Flying to San Diego, 50th highschool reunion

It was finally the weekend to go to my highschool reunion in San Diego!!  The Christian Academy in Japan all-school reunion and also my 50th class reunion!  50 years!!  How am I that old???

1973

We got to the airport and parked in long term parking.  It was so VERY COLD as we waited in the covered waiting area.  There was a stiff wind.  It would have been helpful if it was heated!  The wind chill was probably -17!  I don't know, but it sure was freezing as we waited for the shuttle to come and take us to the airport.  Luckily, it was a short wait!  Yay!

During security checkin, Al was frisked!!  He doesn't look dangerous to me!  But he forgot to take the keys out of his pocket.

We saw two couples from Newton.  One was an aunt and uncle of Allen's pharmacist's wife.  The other were Matt and Steph from church.  Steph is a dear mom in my young mother's Bible study!  They were headed to Utah.

The first leg of our flight took us to Denver.  See the irrigation circles of the farms?  The plane flew right over our family farm!  It was under the belly of the plane so we couldn't actually see it.

Snow in Colorado.

So close, yet so far.

Our daughter, her husband and the babies live in Denver.

My plan was to get off on the way back!

On the next flight to San Diego, it was cloudy so we couldn't see the mountains at first.

There was a little break in the clouds and we could see some ski runs.

And canyons.  The ground ripped apart.

"God ploughed one day with an earthquake,
And drove His furrows deep!
The huddling plains upstarted,
The hills were all aleap!

But that is the mountains' secret,
Age-hidden in their breast;
"God's peace is everlasting,"
Are the dream-words of their rest.

He made them the haunts of beauty,
The home elect of His grace;
He spreadeth His mornings upon them,
His sunsets light their face.

His winds bring messages to them
Wild storm-news from the main;
They sing it down the valleys
In the love-song of the rain.

They are nurseries for young rivers,
Nests for His flying cloud,
Homesteads for new-born races,
Masterful, free, and proud.

- Streams in the Desert

If these canyons could talk, would they have said "This hurts!!  Oh, the pain!!"  when the ground erupted and split apart?  Often our lives are scarred and shattered.  When our lives feel broken, don't we want to cry?  It is those times we need to hold onto God and lean on Him.  Trust Him.   See His all sufficient strength and grace to get us through.  I am so dependent on Jesus!  He IS good!

"Those who are broken in wealth, and broken in self-will, and broken in their ambitions, and broken in their beautiful ideals, and broken in worldly reputation, and broken in their affections, and broken ofttimes in health; those who are despised and seem utterly forlorn and helpless, the Holy Ghost is seizing upon, and using for God’s glory." - Streams in the Desert

There is beauty in the brokenness.  

From upheaval to beauty.

I always try to get a window seat!!  My face is pasted to the window as I love to see the scenery!  

Here we are!  San Diego!!

We arrived at the San Diego airport 1/2 hour late.  We were going to take an Uber, but Tim and Martha graciously offered rides to any who wanted!!!  All we had to do was text them!  They came to the airport time and again for anyone who wanted a ride!  They patiently and unselfishly waited at least a 1/2 hour at the cell parking place for our plane to arrive.

(A mistaken selfie.)

The CAJ "shuttle"!!  

They drove us to the hotel (Best Western Plus Island Palms on Shelter Island), our stomping grounds for the weekend.  

Even after 53 years, I recognized Bobby right away!  He was so cool in highschool.  And still is!  He was part of the CAJ Reunion Planning Committee along with several others.

Al and I watched a navy ship sail by.

After settling in, we walked down to the meeting room.  

Arrival of snacks and breakfasts for the "Shimizu" shop, a table filled with goodies!!  They kept the table full all the time!

 (Photo by Dan Sims)

Shimizu's was a small shop/market where we could walk and get things like ramen and snacks.  All the students loved going there, but being in the dorm over the weekend, we especially loved to go there on Saturday!  The Shimizu's are now retired; their son and daughter-in-law run the store, but mostly they sell rice, kerosene and alcohol.  No more snacks.  (I didn't have a photo of it, but found one on-line.)

One of our classmates, Ken, told me the following:

I remember getting 14 pieces of gum once. One piece was Y5, but if you got an 'atari' you got to choose again. The gum had a picture of an Indian brave on it and the shade of colors would tell you if it was an 'atari' or not. I bought one, it was an 'atari' so I could choose another one. I kept going until all the 'ataris' (with a bull's eye on it and an arrow in it) were gone. They had 13 'ataris' but after the 13th, I knew there were none left but I had to choose, so I chose the 14th piece and of course, it wasn't an 'atari'. Anyway, I took it to the dorm and shared it (I think; it's been a while!).

Below is a photo of our school in Higashi-Kurume (Tokyo).  My dorm was the one in the middle front, behind the wall.  I still remember which rooms were mine the years I was there.  Shimizu's was along the path (on the right) going to the school.

Most of the people were arriving the next day.  Some were delayed due to winter storms.  We saw our friends, Joyce and Grace!  Joyce was a room-mate of mine one semester. Grace and I used to hang around together; she was a year older.  They both live in Texas now, but we had just seen them the week before at their mother's funeral in Kansas.

They really haven't changed much from 1971!

We helped the committee with some last minute work, putting together information packets.  We formed an assembly line to do this.

Then several of us went out to eat at the restaurant that was in the hotel.  I had the clam chowder.  Oh yum!!

Al took some photos of the bay in the evening.

So excited for this weekend!!

The week in between East and West

It was good to get home!  

(One of my room-mates from highschool in Japan painted our home for us.)

My shoulders were pretty sore.  It was a long drive from Virginia!   But it was good to get Ruth moved into her new place.  I had one week at home before it would be time to go to the west coast!

There were guests in our home.  They had come while I was away.  They had stayed with us before so knew what to expect.  We often use our home to house ministry workers or parents/relatives of those from our church.  We have a comfortable, finished basement with kitchenette.  They come and go as they will.  They stayed for several days, although I didn't see them until they were ready to leave for their next speaking engagement.  It was good to hear how God was using them.

I attended our women's conference at church on Friday evening and Saturday.  It was called Hold Fast and our speaker was Teasi Cannon.  She had a part in the book "Mama Bear Apologetics".

Allen and I attended the funeral of the mother of our friend Steve.  Our parents were both missionaries in Japan.  Two of Steve's sisters went to school with me in Tokyo and I would see them again in less than a week when I went to my Christian Academy in Japan all-school reunion (and our 50th class reunion) in San Diego.  It was a very inspiring celebration.  She had a big impact of many lives!

Sunday morning we watched our son-in-law's church service.  We usually do that first service and go to our church for 2nd service.

Our grandddaughter was on the worship team.

At church I met someone new and found out that I know her sister who is a missionary in Japan!  I love making connections.

Jack spoke on Luke 7.  I LOVE how he brings out 1st century culture to explain the passage!

After church, we had small group which is so special!  We took afternoon naps and went back to church for Worship Night.  So good!!  

I love this song.  Am I willing to praise Him when things are not going well?

The eagle visited our neighborhood again!  

In the evenings, I took walks with Allen and also with my neighbor Francesca.  We walked over to see the new development.

I had Bible study with our young moms on Wednesday and we watched a video on marriage.  In Genesis 2:18, "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him.'"  The word "helper" is the word "ezer."  It is a strong word.  Also used as military term of reinforcement without which the battle would be lost.  "Come under, defender, supporter."  I love that!

We packed for our trip to San Diego.  We always do carry-on only.  Sometimes it is a challenge to pack it all in!  I needed enough for our reunion and also I would be spending several days with my daughter and granddaughters in Denver!  This is why I love to drive!  I can STUFF the car full!!  

West coast, here we come!!