A Little About Me...
My name is Cindy Charlton. I am a long-term missionary with the LCMS (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) in Japan. I first came to Japan as a missionary in October 2003. I lived one year in western Japan (close to where I currently live) and 2.5 years in Tokyo. If you would like to read more about my experiences then, please visit my old website www.freewebs.com/cindycharlton. I returned to California the end of April 2007, where I spent 10 months living with my parents and youngest 2 siblings. In February 2008 I boarded a plane once again for Japan, where I am for the foreseeable future. This website and blog are for this, my second term in Japan. My current missionary term is for 2 years. I teach a little over 20 hours of English classes a week at Nozomi Lutheran Church (a Japanese congregation) and at the local university (which sounds much more academic than it actually is). During the week I participate in the life of the church - Thursdays is Japanese "Circle of 12" where we get to know each other, worship. study the Bible, and pray together (always with a large pot of coffee and snacks!). Tuesdays I might wander downstairs between my classes to sit and chat (or sit and listen) to the old ladies sewing together and talking. Saturday afternoons after my English class there is a different group of people who meet for prayer (and more coffee and snacks). During the month there are different events and activities meant to provide a place for people to make friends, practice English, and learn more about Jesus - or some combination of those.
I come from a large family - I am the oldest of 7 kids, the youngest of whom is still a teenager. I have a niece, 6 nephews and 2 cats which I had to turn over custody for to my parents 5 years ago when I first moved to Japan. They seem to know my father is allergic to them and love to sleep on his side of the bed. They are a great example of the sacrifices God's call on our lives costs others sometimes. I get the excitement of living in another country while my mom gets to clean out the litter box and my dad gets asthma. I am very thankful for their willingness to support and encourage me even when I forget to write and call home...and I am thankful for my sisters who call and remind me that I should call home! Though none of my family lives in Nevada anymore, I still consider myself "from" Reno. But, though it took a long time to get to this point, home is Japan, at least for now. Much like an arranged marriage, my love for Japan is not based on love at first sight, but a definite "grown-into" love. I knew very little about Japan, or Asia in general, before I moved here 5 years ago. There are things I love about the people and the country, and there are things that annoy or infuriate me. But God is here and loves these people and this place and so I am growing to love them and it more and more all the time too. Some missionaries come to Japan and fall immediately in love, but for me loving Japan is a little more like the song "Do You Love Me?" in "Fiddler on the Roof"...I suppose I do.
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Thanks for visiting my site. Come again soon!
~ Cindy