I do what I do because failure is not an option...

I can not believe it has already been about two months since my last entry. Thanksgiving was just yesterday and I think it was the largest yet. Last Saturday we went to my aunts house for the main family get together then yesterday we went to my cousins house for a smaller but still large dinner. I just want to remind who ever reads this post that Thanksgiving was and still is not about the Indians helping us get thought those difficult times but instead its thanks for the failure of socialism. When the pilgrims first came to America there first experiments with government was socialism. All property belonged to the government and everyone was assigned a plot of land and was required to put their goods in a common store. The Governor noticed that since no single person could benefit more then his neighbor then people would do the minimum required just to get by and some were lazy by producing no goods. The year they promoted capitalism instead, the harvest was much larger then years before, so they gave thanks. If the true story of Thanksgiving was told in schools then I bet that most of the socialism that is invading are country today would not be happening.

Just this past week I wrote a three page letter about my passion for Japan. I'm trying to make arrangements to meet with my pastor to ask for direction and further guidance on how to pursue my dream. Because no matter how hard I try the doors just do not seem to be opening. You can read my letter by click this link. I think this time of unemployment has opened my eyes to see more clearly of my calling in Japan. But my flesh is still going crazy trying to think of how this is going to happen. I have to keep telling myself that it is all in GOD's hands and it will happen. I am a bit discouraged that I can not get in touch with Kevin Tabuchi. I was really getting encouraged with his proactive support for my dream until now. This is what always happens in the past. I make the connection then it fades out because of communication reasons. Now I do understand he might just be busy with the holiday season. So heres to hoping that my favorite contact will not fade away.

I'm still putting a lot of work into developing GetPlugged + Japan. I'm in the process of starting a Anime Rental division of the business which I hope brings in some good business. I am thinking about setting up a second website dedicated to promoting Christian outreach to Japan using GPJ as a portal.

PLEASE PRAY FOR ME AS I GO THOUGH THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.

Who ordered the popo plater?

The best BBQ around.

I am finding it very unbelievable that when you do the right thing GOD rewards you in ways you would have never believed. For example when we were in Kansas City we visited Jack Stacks

BBQ and ordered two deserts after dinner. When we got the check the waiter forgot to add the deserts on. Being that the check was already very expensive we were tempted to take the easy way out and say nothing but being a good example we decided to notify the waiter. (Weird, The waiter responded with Sorry when Thank You would had been more in order.) Then we went on our marry way and enjoyed that nights revival message. The next morning my dad asked me to get McDonald for everyone while my they got ready for church. I had just ordered breakfast when a lady walked up to me and offered $20 to pay for our food. She claimed the she felt like GOD was telling her to give it to us. My mom is very good at spotting GODs blessings and she said this must have been because of us doing the right thing during dinner the night before. GODs blessings happen all the time and most of the time they are less noticeable that others. Regardless that I'm on unemployment and money is tight I always pay no less then 10% tithe to my church and I have seen blessings in my own life because of it. Weird as it is my budget has always magically balanced its self when I made sure that the tithe was paid but during other times when I would skip out on the tithe and for some reason would bounce a check or two. So I find it very important that we do the right thing and follow GODs commandments. Even if it has no effect on your entry into Heaven.

Prairie State College

To continue from my last post. People have been asking me what my test score were like at Prairie State College from the Compass Test. Well basically, I'm fine with pre-Algabra but need work with just Algabra (Math was and still is my least favorite subject). When I visited the councilor she sat me down and said that these result are weird because she has never seen someone get a 89 in Reading and 39 in Writing (on the computer part of the test) but because of such a good hand written essay, I was put in English 101 which the the highest level they can give you for this test. I am very happy with those results.

It is a bummer because of timing I missing out on the fall classes plus there was not to many I was interested in to begin with. In the mean time I'm applying for Financial Aid which is a pain because of Unemployment and I will apply for the spring classes on November 5th.

I am glad that Kevin Tabuchi in Canada with Canadian Revival Center is keeping contact. I got an e-mail from him and he told me that they have someone by the name Yoshi who is a exchange worker from Japan and is also in Revival Ministry Training. He said that Yoshi might be interested in me coming to Canada for a visit and experience their outreach to the Japanese and their revival in Saskatoon, Canada. But because of very little transportation options to Saskatoon it is about $600 oneway. So a trip to their church for almost a week would be about $2000 and that is a bit steep for me. I would really like to go because I could make connections with the Japanese Christian Ministry in Japan. Tabuchi-san already said they are planing a trip to Japan later this fall.

I just love this sort of stuff.

This week I found out that the Steve and Kathy show has finally got their own building for production and are starting production of a full feature length movie called Three Blind Saints. Sounds really funny. See the Facebook Fan Page Here.

Sold Out!!!

Well it has been six weeks now and I am excited to announce I am sold out. Possibly tomorrow I will go up north again and buy a second case. I never imagined how well this would sell. I was asked by someone who is the owner of two tie kwan do dojo in my area to sell Matcha in his shop area. I have already setup my display this last Monday and he has already sold two cans. WOW!

Next Thursday I am going out to Dyer to setup a display in his second location. Please visit my website for more information at http://www.getpluggedjapan.com or become a fan on Facebook.

Waz's Up?

I can not believe how quickly time has pasted. Just yesterday I noticed how
the temperature has taken a dive. Two weeks ago my family and I visited World Revival Church in Kansas City, Missouri and I had a really great time seeking god and asking him to help me get though these troubled times. On the first day my parents returned from a conference they had attended and told me they met a guy at the conference named Pastor Kevin Tabuchi from Canadian Revival Center in Canada. He is the third generation of his Japanese Immigrant Grandparents as well as a missionary to Japan for several years. Later that night I personally met him and the first words from his mouth was "My wife and I are believing that your dream of Japan will happen.". That was the most encouraging thing anyone has ever said to me in years. He gave me some advise but held him self back out of reverence of the wises of World Revival Church. We exchanged contact information and he wants to keep in contact.

Pastor Steve and Kathy Gray.

During the last two weeks I also took the compass test at Prairie State College (Community College) to get in and take some class to obtain from certifications. I will be seeing a counselor tomorrow to see my results and what classes they think I need to take. Lucky for me I don't need to take these classes if I'm only pursuing a certificate. The three subjects I'm really interested in taking are Computer Networking, Japanese Language, and Anime Art. Unforchantly PSC dose not offer the last two subjects but when I see a counselor tomorrow I will ask if any other community colleges offer these subjects.

The other day my brother and I went to the rental house my family rents out in Lansing to pressure wash the foundation. Once I got there I realized that I forgot to grab the full gas can at home. So I went to ACE Hardware to buy a new can and then the gas station for some gas. I entered the store and went to the Gas Can Aisle to discover new safety Gas Cans with three switches you have to pull or twist in order to get a stream of gas and if that was not enough the can cost any where from $10 for a small 2 gallon can to $35 for a large 5 gallon. I asked if they still sold the older HAZARDOUS cans in which I get the reply of no. What happened to buying a normal 3 gallon gas can for only $5 maybe $7??? After buying gas and filling the pressure washer I realized how annoying this new can was and how people who make SO MANY MISTAKES (or just stupid) make this world so much harder for us smart people who remember that Yes, You boil water or soup it WILL be hot or Yes, Gas WILL spill and WILL ignite.

Stupid people make the world harder for us smart people.

A joke I once heard was "If Burger King married Dairy Queen, their child would be Jack in the Box." Many adults know how creative children can be, making up nonsensical new sentences in ways adults never could, bound as we are by social norms and expectations. I find the fun thing with learning a new language like Japanese is you get to be just as creative as children with no boundaries. Japan is absolutely one of the most pro-American countries in the world, with most people possessing a positive view of the U.S. which is one traits of advertisers in Japan. Japanese generally have the impression that America is kakko ii (meaning "good style" or cool) and are often open to owning items like Zippo Lighters, a set of Coleman outdoor cooking gear and clothes from Old Navy. Breading your product as American can often bring a boost in sales, which is why companies like Jack Daniels or KFC wrap themselves in images of old Tennessee or Kentucky. Levi Strauss struggled to build a name for themselves in Japan during the 1970s, until they hit on the idea of using iconic Hollywood stars like James Dean, John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe to advertise their jeans (they came cheap, since they were dead), which has to have been one of the most successful advertising decisions ever. And of course Harley Davidson sells a huge number of bikes in Japan, and has many dedicated fans.

would you like to wash your hair with "rinse in shampoo"?

Whether you're talking about Singapore or South Africa, Jamaica or Japan, every country is going to adapt the English language to their own local needs. In Japan, people generally learn six years of English in junior high and high school, yet because no one really needs it once they've taken their college entrance exams, it often becomes more of a decoration for society. One pattern I've noticed is that English gets shortened or simplified in ways that might seem strange to us. Hair conditioner in Japanese is called "rinse" (shortened from "cream rinse"), so it makes perfect sense to Japanese people that "rinse in shampoo" would be what conditioning shampoo would be called. In Japanese a convertible is known as an "open car," a name which gets the job done without adding any unnecessary complexity, while an RV your family can sleep in is referred to as a "camp car." One of my favorite Japanese word simplifications are Phillips and regular screwdrivers -- the Japanese just call them "plus" and "minus." I don't blame them with this one I called them that for years.

Where Am I?

As much as you probably know I have been off work since April, 2010 and it is probably safe to tell everyone that I was laid off from AT&T. During the past year I have been asking GOD why this stuff happens to me. I tell you, I feel like I have been though more hardship then what is really necessary. My family and I have become more involved with the Revival going on at World Revival Church in Kansas. (Not to mention the trip my family is taking to World Revival Church this weekend.) The other day I listened to a message by Pastor Steve Grey. He said that the fact hardship is present in your life is just a sign that GOD has not abandoned you and he still loves you. I have come to figure out I am like two people from the bible. First one being Joseph and the second being Abraham. I believe that my dream of Japan is similar to GOD's promise to Abraham that he would give him a son and my hardship is similar to Joseph being betrayed. When I was younger I was always jealous of people who always got an easy pass to do what they thought they really wanted to do. I remember when we had are youth trips costing about $450 and I had to raise that money all by my self going door to door selling chocolate bars, but some kids parents would just whip out their check book and write a payment in full on several occasions. I have come to understand that I learn more from a experience simply because I worked very hard to get there. If you compare my current state to Josephs Path then this should be my last major fall and things should start to really look up.

To starting with, My dad informed me that his work is about to hire four new employees for Coffee Services (Dunkin' Donuts Equipment Repair and Install Service) and since I have experience with service calls this job be a good choice for me. According to my dad, the Manager of Coffee Services personally requested I turn in a resume. I know both Steve (Coffee Service Manager) and Dave (Warehouse Manager) because last time I was unemployed I helped my dad with Equipment Deliveries to the stores. The only downside to this job is if I get hired I might have to relocate to around the Orlando, Florida Warehouse. But I believe if I get the job then moving will be good experience for me when Japan comes.

Hardships are sign of GODs love. | My dad works as a truck driver for Dunkin' Donuts DCP.

It's funny how perceptions work differently in different languages. If you're below a certain age, the most famous Chinese name after Mao Zedong (or Mao Tse-Tung if you're even older) is probably Chun Li, the cute fighting vixen from Street Fighter II who shouts "Yatta!" ("I did it!") after she wins a fight. While the brains of English speakers labor over properly memorizing a strange-sounding name like Chun Li, which has no mental hooks for us to attach it with, Japanese have the benefit of being able to internalize the name using kanji characters. Because kanji names have meaning, Japanese might get the impression that Chun Li was a beautiful baby born in the spring, since the characters mean "Spring Beauty."
Someone I am paraphasing this paragraph from said he has a house in Tierrasanta area of San Diego, and just for fun he asked his Japanese daughter what she thought the name might mean. Her answer was really cute: "It means Santa Claus wearing a tiara crown."

I want to tell everyone that in my spare time I am building a website called GetPlugged :: Japan, Please visit it and support me by using it. Please cometinue to read my blog posts and pray for me.

Fun in the Sun.

Well our Florida vacation has come and gone. I was a real blast. We went to Innesbrook a nice but old resort near St. Petersburg, FL, which of course is were I was born. Then we went to my grandparents house for a few days and finally enjoyed the Greene Family Farm in Tennessee for several days. I drove my car there and back with a trip of over 3000 miles and about 27 MPG on the highway. Excellent!!! Then over the weekend my grandparent came to our house. This was a big vacation.

The HCG Diet is bar none

I have been on the HCG Diet for about 30 days now and lost a total of 21 lbs. I'm down one pant and shirt size. I am very happy to finally start dropping weight. It would have been more if I did not cheat on my vacation but hey I almost had no choice. I am hoping to hit a least 30 lbs. by the end of this session in 10 days. Then at the end of August I definitely want to start a second session of this diet.

Did you know the Japanese drive on the left side of the road.

Today I had to go and get my Illinois Vehicle Emissions done and realized how happy I am of the improvement of the system because now all they have to do is pull in a cable read your vehicle codes and either pass or fail you. Then I realized that the Japanese don't have it this easy because the Japanese Government requires vehicles to be tested much more intensively and they charge anywhere from $1000 to $1500 for a single test. In comparison to the costs of the shaken a full diagnostic inspection of the very same Japanese models in the U.S. may cost less than $100 USD (9,400 yen) or free (TAX MONEY) if you live in Illinois.

Entrance of the Emission Facility (Wait time visible on sign. Who is the Air Team?)



Waiting to be tested.

Sayounara,
C3

June 2

Well, I have been on the HCG Diet for about 9 days now and I have lost 8 pounds plus 3 1/2 Inches in my belly. The results are awesome but the temptations are strong.

We are officially 3 days away from our family vacation. I hope to have lots of fan and get my mind off of these couple last crazy months. I hope to come back with lots of pictures and videos.

June Update

I can not believe how much time can pass in what seems to be only a week. I hate the feeling of being super busy but not really being busy.

This week my mom and I started a new diet that sounds really awesome. This diet is called "Dr. Simeon's Pounds and Inches Weight loss Protocol". This very strange approach to weight loss has been around for 70 years but has been amazingly improved over time. The first part to the diet is cutting your calorie intake to only 500 calories but this sort of intake is not sustainable with out a Homeopathic called "Human Chorionic Gonadotropin" or known as HCG. Now the strange thing is this is this stuff comes from the urine of pregnant women or at least I know the injection version did. I'm doing the drops that you hold under your tongue for 30 seconds to 2 minutes in which the stuff enters your body. The other day my mom made a joke to my sister saying if she and I took a pregnancy test it would return positive because HCG is the stuff that pregnancy tests detect. My sister jokingly replied saying I should just for kicks. From what I know this stuff is one step from being a hormone that forces your body to brake down fat into the blood so your body will burn the fat in place of the calories removed from the diet. This diet is very limited what you can eat but it comes down to skipping breakfast and avoiding all sugar and oils. Only 200 grams of meat and a couple fruits and/or vegetables each day. But the benefit is losing from one to one and half pounds a day.

My family and I will be leaving for vacation in about one and half weeks. We are leaving June 24th and we will be gone for about 10 days. We are taking two cars so us kids can have more room and freedom on this trip. We are going to Florida first then hitting Tennessee on the way back. I just can not wait. It will be nice to get a fresh breath of air.

Well as you might guess I have suspended from work since early April and things have still not gotten better. I'm waiting on the decision if I will be returning to work or not. PLEASE PLEASE continue to pray for me.

Sometime this week I am planning to start selling high quality Japanese Green Tea (Matcha) as a income supplement. If you are interested in buying some please let me know. I just love the taste of real organic Matcha.

Anime Central 2010

I attended Anime Central last weekend and I loved it.
Here are some pictures from the convention.

This guy was so funny he had camouflage pants on and a box on his head
with the sentence "Hows my sneaking attempt" written on the side.

Outside the restaurant in the back was a big hang out area for cosplayers.

This guy was dressed as a Pirate with pirate ship (Actually a wagon covered with card board)

Yes, This is really how big the Anime Market in America is getting.
This convention got 14,000 people last year and they predicted more this year.

Here is my list of everything I bought.
4. a pair of kitty ears
3. Dark Blue Cosplay Wig
2. DVD Series of "Karin"
1. Hand Forged and Clay Tempered Katana
(My uncle was impressed with the quality.)

This is my favorite picture from the whole event. This is four of six people I happen to met during lunch at the convention. The last day I went I forced my self to step out of my comfort zone and do stuff I never did before. Starting with wearing my yukata and a wig on Sunday. This big move allows me to say I have officially cosplayed... Anyways on top of that during lunch I was looking for a table to eat my piece of pizza and taking courage I walked up to four complete strangers and ask if I could join them. The girl on the lefts name is Ashley and she is cosplaying as Kallen from Code Geass, Her best friend Stephanie was dressed as CC (or C2) and then one of the guys were dressed as most likely Lelouch. Some how or other Politics came up and to my amazement the political view I heard where very similar to mine. I remember one girl saying her dad wants to buy a private island separate from the USA and declare war on the USA so they will come and invade then supply them with everything (Food, Security and Etc.). They had to be some of the most nicest people I had ever met.

One guy who wears a lot of nice cloths ended up accidentally dressing as Light from Death Note. He said he was walking though the convention and saw some guy wearing a white shirt and shaggy black hair trying to stare him down. He was getting annoyed and when he told his friends they said that guy was "L" from Death Note and he was his mortal enemy. That is when he discovered his accidental cosplaying.

April 2010

Where do I even start with this post. So much to say but so tired at 1:30 in the morning. I know I will compile a list of subjects I want to touch on.

1. Job.... O-: Um, Lets just save this one for the end.
2. Japanese Conference.
3. Cell Phone.
4. Japan.
5. Life.

1. Japanese Conference.
As you might remember from my previous post I mentioned this Japanese Conference coming this May. Well, At this point I can say I'm not going to do it. I could not get the time off anyways but after some talk with someone in charge of volunteers I found out they wanted all attendees even volunteer who where not even going be able to enjoy the conference to payand I don't mean the pay for a room and food, I mean the whole thing even the conference. I don't have a problem to pay for a room and food. But hello I'm volunteering for it. You can't expect someone to freely volunteer if they got to pay almost $200. So unless they offer to wave the conference fee, I out. Which I beat it will not happen.
2. Cell Phone.As I mentioned before I just upgraded my cell phone and I can report I'm still loving this phone. Couple things are annoying but hey far less then some of my past experiences.

3. Japan.
Japan looks like it is definitely in the fine print. Because I don't see it happening till next year because of some big changes in my life that need to be leveled out until then.

A good Japanese TV Series I can suggest you should watch is "Myu No Anyo Papa Ni Ageru". It's a movie about a young father who contracts CIDP.


4. Life.
Firstly last week I twisted my angle then just this Tuesday twisted it a second time and man I tell you it really hurts. There, So if you were curious how much a twisted angle hurt you don't have to wonder anymore because I already tried it for you and I give it a 7 out of 10 of the scale of survivable injuries. 1 being a paper cut and 1o being losing a limb or body part. Just Kidding.

Second we are coming up on us digging around our foundation to replace the drain tile because we have a massive flooding issue in the basement that might of mentioned before. (not to mention it was my room and I want it back.) We are doing it Wednesday, Tuesday and Friday. It will be a big task and I hope to post pictures after.

Third the Anime Convention is paid for and I'm ready for some fun. Others are still welcome you just have to pay the $55 at the convention for a weekend pass.

Next week I'm planing on working hard on developing our company because I've discovered I'm definitely not corporate material.
Well, I guess that brings me to my Job and well... I don't want to go into detail but I can say Tony White my new manager really has become a great manager so far. He is much more encouraging then Jonas and is willing to get me what I need.

One thing I will say is I have been off work since April 3rd........ The one job I was in that investigation I mentioned before was the catalysis and with out saying to much all I ask is everyone pray for me. I'm in a HUGH pickle and I need all the prayer I can get. Sorry for so little detail, I hope to say more in the future.

-C4

New for 2010

It is official congress haves passed a unwritten senate health care bill, now it is the judicial branches turn in which I know and hope they turn it down for being unconstitutional. Apparently there are 38 states that are planing to take this to the courts about and 10 have already started. They claim the government is forcing the states to do something that would to much burden on them.

My dad on Saturday tripped and hit his face on my sisters car fender in which he put a big cut in his chin. (and swung tons of cat liter on the hood.) He went to the doctors office and had to get 7 stitches...OUCH!!!. It only took him a couple hours but we were thankful we do not have ObamaCare yet because if we did it might have taken several hours instead.

I should probably not say this because I don't know who is reading it but when I got back to the garage on Monday from Pole Climbing I discover that Jonas (My Manager) is once again out to get me. He tells me about some job I did where the customer was IRATE. Weird Word because it dose not mean "I Rate You" or something like that. Apparently it is a word that AT&T likes to use a lot. They must of liked it better then saying "Your customer was angry". Yes, I should of paid more attention to detail but that was nothing compared to the real problem. Which sorry to say I'm not going to get into. (NO NO It is nothing like that. It was a stupid complaint.) But it comes down to Jonas was seeking to fire me. This time we sat in a investigative meeting and Jonas tried to chew me out for this and that but Justin on of the other managers actually stood up for me and said Jonas we need to look at what the company says how to do a job not make up our own ideas and that was one of the wises things I have heard Justin ever say.
So now I have not heard anything yet which I'm glad and hope there is nothing else.

Also on Monday I learn that almost everyone including me was denied their transfer request. The only ones who got it was those who said they would transfer into the city. BUMMER!
I was really bummed out because I wanted to get out from under Jonas mainly because of the reason above.

So come last Friday and I learn that Jonas is being transfer to the northlake garage and my new manager will be Tony White. This will take effect the 29th and hope it goes over well including hopping Tony is a good guy.
Big news I finally upgraded from my old Motorola Rokr E1 to a new HTC Tilt 2 (Smartphone). I have been out of contract for almost ichi-han (1.5 in Japanese) years. This new phone is nice but I was disappointed in the TouchFLO shell from HTC so I just disabled it went to the default Windows Mobile interface. Yes, I am not a fan of Microsoft but because I'm into modding I figured the HTC was my best choice since the iPhone is not that modable except for jail breaking it. But so far I am happy with this HTC.

And the last thing on my post today is my excitement to attend the Anime Convention coming this May. I'm still hopping to get the time off approved. It is in May on the 14th, 15th and 16th. So any of my friends who enjoy Anime you are welcome to join me. I'm real excited because Anime is one of my favorite ways to learn more about the Japanese People. No, I don't mean like Japanese People watching one of our Soap Operas to learn about American Life because we all know that is a made up wonderland or sometimes horrorland.

Oh and one last thing my parents have suggested that I not focus on Japan this year and instead focus on buying a house since the prices are so low and the first time buyers credit ends soon. (Which I might still miss.) If I did this my dad would put focus on joining me next year even try to get my grampa to come too. This is disappointing to admit they are right but why is my goal of Japan such a problem for me to reach. Please continue to prey for me and ask god to send me tons of connections over this year especially at this conference I'm volunteering for this May.

Pole Climbing, Bucksqueeze and Ladders. Day 5 of 5

I am so glad this training is done with and passed. Last week we finally had preference (Garage Transfer Request) for us techs and today I found out half the people in my class had already got approved for transfers starting Monday. When we first were told this transfer would not go though until April 15th. It must be March 15th because Monday would be the 15th, maybe I was misinformed.

My first choice was Mokena and Second was Chicago Heights. Hope I get one of them.

Like I said I passed my class and was one of eighteen people who passed. We had twenty people, 4 instructors, 18 passed and 2 failed. One failed because of a titanium knee that bugged him climbing and the other failed because he believed the chemical they use to preserve telephone poles is cancerous. I would not be surprise if that was true but the fact we might rarely climb poles after this class the 5 days of contact should have a minor effect. Besides most I&R Techs have been climbing poles for decades and never got cancer or so I think.

- C4

Audi 2010 Green Car Super Bowl Commercial

Now this is what the liberals would love to see in this country.

Pole Climbing, Bucksqueeze and Ladders. Day 4 of 5

Another official for me I pasted my 18 foot climb test. I am very excited and relived to be free of that burden.

See more picture at this link on Facebook.

I think this picture deserves to be framed and hung in my bedroom with the caption "For god has not given me a spirit of fear but a spirit of courage and peace."

- Joel Greene

Pole Climbing, Bucksqueeze and Ladders. Day 3 of 5

Well it is official I pasted the 12 foot test at 8:38 this morning. All that remains now is the 18 foot test hoping it goes over smooth.

- Joel Greene

Pole Climbing, Bucksqueeze and Ladders. Day 2 of 5

I am happy to report that at 10:20am on Tuesday I passed the 6 foot test. It is a good thing that our maneuvers do not chance on the different heights just the height. So I will enter Wednesday morning session with a sound mind and the brave spirit of the samurai. I NEED YOU TO PRAY THAT THE DEVIL WILL NOT OVER TAKE ME NOR WILL I INJURE MY SELF. My right leg is bugging me already.

I will be on that pole between 7 and 11 this morning so pray like never before. If I have the courage I might even go for the 12 foot and 18 foot test in the same day.

Pole Climbing, Bucksqueeze and Ladders. Day 1 of 5.

If the title makes you wonder it should because it is the title the course I have been enrolled in starting today and going till Friday. I tell you climbing a pole if one of the hardest things to do. I required to use a bucksqueeze fall restriction device to prevent the user from well hitting the ground. Apparently the user will and can still hit their face and body into the pole.


Today I climbed as high as 8 feet then realized how much I was afraid of heights. I confident I can pass the 6 foot test and maybe the 12 foot test but I'm scared to death of the last test of 18 feet. Please pray for me that god gives me strength to climb that pole without fear and without forgetting the steps. My fingers are cold and fatigue from gripping the bucksqueeze. I'm trying my hardest not forget the steps but when I learn a new step I forget something in between.

I feel like I deserve a reward if pass this class at the end of the week. I might have to think of something myself.

Feb Update 2

So I return to work tomorrow and I'm definably going to say something to my union rep. Boy how time goes by so fast.

I e-mailed someone by the name of Justin and Amy who are on their way to returning to Japan for Missions. I just thought I share my first e-mail.

<<< --- Start of E-mail --- >>>

Dear Justin & Amy Perry

My name is Joel Greene and I am 23 years old and currently live in the South Chicago Suburbs. I first heard of you guys though some friends of mine and it is great to hear what you guys have been doing in Japan and admire you for it. For the last 5 years I have had a strong burden on my heart to help spread Christianity in Japan. I have prayed hard since then and have decided that I would like to take a short trip to Japan to help me find out if this is what God is calling me to do. I have had some contact with Christian Japaneses involved in the ministry and Missionaries over the last couple years but the disappointment is that every time I make contact they either past the buck to some else or forget about me all together.

My family and I have been attending Believers Church in Matteson, Illinois for more than 17 years. I have had a youth pastor who is very involved in missions and would have guest missionaries quite often. In fact my father has even been of mission trips to Guatemala. I know this must be God because when I was about 12 years old I would sit in my Youth Group and listen to my Youth Pastor and be scared of God calling me into the ministry or a place like the 10/40 window but now I have a peace about this. I have committed myself to God for whatever he wants me to do even if that includes relocating to Japan and going full time into the ministry.

The reason I'm contacting you is to ask if at all possible you can get me in contact with ANYBODY that can help me on my quest. I may finally have the opportunity to visit Japan coming this June if the right connections are made. I work for AT&T and I have saved half of my goal of $5000 and about 3 to 4 weeks of vacation time. (which is only available to me in whole in the month of June) The only bummer at the moment is my work blacks out the last two weeks of June and any other time is already taken. My Union Rep said he might be able to get me special consideration if I can provide a letter from a missions organization proving that I'm requesting the time off to do what I really am doing.

I am really just in love with Japan, I love the people, their culture and location and I just feel extremely burdened to help. I've attended Japanese Events, Been to conferences, Eaten their food (a lot) plus I've even worn a Kimonos. yes, I have even come realize that there is still a lot to work to do and It might not even work this year (again) but this is closes I have ever come to it possibly happening.

Mental support is one of the things I need. Thank you for reading my e-mail and please help me out. I'm behind you and I pray for you.

Sayonara,
ジョエル グリイン (Joel Greene)

<<< --- His Reply --- >>>

Joel,

It sounds like the Lord has definitely put Japan on your heart! We are actually not leaving for Japan until August. We start our term at the beginning of the school year in Japan.
My advice is just to remain patient. When I returned to the USA after my first mission term when I was 23, I was prepared to get ready and go back right away! Well, this is 2010 and the Lord has delayed my returning to the field for six years! It doesn't sound like you'll be delayed for nearly that long with the time you've spent raising funds and accumulating time off. Let me tell you from experience, when the Lord allows you to go, the door will open wide for you. He probably has a time and a place for you to serve the Japanese people and it's just not here yet. From experience again, let me tell you that while you are waiting, get as immersed in the Japanese culture in Chicago as possible. Especially, get to know Japanese people; build relationships. Make friends with some guys at the sushi shops, at the markets, etc. We found a nice, intimate Japanese restaurant in Wicker Park when we were in Chicago in 2006 and it's a place like that where some great relationships could start.
Keep in touch and we might have a lot better connections for you after we move. I will definitely pray for you and your desire to go to Japan in His service.

-JustinP-

<<< --- End of E-mail --- >>>

I will be sure to continue to talk with him.

Small Things Add Up

I find it funny how thing just seem to add up and seem to become even bigger then one big.... thing.
Time goes by and a lot of small thing add up fast until it become time to post it on my blog about those things to the best of my knowledge. And you know now is one of those times.


For starters some good news. Ever since I filed my tax return and somehow had some extra money left over. I now have over $2500 of $5000 saved up for my trip to Japan. I get a grin on my face every time I see my savings balance. Now I need people to continue to prey for me because now I'm running to problems getting the time off. Because of my hired date my Vacation Balance will be the fullest around June 12th. So I thought I would go to Japan the entire month of June. But now I find out that the last two weeks in June are blacked out by the Company because of the end of second quarter and the first two weeks are already taken by employees. I talked to our Union Rep and he said that he said try to get special permission from our Regional Manager to allow me to get the month of June off anyways. But he said I would need a letter from a missions organization to confirm that I'm doing what I say I am. So it sounds like I have no choice but to go with an organization. But SEND International has not gotten back with me about the missions open coming this June for a assistant to a christian camp in Japan. If I get a hold of them I will post more details then. But basically I NEED TO TALK WITH THEM ASAP.

Now for the bad news. I am NOT working til next Monday............................ because I got suspended again for something SUPER SUPER stupid. Super Long Story Short I was on my way to a customers house. On my way there I called the customer and the customer told me she was busy had some appointment babababa.... Basicly she wanted to rescheduling. After she said NOT to come I was already in front of the house. But since she already denied dispatch I called CRC (Customer Retention Center) to notify them and left to my next job. The only mistake on my end was not calling my Manager just to notify him. Where I got in trouble was about an hour later the customer called in and complained that I refused to do the work and said I just left. She claims she NEVER told me to reschedule. When I heard this I was speechless because I could not understand why they would say tell me to reschedule then call and say something else. When I told my boss that I called CRC he basically called me a lier without saying it. He pulled my phone records and in the investigation meeting had to ask me what the CRC phone number was. I told him and he looked at my phone records and I could see the look on his face when he saw I not lying about that. Few Days later he hands me a FIVE DAY Suspension for something this crazy. My union Stuart said she will fight this hard. I will update more about this later when I learn more. I just fell like my manager is out to get me.


On a little note I redrew my Anime Character a couple weeks ago with a new aspect and I think she looks more like an Anime Character.

I'm in the works of starting a Anime Content Review Website where I will judge Anime & Manga based on Christian point of view and list any profanity, lanaguage and more. I encourage people to give it a try and give me feedback. I'm also in the need of anyone who can help me contribute to the site. Visit it Here

Enjoy the rest of your day,
Joel Greene

Feb Update

I'm really excited that the possibility of Japan come right around the corner. I did my tax return the other day and got almost twice what I was expecting. Which is I huge boost to making this a reality. Just for the record I tried to contact someone at RJC to inquire if I can get in contact with people or organization that can help me with my passion. Long story short I finally got in contact with someone who asked me if I would be willing to volunteer to operate the Sound and Lighting for some Japanese Christian Conference the end of May in Elgin, Illinois. This sounds like a wonderful opportunity. They are suppose to give me more details as that come available.

Supposedly my family is planing a trip to Tennessee over July 4th but I'm unsure if I will be able to go if I end up in Japan but hey Japan is much for exciting. I'm a little concerned because if I am for sure going to go this June I should buy my plane ticket now but I still have no traveling companion nor all the money and I can not put this off because June is the only month that my Vacation Balances will be at the best allowing me the longest duration in Japan. If I get a planes ticket today it could be as low as $1000 but I wait til late April it could be as little as $1400 and as it gets closer to June the price will get higher and higher and might even sell out. Please continue to prey for me.

I heard from someone that donating frequent flyer miles to missionaries since most people never earn enough to take a trip but combine they do. Just a little side note and thought it was interesting.

Twenty Ten?

WOW... Some year 2009 was and it definably held up to the title of "Year of Growth and Gain". So lets see this years title will be the "Year of Rewards and Discovery". Yeah, Now that title gets me excited. Seeing that Japan MIGHT JUST MIGHT be coming in June just makes me leap for joy. I already have my two weeks of vacation saved up from my first 6 months then come June 12th I get an additional 2 weeks. I'm trying to plan that I can enjoy Japan for a very long time. So here comes REALITY. First I still have the burden of raising at least 4 THOUSAND DOLLARS, Second my parents suggestion [which i sorta agree] of a traveling buddy or at the very least someone I can visit/stay with while in Japan and Third Travel Plans. So continue to pray for me.

I just ordered my own customized Travel Guide for Japan.
Here is the link to my new guide: http://printer.offbeatguides.com/pdfs/screen_25801_20100118-103255.pdf

On note with my job, Tomorrow I'm go for training on how to hang drops. When our union contract was renewed last year one of the new duties was to hang drop not get INR to do it for us. I'm actually going to the second part which is how to actually to hang the drop the first part is how to climb a telephone pole which we ask why because we are going to use a latter anyways. I asked why part 2 before part 1 I was told that they said it did not matter what order you go. I'm bummed that my class starts at 3:30 in the afternoon till midnight Monday though Tuesday and then Wednesday its 3:30 to 7:30. It will take me an hour and half to drive to the training center in Westmont. I'm amazed at how much effort my garage makes at keeping company asset at the garage but has no problem with you taking them home when it comes to you need them for training. I was told that in the past they would have the employees drive to the garage then drive there company truck to the training center. I'm glad I get paid for millage.

Sayonara