This month held so many emotions. As my time of living in Japan comes to an end, I face many lasts, including some special gatherings, as well as a few sad goodbyes. I had a couple shopping days with Anna. While I'm not all that into shopping unless necessary, I so enjoyed the time with her. It was good to take a break from our normal routine and just spend some relaxing time together. The Ito family hosted a singing and invited their high school son's classmates. We have don

Wow, the beginning of May feels like so long ago. This month held pretty typical weekdays and time in the classroom, with a lot of fun plans on the weekends! It started off with Japan's Golden Week, made up of a few different holidays. My friend Ashlyn and her brother were visiting Japan from California at that time, so I enjoyed meeting up with them a couple days and doing some fun touristy things. With another of my days off work, I met up with my dear friend Kinrei to go s

April was again a full month, full of new beginnings in Japan. The new school year starts in April, and the blossoming cherry trees remind us that spring is here! Easter is also a great time to celebrate the new life that Jesus gives! At the beginning of the month, I spent about five days with the Ito family and some guests from America in Takao. We had a wonderful week of orientation with some of Kenji's middle school classmates, to prepare them for their summer homestay tri

Where did the time go? I realized we're already almost halfway through April and I haven't done an update for March! March was a very very full month, at least in the second half. The beginning of the month held normal classes and day to day life. The weather has been gradually warming up, and it's a wonderful time to see the anticipation and unfolding of the new life that spring brings! I especially enjoyed a beautiful Sunday in Shioda, where the peach buds were just startin

Sometimes, the reality of living away from family hits hard. In those moments, when we choose to keep our eyes fixed on God, it opens up a world of gratitude and a recognition of His nearness like none other. I'm still learning this. It's been a month of choosing again and again to trust - often, multiple times a day. Though life brings hard days along with the good, I want to remember God's faithfulness all the time. At the beginning of the month, we hosted a Friday night pi

Happy New Year, everyone! It seems like it's been a while since I've written, simply for the fact that I wrote my last blog a little early. Once again, this month has flown by. I arrived back in Japan on the 6th, and hopped right back into work on the 7th. I've still been enjoying driving out to Shioda twice a month to teach there. Meanwhile, here in Tokyo, we're already starting to look into possible schedule changes for the new school year, which starts in April in Japan. I

December has been a full month, and I am so thankful for the many opportunities to celebrate Jesus' birth this Christmas season! At the beginning of the month, we had the privilege of singing at the local elementary school for a Christmas concert. We did this last year too, and they asked us to come back! It was a varied event, with many different musical groups, some professional and some amateur. Thankful that we were given this place to share about the true hope and joy o

When I think back to events at the beginning of this month, it's hard to believe that they were only a month ago! This month held many gifts for which I am very thankful. I left off last month in the middle of Frank and Kathy's visit. What I didn't add then was that Matt and Dana, along with their daughter Paige, also joined us for their first visit to Japan at the tail end of October. I was blessed by the fellowship through exploring Japan, sharing food, and having meaningfu

I remember being a little disappointed at how fast the weather changed from hot and humid to cool and rainy. As I look back on October, though, I am reminded of many many blessings it held. One thing for which I am very thankful is the fact that this was the first October in Japan I didn't spend any time in the hospital for surgery! Praise God! We had a wonderful time with Terri, a former teacher in Japan, who last visited in 2001. It was so neat to learn from her, and experi

September started out with English classes from day one, and it didn't slow down from there. There were ups and downs, but God's...

For being arguably the worst month of the year, June sure flew by! I say worst month of the year because, while living in Japan, there...

This month was one filled with lots of hard processing, but also evidence of God's faithfulness. May started off with a downer. I had a...

March was a wild month, busy and full of adventure. Is it strange that sometimes I still can’t believe I live here? Yet, here I am,...

In Japan, February is the month for plum blossoms. The beauty of these small flowers reminds me that spring is on the way. It's a time of...

I'm sure for most of us, the New Year brings a lot of looking back, as well as looking forward. While I do appreciate the time of...

When I look back at the beginning of this month, I'm a little appalled by how long ago it feels! December held many events - some full of...

I meant to have this post published by the end of November. As I write now, I'm sitting in my dark apartment, the only lights being my...