal vehicles are motorcycles and tiny two person cars. Our first week here we actually saw a one person car that looked really funny but we didn't take a picture. We haven't seen any since.
Our car is still small but more of a western design. Our '97 Nissan Primera:

As you can see, the steering wheel is on the right side and we drive on the left. We originally thought this would take alot of time to adjust to but once you get behind the wheel on the right side you just automatically convert everything. It seems completely normal now. Dayne's even caught himself driving on the wrong side in his games.

Many of the signs are also different:

Although people do follow the signs here unlike some other countries we've been to, there is some delay in stop lights. Once the light turns red you can usually expect about 3 cars to go through before it is safe to go on green. Another fun fact: because of the limited parking, it is not uncommon to see vehicles parked up on the sidewalk.

My favorite part about driving in japan is the attitude that everyone has. In America we have a "me-first" mentality that translates into people cutting each other off and honking their horns or yelling profanities. The Japanese culture is all about respect and you can see this in their driving. However, this also goes the other way and they just assume that you will let them go first too. It is really common to come to a place where traffic merges and you see them start waving at you. This means "I'm coming in. Thank you in advance." They usually won't wait to make sure you stop because they assume you will out of respect as they would for you.

A few more pictures from driving in Japan: