The truth is, I don’t want to know the problem
I want to know what takes away the pain
I want to know the least that is required of me
I want to know the most that I can gain
I think that I’m an advocate for truth now
But in my truthful moments I can see
That when I see the truth I don’t accept it
I trade it in for silver and reject it
The truth is freeing more than any lies
The truth is, that’s not what I’m looking for
The truth is all that threatens my disguise
And the sad truth is, that nothing scares me more
I think that I’m an advocate for truth now
But in my most truthful moments I can see
That when I hear the truth I don’t obey it
I hear the rooster crow and I betray it
The truth is that my world is very little
The truth is most offensive to my pride
The truth would flip my tables in the temple
And tell me not to sell my goods inside
Well aren’t we all such advocates for truth now?
But in our truthful moments can we see?
That when we find the truth we just deny it
We take on a hill and crucify it
ADVOCATE FOR TRUTH
Posted in: Rufus Blog
Camp Awana Journal - Winter, 2006
Posted in: Rufus Blog
Today Reveille played really early, it can always be heard across camp on those intercoms. It starts way out in the distance somewhere way past the trees, then it echoes closer. The trumpets blast through the speakers, from there the sound rushes over the treetops, creeps in through the cracks in our cabin and bounces it’s way into our eardrums. I hear it and dream of breakfast. The others actually wake up to it.
I’m sore and I don’t want to get up and face the music. My body hurts for some crazy reason, maybe it’s because I played basketball last night for the first time in years. Wow. Am I really saying that? That makes me sound old.
As Peter and I finally realize that the music wasn’t just in our dreams, we lackadaisically walk over to the mess hall… limping… and rolling the sleep out of our half-opened eyes. It’s raining out and kids are trying to sled. Even though there is no snow (just mud), they stay very determined. For that, I salute them. These are the type of kids that would try to swim without water.
Peter and I make it into the mess hall as breakfast is ending. I get there just in time to snag a piece of sausage and a pancake to roll it up in. That and coffee, oh bless my soul, wonderful black coffee… Proof that we are not alone on this earth.
We meet the others and leave breakfast early in order to get ready to play for the Royal Rangers early morning sing and meeting. It was fantastic, though I felt a little hoarse from not getting enough sleep last night.
I would have slept better, but we had 6 extra campers with us in our cabin that wanted to tell fart stories (don’t ask… it’s boy’s camp. Boys will be boys, right?). At first, I just hoped that they would run out of fart stories to tell and eventually quiet down. After about an hour of lying in bed and listening, I figured… Well, if I’m going to be awake, I might as well get in on the action. The whole band had a blast into the wee hours of the mourn with the kids. I think we actually had more fart stories than they did… now they were hoping we’d eventually start quieting down. Ben Diehl was the voice of reason. He had the bravery and courage to put an end to the madness… of course, after he shared a story or two of his own. LOL.
It was a blast hanging out with the kids. In our cabin, there was David Pawlecki, Derek Rice, Josh Ball, Tommy Coyle, and Eric Pillman (and as mentioned, Ben Diehl, the man in charge of the brood).
Anyway, once the meeting ended, I walked off for a while to hang out in the cabin as Justin and Peter waltzed gaily over to the gymnasium to register our names into the basketball tournament that was to take place. We registered in the nick of time, and got to the gymnasium with our shorts on.
As we begin to play, I remember how badly my body hurt this morning and how I hope it will feel a little better tomorrow… after all, shouldn’t you body get used to a beating like that after a while? I hope so. Otherwise I might be cuddling up with the bottle of ibuprofen again in the morning.
We played 2 games before lunch. Tom Kestlyn watched with excitement. He was probably as surprised as I was that Peter, Justin and I would actually make a decent basketball team. Not only did we win the first two games before lunch, but we also won another game after lunch. Next thing we knew, we were actually one of the final 2 teams in the competition.
The final rounds were to begin, and everybody cleared the floor for the final game. As we did a rock/paper/scissors match, our hearts sank as we realized that Justin wasn’t any good at rock/paper/scissors. We watched in slow motion as the hands came down. The opposing team threw down a paper (something I never would have predicted in my wildest dreams), and Justin’s hand revealed a rock (which is something that you just never do). My fears were confirmed.
The ball was theirs. We got going as the spectators became very interested in the turnout of this competition. Their were a few fouls and what not from both sides, it was clear that everybody participating was getting very competitive. On the other team was Justin Bohwinkle (from rock band Flatfoot 56), Jose Martinez, and Miguel Lopez.
We were 1 point behind with ten seconds to go. Justin did his magic and scored a point that put us into overtime. Everybody was shouting with excitement. Now even more people were watching. During the 2-minute overtime we got ahead by one point. As the time started to narrow, the other team made two baskets. We were down by one point with 4 seconds left. With a small prayer and a stumbling throw, I sent up a three point shot as everybody looked up. (2 seconds left) First, it hit the backboard (1 second left)… Boom goes the dynamite! It was in!! As everybody jumps with excitement and shouts, somebody who was watching shouted something that would make a difference in the turnout of this game. My heart sank yet again as I heard somebody say, “he never checked the ball”.
We all looked at each other and realized it was true… we never would have had time to check the ball and make that shot. And hey… what’s right is right… We don’t want to win any competitions unfairly. No sir-ree. We are just so grateful that somebody noticed that small detail and spoke up… Grateful is the word… so incredibly grateful that we grit our teeth and jumped up and down furiously.
We shook hands with the winning team after the ref said that the last basket did not count. The game was theirs, and the Chicago bricklayers went back to our cabins without a trophy. It was fun and we all shook hands and talked about how much fun the game was. It was cool to see how many people were actually getting into it. Good times… It just takes me a while to cool down sometimes when I get this grateful.
I take a quick shower and walk back to the mess hall for another cup of black coffee, the drink of almost-champions. I don’t deserve Gatorade at this point. We get ready for the kids rally over in the long house. That was really fun. It was great for the kids (and Justin). Ed Corbin (Missionary in South Africa) spoke and performed a few magic tricks which left Justin speechless.
Jed and Randy hung out at the mess hall after the kids rally. They played each other in a 2-man game of Monopoly. As you can imagine, it took a while. Their hands were stained pale-white from the dice they were throwing (an exaggeration, but probably close to the truth). We then congregated for a delicious round of potatoes, beans with cheese and scrumptious chicken. Does life get any better? Oh yes, it does…
It got even better after dinner as we shuffled on over to the long house for some more singing and merriment. It was great not only to sing and worship together once more, but also to listen to Ed speaking again, this time about his incredible bungee jumping experience from the highest bridge in South Africa.
Following the meeting was snack time, which was followed by a concert from Rufus Tree. Everybody was rowdy and in the mood to have fun, especially Jeff Mathis. He was hopping up and down like an acrobat. It really was a great time. I had such a good time at the concert that I even did a jumping heel-click. That’s a rare way for me to express myself. I really don’t do that as often as Kevin does.
After a long nights sleep, a great breakfast, another fine meeting and another super lunch, it was time to go. We must shake the mud off of our boots and say goodbye to Camp Awana. It was a great time of fellowship to be with the Royal Rangers, and we look forward to having some fun, fun, fun, fun, fun and no work, no work, no work at Jamboree this summer. Thank you all for the fun and meaningful times spent growing together this weekend. We look forward to seeing you again this summer!
Sincerely,
Rufus Tree
I’m sore and I don’t want to get up and face the music. My body hurts for some crazy reason, maybe it’s because I played basketball last night for the first time in years. Wow. Am I really saying that? That makes me sound old.
As Peter and I finally realize that the music wasn’t just in our dreams, we lackadaisically walk over to the mess hall… limping… and rolling the sleep out of our half-opened eyes. It’s raining out and kids are trying to sled. Even though there is no snow (just mud), they stay very determined. For that, I salute them. These are the type of kids that would try to swim without water.
Peter and I make it into the mess hall as breakfast is ending. I get there just in time to snag a piece of sausage and a pancake to roll it up in. That and coffee, oh bless my soul, wonderful black coffee… Proof that we are not alone on this earth.
We meet the others and leave breakfast early in order to get ready to play for the Royal Rangers early morning sing and meeting. It was fantastic, though I felt a little hoarse from not getting enough sleep last night.
I would have slept better, but we had 6 extra campers with us in our cabin that wanted to tell fart stories (don’t ask… it’s boy’s camp. Boys will be boys, right?). At first, I just hoped that they would run out of fart stories to tell and eventually quiet down. After about an hour of lying in bed and listening, I figured… Well, if I’m going to be awake, I might as well get in on the action. The whole band had a blast into the wee hours of the mourn with the kids. I think we actually had more fart stories than they did… now they were hoping we’d eventually start quieting down. Ben Diehl was the voice of reason. He had the bravery and courage to put an end to the madness… of course, after he shared a story or two of his own. LOL.
It was a blast hanging out with the kids. In our cabin, there was David Pawlecki, Derek Rice, Josh Ball, Tommy Coyle, and Eric Pillman (and as mentioned, Ben Diehl, the man in charge of the brood).
Anyway, once the meeting ended, I walked off for a while to hang out in the cabin as Justin and Peter waltzed gaily over to the gymnasium to register our names into the basketball tournament that was to take place. We registered in the nick of time, and got to the gymnasium with our shorts on.
As we begin to play, I remember how badly my body hurt this morning and how I hope it will feel a little better tomorrow… after all, shouldn’t you body get used to a beating like that after a while? I hope so. Otherwise I might be cuddling up with the bottle of ibuprofen again in the morning.
We played 2 games before lunch. Tom Kestlyn watched with excitement. He was probably as surprised as I was that Peter, Justin and I would actually make a decent basketball team. Not only did we win the first two games before lunch, but we also won another game after lunch. Next thing we knew, we were actually one of the final 2 teams in the competition.
The final rounds were to begin, and everybody cleared the floor for the final game. As we did a rock/paper/scissors match, our hearts sank as we realized that Justin wasn’t any good at rock/paper/scissors. We watched in slow motion as the hands came down. The opposing team threw down a paper (something I never would have predicted in my wildest dreams), and Justin’s hand revealed a rock (which is something that you just never do). My fears were confirmed.
The ball was theirs. We got going as the spectators became very interested in the turnout of this competition. Their were a few fouls and what not from both sides, it was clear that everybody participating was getting very competitive. On the other team was Justin Bohwinkle (from rock band Flatfoot 56), Jose Martinez, and Miguel Lopez.
We were 1 point behind with ten seconds to go. Justin did his magic and scored a point that put us into overtime. Everybody was shouting with excitement. Now even more people were watching. During the 2-minute overtime we got ahead by one point. As the time started to narrow, the other team made two baskets. We were down by one point with 4 seconds left. With a small prayer and a stumbling throw, I sent up a three point shot as everybody looked up. (2 seconds left) First, it hit the backboard (1 second left)… Boom goes the dynamite! It was in!! As everybody jumps with excitement and shouts, somebody who was watching shouted something that would make a difference in the turnout of this game. My heart sank yet again as I heard somebody say, “he never checked the ball”.
We all looked at each other and realized it was true… we never would have had time to check the ball and make that shot. And hey… what’s right is right… We don’t want to win any competitions unfairly. No sir-ree. We are just so grateful that somebody noticed that small detail and spoke up… Grateful is the word… so incredibly grateful that we grit our teeth and jumped up and down furiously.
We shook hands with the winning team after the ref said that the last basket did not count. The game was theirs, and the Chicago bricklayers went back to our cabins without a trophy. It was fun and we all shook hands and talked about how much fun the game was. It was cool to see how many people were actually getting into it. Good times… It just takes me a while to cool down sometimes when I get this grateful.
I take a quick shower and walk back to the mess hall for another cup of black coffee, the drink of almost-champions. I don’t deserve Gatorade at this point. We get ready for the kids rally over in the long house. That was really fun. It was great for the kids (and Justin). Ed Corbin (Missionary in South Africa) spoke and performed a few magic tricks which left Justin speechless.
Jed and Randy hung out at the mess hall after the kids rally. They played each other in a 2-man game of Monopoly. As you can imagine, it took a while. Their hands were stained pale-white from the dice they were throwing (an exaggeration, but probably close to the truth). We then congregated for a delicious round of potatoes, beans with cheese and scrumptious chicken. Does life get any better? Oh yes, it does…
It got even better after dinner as we shuffled on over to the long house for some more singing and merriment. It was great not only to sing and worship together once more, but also to listen to Ed speaking again, this time about his incredible bungee jumping experience from the highest bridge in South Africa.
Following the meeting was snack time, which was followed by a concert from Rufus Tree. Everybody was rowdy and in the mood to have fun, especially Jeff Mathis. He was hopping up and down like an acrobat. It really was a great time. I had such a good time at the concert that I even did a jumping heel-click. That’s a rare way for me to express myself. I really don’t do that as often as Kevin does.
After a long nights sleep, a great breakfast, another fine meeting and another super lunch, it was time to go. We must shake the mud off of our boots and say goodbye to Camp Awana. It was a great time of fellowship to be with the Royal Rangers, and we look forward to having some fun, fun, fun, fun, fun and no work, no work, no work at Jamboree this summer. Thank you all for the fun and meaningful times spent growing together this weekend. We look forward to seeing you again this summer!
Sincerely,
Rufus Tree
2006
Posted in: Japan Journal
Japan Journal 2005/2006. One more time around...
Day 1 (small round windows)
I think I was up until 5 am last night trying to prepare myself. I know it's not easy to get used to a fifteen-hour time difference, so the sooner I can start adjusting, the better. I really have been so excited, and that made it easy for me to stay awake. I think that between the five of us in the band, I must have stayed up the latest preparing for the time difference. It must be because I’m the one who’s always the most prepared in the band (If that doesn’t make you laugh, I know the others in the band will find it humorous).
Today we are driving to the airport with all of our gear. We meet at O’Hare and wait in the long lines to get into more long lines so that we can get into a plane for a really long 13-hour flight. This part of the week isn't necessarily the most fun, but it's a small price to pay for the great experience that lies ahead. We eagerly anticipate arriving.
For hours on the plane I was trying so hard to sleep. Just when I actually, finally, and miraculously felt myself nodding off into dreamland, something less miraculous happened. I felt a big bony elbow nudging me twice in the rib cage.... Well what do ya know; it was Peter, waking me up to ask me if I had any garbage to put in the flight attendants bag. Why yes! As a matter of fact, I did (no, not Peter)… and this type of thing could not wait... unlike my precious sleep. Ok, you’re right…I’ll be nice. I think I already gave him enough trouble for that one. Sorry Pete, I thought it made a funny story (now that it’s over anyway).
After 13 hours of movies and looking over the world through small round windows, we finally felt the large plane shake with a crashing sound as the wheels touched town on Japanese ground. We stepped off the plane with legs that felt like jello and staggered towards the light at the end of the tunnel. As our senses slowly came back to us, we worked our way through those familiar halls once more to find our luggage. Once we made it through customs and all that good stuff, we found the place at the front where we would meet our friends.
Chaplain Ray Bailey was there with Grace and Olivia greeting us with smiles. We joked and laughed as well as we could for the 2-hour drive back to the base. It was sometime in the afternoon, going on 3 in the morning. It was that time of day when everything is funny and nothing makes sense (P.S. If you see my internal clock somewhere, please tell it that I’m sorry for abandoning it, and that I miss it dearly).
As we wind down the highway through Tokyo, I remember how strange it feels to be driving on the left side of the road... its kind of nerve wrecking... I don't know how Peter and Jed slept through it all.
At the base we all split up. Peter and I stuck together with Ed and Nikki and family. Jed, Justin and Courtney went with Drew and Wendy and family. Kevin and Lisa went with Chaplain Bailey and family.
I'm more tired than I've ever been, so I'm going to sleep. God bless you all, see you on the flipside.
Day 2 (The Jolly Green Giant)
I woke up this morning a few times thinking it was later than it was, but that’s just because it was earlier than it seemed. I fell back to sleep with the comfort of knowing that it was actually earlier than it would be, and the latest it had been. That’s something that anybody with Jet lag would probably agree with (especially at such an early/late time of night/morning).
By the way, I think now might be a good time to let you know about a book I’m writing (It was Lisa Hicks’ idea). I am going to call it “How to make a fool of yourself around the globe”. Think that’s an ok idea? I just hope I have enough material to fill it with… well, I’m sure it will come to me. I just wanted to tell you, but for now, back to the journal…
The day was to head in the direction of being fun and relaxing, filled with exploring and sightseeing. I had breakfast (compliments of Ed and Nikki) just before heading out to meet up with Chaplain Bailey, the rest of the band, and a few Mrs. Band members of course. We were headed out to some place I can’t pronounce, but I didn’t let that stop me from going.
It was a place with a giant Buddha statue (that I think I’ve seen pictures of in National Geographic). We drove a little while, walked a little while to a train station, took a train, walked a little, took another train, and then walked a little more. Once we got there, we thought it would be a nice change of pace to do some more walking. We walked and looked at the giant Buddha, which was big and green. I think it was made of copper. Well, some kind of metal anyway. If not a metal, I’m sure it was something hard and cement like, something non-metallic. I’ll stop there and let National Geographic do the documenting on the statue.
It was surprisingly nice outside as we walked around the area’s other buildings and gift shops. In the sun, it was possible to be comfortable in no more than a T-shirt (provided that the wind was still, and under the assumption that you were wearing pants). In the shade however, it felt better to have a jacket or sweatshirt on.
One small thing I’ve noticed about being in Japan is that they don’t have trashcans everywhere for you to dispose your empty cans and wrappers in. You usually have to walk a little further out here to find such luxuries. Another small thing I’ve noticed is that there are lots of hawks. They are probably more common here than crows are in the states. They have similarities with the red-tails we see in Illinois, though still clearly a different breed. These hawks also seem to be more of scavengers than they are carnivorous, though we’re guessing that they’re a bit of both. Maybe a combo, called scav-niv-engers (hmmm… that might fit somewhere in my book idea…???).
Also, the train tracks are narrower here than in the U.S., and there are definitely some funny little vehicles that we are deprived of in America. They remind me of the ones you see in the Pink Panther movies.
We continued marching onward to grab a bite at a little Japanese restaurant on the way. It’s not hard to find some good Japanese food around here, I can stand firm on that (should I mention different foods in my book?). I had pork and noodles, which by the way, was phenomenal.
When our bellies were full of noodles, pork, rice, and quail eggs, we decided to walk to the center of town to see a giant temple. It was really amazing. The architecture was so artistic in each building. Some of these buildings were shrines that were at the top of long cement stairways. We took a few band pictures on the stairways, which we will hopefully be able to post and show you. It was all well-worth seeing, and I might mention that these were all new things we did not get to see last time we were here.
On our way back to the train station we stopped to shop at a little “100 yen store”. It’s kind of like the dollar store, only a little cooler. It’s a great place to find souvenirs and memorabilia.
We retraced our steps all the way back to the military housing area where Wendy had prepared for us a delicious meal of Spaghetti and salad. A few of us had Sam Adams with the meal, which is a great Japanese beer. I think it’s short for “Samurai Adams”. (I know, I know… save it for the book).
I’d probably better be getting to bed soon. It’s late for me… even later than it was before, and I’m doing well so far at beating the jet lag. I like to try and get this jet lag stuff over with as soon as possible. Tomorrow will be our first concert here, and I know it will be fun, but I want to be rested for it. Can’t wait to see some of the people that we met on our first journey out here. Much love,
Caleb Kruse
Day 3 (the cozy carpet)
I slept well last night, though it was broken up… yes, again. I’m still not used to the time here. Today at about 9 am we went over to the military base where we stayed last year. From there we set up as much equipment as we could and tried rounding up a drum set for Justin to use.
Unfortunately, Peter’s hammer dulcimer somehow never got shipped to the address we sent it to. We’ve been informed that it’s waiting for us in Tokyo, which is about a two-hour drive each way. Not too many people happened to have 4 spare hours to kill today, so we did without. Hopefully we’ll have it somehow by Sunday for our next concert.
Sometime after we had set up most of our things we went out for a little walk around the border of the base that faces the ocean. It was another beautiful sunny day and once again it was easily T-shirt weather in the sunshine. The salty sea smell was present and it triggered memories of the last time we were out here.
It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by. Since our last visit, only a small number of the friends we made still remain here on the base in Yokosuka. Though there are still quite a few familiar faces, that’s just military life is. People serve for a certain amount of time at a certain assigned location, and then they move on. The friends that are still here are amazing and they are really making us feel at home.
We all took a little nap together on the floor of a schoolhouse room waiting for the concert time to approach. There were about six hours to kill and we had no place to be. Since we all have one thing on our minds that we just aren’t getting (sleep), we used that opportunity to catch up on our Z’s. It was blissful. Then we woke up to Chaplain Bailey telling us that the pizza had arrived. We ate and got ready to play. We prayed before the concert and got ready to rock.
The show was a lot of fun. We all felt a little goofy and loosened up, which only helped us to do our best (without the dulcimer, of course). Peter and I both shared some life experiences that we felt were relevant for the occasion. However, between the jet lag, the lack of sleep and too much coffee, I could feel it all taking a toll on my voice when I tried to sing. I noticed towards the end that I was cracking a bit. I think a few people thought I was just going through puberty and they didn’t buy my whole jet lag excuse. Oh well.
When it was over, it was almost one o clock Japanese time (10:00am US time). Can you imagine pulling an all-nighter and performing a concert at 10am? Though that’s not how we try to think of it, that’s how it was…. Shame on me… I guess I’m supposed to be telling myself right now that Japanese time is the right time. For some reason, that’s easier said than done. Yawn, yawn stretch, roll the sleep out of your eyes, boy does breakfast sound good!! That’s when you know it’s time for dinner.
Most of the kids went to go watch the Narnia movie after the concert. We decided that we were much too tired to join them. I guess that doesn’t explain why we stayed up all night anyway. Peter, Jed and I went back and watched a movie, forgetting we were too tired for anything. We ended up jabbering until the wee hours of the morn before any of us thought it fitting that maybe it was time to sleep. Well, all except for Peter…. He discovered that earlier than we did and curled himself up in a rug on the floor before the movie was over. This is the second night in a row that he’s fallen asleep on the floor at Drew and Wendy’s house. Something about their carpet just makes him want to stare at his eyelids. Good night.
Day 4 (There’s danger in the air)
Pack your bags kiddies, we’re going for a train ride. Well, pack light… it’s not that far. We went to Yokohama into some big tower with the world’s fastest elevator (which had a peculiar egg-shape).
When we were up at the top you really had a beautiful view of everything… well, everything in view that is. There was a baseball stadium, a small theme park, a large museum ship, and of course all the other skyscrapers in the Yokohama area. You could also see the top of Mount Fuji way in the distance, as well as the skyline of Tokyo.
We walked through a pretty large shopping mall afterwards, which was about five or six floors tall. It was very pleasant and interesting. There was even a pleasant aroma in the air until… well… until somebody in the group decided to start sharing their lunch with us. If we knew who the culprit was we could have decided to place them at the end of the line. Unfortunately, such a crime leaves no fingerprints. We could only suspect. (I don’t care who it was, honestly… I just want to know what you ate! It might make a nice chapter in my book)
We stopped into a little candy store and picked up some sweets, and then we went to Hard Rock Café in Yokohama. I got a T-shirt. It was cool because it was so American. Even the host who greeted us spoke pretty good English. One thing I was amazed at is how well everybody speaks fluent Japanese out here. There’s not even a trace of an accent (I’m looking for somebody to translate my book)!
Actually though, it is not a place where there are many people who can speak even a little English. You’re pretty much left to hand gestures and Charades, hoping that the hand gestures share the same polite meanings as they do back home (I wonder why I got smacked in the face so often?)
Since English here seems to be about as common as Latin, you quickly realize how seldom you actually need to speak with people. I realize I can go all day without saying much by minimizing what is necessary and simplifying what must be said. It all comes down to one thing; I really don’t need to talk much. Though you discover that the need to speak is very seldom, you also gain an appreciation for somebody who understands you well when something must be communicated. I think my friends really enjoyed “the quiet me” while it lasted.
We took the trains back to the base and hung out at Wendy and Drew’s place for a while. She made us beef stew and we all watched some Japanese game show with American commentators. It’s a pretty funny show.
Soon we’ll be going to the theatre to see King Kong. I’ve heard it’s good but long. After that, I’m sure I’m going to try and get some sleep… I haven’t been doing too well in that department lately. Besides, I want to be ready for the concert tomorrow.
Day 5 (I’ve got a golden ticket)
I had a nice night’s sleep and felt refreshed (I actually did! Yahoooo!). We packed into the vans and headed church’ ward for a little pre-concert set-up party (which is an exciting way of saying that we got ready) Sometime amidst the hustle and bustle the telephone rang with some news that would become the day’s million dollar headline (minus the cost of an expedited passport).
Unfortunately, Jed was not able to find his passport, and that was scary… especially since he wouldn’t be able to get onto a plane without it. Either he needed to start learning Japanese or start turning over bed mattresses really quickly to find it because even the American Embassy would not have been opened until the fourth of January (which was one day after our scheduled departure date). Yeah, I guess you could say it was a pickle, but a pickle with a happy ending.
He saved the dill for some other day by flipping over his mattress to find that golden piece of paper that tells the world he’s an American after all. That’s good because they don’t take your word for that kind of thing at the airports anymore. If America was Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, then I guess you could say Jedly had just found his golden ticket. It took some pressure off of all of us knowing that Jed wouldn’t be lost in translation, and we were all able to get ready for the show with level heads.
The show, by the way, was a lot of fun. It started after another tasty meal of pizza and more pizza. There was well enough pizza for each person to have their own box. That’s what I’m talking about.
The show went for about an hour and we had a really good time. Afterwards we were tired, but not nearly as tired as we were at that time for the first few nights of our visit. Our bodies are getting more used to the time difference, which can only mean one thing… almost time to go back home. Yep… It can only mean that it must be time to start the process over of getting used to a 13 hour time difference because we will soon be back in the US. It’s all part of the package, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Just don’t get mad at me if I’m cranky for the first few days when I get back. I’ll try not to be too frustrated by any constant jabbering, annoying sounds or eating noises.
Day 6 (Dripping with adventure)
Ahhh, I think a day in the warm pools of Yunesen is something every soul needs. At least it sure did feel nice to kick back and soak in pools of jasmine, beer, coffee, green tea and wine (I like to call it the fountain of vermouth). Just the usual type of leisure, right? There were also some waterslides that were almost painful when taken too fast.
That’s what our day consisted of. It was relaxing and fun, and it makes you lazy to sit in a hot tub for so long. It’s a place where you have the opportunity to do as much nothing and as little something as possible. And oh yes, what sweet nothingness did our hearts sponge up.
There was also a tub filled with water from the Dead Sea. It makes you extra buoyant and it will also help you discover any microscopic cuts on your body that you might not have been aware of. It’s very nice… in moderation. Any longer than three minutes and you would gain the ability to melt the snow around you for the rest of your life.
We also saw a few people trying to surf in the ocean on the drive there. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that it was January 2’nd. What a fun day!!! It was great, and now that we’re back, we’ll soon be leaving again to go the Hawaiian restaurant for some tacos. Aloha everybody.
Day 7 (a note to end on)
Well everybody, I’m speechless. For being so speechless, it must seem strange that I haven’t stopped talking (or writing, rather). I just don’t know if I can give a justice to the experience we’ve had. In the moments captured in writing and those undocumented, I know I can say personally that I’m blessed to have been a part of such an amazing thing. It is yet another confirmation to me of God’s hand guiding us. We may be just a small band from the Midwest in some peoples’ eyes, but we have a big God and big visions about what we hope to do with all that he’s given us. The doors he has opened for us are much further away than where our short arms ever could have reached. We do not take credit for the doors God has opened. We thank him so much for allowing our paths to cross with such generous, giving, hospitable and kind people.
I would like to thank everybody who was a part of hosting us while we were there. We thank you so much for letting us shower in your bathrooms, eat in your kitchens, sleep on your beds and sofas (and carpets), mess up your dishes, be driven around in your cars, and so much more. Thank you for the opportunity that allowed us to reach a place we never could have reached on our own. In closing, I wrote a few words I’d like to share with you and everybody. Thanks for taking the time to read about our awesome experience!
I’m finding other things I love, I’ve never seen before
And I don’t need convincing but I’m finding even more
Sights, sounds and memories are filling up the space
Inside my hearts memories… Of this place
Hello Yokosuka
It’s been a little while
Do the stars still hang low at night
Like dimples in a smile
I know once we’ve spent some time
It will be hard to part
But I thank you so much
You’ve opened up my heart
The way that you have given is what I hope to learn
To give without expecting something in return
I see the hospitality and love that you have shown
You’ve filled us up with love to take back home
Yes you’ve filled us up with so much more…
Than you know.
Hello Yokosuka
It’s been a little while
Do the stars still hang low at night
Like dimples in a smile
I know once we’ve spent some time
It will be hard to part
But I thank you so much
You’ve opened up my heart
-Rufus Tree-
Day 1 (small round windows)
I think I was up until 5 am last night trying to prepare myself. I know it's not easy to get used to a fifteen-hour time difference, so the sooner I can start adjusting, the better. I really have been so excited, and that made it easy for me to stay awake. I think that between the five of us in the band, I must have stayed up the latest preparing for the time difference. It must be because I’m the one who’s always the most prepared in the band (If that doesn’t make you laugh, I know the others in the band will find it humorous).
Today we are driving to the airport with all of our gear. We meet at O’Hare and wait in the long lines to get into more long lines so that we can get into a plane for a really long 13-hour flight. This part of the week isn't necessarily the most fun, but it's a small price to pay for the great experience that lies ahead. We eagerly anticipate arriving.
For hours on the plane I was trying so hard to sleep. Just when I actually, finally, and miraculously felt myself nodding off into dreamland, something less miraculous happened. I felt a big bony elbow nudging me twice in the rib cage.... Well what do ya know; it was Peter, waking me up to ask me if I had any garbage to put in the flight attendants bag. Why yes! As a matter of fact, I did (no, not Peter)… and this type of thing could not wait... unlike my precious sleep. Ok, you’re right…I’ll be nice. I think I already gave him enough trouble for that one. Sorry Pete, I thought it made a funny story (now that it’s over anyway).
After 13 hours of movies and looking over the world through small round windows, we finally felt the large plane shake with a crashing sound as the wheels touched town on Japanese ground. We stepped off the plane with legs that felt like jello and staggered towards the light at the end of the tunnel. As our senses slowly came back to us, we worked our way through those familiar halls once more to find our luggage. Once we made it through customs and all that good stuff, we found the place at the front where we would meet our friends.
Chaplain Ray Bailey was there with Grace and Olivia greeting us with smiles. We joked and laughed as well as we could for the 2-hour drive back to the base. It was sometime in the afternoon, going on 3 in the morning. It was that time of day when everything is funny and nothing makes sense (P.S. If you see my internal clock somewhere, please tell it that I’m sorry for abandoning it, and that I miss it dearly).
As we wind down the highway through Tokyo, I remember how strange it feels to be driving on the left side of the road... its kind of nerve wrecking... I don't know how Peter and Jed slept through it all.
At the base we all split up. Peter and I stuck together with Ed and Nikki and family. Jed, Justin and Courtney went with Drew and Wendy and family. Kevin and Lisa went with Chaplain Bailey and family.
I'm more tired than I've ever been, so I'm going to sleep. God bless you all, see you on the flipside.
Day 2 (The Jolly Green Giant)
I woke up this morning a few times thinking it was later than it was, but that’s just because it was earlier than it seemed. I fell back to sleep with the comfort of knowing that it was actually earlier than it would be, and the latest it had been. That’s something that anybody with Jet lag would probably agree with (especially at such an early/late time of night/morning).
By the way, I think now might be a good time to let you know about a book I’m writing (It was Lisa Hicks’ idea). I am going to call it “How to make a fool of yourself around the globe”. Think that’s an ok idea? I just hope I have enough material to fill it with… well, I’m sure it will come to me. I just wanted to tell you, but for now, back to the journal…
The day was to head in the direction of being fun and relaxing, filled with exploring and sightseeing. I had breakfast (compliments of Ed and Nikki) just before heading out to meet up with Chaplain Bailey, the rest of the band, and a few Mrs. Band members of course. We were headed out to some place I can’t pronounce, but I didn’t let that stop me from going.
It was a place with a giant Buddha statue (that I think I’ve seen pictures of in National Geographic). We drove a little while, walked a little while to a train station, took a train, walked a little, took another train, and then walked a little more. Once we got there, we thought it would be a nice change of pace to do some more walking. We walked and looked at the giant Buddha, which was big and green. I think it was made of copper. Well, some kind of metal anyway. If not a metal, I’m sure it was something hard and cement like, something non-metallic. I’ll stop there and let National Geographic do the documenting on the statue.
It was surprisingly nice outside as we walked around the area’s other buildings and gift shops. In the sun, it was possible to be comfortable in no more than a T-shirt (provided that the wind was still, and under the assumption that you were wearing pants). In the shade however, it felt better to have a jacket or sweatshirt on.
One small thing I’ve noticed about being in Japan is that they don’t have trashcans everywhere for you to dispose your empty cans and wrappers in. You usually have to walk a little further out here to find such luxuries. Another small thing I’ve noticed is that there are lots of hawks. They are probably more common here than crows are in the states. They have similarities with the red-tails we see in Illinois, though still clearly a different breed. These hawks also seem to be more of scavengers than they are carnivorous, though we’re guessing that they’re a bit of both. Maybe a combo, called scav-niv-engers (hmmm… that might fit somewhere in my book idea…???).
Also, the train tracks are narrower here than in the U.S., and there are definitely some funny little vehicles that we are deprived of in America. They remind me of the ones you see in the Pink Panther movies.
We continued marching onward to grab a bite at a little Japanese restaurant on the way. It’s not hard to find some good Japanese food around here, I can stand firm on that (should I mention different foods in my book?). I had pork and noodles, which by the way, was phenomenal.
When our bellies were full of noodles, pork, rice, and quail eggs, we decided to walk to the center of town to see a giant temple. It was really amazing. The architecture was so artistic in each building. Some of these buildings were shrines that were at the top of long cement stairways. We took a few band pictures on the stairways, which we will hopefully be able to post and show you. It was all well-worth seeing, and I might mention that these were all new things we did not get to see last time we were here.
On our way back to the train station we stopped to shop at a little “100 yen store”. It’s kind of like the dollar store, only a little cooler. It’s a great place to find souvenirs and memorabilia.
We retraced our steps all the way back to the military housing area where Wendy had prepared for us a delicious meal of Spaghetti and salad. A few of us had Sam Adams with the meal, which is a great Japanese beer. I think it’s short for “Samurai Adams”. (I know, I know… save it for the book).
I’d probably better be getting to bed soon. It’s late for me… even later than it was before, and I’m doing well so far at beating the jet lag. I like to try and get this jet lag stuff over with as soon as possible. Tomorrow will be our first concert here, and I know it will be fun, but I want to be rested for it. Can’t wait to see some of the people that we met on our first journey out here. Much love,
Caleb Kruse
Day 3 (the cozy carpet)
I slept well last night, though it was broken up… yes, again. I’m still not used to the time here. Today at about 9 am we went over to the military base where we stayed last year. From there we set up as much equipment as we could and tried rounding up a drum set for Justin to use.
Unfortunately, Peter’s hammer dulcimer somehow never got shipped to the address we sent it to. We’ve been informed that it’s waiting for us in Tokyo, which is about a two-hour drive each way. Not too many people happened to have 4 spare hours to kill today, so we did without. Hopefully we’ll have it somehow by Sunday for our next concert.
Sometime after we had set up most of our things we went out for a little walk around the border of the base that faces the ocean. It was another beautiful sunny day and once again it was easily T-shirt weather in the sunshine. The salty sea smell was present and it triggered memories of the last time we were out here.
It’s hard to believe a whole year has gone by. Since our last visit, only a small number of the friends we made still remain here on the base in Yokosuka. Though there are still quite a few familiar faces, that’s just military life is. People serve for a certain amount of time at a certain assigned location, and then they move on. The friends that are still here are amazing and they are really making us feel at home.
We all took a little nap together on the floor of a schoolhouse room waiting for the concert time to approach. There were about six hours to kill and we had no place to be. Since we all have one thing on our minds that we just aren’t getting (sleep), we used that opportunity to catch up on our Z’s. It was blissful. Then we woke up to Chaplain Bailey telling us that the pizza had arrived. We ate and got ready to play. We prayed before the concert and got ready to rock.
The show was a lot of fun. We all felt a little goofy and loosened up, which only helped us to do our best (without the dulcimer, of course). Peter and I both shared some life experiences that we felt were relevant for the occasion. However, between the jet lag, the lack of sleep and too much coffee, I could feel it all taking a toll on my voice when I tried to sing. I noticed towards the end that I was cracking a bit. I think a few people thought I was just going through puberty and they didn’t buy my whole jet lag excuse. Oh well.
When it was over, it was almost one o clock Japanese time (10:00am US time). Can you imagine pulling an all-nighter and performing a concert at 10am? Though that’s not how we try to think of it, that’s how it was…. Shame on me… I guess I’m supposed to be telling myself right now that Japanese time is the right time. For some reason, that’s easier said than done. Yawn, yawn stretch, roll the sleep out of your eyes, boy does breakfast sound good!! That’s when you know it’s time for dinner.
Most of the kids went to go watch the Narnia movie after the concert. We decided that we were much too tired to join them. I guess that doesn’t explain why we stayed up all night anyway. Peter, Jed and I went back and watched a movie, forgetting we were too tired for anything. We ended up jabbering until the wee hours of the morn before any of us thought it fitting that maybe it was time to sleep. Well, all except for Peter…. He discovered that earlier than we did and curled himself up in a rug on the floor before the movie was over. This is the second night in a row that he’s fallen asleep on the floor at Drew and Wendy’s house. Something about their carpet just makes him want to stare at his eyelids. Good night.
Day 4 (There’s danger in the air)
Pack your bags kiddies, we’re going for a train ride. Well, pack light… it’s not that far. We went to Yokohama into some big tower with the world’s fastest elevator (which had a peculiar egg-shape).
When we were up at the top you really had a beautiful view of everything… well, everything in view that is. There was a baseball stadium, a small theme park, a large museum ship, and of course all the other skyscrapers in the Yokohama area. You could also see the top of Mount Fuji way in the distance, as well as the skyline of Tokyo.
We walked through a pretty large shopping mall afterwards, which was about five or six floors tall. It was very pleasant and interesting. There was even a pleasant aroma in the air until… well… until somebody in the group decided to start sharing their lunch with us. If we knew who the culprit was we could have decided to place them at the end of the line. Unfortunately, such a crime leaves no fingerprints. We could only suspect. (I don’t care who it was, honestly… I just want to know what you ate! It might make a nice chapter in my book)
We stopped into a little candy store and picked up some sweets, and then we went to Hard Rock Café in Yokohama. I got a T-shirt. It was cool because it was so American. Even the host who greeted us spoke pretty good English. One thing I was amazed at is how well everybody speaks fluent Japanese out here. There’s not even a trace of an accent (I’m looking for somebody to translate my book)!
Actually though, it is not a place where there are many people who can speak even a little English. You’re pretty much left to hand gestures and Charades, hoping that the hand gestures share the same polite meanings as they do back home (I wonder why I got smacked in the face so often?)
Since English here seems to be about as common as Latin, you quickly realize how seldom you actually need to speak with people. I realize I can go all day without saying much by minimizing what is necessary and simplifying what must be said. It all comes down to one thing; I really don’t need to talk much. Though you discover that the need to speak is very seldom, you also gain an appreciation for somebody who understands you well when something must be communicated. I think my friends really enjoyed “the quiet me” while it lasted.
We took the trains back to the base and hung out at Wendy and Drew’s place for a while. She made us beef stew and we all watched some Japanese game show with American commentators. It’s a pretty funny show.
Soon we’ll be going to the theatre to see King Kong. I’ve heard it’s good but long. After that, I’m sure I’m going to try and get some sleep… I haven’t been doing too well in that department lately. Besides, I want to be ready for the concert tomorrow.
Day 5 (I’ve got a golden ticket)
I had a nice night’s sleep and felt refreshed (I actually did! Yahoooo!). We packed into the vans and headed church’ ward for a little pre-concert set-up party (which is an exciting way of saying that we got ready) Sometime amidst the hustle and bustle the telephone rang with some news that would become the day’s million dollar headline (minus the cost of an expedited passport).
Unfortunately, Jed was not able to find his passport, and that was scary… especially since he wouldn’t be able to get onto a plane without it. Either he needed to start learning Japanese or start turning over bed mattresses really quickly to find it because even the American Embassy would not have been opened until the fourth of January (which was one day after our scheduled departure date). Yeah, I guess you could say it was a pickle, but a pickle with a happy ending.
He saved the dill for some other day by flipping over his mattress to find that golden piece of paper that tells the world he’s an American after all. That’s good because they don’t take your word for that kind of thing at the airports anymore. If America was Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, then I guess you could say Jedly had just found his golden ticket. It took some pressure off of all of us knowing that Jed wouldn’t be lost in translation, and we were all able to get ready for the show with level heads.
The show, by the way, was a lot of fun. It started after another tasty meal of pizza and more pizza. There was well enough pizza for each person to have their own box. That’s what I’m talking about.
The show went for about an hour and we had a really good time. Afterwards we were tired, but not nearly as tired as we were at that time for the first few nights of our visit. Our bodies are getting more used to the time difference, which can only mean one thing… almost time to go back home. Yep… It can only mean that it must be time to start the process over of getting used to a 13 hour time difference because we will soon be back in the US. It’s all part of the package, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Just don’t get mad at me if I’m cranky for the first few days when I get back. I’ll try not to be too frustrated by any constant jabbering, annoying sounds or eating noises.
Day 6 (Dripping with adventure)
Ahhh, I think a day in the warm pools of Yunesen is something every soul needs. At least it sure did feel nice to kick back and soak in pools of jasmine, beer, coffee, green tea and wine (I like to call it the fountain of vermouth). Just the usual type of leisure, right? There were also some waterslides that were almost painful when taken too fast.
That’s what our day consisted of. It was relaxing and fun, and it makes you lazy to sit in a hot tub for so long. It’s a place where you have the opportunity to do as much nothing and as little something as possible. And oh yes, what sweet nothingness did our hearts sponge up.
There was also a tub filled with water from the Dead Sea. It makes you extra buoyant and it will also help you discover any microscopic cuts on your body that you might not have been aware of. It’s very nice… in moderation. Any longer than three minutes and you would gain the ability to melt the snow around you for the rest of your life.
We also saw a few people trying to surf in the ocean on the drive there. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that it was January 2’nd. What a fun day!!! It was great, and now that we’re back, we’ll soon be leaving again to go the Hawaiian restaurant for some tacos. Aloha everybody.
Day 7 (a note to end on)
Well everybody, I’m speechless. For being so speechless, it must seem strange that I haven’t stopped talking (or writing, rather). I just don’t know if I can give a justice to the experience we’ve had. In the moments captured in writing and those undocumented, I know I can say personally that I’m blessed to have been a part of such an amazing thing. It is yet another confirmation to me of God’s hand guiding us. We may be just a small band from the Midwest in some peoples’ eyes, but we have a big God and big visions about what we hope to do with all that he’s given us. The doors he has opened for us are much further away than where our short arms ever could have reached. We do not take credit for the doors God has opened. We thank him so much for allowing our paths to cross with such generous, giving, hospitable and kind people.
I would like to thank everybody who was a part of hosting us while we were there. We thank you so much for letting us shower in your bathrooms, eat in your kitchens, sleep on your beds and sofas (and carpets), mess up your dishes, be driven around in your cars, and so much more. Thank you for the opportunity that allowed us to reach a place we never could have reached on our own. In closing, I wrote a few words I’d like to share with you and everybody. Thanks for taking the time to read about our awesome experience!
I’m finding other things I love, I’ve never seen before
And I don’t need convincing but I’m finding even more
Sights, sounds and memories are filling up the space
Inside my hearts memories… Of this place
Hello Yokosuka
It’s been a little while
Do the stars still hang low at night
Like dimples in a smile
I know once we’ve spent some time
It will be hard to part
But I thank you so much
You’ve opened up my heart
The way that you have given is what I hope to learn
To give without expecting something in return
I see the hospitality and love that you have shown
You’ve filled us up with love to take back home
Yes you’ve filled us up with so much more…
Than you know.
Hello Yokosuka
It’s been a little while
Do the stars still hang low at night
Like dimples in a smile
I know once we’ve spent some time
It will be hard to part
But I thank you so much
You’ve opened up my heart
-Rufus Tree-
2005
Posted in: Japan Journal
JAPAN!!!
First night-
We arrive at the airport and walk through the maze of hallways and conveyer belts to meet a couple friendly faces waiting for us outside, Ray and Brett. These two greet us and pick us up and help us with our luggage. We drive through the windy streets of Tokyo to the Yokosuka Naval Base which is probably a little over an hour and a half away. I am completely blown away by small things, just the differences in architecture and advertising on billboard signs. I know that this is going to be a cool experience, especially once we get to go off exploring a little bit.
We are very tired, or at least we should be. Most of us were not able to sleep on the plane, but I was fortunate enough to get a few hours worth of shut-eye. It doesn’t help our disorientation at all that the driver is on the right side of the car here in Japan, and we are driving on the left side of the road, like in England. It is not helping me to nap as we drive.
Tonight we all ate at Sbarro’s Pizza and a few other American restaurants they have at a food court here on the base. Then we were driven over to the chapel where we met a few other Americans that are living here, which we would be living with. I met Matt Del Rio and his wife Emily, and that’s who I will be staying with now. Peter and Jed are staying with Richard Kendle and his wife Kendra, and Justin is going to be off on his own with Steve Barney and family, we’re all split up pretty good for the most part. Kevin is also going to be somewhere by himself, I believe he’s staying with Brett’s family (Yep, with the Kings)… He was all over that once he heard that Brett has Xbox and both Halo 1 and 2. That’s kind of a big thing with us in the band, but at least we never get TOO competitive about it… Especially not Jed. But Peter, However, is known for the “assists”. It’s a Halo thing.
Second night-
I got lots of sleep but it was all broken up. I end up getting up at about 9:30am, and I enjoy a couple bowls of Kix with Matt in his humble abode. I find out that Jed and Peter woke up extremely early and passed out flyers around the base… at like 4:30am, and I just wonder if everybody they met was as chipper and energetic as they were. I decide to go to Starbucks with Matt, and when we come down the elevator, Peter, Jed and Kevin were waiting there like it was something we had planned, but it was just a coincidence that we all bumped into each other, which was cool, because I didn’t even know we were in the same building. Jed and Peter were going upstairs to take showers, but Kevin decided to come with to Starbucks. We chilled at Starbucks, then we all met and started setting up for the concert. We didn’t get a sound-check, which would have been helpful, but it was totally understandable. Everybody was so cooperative in getting things set up, which made life a whole lot easier.
We played and the audience was awesome. There were a few technical things that didn’t go quite as smooth as they could have, but it really made no difference. We know when we’re playing for a lively and energetic audience, because it almost feels like they’re playing to us. We feed off of their energy and send it right back, it’s a cycle, and it’s great when we get that kind of response. Some of them were singing along with the songs they knew of the first album, which is something that pumps us up. During the last song, we asked Chris Woody to come up and do a little special guest beat-boxing for us. He rocked the mic and left the stage smoking.
Afterwards, we all went out and got to meet tons of new people, that was awesome. Then we sat down and ate a little leftover pizza. I was very hungry. I started getting really tired because of the jet lag.
After the concert, we decided to play a little Xbox on the church projector. At the church, we pointed the projector at the wall and we were probably the first ones in history to be playing Halo on a 20 square foot screen in an empty church on a naval base in Japan… Jed sat and played his heart out, while I sat down on the church pew and fell into deep sleep, Peter did the same. There we dreamed about Halo, drums, guitars, and every other background noise we were sleeping through.
Third night-
This morning I slipped out the door before anybody else was awake at the Del Rio residents. I snuck off quietly to find myself a very authentic Japanese breakfast. That’s right, the sausage egg and cheese McMuffin. 6000 miles away, and it still finds me. I hiked around by the shore for a while overlooking the section of ocean on our side of the base. Looking out you can see Monkey Island about a mile or so out from land. It’s small and its borders are small cliffs and lots of trees. At about that far out though you can see that the ocean starts getting choppier, maybe because of the depth at that point. It is misting out, but that does not stop the Japanese crows from cawing in the small trees behind me. They look bigger than our crows and their beaks are almost parrot-like, almost like a raven. The air is still and the water is clear. I look down into the ocean and can see many starfish. I look at my watch and realize I’d probably better start looking for the others.
I walk over to the church and I hear lots of voices, but nobody was in the auditorium, so I just sat down to play on the beautiful grand piano. Some kids told me that my friends were in the other room. When I got there, I found out that I had actually missed some sort of seminar that I was supposed to be talking at. Oops. Sorry. Fortunately, there were still two more seminars to go and I was able to redeem myself at those two (or so he thinks...).
At the seminars there were kids and… kids our own age, if you call them kids or grownups, I still am not sure. They asked us lots of questions about whether being in a band is difficult sometimes, what about it can be difficult, how we write our songs, who our influences are, and what kind of toilet paper we use and whether or not we recycle. Just the usual stuff. After they asked us questions, we had them go around and tell us a little bit about themselves and what God is doing in their lives. It was really cool getting to know people. That’s one thing I like most about being in the band. I don’t so much like it when you play a concert somewhere and you barely even get to say hi on the way out because we have to take off right away afterwards. This event was not like that at all. I feel like I know half of the church, though most of the time I was attempting to socialize I was so tired I could barely stand up. When it was 9 oclock at night to them, it was really 6 in the morning in my brain. I don’t know if you’ve ever stayed up till 6 in the morning, but it’s kind of rough when you do it for about 3 or 4 nights in a row. It doesn’t feel normal until about the fifth or sixth night, and that’s when we go back home to get used to our time all over again.
We had a few hours to kill after the seminars, so Rich and Kendra took us out into town where we got to walk along a Japanese beach where Jed found a giant staff and did his best Gandalf impersonation with it. “ You shall not pass!!!” he shouted. Jed is sometimes just too darn serious sometimes.
After that we went to a Japanese restaurant and tried a Japanese version of American pizza. We ordered 3 of them for a group of 8, but when they arrived I saw that I could easily have eaten 3 of them myself. There were about 3 types of Tabasco sauce to put on them, so we all experimented with that a little.
Our Concert went pretty well. We played some intense games and gave away free stuff if people could perform a few difficult tasks, like “look at my hand and tell my how many fingers I’m holding up”. Three! You got it! Free shirt! We then played and taught people the words to “Follow”, and then of course “Smackin”. Those two went pretty well, and I think everybody there really liked to sing (and not to mention they sounded good). We finished the concert really strongly and played our hearts out in the very last tune, which is sometimes the best way to end a concert. After that though, I felt drained and I couldn’t react to anything that anybody told me, because I was so tired. I’m gonna go lay down now. See you tomorrow. .
Fourth night-
Today I woke up and had a bowl of Kix Cereal, which was extremely scrumptious. Eating something was the only way my body would let me go back to sleep. I then slept for another three hours and went for a walk in the rain. It rains a lot here, I think it’s just because of the ocean being so nearby and there is very hilly terrain in this area.
I walked over to the Navy Exchange store, which is like an on-base walmart, but I found that you could not get in unless you were in the Navy or with somebody who was, so I just sat down and had my second breakfast which was kind of typical; Two pieces of pizza and a cappucino. I walked around in the rain again and ended up playing guitar all by myself in a room not far from the chapel, then Chaplain Bailey found me and gave me a ride to the place where Peter, Justin, Jed and Kevin were playing Halo 2. It sounded like fun, but as soon as I started playing against Jed I remembered that I don’t like Halo2. I’m just a freebie for everybody else to shoot at and get free points off of. As fun as it is, I think I enjoyed my walk in the rain a little more. Once again, it’s a Halo thing.
From there, Justin and I took a stroll off base and found ourselves in the part of Japan that’s actually Japanese, and we checked out the 100 Yen store, which is equivalent to our ”dollar store”. We rarely would find somebody who spoke any english at all. Any attempts at speaking consisted of lots of head-nodding, smiling, pointing, embarrased laughter, nervous half-grins, and walking away confused. It was actually a great time to get a taste of this culture and see something so different. Just when I thought things couldn’t look more Japanese, we stumbled across a T.G.I. Fridays Restaurant and decided to eat there. So much for broadening our cultural horizons, we found junkfood, back to familiarity.
We got back just in time to see that everybody else had set everything up already, and we started our set for the night, which was just 3 songs. It went well all things considered, but not being able to practice or soundcheck kind of made me a little nervous and jittery while we played. At the end though, Chaplain Bailey asked us to come up once more and play our rap song so that Chris Woody would be able to beatbox for everybody once more. We did, and it closed off our set very nicely.
After the concert we went out to a big shopping center and found a place to eat with Chaplain Bailey and his daughter, Matt, Woody, Tim, Vess, Brandi, and many others. It was nice to eat things that we were not sure of. I ate some white cold squishy things that looked and felt like cold marshmallows in your mouth, but they were not sweet. I still have no idea what they were. Maybe it was a jellyfish?
We split from the group afterwards and went out to some arcade where I won tons of money on a slot machine, but then I found out it wasn’t worth any monitary value. Just tokens. That loosened up my generosity immensely, and I suddenly felt compelled to share my tokens with the other band members. They thought it very unlike me, but hey... I love to give.
Justin and I were the last ones out in town when everybody else wimped out. We walked around and found some diner with an american theme and hung out there a while, then on our way back to the base we saw some drunk Japanese teenager hassling the guards at the main entrance to the base. He refused to walk away, and we could tell he had probably been sipping a little too many beverages, if you will, but it drew a large crowd and sure made us laugh. He knew two english words, neither of which are worth mentioning. Good night for now.
Fifth night-
I wake up and look outside my window, amazed to see such a blue sky. I shower and get dressed to walk outside and enjoy the weather. It was beautiful. Probably about 50 degrees outside and sunny, unlike a typical January day in Chicago. I eat some breakfast and then begin finding my way to the group. Today we have plans to visit a place called Yunessun.
We ended up visiting Mt. Fuji before we visited Yunessun. We drove on a highway that winds alongside the ocean, and there were tons of people out surfing on the blue waves. With such clear weather, we could actually see the Mt.Fuji clearly as we approached it. It has a grayish rocky base, and though it stands along side of many other small mountains, none of them even compare to it’s towering height. It’s really a sight to see, and I’m glad that we got such an awesome day to witness it. We took a few group pictures and then decided to head over to Yunessun.
I really had no idea what to expect out of Yunessun. From what I heard it sounds like a waterslide park. Though they did end up having 3 waterslides, it was more or less a water park than a waterslide park. In fact, there were mostly hot tubs and the majority of them were all outdoor. Keep in mind that it is January, though the Japanese climate is warm enough all year round for palm trees to survive. (I have a palm tree fascination by the way, any time I’m in an environment and I see something that is not native to where I live, I get all excited). Though it was about 50 degrees out today, it felt a little colder up by Yunessun. Up there we actually saw snow in the mountains because temperatures got a little colder as we ascended into higher altitudes.
My favorite outdoor hottub was at the top of the outdoor Yunessun water exhibit called Yutopia. It not only had a great view, but it was also extremely warm water and had waterfalls trickling down into it. The five of us hung out together for quite a while in that pool, wishing there was no such thing as time, work, jobs, or bad weather to return to in a matter of days.
We found a few other pools that were pretty interesting. One of them had to do something with charcoal being in the water. The pool was inside of a small shack with no doors, which from inside had great accoustics, and I think I scared everybody off when I started singing out loud. Hey, good accoustics are a terrible thing to waste.
There was one hottub we found that had water imported from the dead sea. It gave your body incredible buoyancy, though only after a couple of seconds you would begin to feel the intense level of salt beginning to irritate your skin, especially any sensetive or cut areas. You were supposed to stay in for no more than three minutes, and then ”linse” off immediately afterwards (that’s what the sign said, sometimes japanese people get their ”R’s” and their ”L’s” mixed up).
We found a few other pools where you could let your body soak in coffee, green tea, jasmine, or other wierd things, but it was actually pretty cool. I have to say that if you’re ever in Japan that it’s worth checking out.
After a long hard day of relaxing, we went to a place where you could order raw meat and then cook it right at your table. The servers brought us trays of raw pork, beef, and chicken, and we toasted away to our hearts content. It was scrumptious. The thing that stands out most in my memory, however, was how tired I felt throughout the meal. I never knew how relaxing really can make you tired.
Simply put; when I got back, it was bedtime.
Sixth Night-
Today we met at the Chapel at about 2:00pm, and we all drove together to an Army base about an hour and a half away. The base was near the bottom of the mountains. The reason for us traveling to this place was because we were invited to play at a Chaplains banquet.
We set up in a large banquet room and waited for the decorrated men and women to arrive. When it was time, we played 2 songs and then ate our meals. After that, we played two more songs and then listened to the guest speaker, then the conclusion speech. It was a great time, and one thing that made us all very glad was the fact that so many people there were interested in us and our music. We were told by many people that they would love for us to come play at their bases sometime in the future. We sure would love to!!! As far as us guys in the band are concerned, we are all anxiously hoping and trying to make this happen again as soon as possible. Nobody has to twist our arms when it comes to convincing us to try.
We have met so many people during this past week that it’s difficult to say goodbye to everybody, not knowing when or if we’ll see them again. Of course we hope so, and it’s always easier to say goodbye assuming that we will, but realistically, knowing for sure is out of our hands.
The people that we have met have really been the highlight of this trip. We have been showered with blessings by so many people that are extremely hospitable and giving in spirit, people that are quick to laugh and make us laugh. We thank you for being such good servants.
The feeling is overwhelmingly good to know that what we are connecting with this part of the world, and that our purpose for being here is something that other people can enjoy and benefit from. Being in a band can be a rollercoaster ride of many different emotions. Sometimes it gets tough, while other times we can clearly see God opening doors for us. The most important thing to all of us in Rufus Tree, is making an impact. Being here in Japan has been such a great experience and a chance for us to reach places where our short arms can’t reach. We thank everybody who has been so hospitable, generous, kind, and everybody who helped make this possible!!!
First night-
We arrive at the airport and walk through the maze of hallways and conveyer belts to meet a couple friendly faces waiting for us outside, Ray and Brett. These two greet us and pick us up and help us with our luggage. We drive through the windy streets of Tokyo to the Yokosuka Naval Base which is probably a little over an hour and a half away. I am completely blown away by small things, just the differences in architecture and advertising on billboard signs. I know that this is going to be a cool experience, especially once we get to go off exploring a little bit.
We are very tired, or at least we should be. Most of us were not able to sleep on the plane, but I was fortunate enough to get a few hours worth of shut-eye. It doesn’t help our disorientation at all that the driver is on the right side of the car here in Japan, and we are driving on the left side of the road, like in England. It is not helping me to nap as we drive.
Tonight we all ate at Sbarro’s Pizza and a few other American restaurants they have at a food court here on the base. Then we were driven over to the chapel where we met a few other Americans that are living here, which we would be living with. I met Matt Del Rio and his wife Emily, and that’s who I will be staying with now. Peter and Jed are staying with Richard Kendle and his wife Kendra, and Justin is going to be off on his own with Steve Barney and family, we’re all split up pretty good for the most part. Kevin is also going to be somewhere by himself, I believe he’s staying with Brett’s family (Yep, with the Kings)… He was all over that once he heard that Brett has Xbox and both Halo 1 and 2. That’s kind of a big thing with us in the band, but at least we never get TOO competitive about it… Especially not Jed. But Peter, However, is known for the “assists”. It’s a Halo thing.
Second night-
I got lots of sleep but it was all broken up. I end up getting up at about 9:30am, and I enjoy a couple bowls of Kix with Matt in his humble abode. I find out that Jed and Peter woke up extremely early and passed out flyers around the base… at like 4:30am, and I just wonder if everybody they met was as chipper and energetic as they were. I decide to go to Starbucks with Matt, and when we come down the elevator, Peter, Jed and Kevin were waiting there like it was something we had planned, but it was just a coincidence that we all bumped into each other, which was cool, because I didn’t even know we were in the same building. Jed and Peter were going upstairs to take showers, but Kevin decided to come with to Starbucks. We chilled at Starbucks, then we all met and started setting up for the concert. We didn’t get a sound-check, which would have been helpful, but it was totally understandable. Everybody was so cooperative in getting things set up, which made life a whole lot easier.
We played and the audience was awesome. There were a few technical things that didn’t go quite as smooth as they could have, but it really made no difference. We know when we’re playing for a lively and energetic audience, because it almost feels like they’re playing to us. We feed off of their energy and send it right back, it’s a cycle, and it’s great when we get that kind of response. Some of them were singing along with the songs they knew of the first album, which is something that pumps us up. During the last song, we asked Chris Woody to come up and do a little special guest beat-boxing for us. He rocked the mic and left the stage smoking.
Afterwards, we all went out and got to meet tons of new people, that was awesome. Then we sat down and ate a little leftover pizza. I was very hungry. I started getting really tired because of the jet lag.
After the concert, we decided to play a little Xbox on the church projector. At the church, we pointed the projector at the wall and we were probably the first ones in history to be playing Halo on a 20 square foot screen in an empty church on a naval base in Japan… Jed sat and played his heart out, while I sat down on the church pew and fell into deep sleep, Peter did the same. There we dreamed about Halo, drums, guitars, and every other background noise we were sleeping through.
Third night-
This morning I slipped out the door before anybody else was awake at the Del Rio residents. I snuck off quietly to find myself a very authentic Japanese breakfast. That’s right, the sausage egg and cheese McMuffin. 6000 miles away, and it still finds me. I hiked around by the shore for a while overlooking the section of ocean on our side of the base. Looking out you can see Monkey Island about a mile or so out from land. It’s small and its borders are small cliffs and lots of trees. At about that far out though you can see that the ocean starts getting choppier, maybe because of the depth at that point. It is misting out, but that does not stop the Japanese crows from cawing in the small trees behind me. They look bigger than our crows and their beaks are almost parrot-like, almost like a raven. The air is still and the water is clear. I look down into the ocean and can see many starfish. I look at my watch and realize I’d probably better start looking for the others.
I walk over to the church and I hear lots of voices, but nobody was in the auditorium, so I just sat down to play on the beautiful grand piano. Some kids told me that my friends were in the other room. When I got there, I found out that I had actually missed some sort of seminar that I was supposed to be talking at. Oops. Sorry. Fortunately, there were still two more seminars to go and I was able to redeem myself at those two (or so he thinks...).
At the seminars there were kids and… kids our own age, if you call them kids or grownups, I still am not sure. They asked us lots of questions about whether being in a band is difficult sometimes, what about it can be difficult, how we write our songs, who our influences are, and what kind of toilet paper we use and whether or not we recycle. Just the usual stuff. After they asked us questions, we had them go around and tell us a little bit about themselves and what God is doing in their lives. It was really cool getting to know people. That’s one thing I like most about being in the band. I don’t so much like it when you play a concert somewhere and you barely even get to say hi on the way out because we have to take off right away afterwards. This event was not like that at all. I feel like I know half of the church, though most of the time I was attempting to socialize I was so tired I could barely stand up. When it was 9 oclock at night to them, it was really 6 in the morning in my brain. I don’t know if you’ve ever stayed up till 6 in the morning, but it’s kind of rough when you do it for about 3 or 4 nights in a row. It doesn’t feel normal until about the fifth or sixth night, and that’s when we go back home to get used to our time all over again.
We had a few hours to kill after the seminars, so Rich and Kendra took us out into town where we got to walk along a Japanese beach where Jed found a giant staff and did his best Gandalf impersonation with it. “ You shall not pass!!!” he shouted. Jed is sometimes just too darn serious sometimes.
After that we went to a Japanese restaurant and tried a Japanese version of American pizza. We ordered 3 of them for a group of 8, but when they arrived I saw that I could easily have eaten 3 of them myself. There were about 3 types of Tabasco sauce to put on them, so we all experimented with that a little.
Our Concert went pretty well. We played some intense games and gave away free stuff if people could perform a few difficult tasks, like “look at my hand and tell my how many fingers I’m holding up”. Three! You got it! Free shirt! We then played and taught people the words to “Follow”, and then of course “Smackin”. Those two went pretty well, and I think everybody there really liked to sing (and not to mention they sounded good). We finished the concert really strongly and played our hearts out in the very last tune, which is sometimes the best way to end a concert. After that though, I felt drained and I couldn’t react to anything that anybody told me, because I was so tired. I’m gonna go lay down now. See you tomorrow. .
Fourth night-
Today I woke up and had a bowl of Kix Cereal, which was extremely scrumptious. Eating something was the only way my body would let me go back to sleep. I then slept for another three hours and went for a walk in the rain. It rains a lot here, I think it’s just because of the ocean being so nearby and there is very hilly terrain in this area.
I walked over to the Navy Exchange store, which is like an on-base walmart, but I found that you could not get in unless you were in the Navy or with somebody who was, so I just sat down and had my second breakfast which was kind of typical; Two pieces of pizza and a cappucino. I walked around in the rain again and ended up playing guitar all by myself in a room not far from the chapel, then Chaplain Bailey found me and gave me a ride to the place where Peter, Justin, Jed and Kevin were playing Halo 2. It sounded like fun, but as soon as I started playing against Jed I remembered that I don’t like Halo2. I’m just a freebie for everybody else to shoot at and get free points off of. As fun as it is, I think I enjoyed my walk in the rain a little more. Once again, it’s a Halo thing.
From there, Justin and I took a stroll off base and found ourselves in the part of Japan that’s actually Japanese, and we checked out the 100 Yen store, which is equivalent to our ”dollar store”. We rarely would find somebody who spoke any english at all. Any attempts at speaking consisted of lots of head-nodding, smiling, pointing, embarrased laughter, nervous half-grins, and walking away confused. It was actually a great time to get a taste of this culture and see something so different. Just when I thought things couldn’t look more Japanese, we stumbled across a T.G.I. Fridays Restaurant and decided to eat there. So much for broadening our cultural horizons, we found junkfood, back to familiarity.
We got back just in time to see that everybody else had set everything up already, and we started our set for the night, which was just 3 songs. It went well all things considered, but not being able to practice or soundcheck kind of made me a little nervous and jittery while we played. At the end though, Chaplain Bailey asked us to come up once more and play our rap song so that Chris Woody would be able to beatbox for everybody once more. We did, and it closed off our set very nicely.
After the concert we went out to a big shopping center and found a place to eat with Chaplain Bailey and his daughter, Matt, Woody, Tim, Vess, Brandi, and many others. It was nice to eat things that we were not sure of. I ate some white cold squishy things that looked and felt like cold marshmallows in your mouth, but they were not sweet. I still have no idea what they were. Maybe it was a jellyfish?
We split from the group afterwards and went out to some arcade where I won tons of money on a slot machine, but then I found out it wasn’t worth any monitary value. Just tokens. That loosened up my generosity immensely, and I suddenly felt compelled to share my tokens with the other band members. They thought it very unlike me, but hey... I love to give.
Justin and I were the last ones out in town when everybody else wimped out. We walked around and found some diner with an american theme and hung out there a while, then on our way back to the base we saw some drunk Japanese teenager hassling the guards at the main entrance to the base. He refused to walk away, and we could tell he had probably been sipping a little too many beverages, if you will, but it drew a large crowd and sure made us laugh. He knew two english words, neither of which are worth mentioning. Good night for now.
Fifth night-
I wake up and look outside my window, amazed to see such a blue sky. I shower and get dressed to walk outside and enjoy the weather. It was beautiful. Probably about 50 degrees outside and sunny, unlike a typical January day in Chicago. I eat some breakfast and then begin finding my way to the group. Today we have plans to visit a place called Yunessun.
We ended up visiting Mt. Fuji before we visited Yunessun. We drove on a highway that winds alongside the ocean, and there were tons of people out surfing on the blue waves. With such clear weather, we could actually see the Mt.Fuji clearly as we approached it. It has a grayish rocky base, and though it stands along side of many other small mountains, none of them even compare to it’s towering height. It’s really a sight to see, and I’m glad that we got such an awesome day to witness it. We took a few group pictures and then decided to head over to Yunessun.
I really had no idea what to expect out of Yunessun. From what I heard it sounds like a waterslide park. Though they did end up having 3 waterslides, it was more or less a water park than a waterslide park. In fact, there were mostly hot tubs and the majority of them were all outdoor. Keep in mind that it is January, though the Japanese climate is warm enough all year round for palm trees to survive. (I have a palm tree fascination by the way, any time I’m in an environment and I see something that is not native to where I live, I get all excited). Though it was about 50 degrees out today, it felt a little colder up by Yunessun. Up there we actually saw snow in the mountains because temperatures got a little colder as we ascended into higher altitudes.
My favorite outdoor hottub was at the top of the outdoor Yunessun water exhibit called Yutopia. It not only had a great view, but it was also extremely warm water and had waterfalls trickling down into it. The five of us hung out together for quite a while in that pool, wishing there was no such thing as time, work, jobs, or bad weather to return to in a matter of days.
We found a few other pools that were pretty interesting. One of them had to do something with charcoal being in the water. The pool was inside of a small shack with no doors, which from inside had great accoustics, and I think I scared everybody off when I started singing out loud. Hey, good accoustics are a terrible thing to waste.
There was one hottub we found that had water imported from the dead sea. It gave your body incredible buoyancy, though only after a couple of seconds you would begin to feel the intense level of salt beginning to irritate your skin, especially any sensetive or cut areas. You were supposed to stay in for no more than three minutes, and then ”linse” off immediately afterwards (that’s what the sign said, sometimes japanese people get their ”R’s” and their ”L’s” mixed up).
We found a few other pools where you could let your body soak in coffee, green tea, jasmine, or other wierd things, but it was actually pretty cool. I have to say that if you’re ever in Japan that it’s worth checking out.
After a long hard day of relaxing, we went to a place where you could order raw meat and then cook it right at your table. The servers brought us trays of raw pork, beef, and chicken, and we toasted away to our hearts content. It was scrumptious. The thing that stands out most in my memory, however, was how tired I felt throughout the meal. I never knew how relaxing really can make you tired.
Simply put; when I got back, it was bedtime.
Sixth Night-
Today we met at the Chapel at about 2:00pm, and we all drove together to an Army base about an hour and a half away. The base was near the bottom of the mountains. The reason for us traveling to this place was because we were invited to play at a Chaplains banquet.
We set up in a large banquet room and waited for the decorrated men and women to arrive. When it was time, we played 2 songs and then ate our meals. After that, we played two more songs and then listened to the guest speaker, then the conclusion speech. It was a great time, and one thing that made us all very glad was the fact that so many people there were interested in us and our music. We were told by many people that they would love for us to come play at their bases sometime in the future. We sure would love to!!! As far as us guys in the band are concerned, we are all anxiously hoping and trying to make this happen again as soon as possible. Nobody has to twist our arms when it comes to convincing us to try.
We have met so many people during this past week that it’s difficult to say goodbye to everybody, not knowing when or if we’ll see them again. Of course we hope so, and it’s always easier to say goodbye assuming that we will, but realistically, knowing for sure is out of our hands.
The people that we have met have really been the highlight of this trip. We have been showered with blessings by so many people that are extremely hospitable and giving in spirit, people that are quick to laugh and make us laugh. We thank you for being such good servants.
The feeling is overwhelmingly good to know that what we are connecting with this part of the world, and that our purpose for being here is something that other people can enjoy and benefit from. Being in a band can be a rollercoaster ride of many different emotions. Sometimes it gets tough, while other times we can clearly see God opening doors for us. The most important thing to all of us in Rufus Tree, is making an impact. Being here in Japan has been such a great experience and a chance for us to reach places where our short arms can’t reach. We thank everybody who has been so hospitable, generous, kind, and everybody who helped make this possible!!!
