I'm sorry I haven't written in a while! I decided that I don't like blogging, but I do want to keep everyone updated. I will do my best!
Fall is a beautiful season here in Japan. The leaves are changing to vibrant colors and some of the mountain tops already have snow on them!
The only downside to fall changing is that I'm getting a glimpse of how cold my old Japanese house will be in winter! I'm thankful for my space heaters, my electric blanket and the kotatsu. The kotatsu is a Japanese table that has a heater underneath. You put a futon comforter over it and then you sit and put your legs under the warm table. It is delightful for the chilly evenings! :)
Since the last time I wrote a lot has gone on!The Elementary school 2nd graders had a Halloween party. I guess they do this every year. It was so cute to see the little kids dressed up and walking to the market and city hall to sing songs and get treats. There were 107 kids, so we were quite a parade! I was able to make peanuts and corn to give the kids an American snack. I love the elementary school! The kids are so great! I'm also excited because the 120 3rd graders will be pen pals with my cousin Cami's third grade class in Indiana!
I was also able to attend a JET Christian Fellowship retreat in Okutama near Tokyo. JET is the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program in Japan. I am not a part of the JET
program, but I learned about the Christian Fellowship group from a friend and was happy to be a part of it! I met a lot of Christians that are teaching all over Japan and I made some great friends that I will definitely keep in touch with. Our speaker talked about living the Christian life without compromise in everything we do. It was so nice to have God's Word taught in English and to worship in English. It was a much needed time of refreshment and laughter!I've also had the opportunity to visit one of my host families from 2007, the Miyaharas, and this coming weekend I will visit another host family, the Ueis. I'm thankful for the continued friendships from my last visit. Please pray that I will be able to be an encouragement to those that are believers and a witness to the host families that are not.
Please pray for the English teachers at the Junior High school. Recently one of the young teachers resigned and now we have a temporary replacement for the rest of the school year. The teachers work long hours and have a lot to do. Please just pray for their health and strength.
Please pray for the opportunity to start an English club. I recently talked to the teachers about starting an English club. They said that they would take the ideas to Kocho Sensei (the principal) and Kyoto Sensei (the vice principal). I was so surprised on Friday because Kocho Sensei told me that he liked my ideas for the English club! That was good news because sometimes new ideas don't take off. Now the principals will talk to the rest of the teachers to get everything officially approved. I'm not sure how long this will take, but I am excited! I welcome any ideas you might have for the English club!
Please pray for the coming Christmas season:
On December 14th the church is hosting a Children's Christmas party. We will be doing some games and crafts in English. Please pray that many families from the community will come to the event. Please pray for all the preparation that the leaders will be doing.I'm planning a Christmas cookie baking party for the junior high students on December 20th. Please pray that the students will have open hearts and that many will come and hear about the real meaning of Christmas.
Please pray that the teachers will be interested in coming to the outreach events at the church. There will be a team from Singapore doing Christmas concerts and outreaches and I think it is a good opportunity for the teachers to meet Japanese believers and get connected with the church.
"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters" Psalm 24:1-2
Thank you for your prayers!
I also added new pictures to facebook.
