My week has been so uneventful/eventful that I forgot to update since (I think) Monday!  So sorry!  My last blog was about the sad situation in China following the 7.9 earthquake.  I cannot even fathom the number 50,000+ believed to be dead.  That number does not compute in my mind to something tangible.  I hope you continue to keep the residents of Sichuan Province in your prayers…also the many Chinese tourists visiting the area, and tourists from foreign countries.  The Sichuan area is so beautiful and attracts much tourism for China and the towns and cities. 

   I had a brand new class Tuesday morning.  It’s not new to the program, but new to me, because the women had said they would be busy until May…so it was delayed.  So they are a bunch of 5 women, all housewives, and very wealthy.  I guess they all intimidate the other teachers, even Taka, but they are really nice, and we got along great.  I led the Bible Time, and the English is minimal, but it still went really well.  Our story was on The Calling of Samuel.  I’ve always loved that story, and they thought it was funny…how Eli kept telling Samuel to go back to bed and basically leave him alone, until he realized it was God calling the kid.  They personalized it and said they’d probably tell their kids the same thing, and thenlock the door after them.  Pray for more openness with these women.  PS.  One of them is in the Shimonoseki Orchestra, so I’m going to see about maybe joining up with them.  It would be great.  I don’t know what night they practice on, so that will be the only thing to stop me.

   I went to Quixote today for lunch.  It was only Yoshio and Satsuki, which is fine.  They are great to chat with.  They try their hardest to communicate without knowing much English, and I try the same with Japanese.  The environment is not really conducive to fine dining, though.  I’ve realized even more that I’m sure there are mice in the walls, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen insects scamper across the floor.  But I just choke the thoughts back and think about loving these people and them coming to know Christ.  Yoshio also smokes in the kitchen, but he is pretty discreet about it…it doesn’t bother me somehow.  Satsuki was going on and on about how wonderful I sounded on Sunday.  Samantha had given her testimony as well, and Satsuki said she did such a great job, and she had tears coming down her cheeks.  I was so touched by that.  I just feel like these two people are open and generous.  They are both 56 (?) and basically grew up together.  I don’t know if their spouses are still alive, but they are dear friends with each other, working together, and sharing in each others’ lives.  Satsuki said that I am a dear friend, and they are so glad that I come to see them.  I asked about Shirayama and she said she was fine, and I had missed her by one day.  It’s been a few weeks since I had seen her, but I’m still going to go to the concert.  I think I’ll take her a rose…if I can find one.  They also help me with practicing my Japanese.  We’ll go through some convo and they will correct me and give me some new vocab, and then oo and aw as I repeat it.  Satsuki asked if I can speak Japanese, and I said, just a little (choto, choto).  She said that my choto Japanese is the best.  🙂  They are so sweet.  I would love to be able to introduce them to you in heaven when we all get there…pray for them that more would be awakened in them besides just being “dear friends.”

  Also, my uncle Tom is doing worse.  The tumor is pressing against his spine and making it hard to control his pain.  They don’t expect him to last much longer.  My uncle Tim, Aunts Kathy and Connie, and my grandparents are down there pretty much making their last visit.  Please pray that the pain can be controlled enough so that Uncle Tom can go home.  He doesn’t want to go in the hospital.  Oh, and his granddaughter, Carleigh, turned 2 a couple days ago.  bittersweet.  Thanks for your prayers, they are much appreciated.