It was very sad to say goodbye to my third years Jan. 31st. As per one of the girl’s requests I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for them (it took me much of Sunday to bake, but I’m getting better with the resources I have). They all wrote notes to me for a memory book, and some were very sweet! They enjoyed the cookies and the last class. It was hard to say goodbye!
In general the weather hasn’t been nearly as cold as it was before. It’s still cold, but nothing has frozen again besides my olive oil. I finished “The God Who is There” and started “Mere Discipleship” by Lee Camp, which I’m borrowing from Courtnay.
I’ve been working many days a week with Ray, who will be doing the recitation contest. He’s a very solid speaker and learns quickly. I also happen to really like his expression. He has a great shot of winning!
Saturday, Jan. 28th Leslie stayed over after church and we had a good time talking, though as usual there wasn’t enough time.
Jonathan has started talking to me on the phone again and his English ability is amazing! He’s grown so much since I talked to him last, and it’s amazing how much he can tell me. It warms the heart!
2/15 It appears I didn’t post as much as I thought, so this was from two weeks ago. I’ve since finished Mere Discipleship, which was very thought provoking. The weather has also changed quite a bit. February 6th after Monday night Bible study, it started snowing, which made for a cold ride home. The next morning we had about three inches, which was beautiful, but nothing was plowed so riding my bike was tough. In my neighborhood I could ride in the street, but on the main road that would have been foolish so I started pushing my bike along the sidewalk. Then I saw Japanese people riding in the snow and decided to give it a go. It was a little challenging, but doable, so I managed to get to school on time. When I arrived I saw all the teachers (including principal and vice-principal) out in the parking lot shoveling snow! It was great to see and I joined in on the fun. It was a warm day and most of the snow melted by they time I rode back home. It was beautiful while it lasted, but I’m grateful that it doesn’t snow much here. Interestingly enough a week after that (Feb. 14) it was nearly 70 on my ride home. It was so beautiful I went for a run for the first time since the ski trip (which I’ll write about soon but I have to go to work now). It was great to run in such nice weather. The sun stays out longer, too. It sure made for a great day!
The last time I mentioned Bible study we had decided to get a little deeper into the word. After much prayer and anticipation we had our first new meeting January 23rd and it wonderful. There are people from all opinions and backgrounds, which made from some interesting discussion. It was a very civil discussion, which thrilled me as well. I understand the topics discussed a little better, even if I don’t know the right answers still. We’ve since had three more meetings, and it’s amazing how prayer makes a difference to how well they go! This group of believers is on fire for the Lord and is anxious to serve the Church and the community. I pray that enthusiasm won’t die and that we will push on to find ways to edify the church and reach out to the community. The immediate difficulty is that we all have different ideas of what the church is supposed to be. It certainly is interesting to be a church with people from so many backgrounds and beliefs. I’m learning and growing a lot from them!
