For the last several years, we have prayed about working more closely with a church planter to start a new church in Japan.

To that end, we have accepted an invitation to join a new MTW team which Craig Coulbourne is putting together to work in Shin-Urayasu on the western side of Tokyo.

Working with a smaller team will be very different and we are a little scared to leave the nest of the Chiba Team.  Despite these changes, we are interested in placing ourselves into a new situation that would further encourage us to learn Japanese, trust God with daily challenges and needs, and do something hard and exciting.

The eleven years that Robert has worked at the school have been wonderful. This new calling would allow him to explore other strengths and abilities and would give us the opportunity, as a couple, to start something new.  We have been praying about being a part of MTW’s next push out to other towns. We are excited to see a church raised up in a town where there are no churches. We want to be a part of a first wave into a new area, to participate in a team’s first Pray and Plan, and be there to see God answer those prayers.

Please pray that God would call many people in Shin-Urayasu to himself.  “I will call them my people who were not my people, and her beloved, who was not beloved.”  Romans 9: 25

We are asking God’s people to pray with us for the work of the gospel in Japan, the missionaries who labor there and the support that these missionaries need to remain on the field.

We believe that God can and will accomplish His holy will in Japan and that He chooses to work through our prayer and the prayers of our ministry partners. Check this site for prayer updates and needs and please pray.

August 2009 William and Isabel started school.  What a delight and blessing school has been in the lives of our children!

September 2009 We started the month celebrating with our dear friends in Demopolis, Alabama.  It was a 60th birthday party for the Rev. Tommy Carr.  We were also able to share about our last 5 years in Japan at their church, First Presbyterian of Demopolis!

We also visited University Presbyterian Church (upc-orlando.com), Lake Baldwin Church (lakebaldwinchurch.com), and Redeemer Presbyterian Church of Titusville (myredeemer.cc).   We loved being at UPC and having so many people recognize us as ‘their missionaries’.  We are so grateful for their partnership with us!  We enjoyed spending time with our dear friends, Bart and Judy Johnson, who are members of Lake Baldwin Church.  We had a wonderful day in Titusville with the Repps and getting to know the wonderful people at Redeemer Church as we shared about our team’s church planting work in Japan.

October 2009 We started the month in Qunicy, FL at New Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, Robert’s home church, for their Homecoming Celebration.  We were able to share our stories of Japan and help welcome their new pastor, Rev. Jerry Dodson.

We had the pleasure of traveling to Locust, NC for the missions’ conference at Carolina Presbyterian Church (carolinapca.org).  We had a wonderful time staying with and getting to know the Burris family.  We SO enjoyed getting to know this congregation.  We heard from so many that their missions’ conference is the highlight of their year.  What a blessing it is to partner with those who are so excited about missions!

with the Burris Family

We were able to see many friends – and lots of nature –  along the way to and from Locust!

at the Ueckers' house in Columbia, SC

We met the kittens at the Cottrells' house in Hickory, NC

Dani's passion is horses!

Our first experience picking apples.

A visit with old friends... but new friends for W and I in Rock Hill, SC

We ended October with a trip to Baltimore, MD!  We were able to spend a few days with our new church planting team.  Our family, along with Craig and Ree Coulbourne and family, will be moving to a new town to start a new church when we all return to Japan in the fall of 2010.  We had a few days with the Coulbournes to talk and dream and pray about what the future could hold.  We are praying now for churches to be started in the Shin-Urayasu area of Japan.

The kids loved attending the Fall Festival with the Coulbournes and Dingles.

October was quite a busy month!  When you factor in school (though we missed some) and a few friend’s birthday parties, I’m amazed at all we did in October!

November/ December 2009 We spent most of November and December visiting and catching up with friends and family.  The children had many holiday school events as well.  We enjoyed worship at Orangewood Presbyterian Church (orangewood.org) several times in the holiday season.  We love this church!  They have welcomed us back to the US by providing so many things we would have had to buy for ourselves when we returned for this one year HMA.  We have been so encouraged by the Body of Christ at Orangewood!

We spent Thanksgiving week remodeling Robert's parents kitchen. Marvel at the finished product! Yes, we did it all ourselves!!

Before heading back to Orlando after Thanksgiving, we got to participate in the annual "Making of the Christmas Pudding" event with Robert's family. Everyone has to stir the Christmas Pudding!

My very own "Shaggy, Smelly Sheep"

William loved helping with our prayer letter mailing project.

Isabel was Mary in the Maitland Community Preschool Christmas Parade.

Thanks - Lenore Stephens - for taking this picture at Orangewood Presbyterian Church.

A night with the Sauls in Kingsport.

A visit to the Biltmore before Christmas.

...and dinner with dear friends

Finally on to Knoxville, TN to spend Christmas with Lisa’s family.  Thankfully, Robert’s parents were able to join us in Knoxville for Christmas!  We were also able to worship at West Hills Presbyterian Church (whpca.net), another wonderful ministry partner!

The first gift opened was William's gift for Jesus; a picture he drew at school showing what William can give to Jesus... his praise of God for who He is and what He has done for us!

We can look back at 2009 and see God’s leading and great provision for our family and ministry in Japan.  We have had many struggles and disappointments in our personal lives as well as in our ministry in Japan and so far in this HMA. We can do nothing but trust that God, who has been faithful, will continue to be faithful!  Our prayer is to return to Japan, fully supported, by August 2010.  May it be so!!

We understand Isabel’s desire. While Robert and I still don’t identify as strongly with Japan being home, we really want to get back to what is normal for us. And that is… our life in Japan! So, please pray with us that God will provide all the support needed for us to return as scheduled in August 2010!

The beautiful walking path near our house in Japan... one of the things we miss!

William with Tommy Carr, the birthday boy.  Happy 60th!

William and Isabel following along in the hymnal with sweet Avery Carr.

A new friend, Crysal, checking out our Japan pictures.

William and Isabel  waiting patiently for Mom and Dad to be ready to GO!

William's first day of Kindergarten

,

Isabel's first day of Pre-K

We have had a big change in our lives this week!  Even though Isabel is only away from us from 9:00-1:00… both children go to school every day!  William loves kindergarten.  He jumps out of bed each morning and wants to know what special classes he will have that day.  He has a full schedule with PE, Art, Music, Computers, Library, and Spanish each week in addition to the daily kindergarten routine.  I SO wanted William to have this experience since I taught this same program at OCS more than 10 years ago.  Isabel has only had two days of school so far, but she is confidently jumping out of the car in the morning carpool line – ready to be a big girl and go to school.  And now I get to be on the other side of things as the one who can volunteer in their classrooms and help with room mom duties, as well as join a weekly Bible study and reconnect with old friends.  These are the blessings of Home Ministry Assignment.  We are back in the US for this year, and while there are definitely blessings there is also a down-side of things.  We had to leave our home, work, and daily routine of the last 5 years to come back to a year of a more chaotic life.  Chaotic because HMA is a different kind of work for Robert that requires a lot of travel for the whole family.  While we enjoy connecting with our partnering churches and many supportive friends, it’s 5 years worth of connecting all done in one year!  But, God is good and we always leave a church or home so encouraged and excited about our calling to Japan.  We get excited when we can tell the stories of how God is building His church in Japan.

By the way, one huge blessing was  moving into a completely furnished house (down to sheets and towels and food in the fridge).  We rented a house here in Maitland but had no idea how we would gather all the things we would need.  By the time we arrived on August 7th, the house was not only “move-in ready” but beautifully decorated – thanks to some wonderful friends from Orangewood Presbyterian Church.  We are so grateful!  Our children’s rooms are adorable…

Yes, she's asleep!

William's room came with a foosball table!

You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Psalm 39:5

I took William to school today and was stuck by how grown up he has become.  After turning to me and saying, “I love you Dad.”  He took his place at the head of the line of his classmates and headed off to class following his teacher.  You see, he is the door holder this week.  The one who holds the door so that the rest of the class can enter the building.  He has a job now… as a student, new friend to many, and the holder of the door.

I watched him walk away and suddenly felt how fleeting the last six years have been.  My son has entered the world and I am not there to protect him.  I am struck this morning by the limited time that we have with our children and how important it will be for me make time with William when he is home.  He still needs guidance, a parent’s wisdom and he needs time with his father.  I pray that our time together will point him to his heavenly father and he will come to know that even when I cannot be with him that his heavenly Father is always there.

The minute I got home, I made time for Isabel.

Time is fleeting.

Our family has been so blessed by Sally Lloyd-Jones’ The Jesus Storybook Bible.  We have read through it at least five times over the last two years during family devotions.  Our children enjoy the stories but Robert and I both love to read them as well.  We are often moved to tears as we are reminded of God’s wonderful plan for His people, evidenced in each and every Bible “story.”

Recently, our friend and co-laborer  for Christ’s church in Japan, Asako Hirohashi, translated The Jesus Storybook Bible into Japanese.  We look forward to the Japanese publication so that we can give this great children’s Bible to our Japanese friends.  Please read the details above if you would like to help with this project.

 We finished all our packing and cleaning Thursday evening and moved to Judith’s house for the night.  Friday morning we were able to arrive at CCSI in time for morning devotions and enjoyed just hanging out at the school until noon.  It was wonderful to have friends coming by to say goodbye to us…we felt so loved.  It was definitely bittersweet, though, to say goodbye to so many people who we will not see for at least a year.  A year goes by so quickly and yet I couldn’t help but wonder what the year would hold for us and all our dear friends.  Would we be able to raise all of our needed support and get back in just a year?What would happen at CCSI in the coming year?  Will we have all the teachers needed at the school?  How will God lead our church-planting team in the next year?   Would our non-Christian friends take any steps in their journeys toward faith in Jesus Christ?  Will our young children be able to “pick-up” in these friendships where they left off after our return?  What will we miss out on while we are away?  While we are sad to be out of the loop, we are excited with the opportunity ahead to re-connect with friends and family and share with American churches the great hope we have to see Christ’s church built in Japan.  Please pray for us as we go through this big transition!  Pray especially for our kids’ adjustment.  William has already had some trouble with bad dreams and being scared as he witnessed our house emptying before his eyes and all the talk of upcoming change.  

William with friends Titus Dingle, Sam Han, and Ethan Virtudazo.

William and Isabel with good friends Olivia and Anabella. We'll miss our sweet friends!