It is Friday!

Today is Friday. Normally we would have this day off but since we started our reading sessions so late into the week, we are reading today. So far all our sessions have been amazing! A lot of our readers are returning from previous years with LST, and that in itself is very encouraging.
Here is a picture of Tanis and her reader "in deep thought".



It has been cold and rainy the past couple of days! A little unsual for this time of year in Japan. It is the beginning of the rainy season, but normally it is very humid. Here is a picture of the puddles by the Kindergarden playground. (The church has a Christian kindergarden next door)

And here is the church building:

Like I said in my last blog, I am so excited about my reader Kiyomi. She came yesterday and we had a great conversation! I looking forward to our next reading session.

Tomorrow is our day off. We will probably be exploring the town a little bit more, going to the grocery store, and haning out with Bryan Snow.

Hope y`all liked the pictures! Thanks for keeping up with me.

Love you all!

Day Number 3

It is early Thursday morning here in Japan... evening time for you folks back in the states. Japan is 14 hours ahead of Central Standard time.

Our team was a bit jet-lagged yesterday afternoon. We had a busy morning with an early meeting with the preacher and then our first information meeting at 10am. An information meeting is where all the people interested in having converstation English classes come to the building, learn more about the LST program, and sign up with a teacher and time slot. We had a second meeting later in the evening for the people who could not make it in the morning. These two meeting were fairly successful, most of us have 9-11 readers. We were, however, hoping more would come so be praying that God will send more our way!

The children at the kindergarden next door made some beautiful things for us yesterday. This sign was up for when we got to Taga. Cute, isn`t it??? They also gave us medallion things to wear around our neck and paper origami flowers! We felt very special and blessed. I have the opportunity to read with one of the kindergarden teachers this week. I am looking forward to it!



Also, I was assigned another student would couldn`t make it to the information meeting yesterday. It was only later that day that someone had realized that she read in Takahagi in 2004... the year I was there!!! So I am very excited to see her again! She has three girls and they all are ver cute and involved in our activites and parties. She, Kiyomi, had decided this year that she wanted to study the Bible again and I was the one she got paired up with. That is definitely a God-thing!



Yesterday, we had some time in the afternoon to run errands. We went to the bank and exchanged money and then to the "super", or grocery store. One thing that was really neat was where we parked. Sugao, the preacher here, took us in his car and showed us this amazing parking structure/device.



You park your can on this turn-table thing and then it turns the car to face this yellow carrier. You drive into it, the man pushes a button and then the car rotates up into a "parking" or holding spot. When you return, you give the man your number and he rotates it back down! How neat is that!! I`ve never seen anything like it! The Japanese... so far ahead in technology!

Please leave a comment to let me know you are reading my blog!!

Have a great day!

We Made It!

We are now in Hitachi-Taga, Japan after a 2 hour flight to Atlanta, then a 13 hour flight back the other direction to Tokyo. When we arrive, Sugao the preacher picked us up and drove us back in Taga in a small van which seted 4. The problem was there wasn`t any room for our luggage!! It was a long 4 hour van ride to the church building. It was also quite as scene!

Japan is an amazing country! It is funny, for a country that is only 1% Christian, I see God everywhere! It is beautiful here! There are rolling hills and mountians coverd by forests of tress and bamboo plants. Rice fields are scattered between all the houses. I definitely feel like I am going back to nature.

Here is one of the views out the church building window.

We have two information meetings today. We will also be taking a small drive around town to do a little grocery shopping and the go to the bank. For the first couple of days, we are lucky to have Sugao to show us where everything is and to give us some hints on what to buy a the store. From this day on, we are on our own for that kind of stuff!　

Until next time, Sinara!

Whats Shaking?

So heres whats new:

WE ARE OFFICAL HOME OWNERS!!


After months of searching and weeks of waiting, we can finally relax! This morning Jake and I signed the papers (and basically our life away for the next 30 years) and this afternoon we received our keys!


So mark your address books, you can now reach us at 833 Pryor Dr. Arlington, TX 76001



Jake will be moving boxes and furniture for the next three weeks... if you have any time, I am sure he would appreciate some help!! :o)



In other exciting news...

Monday morning at 5am, I am leaving for Japan! I will be there for 6 1/2 weeks working for Lets Start Talking. Jake will leave after he gets off work for the summer, June 14th and will be with me and our team for 3 weeks.

Jake and I have been involved with LST for several years, infact it was on an LST trip in Japan were we met! So we have a special place in our heart for LST and for Japan.



LST is a non-profit organization that sends Christians all over the world for conversation English classes. We use an easy to read version of Luke and gospel book of the Bible. Since English is in demand globally, Christians partnering with LST have a unique opportunity to show the love of Christ to unbelievers while the Word speaks to open hearts.

If you want more information, just ask! (Yes, I am a walking commercial for LST! He he)



Anywho, Jake and I did a training last September to become team trainers for LST. And this year we have put together (I say "we" put together, but God choose the people for us!) two teams from our church Woodland West Church of Christ. My team (which consists of Jake, Me, Tyler Snow and two other people from Lubbock Christian University, Tanis Garrett and Sammy Hawkins) will be going to Hitachi-Taga and the other team (Tommie Varney and Phyllis Hay) will be going to Tomobe.


We are all super excited about going! Please keep us in your prayers, that we will be able to share Jesus and our lives with many non-Christians and that our faith would increase also. Keep checking back on our blog, I promise I will try to update every day or two with stories and pictures!

:o)