Thursday, February 17, 2011

We all left about 8:45 am for camp, packed up our laundry to do there, took the lunch, finished curtains and shop vac for cleaning.  

We stopped for a few minutes at the beach they use for camp swimming.  It was clean, private and had tons of shells and coral washed on the sand.  Some of the clam shells were really heavy, others were buried in the sand and could not be dug out by hand.  It was a beautiful beach and we got some small things to take home. 

 There was alot to do at camp.  While the guys started the painting, I got the laundry going and did a couple of loads.  Terri and I then went and put the curtains up in the guest room and large dorm room.  They turned out rather nice.  
   
We got Sara to vacuum the floor downstairs.  There was lots of dust.  Dan emptied the container two or three times.  Anyway, while she did that, Terri and I dusted things and picked up stuff and took stuff to the shed and generally straightened up.  Then I got all the laundry folded and put in the van to take back.  Then I located a scraper and started to scrap up the dried mud on the floor of the new area.  That took a couple of hours total. 

After lunch Terri and I tackled a room upstairs and sorted sheets and towels and put them in proper containers for use in the summer.  That room got cleaned up nicely.


We left there about 5:30 and returned to the church about 7:00 pm.  Later we went to the Gardners for a marvelous dinner of baked spaghetti.  Different and delicious.    Then it was back to church for the night.  

 The ocean

 Okinawan family tombs. There are thousands of these all over the island.

 Coral and sea shells on the beach

 The walls were painted ivory and the ceiling white. 

Friday, February 18, 2011

It was nice to sleep in a quiet neighborhood--no music blaring or extremely loud motorcycles at 4:00 a.m.   The Gardners live in a quiet neighborhood except for the military plane overhead sometimes, but none late at night.

We got up a little later than usual, had breakfast and then went out to China Pete's to exchange Sara's cup.  The lady refunded her money and was happy to do it.  We then walked to the Christian book store to find something else for Grandpa.  Sara took her time deciding but finally picked a small wood cross that would stand on a desk, and a couple of other small items.  She insisted on paying for these herself and conducting the transaction with the cashier.  She is learning.  

The guys came back after 4:00 p.m. and we got ready to go to another church tonight.  Dan drove us over to the Stearns home where we met the family and had a very simple, delicious dinner.  About 6:45 we went over to the church.  Henry played the piano for the service to give Mrs. Stearns a break.  I think there were about 13-15 in church.  Henry preached as well.  After service, Pastor drove us back to the church.  

Tomorrow we will go to camp for the day. 

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

It was nice to sleep in a quiet neighborhood--no music blaring or extremely loud motorcycles at 4:00 a.m.   The Gardners live in a quiet neighborhood except for the military plane overhead sometimes, but none late at night.


We got up a little later than usual, had breakfast and then went out to China Pete's to exchange Sara's cup.  The lady refunded her money and was happy to do it.  We then walked to the Christian book store to find something else for Grandpa.  Sara took her time deciding but finally picked a small wood cross that would stand on a desk, and a couple of other small items.  She insisted on paying for these herself and conducting the transaction with the cashier.  She is learning.  


The guys came back after 4:00 p.m. and we got ready to go to another church tonight.  Dan drove us over to the Stearns home where we met the family and had a very simple, delicious dinner.  About 6:45 we went over to the church.  Henry played the piano for the service to give Mrs. Stearns a break.  I think there were about 13-15 in church.  Henry preached as well.  After service, Pastor drove us back to the church.  


Tomorrow we will go to camp for the day. 

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Today the guys went back to camp and Terri came over mid-morning. Dan called and said they were thinking of spending the night at camp in order to get more done; he is to call later about the final decision.


Since Terri was feeling better we decided to do a little shopping then Sara and I would spend the night at her house and have a "girls' night."   The guys had decided to stay at camp.   We did some shopping at the San-A mall where a jeweler was located.  He fixed Sara's new watch for just 525 yen and it fits nicely now.  


After we got back to the house in the afternoon we watched two of the movies in the Love Comes Softly series.   It is one of those tear-jerkers.  I read the books years and years ago as Janette Oke was popular then.  These were made by Michael Landon, Junior, and quite good.  

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Happy Valentine's Day from cool, wet Okinawa.  It is again overcast and rainy here today.  Terri came over about 10:30 a.m. and left us some goodies.  She was doing worse than yesterday, so I told her she needed to just go home and rest.  We did not need to go any place today, so Sara and I stayed here at the church.  I took a walk to the post office around the corner then walked a couple of kilometers around the streets near the church.  There was a crew of men that were laying asphalt on a parking lot next to a new apartment building behind the church.  I watched them pour it and flatten it starting about 4:00 p.m.  By this time they were over half finished and it started to rain again.  They finished about 6:00 p.m.  That was the excitement for the day.

 About 4:45 p.m.

Finished

 One of the Japanese ladies from church invited us to dinner at the same restaurant we went to last week with Dan and Terri only this time Terri did not go.  She insisted we all get steak so we obliged.  It was delicious.  

On the way back to the church Henry got an email from Noseh-san saying that Kobe had four inches of snow!  It was clogging up traffic terribly, like snow usually does.  We missed it, but it could not have been that much colder than it is here.  Anyway, February is being February here in Japan.  

Sunday, February 13, 2011

We went to the Faith Baptist Church here in Okinawa.  Henry spoke in the 10:30 a.m. service while Terri, Sara and I went upstairs to the small group of kids for junior church time.  There were a total of 22 people in church, including the 5 Americans.   Then we had lunch in the fellowship hall and  Henry preached at the 2:00 p.m. service.  There were 9 in that service; two of which did not come in the morning services.

We then went over to Maranatha Baptist Church, a military work started back in about 1968.  That church has supported us for probably 20 years and it is the first time we have reported to this church.  Henry showed the presentation then preached the message on A Cup of Cold Water out of Matthew 11 (it was about the 5th time I've heard it).  It is still a good message about service God by giving a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple,to someone you don't like, and to those that hate you.

 

The chart on the right wall there indicates the church has just two more payments on their property and they will be debt free!  That is such a good place to be.  


After the service, Pastor Monteith and his family took us and Dan to the A&W Root Beer place where we ate a late dinner. Good food. (hope I have not gained too much weight while down here).  It was good to talk to Bob and Tammy.  We saw them at West Coast last May and again in June at BIMI's 50th Anniversary.  

Tomorrow Henry and Dan will head back to camp for more work.  Terri will not go as she has a cold, so Sara and I will stay at the church.