How Things Are

It's been a difficult school year. I love serving as Director of School Support Services (SSS) at Christian Academy in Japan. I've just been too busy. After pushing myself for several months I ended up getting sick and pretty much missed a week of life. Thankfully our daughter was home in Japan and took care of both Russ and me. What a wonderful provision!

I'm slowly catching up with things and today the plum blossoms were glorious! Truly there are so many things to thank God for since I last wrote in October. Here are just a few...

• Granddaughter Aravis born in Maine on November 25, 2012 (I got to go help out for ten days over my Christmas Break from school. She's a dear!!)
• My 88-year-old father was able to stay with us for 7 weeks
• I hosted 16 homeschool teenagers for a week in January (great kids; great week!)
• My sister Lorelei and sister-in-law Jeannie came for a visit from the US and spoke at the Ladies Retreat I led in early February
• Our annual Arts & Skills Day on Feb. 16 was a huge success with close to 100 students attending various classes
• It's been great to have our daughter home with us for 5 1/2 months while she finishes up online classes towards a masters degree in Deaf education
• The routine cycle of responsibilities are all going well
• God has sent me assistants to help me finish out the school year (We restructured SSS and it just took more out of me than I expected.)
• We anticipated a serious shortfall in financial support when our largest supporting church was not able to continue supporting us, but God is providing so that we can keep on keeping on

Tomorrow we'll be remembering the second anniversary of the triple disaster (earthquakes, tsunami, and radiation fallout) that rocked Japan on March 11, 2011. Those of us in Japan will never forget where we were and what it felt like to live through that experience. Our lives here in Tokyo are somewhat back to normal, but everything has changed for thousands of people in the Tohoku area still in temporary shelters, still mourning the loss of family, friends, homes, and livelihoods, and still feeling anxious. Please pray with us that many will find hope in Jesus.