Though the house was still in disrepair and not emptied of our belongings, Norman, Melodie, and I (with Zulu and Fritz) left Kumamoto on February 28. The following day, we had a direct flight from Tokyo to Chicago, about 11 hours long.

In order to take dogs out of the one country and into another, there was much paperwork to complete, mostly to avoid transmitting rabies. Keiko worked diligently to research what was needed, sending in scanned forms, and allaying our concerns.

There were a few bumps along the way (though mostly all went smoothly). First, my shoes fell apart after the first flight! Crazy! Thankfully, I had packed an extra pair.

Secondly, we had an appointment in Tokyo to go through the quarantine area and get the dogs okayed to go. It was super windy that day (and not in Chicago!). All the dogs’ completed paperwork got blown all over the place. Three employees helped track down all but one of them. A fence helped, too!

So, now we’ve been back in the States about two weeks. We’re getting settled into our new residence, living with my mother in the house I grew up in. I’m already glad to be here, because we’ve had snowstorm after snowstorm, with pockets of ice scattered about. Being here to assist my mom sets my mind at ease on so many levels. We’d appreciate your prayers as each of us adjusts to the many changes.

We’re not the only ones moving. We had been trying to sell our home in Japan, since we’re not sure how long we’ll be stateside. The day before we left, a friend of a friend came to look at the property and was in desperate need to get out of their apartment by the end of March. They would need to move in within three weeks’ time! We had planned for Chloe & Cameron, and the new leader of the Kumamoto team to live on our property until June and November, respectively. Suddenly, each of them needed to get out! Keiko graciously lived up to her name (child of grace), and offered to let our kids move in with her until June. Jonathan is still searching for temporary housing and cleaning out our house in our absence. Crazy days!

We are so grateful for those who have been praying for us in this transition time. We still don’t have any concrete answers about our next step, though Norman is pursuing a related ministry within ABWE. Keep those prayers coming! And let us know how we can pray for you!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Some people may count down to this holiday, but our family is counting down to another event… which is pretty major in our lives right now! If you receive our prayer letter, you already heard our big news — that we are planning to return to America for an indefinite amount of time in order to live with my mother in Wisconsin. She’s at the age where she could use some help, companionship, and extra care.

So, we are packing up our home, choosing what to take, what to toss, and what to give away. Not only our home, but also the coffee shop in Minami Aso. Coronavirus effected this work immensely, and we were unable to continue this outreach and ministry in this location. Today, Melodie, Norman, and I went to the building, filling bags with garbage, setting aside things that are still “good,” and waiting for the movers to transport the piano to its new home.

What will be Norman’s next step as we return to the States for the foreseeable future? He’s still figuring that out! There are several options that we’re considering. He plans to continue his call to being a disciple-maker regardless of his location. That hasn’t changed. The details are still to be arranged, and we’re confident that God knows what they are!

So, this Valentine’s Day means we have exactly two weeks left in Japan. Chloe and Cameron will stay in Japan until June, but Norman, Melodie, and I (with our two dogs!) will fly to America on March first, God willing.

We are thankful for the encouragement we have received from many of you, telling us of your own experiences with aging parents, how God has blessed, and how He has worked in and through that special time. We look forward to learning, growing, and loving more and more. Please keep us in your prayers during this big transition for our family. Thank you!

After the kids recovered from jetlag, they returned to their karate dojo, where Chloe and Cameron received their black belts! They passed the test last year in June, but the belts hadn’t arrived before we had to leave for furlough. Congratulations!

Being able to attend the international Bible study again was a huge blessing and much anticipated meeting! Jonathan Jelliff has been doing a great job providing leadership for this group in our absence, and we got to witness it ourselves! We were also blessed to have Elijah lead the music. He also did a great job! We are so thankful for their servants’ hearts and willingness to pick up where we left off.

We really enjoyed our furlough, traveling to about thirty churches in our seven months in the States. We are back home in Japan, and I’m finding it a whole lot easier to cook here than in America! Food options, menu choices, gas stove, and my familiar kitchen make cooking a breeze. My kids reminded me that it wasn’t like this when I first arrived in Japan! How well I remember that! I had to toss my US recipes out, since I couldn’t buy the ingredients called for. After twenty years, I’ve figured it out! The kids had a short list of “Make this meal!” We have had Japanese rice, oden, fried rice, gyoza, rice balls, and yakisoba.

Our family was blessed to spend time on furlough with so many different Christians. Japan is such a different environment spiritually. Thank you for fellowshipping with us during our stay!

Our family wishes you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We never know what God has in store for us when the new year rolls around. I’m glad He has control of all that! When our Commander is reliable, trustworthy, and caring, we have no reason to fear the future! The best part is that He walks along beside us every step of the way, guiding, comforting, encouraging, and empowering us.

What a blessing it is to be God’s child!

Our family is on a two-week trip, staying one week in Minnesota and one in central Iowa. On Monday, we were able to meet up with our Japanese friend, Ritsuko, who lives in Minnesota. She set out an astounding amount of food for us! We took half of it home with us and are still eating it!

As I think back over how we met Ritsuko, I see God’s amazing hand in each part of the story. First, Ritsuko’s parents live in Kikuchi, the town we live in. It’s the same town where we opened our first coffee shop. Ritsuko was the first person to attend our first Bible study there. She was visiting Japan for an extended stay, and our family got to know her then. Her husband grew up near where I grew up in Wisconsin. And her MN home is right on the way between two of our supporting churches. We keep running into each other!

This week is sort of a “breather” for us. We are camped out in the lovely basement apartment of Mrs. Merrill in SE Minnesota. Good timing, because our kids caught colds and needed a quiet place to take it easy. The fall colors are gorgeous here this week!

We will visit Calvary Baptist Church in Rochester, MN, on Sunday. Following our time there, we will attend the Global Reach (missions) conference at Faith Baptist Bible College. We hope to be able to speak with college students and share the need in Japan. We need more workers!

We are enjoying cooler fall temperatures as autumn comes to Iowa! We have had a busy schedule, but we are being encouraged as we fellowship with our supporting churches around the area. What a blessing to sing together, hear testimonies, and share how God is working.

This coming week will be busier than usual. We’ll visit three churches, fellowship with old friends, tour a dog trainers’ school, and travel hundreds of miles!

Last night Melodie and I helped the church here to put labels on 4,500 water bottles in preparation for a parade event . . . which got rained out today! The event continues into tomorrow, so maybe they’ll have another way to distribute them! They each say something about Jesus being the Living Water. How wonderful to know Christ and have our deepest thirst quenched! I am grateful for God’s life-giving sustenance.

After brief stays in Oregon, Alabama, and Wisconsin, we have now relocated to Iowa. We plan to be here for almost three months. (Take deep breath!) Whew! We have been wonderfully blessed by our supporting church in Creston, IA. We are staying in their mission house, which is perfect for us. We even have horses next door to admire!

We’ve been enjoying visiting with a variety of supporting churches so far this furlough. Some of these have been supporting us for over twenty years! We are so grateful for our church families sending us to Japan with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We praise God for each one of you!

This weekend, Norman and Cameron plan to take in a men’s retreat. A couple weeks later, Susan and Chloe are looking forward to a ladies’ retreat. In the meantime, we look forward to Wednesday nights together with the church body here in Creston. After being in charge of running Bible studies and church services, it’s nice to sit back and not be in charge! The encouragement of being together with brothers and sisters in the Lord is not something we take lightly. What a blessing!

Our family began our furlough journey in Oregon. We then moseyed down to Alabama to visit Norman’s side of the family and pick up our vehicle. About three weeks after that, we took two days to drive up to Wisconsin to see my side and celebrate my mom’s 80th birthday. (Happy birthday, Mom!) This past Thursday, we headed to Creston, Iowa, where we plan to settle in for about three months. Our supporting church here has graciously offered us the use of their missionary house. We are so thankful to be able to rest in place (during the week anyway!) in one location with just our family!

By way of update, we have had some terrific news from home in Japan! Elijah led another Filipino friend to the Lord! Please pray for Charlie as he takes steps along the road of discipleship, and for Elijah as he leads Charlie.

Also, Stephen Clemans made it to Japan! He plans to help Jonathan cover for us while we’re in the States. Currently, Stephen is sick and had to see the Japanese doctor. Not a fun way to get started, but God’s doing something!

Our family of five made it safely back to the United States on June 15th. An added blessing was that just days before leaving Japan, the PCR test requirement was lifted! We traveled from Kumamoto to Tokyo (Narita); then on to Vancouver, Canada, and Portland, OR. Pastor Craig Slaughter came to get us, and we spent about 2 weeks in Oregon getting over jetlag AND covid! Double whammy! The church family (Faith Baptist in Salem) bent over backwards to help us out and meet needs during our illness. Thank you!!

We flew then to Alabama to recover more at Norman’s parents’ home. We had to postpone or cancel 2-3 Sundays during this time. Cameron came down with covid in Alabama. We had a forced rest, which wasn’t such a bad thing. 🙂

On July 19-20 we traveled in our packed car to Wisconsin and are currently hanging out with my side of the family. We plan to visit three churches here before moving on to Iowa for about 3 months.

We hear that Jonathan is doing well back in Japan, meeting weekly with Elijah and the international church group as well as brushing up his Japanese speaking level. Keep him in your prayers, please.

Norman has begun a podcast in the last several months called Run With Horses, 30-minute episodes on topics such as discipleship, family, and marriage. He made a new website for it, as well — runwithhorses.net. I add my two cents on the marriage edition of it, and both Chloe and Cameron chime in on Family Fridays. This podcast is also aired on an internet radio program each week, potentially reaching a larger number of people. This is a new ministry for us, and we hope it will encourage many Christians around the world.

Here are a few tidbits of news for those who have been praying for specific things in our lives!

1. Jonathan Jelliff is sitting in our kitchen as I write this! Praise God he made it safely here! He is in the process of getting over jetlag, learning how to care for our two dogs, and meeting the different people we are working with (like Elijah, the church family, Norman’s English student Yusuke, our neighbors, etc.).
2. Other big news is this: Cameron and Chloe passed their black belt tests in karate! They still sport some pretty major bruising (mostly Chloe), but they survived and did well! They ended up having to spar about 14 people, one minute each. Pretty brutal! (I have video if you’re interested!)
3. There is one week before we leave. Please pray that we’ll not catch covid before leaving. (There are still cases floating around our area.) Norman is feeling the pressure of finalizing everything before we leave. I’m not sure why this is so exhausting, but it is!

Thank you for your faithful prayers! We couldn’t make it without your intercession. We praise God for your help.