busy times

PHEW! It has been busy busy busy around here and it doesn’t look like it will let up anytime soon. Here are some things we’ve been up to just this last weekend:
I was able to have my English studetns over to tea last Friday. I haven’t been back to teaching this class since Martha was born so it was wonderful for get to spend time with these dear women. I am so encouraged by what God is doing in their times together. I hope that I will get to start teaching them again in the fall.
They brought this play mat/baby gym as a gift for Martha. I was so touched by their generosity!
Martha loves this new toy!

On Saturday, we left early in the morning to go into Tokyo for the CHEA (Church and Home Education Association) Japan convention. It was our first train-ride as a family. The girls did great!

Ted Tripp, the author of SHEPHERDING A CHILD’S HEART was the main speaker. We have read parts of the book, but it was wonderful to hear him speak. Eric and I came away with many things to think about, as well as being really encouraged by the power of the Gospel even in our parenting. We were so blessed. We got to eat lunch with him and his wife, Margie. Eric, especially, got to ask her some great questions. Maybe we’ll do another post soon about some specifics of what we learned.

There wasn’t childcare for kids under 3 so Noa made friends with the other kids who had to sit through the meetings. She loves making new friends.

This is Mikuni-chan whose family goes to house-church with us. She and Noa had a great time together Sunday morning.
* Please pray for this Toke church plant. We meet twice a month in a home, and this last Sunday there wasn’t enough room for everyone! This is very exciting but also continues to make the members hope for a bigger place to meet. Pray for God’s direction and guidance.
On Sunday evening we had a barbeque for the students of the English Speaking Society at Chiba University. Eric has been a member of this group for the last few months and it was fun for us to host them in our home. We also have a team from Texas here for a week so they came as well and were able to meet students who they’ll hopefully get to see more of while they are here. It was a fun, crazy, busy night but we really saw God’s hand in who he brought and in blessing this time of fellowship. I will post more about this later, but for now, here’s Martha enjoying the party. She and Calvin were little champs while their mama’s rushed around getting ready and then spent time with people.

On Monday, my amazing husband spent his day off braving two baby girls on his own, so that I could go to Disney Sea with my sister Hannah for her 17th birthday. I left after lunch, and while it wasn’t the easiest day for them at home, Eric didn’t complain and did a great job taking care of the girls. I enjoyed my time with Hannah and some of the other young ladies so much. I am so thankful for such a sweet sister who doesn’t mind having her old sister tag along. Going to Disney with girlsfriends is a fun past-time for me (Martha, Carly, Jodye, Tabitha, Becky – you know what I mean!) and it was so special to be with my littlest sister and her good friends and be carefree for the day. Very nostalgic…
Me and the birthday girl:
This week is busy as Eric only has a week and a half left of school, my siblings are with us because my parents are on a much-needed get-away to the mountains, and we have a short-term team here to help with college ministry. Also, the school talent show is on Saturday and we are helping/say goodbye to our teammates, the Lowthers, as they head back to the States for HMA. Also, in a week my grandparents arrive and will be staying with us for 6 days, and then we are headed home for Laura and Clayt’s wedding! We have so many things going on in the meantime, along with a lot of preparations for our trip. It’t all fun and exciting things, but a lot, so please keep us in your prayers. Thanks!
I’ll update more later with some photos and stories about some things going on.

Tags: Friends, Impact, Japan, Martha, Missions, Noa, sister-sweetness