There’s nothing like 90 or 100 degree heat along with 80% humidity! Whew! We go through lots of water, tea, and ice coffee. (Popsicles and ice cubes for the kids.) Cameron walks around with a long skinny towel around his neck to use as a “sweat cloth.” (With the way he sneezes at dust, it doubles as a handkerchief!)

We were all glad to travel into the mountains a few days ago to help out with teaching English to 6th and 9th graders at a Japanese school event. Our kids enjoyed the extra attention and being able to run around and play with other kids, and we were able to meet many new people and even a few old friends. Even though the English was not the best (“How many deers do you have?”), the people time was great!

I had the challenge of using ventriloquism in a slight mixture of English and Japanese or very easy English sentences. I had volunteers come up to talk to Jasper, and the man introducing me called me a pro. (Wow.) Many had never seen a ventriloquist before. Or a blond-headed kid like Melodie, for that matter! I thought one 9th grade girl was a little spacey until I realized she was just staring at my eye color!

“My name is Susan. Nice to meet you.”

OK. So maybe you heard that we live in a small apartment. Do you really understand what small means in Japanese terms? Let me give you a clearer picture. We can have only one guest at a time for a meal…because that’s all our living room will hold. The width of our bedroom is such that Norman can touch both walls at the same time by stretching out his arms. Half our belongings are in storage because there isn’t room for them…and compared to lots of people, we don’t have that much.

All of that to say this.

Even though it is small, we are having a great time here! When we talked about moving, Chloe was adamant. “I don’t want to leave! I’ve got friends here!” And they do. Right next door. Three elementary-aged boys have brought joy and fun to our kids. The most surprising thing is seeing our shy Melodie chasing one of them in a game of tag. God is amazing.

Besides that, our neighbors are friendly. The lady next door told me this morning, “I want to talk more to you.” (She also thinks I am so cool because of my white skin. I love Japan! She had a hard time believing Americans desire to be tan.)

On top of that, I am closer to my children (in more ways than one). In a bigger home, the kids can play or study out of my sight most of the day. Here, there isn’t that opportunity. So I notice them more, play with them more, and find more teachable moments.

Of course, with a husband who enjoys working with his hands, this place is a bit small. But somehow he manages to squeeze in a clamp table in the entrance way during his projects. It’s nice for him, too, to be within arm’s reach. The kids are spending more time with him, too, even getting to help him. Melodie told me this week, “I hope Dad likes people asking questions, because I’m asking him a lot of them!”

What small things can you thank God for this week? May my life be characterized by a thankful spirit. May yours be, too!

We keep thinking life might slow down one of these days…but it hasn’t yet! Our co-worker, Sue Hahn, left today for her last furlough in America. She plans to retire after one more term of service here. A group of her friends joined her at the airport to say farewell for now.

Then, for me, it was back to finish homeschool for the day, get groceries, fix meals, do loads of laundry (since it’s a sunny day), and spend a little time with the girls. Norman took Cameron to visit with Norman’s friend and then to attend Cameron’s first ukelele class. Cameron was so excited about it! He’s been strumming away so much he got a blister on his thumb. Chloe has recently been trying her hand(s) at the guitar as well. And Melodie…well, she can’t seem to push guitar strings hard enough to play it properly, and her fingers are so skinny, they struggle to cover the holes on a recorder. Maybe one of these days!

I had to take Melodie to the dermatologist this week due to her peeling hands. She had tiny bumps all over them, with a similar problem on her feet as well. The doc said it was because of excess sweating and gave her some cream. It has been warming up here, and the sweating will continue for at least another three and a half months! Pray that this will clear up.

Norman will be recording Danielle Petite’s original music for a CD next week. He was able to meet with Mr. S. two times for a Bible study, and we pray that Mr. S. will make time to finish the last two lessons. Pray with us!

Thanks for your interest in the ministry here. We rely on the prayers of people like you to be able to accomplish the work God gives us. Let us know how we can pray for you, too.

People might think we LIKE to move. We seem to do it often enough!

Here we are in a new apartment, a new suburb, making new friends. Imagine a family of five and all their belongings squeezing into a small two-bedroom apartment. That’s us! Well, let me clarify. We moved all our stuff out of storage yesterday, and God amazingly gave us a storage area right next door! Japan doesn’t do self-storage units like the US, so it was a concern.

It was quite a day yesterday. Raining. Rainy season just began, you see. More of a light mist. Norman tried to get the 2-ton truck into the narrow driveway between two buildings without success, ending up parking alongside the narrow road between our apartment and the storage building. (Follow me so far?) About five minutes into the unloading (with all three of our kids making trips back and forth), I slammed my “glass” toe into something and re-fractured it. If you don’t know, I have delicate, skinny toes that are prone to breakage. I ended up in the moving truck, sliding stuff to the doors. Out of the blue, a group of elementary school children on their way home from school stopped and offered to help. They said we looked pitiful and wanted to help! Well, praise God! They made countless trips back and forth, saving the heavy boxes for the sturdiest boy, who also happens to be our new neighbor.

We got it all unloaded with no other incidents, other than providing Cameron and Chloe “the best day since we got here!” They made a ton of new friends! They played again today with them, having the time of their lives.

God works in mysterious ways!

Life is different, living in a big city. We are used to suburban living: having a little space between neighbors, having our car parked right outside our dwelling, driving a few minutes away to buy groceries. Now, we look out the window of our second floor apartment and see other second story apartments, clothes hanging out on balconies a few feet away, electrical lines at eye level, and of course the neighborhood cats perched on top of fences and even roofs. Our car is parked a twenty minute walk away, so we don’t use it much. But I can walk to a grocery store or pharmacy within five minutes.

Another difference is the sheer number of people in the space of one city block. You can’t walk five paces before running into someone. I noticed, too, that people in the city are less likely to look you in the eye or acknowledge your existence. I was almost shocked when I visited Kikuyo (the suburb where we used to live). A little girl was walking past on her way to school, and she looked at me and said, “Ohayo gozaimasu!” (good morning). Her parents were some distance away, yet they greeted me without encouragement, as well. So friendly!

We have a small window of time in which to decide whether to continue renting or find a place to buy. We looked at a property to buy last week and are waiting to hear from the owners if they will accept our price. If they accept, we’re in for some major remodeling on this “fixer-upper.” Our entire family is praying that God would clearly lead us in this venture. Would you join us?

We have been in Japan for about two days now, and are still waking up around 5:30 a.m. (which would be 2:30 p.m. EDT). Our days seem very long! Our brains are mush today.

Norman has been running around meeting with realtors, old friends who know people who are selling land or have apartments for rent, and doing errands. He is exhausted.

The kids and I hang out around home more since we have no car. But since we live in downtown Kumamoto, we can walk for groceries, shopping, or just to get out. And after being confined with three hopping, energetic kids in a small apartment, those walks are mandatory! Whew! I’m looking forward to our co-worker watching them tomorrow for most of the day. It’s time for me to find a laundromat and some sanity. (I never noticed how loud one child can be. We live on the 2nd floor, and I’m afraid we stomp, laugh, and drop heavy objects way too much for anyone living below us.)

Norman is looking at a rental house tonight. Also, he is in contact with a man who has land to sell. So many things are up in the air for now, but we know that God has it all figured out already. We just have to wait for His timing and keep on following Him.

We are now back in Japan! We were concerned when a stomach bug started passing through our family just days before our departure date. As it turned out, we had all recovered in time to fly overseas. Unfortunately, only two of us made it to my brother’s wedding. I am very glad that one of them was me!

So, we endured the 15 hour flight to Hong Kong, spent the night in a Chinese hotel, flew the 3 hours to Japan, caught a ride to Kumamoto with our co-worker Sue, and got . . . home?

We found a temporary one bedroom apartment in downtown Kumamoto. You can not even imagine trying to lug even one suitcase through the tiny alleyway, up a flight of steps, down a crowded street that barely allows a car and a pedestrian to pass at the same time. The nearest parking spot is 150 yards from the apartment. Sue and Keiko kindly brought up heavy futons, bedding, a bunch of foodstuffs, etc.through the challenging maze in preparation for us being here.

Needless to say, we are on the lookout for another place. Norman spoke to two realtors today putting in our requests. Pray that God would direct us to where He wants us to be.

Thank you for your prayers! We are very glad to be back here and are eager to see what God will do this year.

We abandoned Alabama this morning, traveled through Tennessee, are kicking through Kentucky, and will soon be over in Ohio. We will be at our supporting church in Amelia this Sunday. Then it’ll be back south, visiting Norman’s aunts on the way home.

Life is crazy these days! We had more than one problem obtaining Melodie’s renewed visa this year. (The rest of us renewed ours in Japan before leaving, but hers is on a different schedule for some reason.) Anyway, after a number of snags, we believe things are ironed out, and we should receive our passports back and her approved visa in the next few days. Praise God!

We hear one-sided conversations in Japanese in our household these days. Norman has been working with his Japanese buddies in Japan to find housing (at least temporary) for when we first arrive in Japan. (We will fly out from Chicago on April 6th!!) It looks like we can stay in a tiny house, renting it a month at a time. We are thankful God knows our needs and is capable to meet each one. We try not to be stressed by the unknowns, the zillions of details that have yet to be seen to, and the last minute decisions to make. Please keep us in your prayers!

I have to tell you about a recent missions conference we attended here in Alabama! This supporting church of ours really goes all out for missions, and they love missionaries! They asked for a wish list, including things we need for ministry, family, or just our wildest dream. We put the normal stuff, including gifts to take back to Japan. But Norman, dreaming big, put down a request for money to buy a big motorcycle in Japan, perhaps even a Harley??? For those of you who aren’t familiar with Norman’s latest ministry, he has been using motorcycles as a way to make new friends and build relationships.

Anyway, to make a long story short, this bike is a reality! Even the church people doubted whether they could fill that wish, but God did a work…and Norman’s ministry will continue! If nothing else, this showed Norman that bikers should continue to be a part of his outreach focus.

Thank you to the supporting churches out there who trust in God to do amazing things! And thank you all for your faithful support and prayers.

Hi! My name is Chloe! I am really excited about going back to Japan and seeing all my friends. Our furlough this year was really nice, but I’m ready to go back.

This year I learned that I really, really like deer meat! Of course, all the stuff my Granny makes is good, but . . .

Thank you for praying for our family!
Ta-ta!