More critters

This stag beetle is a popular pet in Japan.  Nasty looking thing with extremely sharp claws. Here it is grasping a gladiola and giving me dagger looks.  Don't mess with me!

Blue tailed lizard scurries around for a place to hide.

  This is another beetle found under one of my outdoor shoes.  Fortunately, not in my shoe.    

Accidents will happen

Came across this at a busy intersection in front of the train station.  No telling how the driver managed to get up over the guard rail.  Only saw two policemen and no driver or anyone else around.  

Anniversary dinner

We went out for our 33rd Anniversary to a yakiniku place we like.  You can choose any type of meat and as much of it as you want, then cook it at your table and eat it.  Then there was desserts like ice cream and the usual pastries, plus salad or curry or noodles and sushi for those who like those.  We even got a discount on the price because we are over 60!  Makes for an enjoyable meal.  PTL.

More critters

Two little frogs taking a break on the cucumber plant. 

Lacewing found on an upstairs wall--how it got there is a mystery.

More July Flowers

Lily with all six blooms.

This purplish glad was in the garden on Monday, but by Tuesday morning it had broken off because of its weight. Now it's inside. 

The lily opened all if its six blooms!

Sushi----

July 10 we had a sushi lunch provided by Mrs. Tanaka in honor of her husband's passing a year ago.  This is one of Japan's traditions. 

The main lunch had some 20 different items; most of them were really yummy.  Such a variety of flavors all in one place. I really liked the small dishes which look like a child's tea party set. 

Sara preparing to eat with chopsticks--no spoons allowed. 

These are the side dishes including soup in black bowl, dipping sauce for the tempura on the left, and rice.  

The kids had their own type of sushi which most ate entirely.  

Normally we do not eat sushi like this, but it was delicious.  We usually have rolled sushi or "California sushi" which is much simpler and easier to eat.

Miscellaneous photos

The three boys that come with their moms to church on Sunday. Brothers Riku 6, and Aito 18 months and teen Ryosei.  They were on the stairs waiting for lunch to be served.

Thomas the Tank bus from a local kindergarten.  I'd be happy to go to school on this bus if I were a little kid.  

A smiley Mail Box--I want one! 

One of the local distinctive male pheasants who always announces he's in the area with a loud, double honk.  This time he was across the street near a rice paddy. 

Garden in July

July flowers are in bloom.  Here is a beautiful lily with six blossoms and about 5 feet tall.

Cut gladiola in the church. The pink are new this year. My favorite flower, BTW.

Beautiful pink gladiola, first one I've had. 

This is a chrysanthemum--the Japan national flower

Happy sunflower with tomatoes in the background. 

More gladiola in the yard 

The wheat-growing experiment...not great, really. 

This is the total harvest--18 grains.  Most of the wheat was eaten by doves sneaking around under all the leaves.  I hope they had a good meal.  Maybe will try again in the fall or next year. 

God’s Alphabet

Although things are not perfect

Because of trial or pain

Continue in thanksgiving

Do not begin to blame

Even when the times are hard

Fierce winds are bound to blow

God is forever able

Hold on to what you know

Imagine life without His love

Joy would cease to be

Keep thanking Him for all the things

Love imparts to thee

Move out of “Camp Complaining”

No weapon that is known

On earth can yield the power

Praise can do alone

Quit looking at the future

Redeem the time at hand

Start every day with worship

To “thank” is a command

Until we see Him coming

Victorious in the sky

We’ll run the race with gratitude

Xalting God most high

Yes, there’ll be good times and yes some will be bad, but…

Zion waits in glory—where none are ever sad!

“I AM Too blessed to be stressed!”  The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.  The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.  Love and Peace be with you forever, Amen. 

Encouragement

Sometimes, admittedly, it gets weary 

going door-to-door inviting people to church or passing out tens of thousands of flyers, or witnessing, or holding English classes, with very little visable results, like someone coming to church, getting saved, baptized and involved.  As one pastor said while I was in the States recently, "The Japanese are not exactly falling out of the trees to get saved," to which I replied, "Wouldn't that be nice!"

However, we have been here nearly 25 years and are still planting those seeds that prayerfully will come to fruition someday.

Meanwhile, at my home church in Maryland, the lady on the right, Mrs. Z told me that 20 years ago or so (on our first furlough) Henry and I discipled her.   I honestly to not remember that.   It is good to see people continuing in the Lord.  

In the picture below, the ladies seated were at Independent before I got there in 1979.  The man standing on the right sent his daughter on the church bus from Suitland that I was working on and he and his entire family came to church, got saved and baptized and the parents are still there.  There was another man named Carlton that told me that he rode the church bus on the Suitland route about the same time--1981-82, got saved, baptized and is still there.  Wow, what a blessing.   Keep those Buses rolling! 

God sometimes sends people to just encourage us to keep going.  It did my heart good to hear these people are still faithful and serving God.  To Him be the glory!  

Sara is 18!

The last of our six offspring turned 18 at 1:18 pm, Japan time on June 11th.  It was a beautiful day and we did the usual Saturday activities, including door knocking in the afternoon.   Sara wanted to eat out, so we went to a favorite ramen restaurant in the area.  Good food and reasonably priced.  The place seats just 20 people and is always busy when we go, even at 6:00 pm, although it's mostly men who eat there. That's gyoza or pot stickers on the plate, Henry's stuff on the right.  The containers on the left include seaweed and a sauce for the gyoza.   The bowl of ramen is really enough for two people and is loaded with veggies like sprouts and green onion slices; filling and delicious.

We had birthday Sunday on the 12th with Sara as the only June birthday.   Happy Birthday! 

White Egret

This guy flies into my neighbor's rice paddy and looks for frogs to pounce upon.  It is amazing how utterly still and patient it is, but always gets what he's after.   Beautiful specimen of God's creation. 

A shorter cut

It was time to get my hair cut in half--this time about 8 inches cut off, so most of the brown/gray is gone and white is more prominent.  This selfie is in my sewing room, fyi. 

June, 2, 2016 - return to Japan

This is a green airplane at Dulles, the first stop of my return flight.  The ANA flight left at 12:20;  my seat was 41A and  had an empty seat next to me.   

Clouds covered most of the trip.  We flew over Canada, then followed Alaska, and arched over toward Russia and down to Japan in about 13 hours.  It was one of the smoothest flights I have ever been on. 

This might be crossing Lake Erie, but not positive. 

A small island somewhere--looks like a video game piece. 

Approaching Narita Airport where I had a three hour layover for a flight to Kobe.
 -arrived about 7:00 pm at Itami Airport in Osaka. Door-to-door travel time was 24 hours. 

Sunset in Japan- Tadaima! 

May 29 - 31, 2016

Sunday morning we went to IBC for services.  It was the monthly Missions Sunday.  

Mr. Anderson is starting a church on June 5, in Towson, MD.  He and his family were there.  Bob Larson, BIMI USA Director was also there.  Dr. Creed, pictured, led the service. 

We had lunch at Ruby Tuesday's in Clinton with Beth and fiance, Matthew, Teresa, Christin and Joe.  Then Teresa and I went with Joe and Christin to WVA to stay overnight at their new home.  Along the way we saw this horse tied up at a hitching post, something you see in Amish country. 

Somewhere in Virginia or West Virginia

Joe and Christin have a resident groundhog who enters the yard through holes in the fence.  They have named it George.  Fat thing, must be well fed.  We also saw many birds including a cardinal and blue jay.  They bought a bird feeder and filled it, but no little birds stopped by while we were there.  

These are Christin's and Joe's cars in front of their duplex on the left (it was recently painted).  They also bought an American flag and displayed it for Memorial Day.  

A drive through small-town America in West Virginia on Monday afternoon. 

On Tuesday, back in Maryland, Matthew, Teresa and I went over to see Sue Phagan, standing, and Mrs. Sara Greathouse, Pastor's former secretary, now retired.  At 86 her health is not good, but she has not changed much at all.  We chatted for a good while and then departed while she waved to us at the door.