A Walk in the Park

Today the ASK school went on an excursion to Kose Sports Park.  I would love to share some pictures of the day. I think we all enjoyed being in the fresh air and the wide open space!
My job isn't easy, but today was "a walk in the park."

The children LOVED all the cherry blossoms on the ground. It was like a fairy-tale land!

Just playing around...

Marching! "Left! Left! Left-Right-Left!"

 

Watching the fish...

No park excursion is complete without a footrace!

Relaxing to a tasty picnic lunch!

Yamanashi Life- Part II

We have lived in Yamanashi (again) since March 19.  Its been 4.5 weeks since we moved back here and so much has happened!  Here are some high lights!

Adeng is working as the Assistant Pastor at New Life International Church.  We named the first floor of our house "Barnabas House," after a building on Adeng's seminary campus.  We are using the first floor (tatami and large dining/kitchen) for student ministry.  We started a Friday night event called TGI Friday (Thank God It's Friday).  We invite a group of college students over for snacks, singing, games, and talking. We plan to do this every week, and have done 3 so far. 

God has shown Adeng favor here:  He received a 6 month extension on his VISA, we are so thankful. At Eiwa College, he met the chaplain and received permission to help with Chapel and religious activities on campus.  He will lead an Alpha course for Chinese students, and sometime start a Bible study for Japanese students (or Chinese, but it will be in Japanese).  We live about 10 minutes from Eiwa College, walking. 

Today was a wonderful day because God shown us divine favor again: I passed my driving test on the FIRST try!  That is unheard of in Yamanashi!!  I'm so thankful because all the people at the Driving Center were so nice and helpful.  Now I can drive myself to work everyday.  I am teaching kindergarten at an international school. Most of the students are from India, which is a new cultural experience for me.  I am very challenged and very tired every night, but I am liking it more and more every day.  My students are adorable. There are 12 of them.  :)

My Chinese Life

For the past 3 years Adeng has been serving a Chinese church in Tokyo. This is a requirement of his seminary studies and preparation to go into the ministry.  Tokyo Sunshine Christian Assembly is the name of the church. I remember when Adeng first chose this church to serve- it's about an hour commute from his school. I was against it. "2 hours round-trip is way too long for a busy student to spend traveling." But God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and this church has been one of the greatest blessings in our life.  The time commuting can be spent reading or resting.  Once we were married and I joined Adeng in his journeys, we've often had great conversations on the ride home from church. We're usually hyped up and brainstorming about future ministry ideas, travel, family... you name it! 

On the way home from church on January 1st, also our first anniversary!!- we just happened to bump into a group of missionaries from YWAM Berlin.  They had been in Japan for 3-4 weeks, and were headed to South Korea for another 5, spreading the Gospel via street ministry.  Those young adults yanked on my heart and filled me with renewed hope and excitement. Here was a group of passionate young people, fired up and avidly searching and seeking how they can reach the nations with the Gospel!  God doing mighty things in the hearts of young people is the most exciting thing I've ever seen!-- So they prayed for Adeng and I after we talked and shared our own vision to be missionaries in Japan.  Talk about powerful!- all this on a train ride through Tokyo.

Back to the Chinese church. We went up to Fukushima for winter camp and spent a few days in the clean, but cold lodge.  However, our hearts were fired up by the movement of the Spirit, and no winter frost can dull that! 
Almost as a rule, when there's a celebration, we make Chinese dumplings, called "jiao zi."  These are scrumptious as a main or side dish.  We all pitched in and pinched dough, and LOOK at how many dumplings there are in the kitchen! We couldn't eat them all, even the next day for lunch and back at church the following evening.

Adeng, Qiucia (choo-sha), ShinShin, Annie

Many hands make many dumplings!

My breakfast team! We ROCKED the pancakes and sausages!

Pics with the lodge.

Hello! How are you?

Those are the words that begin each lesson of my teaching career in Takatsu Christ's Church.
I started teaching English there last August, and I will already finish in March.  Six months is just long enough to get to know your students- sadly now I have to leave them.  First of all- if YOU live in Chiba, anywhere near Yachiyo City,  and YOU want to teach English to some wonderful people starting in March, contact me!  Mr. Kobayashi, the pastor of Takatsu Christ's Church and my boss, is looking fervently for the next teacher.
At this English conversation school, I've learned how to teach conversational English to adults, and how to differentiate private lessons for children.  Flexibility is not an option; its mandatory!  I'm well on my way to becoming "Elasti-Girl" from The Incredibles.

This was the perfect job for me to have while Adeng is still in seminary.  I knew he "needed" me to help him by being at home to cook/launder/clean/clean/clean... Ok, TimeOut!- BIG applause, whistles and bells, and an " 'At a boy, Adeng!" to him! He has worked SO hard this year!!!
Anywho- this job provided exactly what we needed financially, and what I needed to keep my sanity.
Here are some snaps of me teaching in the church... however, the "differentiation" I have learned isn't pictured.  During the children's classes we only spend 1/2 the time, maybe less, sitting at the table. Otherwise we are singing, playing games, and using toys to learn English. I've found this to be so much more realistic for them; they've come to enjoy English lessons because it's not rote study.  It IS applicable conversation, and they are really gettin' sharp! 

We practice pronunciation...


...celebrate birthdays...


...make Christmas cards...


...dress rehearsal for the Christmas party!  They sang Joy to the World and We Wish You a Merry Christmas in English. 


They are singing "Silent Night" with sign language, but in Japanese...

Long time, no see!

One of my 2012 new year's resolutions is to write on my blog once a month.
There, I said it. Now I've gotta do it!
While I'm on this topic, here are my 2012 resolutions/goals:

• Run a marathon (maybe a 1/2 this year, full next year)
• Study Chinese through chineseclass101.com- I paid for it so I must use it!
• Read through the Bible with the One Year Bible plan
• Crave God, not food- started this year with the "Made to Crave" challenge from Proverbs 31 Ministries

These four resolutions all require some kind of disciplined plan with daily participation. If I can stick to these, I will have the year I am hoping for in 2012.  But I can't stick to these at all. Plans oftem make me feel trapped.  I need the help of Someone who is greater than me; Someone who has it all figured out and can counsel me through the year.  I'm so thankful for Jesus my Savior, who does just that for me.  Only with the strength I receive from Him am I able to learn discipline and live out my resolutions.

I know that I will sometimes be weak: I'll hit the snooze and snuggle up to my husband instead of hitting the pavement at 6am; I'll trade chinese study for facebook study; I'll plan to read my Bible "later" but "later" never comes; when I'm hungry, angry, tired, lonely, or stressed I'll eat an icecream bar rather than run to the arms of my Jesus.  With my God, however, there is hope for someone like me:

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
-Isaiah 40:30-31