Snowfall or Dollar Fall?

No snowfall in Kawasaki, but we do have a dollar fall. It's hard to believe, but since writing this post "Putting a Dollar to Good Use" the dollar has continued it's steady decline. Today it hit 88yen to the dollar. This means the dollar has lost about 25% of its value in Japan since this past summer. Ouch! For missionaries who "eat" by the dollar, this presents some faith challenges! We're not sure how this will play out, but we keep trusting the One who has called us here to supply our every need.

Putting a dollar to good use?

The dollar has fallen and it can't get up. Such is life of any worldwide missionary these days. What does an deflated dollar mean?

First the technical definition: it means that the purchasing power of a currency is falling so that a given unit will buy less of a product or service in the future than it does today.

Now for the modern definition: it means that artists in Tokyo are feeling much better about using the dollar for origami paper these days!

While out the other day, I was surprised to see a street vendor with his creative collection of origami art out of dollar bills. Perhaps it is a sign of the times. After all, good washi (Japanese decorative paper) can cost quite a bit, but the dollar bill as a artistic medium...well these days the price is pretty good, and getting better. Right now his cost is only 99yen each for each creation, to be exact.

It was humorous to me that many of his creations were winged beasts. It reminded me of Proverbs: "Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky." 23:5

Oh for the good 'ol days when the dollar in Japan could really buy something...like a complete McDonald's hamburger set. These days I'm a yen short of the price of even the hamburger. I suppose, though, my waistline is glad for the change.