The days go by and before I realize it's a new week, then a new month!!!!
Where to begin...?
Not on, but shortly after Christmas, Ian made it home for a short visit. He had lots to fit in while he was here so was in and out but we're thankful for any time we get together.
Make no mistake! It's not just the actual snowboarding that wears you out but the preparation!
On New Year's Day at the church service we were thankful to witness Morihiro
being baptized into the family of God! It's been a blessing to see him grow up over the past ten years and choose the Lord for himself.
He and his older sister (who was baptized last year on New Year's Day!) attend the afternoon English service John leads on Sundays and often bring junior high friends.
On Jan. 2nd we were off to Tokyo to cheer Zack's basketball team on in the annual Emperor's Cup.
This has the top high school and four top university teams playing with the top semi-pro and pro teams.
The Tokai Seagulls (Zack's team) were the only non pro team to get into the top 8! and as evidenced below they were ahead of the pro team that went on to win the tournament!!...at least for a bit ;-)
We thought that would be our last time to see him for a good while, but he surprised us and made it home for a couple of days!!!
All the folks at church were happy to see him - especially the younger ones!!
Ebony still gets pretty lonely since Onyx died last November, so she really likes all the extra attention and snuggles she gets from Ian & Zack whenever they make it home ;-)
Not sure about all those 'snow days' we keep hearing about in the states...
I'm pretty sure they've never heard the term here!
These are two of the schools I go to and the other one (not pictured) is the one that really gets the snow!
In the 2 sixth grade classes at one school we just finished doing our original versions of the "Peach Boy" ( a very well known children's story - Momotaro) play in English. I helped the kids all do original scripts in English and then each class presented their play. We spent a good bit of time on it, but they enjoyed it and I was proud of their efforts. They each made their own headband for the character they were playing.
John has a group of three young men that come to the house for English once a week. They sort of remind me of the 3 Musketeers... or perhaps the 3 Stooges! (I mean that in a nice way!) They've been best friends since junior high. So one of them had a birthday a couple of weeks ago and another surprised him at class with a birthday cake. The third was absent that evening so I got to enjoy the cake with them after we sang to him...lucky me!
As the school year here is soon coming to a close, quickly followed by the start of the new year, John and I are both trusting that God has a great plan for our work schedules in the new school year. It's always a little unsettling not knowing until the last minute what your next schedule will be. The schools here don't even tell the regular full time teachers where they'll be or what grade they'll teach until just before graduation - and the new year starts only about three weeks later!! So any prayers are always welcome - not just for this but for any and all that may be on your heart to share with Him on our behalf.
This little video is a tad over a minute and a half. I'm adding it because everyone can use an extra smile and this surely will bring one to you. These 4 kids are in a young family at our church here and their Mom taught them the Lord's Prayer song in English. The youngest is 3 and often strolls around church singing this. Whenever John plays the tune on the piano, no matter what she is doing she stops, looks at him, and begins to sing. I love it!
(P.S. - please remember we have no control over what may appear on YouTube following this)
We miss and love you all and can never thank you enough for all the ways you help to make what we do here possible. May you each be richly blessed as you so bless us!
