Gosh where to start? Well i've been in the states now for about a week and a half. I spent the first week in PA. That was really fun. I got to spend time with my Grandpop, we went out to lots of diners. What's with old people and diners? Anyways, I also got to hang out with my cousin and uncle and other relatives. We went to a balloon festival which was pretty cool, we walked around and got free stuff. They even had an Hp booth where they took your pic with different displays and then printed them up for you. They also had a DVD maker so my cousing Abby and I did the bike riding movie. She rode the bike and I ran next to her. It's pretty funny and we look fairly stupid. I also got to visit my Grandpop's brothers and their wives. One night four of us played cards which was fun. It's a PA tradition for me to play cards at night. We didn't end up carrying out some of the other traditions, mini-golf, bowling, and birch beer. But I did shoot some pool with my Grandpop at the senior center. I'm TERRIBLE!!! It was really impressive to watch him and his friend shoot because they saw and made shots I would never have thought possible.
One major highlight was also hanging out with my friend Mike. I met Mike in Japan and he's been one of my best friends for 2 years now. I won't go into all the details but we decided that we wanted to be more than friends so now he's my boyfriend. yessssss (imagine Napoleon when you read that yes)
Now I'm in New York. It's really different than what I thought it would be. The first night Heather and I just went out to eat (yeah thai food) then out for a drink and spent the night catching up. I always forget this until I'm around her but we're so similar! It's like we're the same person. We have similar mannerisms, laughs, we say the same random things at the same time. Often I'll be thinking something and she'll say it or vice versa. It's like we have the same mind. Truly scary!! Anyways the first day she had to work so I went around 34th street and did a ton of shopping. Then we went to dinner and a movie. Yesterday she didn't have to work until the evening so we got up for breakfast, at yet another diner, then we went to the Empire State Building, got lunch and walked around Central Park. Originally we were going to have a picnic in the park but it was sweltering so we decided to eat in the air-con. So walking around the park was pretty miserable! Then she went to work, I walked around a bit more then headed back to Queens to chill before going out. When she got off work we went out dancing at this Brazilian place and it was SO fun!! Today we're going to do Chinatown, Little Italy, see a Broadway show, and go to another diner where the servers sing. It's going to be a great New York day!

nagano

ooops, i was posting my blogs on the computer at work (japanese) and apparently I just saved them as drafts instead of publishing them. I have to remember it's the right button not the left. It's kind of weird to try to memorize where commands are on different menus so I can function on a Japanese computer.
Anyways... my weekend. It was great spening time with the family. It wasn't as hard as I thought. Partly because we were in a different cabin than the one I spent the summers with them in. But the new cabin is where she was sick last year so it holds many hard memories for them. It's strange to see the family dynamics now. If you didn't know them before you would miss the changes. But having spent lots of time with them, mostly during summers, I see the hole. It was really obvious with the times of peacefulness. With 4 kids their cabin was always bustling with activity. And going down to the lake meant I had to try to be fair and split my time among them. Sammy likes to see how far and fast he can swim, especially against someone. Karisa loved to swim to me and have me 'catch' her. Lilla used to be fairly afraid and want me to pull her around in the shallowest part, and Sky is fearless, always trying to push into water that is too deep for him. This year Sammy had a friend his own age to run around and compete with. Lilla was getting braver with her swimming and she swam to me a few times. Sky is still fearless wanting to go everywhere. But there were times when Lilla didn't swim, and when Andy (the mom) watched Sky. So i was free to swim laps and sit on the dock and read a book. I certainly enjoy those things, but I couldn't help but notice the lessened activity. It was like that at other moments. There were times when I could picture what Karisa would be doing, either entering into a fight with a strong spirit, or playing video games with Sammy. She was a total firecracker. I saw a lot of myself in her. I saw Andy's struggle of how to help her to grow properly, and assured Andy that with Karisa's iron will and her personality she would change the world. I guess in some ways she has. It just wasn't in the way we all expected. I guess that's Karisa for you. Always full of surprises.

End

Well we're wrapping things up here at school. We technically finish on July 20th but I'm finished grading and returning tests so I don't have a whole lot to keep me busy. Although tomorrow I have a quick 'lesson' with students preparing to go to Australia on a homestay program. Then Friday I have an elementary class. I'm getting excited for this summer but it's one of those things where I've been planning it so long it just doesn't seem real. I feel like it's still a few months away. I'm stoked to head up to Nagano with my favorite missionary family next week. I don't get to see them as often as I used to, or as often as I'd like. SoI'm excited for the few days I'll have with them. I'm sure it'll be hard though, it'll be my first time back at Nojiri since their daughter Karisa died last summer. It'll be hard for all of us, but I hope I can be a support to them and not turn into a mess myself :) This weekend will be cool too. I'm going to a pizza party at the Japanese church I used to go to when I worked for OCC. I'm bringing 4 of my friends from the lighthouse and I think they're pretty stoked too. They're all Japanese and some of them don't have much contact with Japanese churches, only international ones. It would be cool to help them get plugged into a Japanese church and hooked up with other Japanese Christians. Well that's about all the news fit to print.

current and future

Last night we had our last Greenhouse meeting until the fall. It was exciting to see new students and a great turnout. Our school has testing next week so it was cool to have 3 of our girls go inspite of that. It's wonderful to be at a school that isn't super high pressure about tests. Many of the other schools really frown on students being involved in any extracurricular activities, especially around test time.
I've been thinking a lot recently about my future. I'm applying to start on-line classes at Fuller. But when will I eventually return to the States to complete the degree? In all honesty my MDiv is the only reason I really see myself going back. After that it's back to the mission field for me. I have some decisions to make about some future possibilities and without elaborating I would like to ask anyone that reads this to pray that I would make the right decision. I want to be sure to follow the Lord's leading, especially in the big decisions :)

June

Well it's been a LOOOONG time since I updated. I apologize to those who have been checking in vain for something new.
June has been alternately cold and hot with a large dose of humidity. Today has been a hot and sticky one! Classes are winding down this week and next. Then it's time for mid-terms. I've enjoyed most of my classes this term but there's been a few challenging ones as well. Last week a number of grades were on their school trips so I had a lot of free time. I've realized that I have lots of weeks like that. Even on my normal 'full' weeks I have plenty of extra time at work with not much to do. I think I'll start working on my MDiv with the extra time. I want to pursue that degree when I return to the States so I figured I could get a head start on it. So today I'll be researching where/how to do that. I'm looking mostly at Fuller. I will eventually shift to North Park. If I want to be ordained in the Covenant it makes sense to spend my last year or two at their seminary (Otherwise I would have to spend a year of 'orientation' there anyway). But Fuller offers a wider variety of classes and is significantly cheaper. Plus if I decide to spend a year in Seattle before going to Chicago I can attend the Fuller branch campus there.
I'm also looking forward to this summer. My plans have changed some but that's alright, I tend to roll with the punches anyway. I'll be spending a week in PA with family, then NY with Heather. Then a week in Nebraska for my cousin's wedding. I'm stoked cuz I think my whole family will be there! Then back to NY for a week. Originally that last week was going to be in the Dominican Republic with my friend and her family. But her family bailed. Ahh well, what can you do.
This weekend the Greenhouse is having a one day 'retreat' for the students. I pray that it goes well. It's part of the Alpha program and from what I've heard that weekend is pretty powerful. I guess that's my life in it's current nutshell.

routine

Well it's the second full week of classes since the new year began and things are going pretty well. I'm settling into my classes and my students are starting to get used to me. I still get some blank looks and I want to say 'Beuller, Beuller....." but that will wear off as the year progresses. I gave the chapel message for sr high chapel yesterday, I'll give the same message for jr high on Monday. I decided to use 2 corinthians 5:17. I related it to the dark winter and new spring, each of us can be a new creation through faith. Tonight is our first greenhouse meeting of the new year. The leaders got together last week and discussed/prayed for this new term. We're going to be using the Alpha for youth material and I pray that God will work through it to bring students to Christ.
I'm going on a retreat this weekend with the lighthouse. We're going to Lake Yamanaka which is near the base of Mt Fuji. It's a beautiful place and I hope we have good weather. May 8th I'll be preaching in a church near here that I've been getting more involved with.
Well that's about it for my bowl full of cherries ;)

new beginnings

Well things have begun again with a whirlwind of activity. It's good to be back in Japan and I'm excited for a number of new ministries that I will be doing. The school year starts in April so I've been busy preparing for new classes with mostly new students. Some of my students are the same from last year but a number of them are new to me. The Greenhouse (youth ministry) will start next week and several students have already been asking about it. We will have a leaders meeting this week to prepare and pray. I've recently started attending an English worship service at a church somewhat near my house. They are currently without a pastor and need help with leadership and preaching. I volunteered for both andwill be the worship leader this coming Sunday and will most likely preach in May. It also looks like I will be able to be involved in an orphanage ministry again. Starting either this monthor next we will go to the orphanage one Saturday amonth and spend time with the kids there. Please pray for me, as I will be speaking in our school chapel this month