Sorry for the lack of posts recently… we had a busy busy busy few weeks at home for Martha’s wedding. It was a wonderful time of being with family, and especially with Martha and Ian, and we are so so so thankful that we got to celebrate with them. While it was very busy and I didn’t get to visit with half the poeple I expected and hoped to (so sad!), I am thrilled that we were able to do what we went to do: help Martha and get her hitched 
I wouldn’t trade for a minute the sweet moments I had with my little sister before she became Mrs. Robinson.
SO, we are back home now and it feels SO GOOD to be here. The girls had a relatively good night last night and I am optimistic that we’ll kick jet lag quickly. I will post pictures from our trip and the wedding as soon as I can.
Thanks for checking in with us!
Can you believe this girl is almost 2 years old?!? I can’t and am absolutely a mess when I begin to think of how quickly the time passes and how much she is growing. It is truly a joy to watch her grow and learn and change. What a reminder of God’s faithfulness and goodness! But it is bittersweet as her “baby days” seem well behind us. She is growing up so so so much!
Noa has so many words and things to say. She sings and talks all day long. It seems like she learns several new words each day and she all of a sudden comes out with words that we haven’t actually “taught” her but that she’s heard and remembered. She speaks in almost complete sentences, usually putting 3-6 words together in a row. It is truly amazing to watch a person learn to talk. I don’t think the novelty of it will ever wear off… WOW!
Noa is still the sweetest big sister to Martha. She loves to hold her, make her laugh, make her smile, and tickle her. She also loves to talk to her. Most times, if Martha’s is crying on the floor or in her seat, I can buy some time by just asking Noa to go talk to her. Martha is enamored and Noa loves the audience.
Noa is learning a lot about the importance of obedience these days. Our mantra, since I read a great book on parenting recently (Ginger Plowman’s, “Don’t Make Me Count to Three”) has been, “I obey right away with a happy heart.” Noa loves to say it and is getting better at doing it. My prayer is that God would keep her heart soft towards obedience and discipline so that when she learns to follow Him, she will have habits in place that make her tender to the touch of the Holy Spirit working in her life. 
O Lord, we praise you for this precious little girl and thank you for the ways you are growing and changing her, while still protecting and keeping her. We thank you for how she shows us You, without even trying. May she always love you above all else, and may her life be a testimony to you all of her days. We praise you for Noa, and ask for your continued gracious blessing on her life.
**Noa is also preparing to make her 5th trans-pacific flight (her 7th flight in general) of her lifetime (all before age 2!) Today, us three Noll girls fly with my mom and siblings back to America for my sister, Martha’s wedding. Eric will not be able to come until much closer to the wedding, so we decided that I would go with my mom a little bit early in order to support my sister and help her prepare. We are so thankful for flyer miles and government stimulus money and cheaper “infant-on-lap” airplane tickets (only allowed until age 2 – Martha’s getting married just in the nick of time!) that have made it even possible for us to fly across the world once again to be with family for these special occasions. However, this week of our family being apart will be by far the longest we’ve ever been away from Eric and is sure to be hard in many ways. Please pray for us during this time, for comfort while away from one another and for traveling safety. Please pray, also, that Eric would have a fruitful time of work and guy-time here, and that the girls and I would truly be a help and encouragement to Martha as she prepares to become Mrs. Robinson. I will try to keep you posted on how we are doing throughout our trip. Thank so much!
We had a fabulous evening on Saturday night with three families from the house-church we attend in the neighboring town of Toke. We have loved getting to know these saints, and praise God for their friendship and fellowship, and their welcoming our family into that community of believers.
This is during family worship after dinner: 
And here are Noa and Noa. 
Noa Nagata was born when I was in highschool and even then, I loved the name “Noa” for a little girl. It is so fun for our Noa to enjoy time with “big sister Noa” and her two other sisters, Mana and Mikuni, and her little brother Yoshiya.
And here’s the whole group! 
Please pray that the Lord would bless the efforts to begin a weekly worship service in the town of Toke. Please pray that He would provide a place to meet and that he would draw many to himself from that town.
In the left of the photo, you will notice our newest teammate and housemate, Andrew. We are thrilled that God brought Andrew to Japan in time for the new school year. He teaches with Eric at CCSI and has been an incredible blessing, even in his first week here. Andrew is living with us for one more week until Eric comes to the States, then he will move in with the Stewart family permanately. We have loved having him here and so enjoyed getting to know him better. Noa has double the excitement when Daddy comes home from work, because Andrew comes too! We are excited for a lot more time together in the coming year.
