Let your light shine; Japan

My grandson's class was studying about Japan so I was asked if I would go and do a little presentation since I grew up there.  

Allen couldn't go along, but I don't mind driving myself.  I'd prefer him with me of course!  I love doing road trips with my husband!!  We are discussing a long road trip maybe this coming fall.

In the morning before I left for Arkansas, I babysat Claire for just a little.  We played some games including Chutes and Ladders.  I have an old version with sweet pictures.  

I had to explain about the dunce cap and why this boy got in trouble, reading a comic book instead of doing his history lesson.  I said "He might get a C or even an F rather than an A if he doesn't study."  She piped right back "Or an S!"

I left for Arkansas after lunch.   I like to listen to the radio in the car and one sermon I heard was the Prodigal Son - or as I like to call it, the Loving Father.  How He loves to rescue us and bring us back!  In the past month, I have heard this very passage spoken several times from various venues; my Bible study, my son-in-law's sermon, at a funeral, at church and now on the radio. God keeps bringing it back to my attention!  Help me know Your heart Lord!

After supper, Staci had to go somewhere but Josh, the children and I played this fun game before bedtime.

I slept in Emeri's room.  She slept in the bunkbed in Eli's room.  When I turned out the lights, here is what I saw.

It reminded me of the lesson we had recently in small group from Ephesians 5.  "Live as children of light."  Al reminded us that we don't reflect Christ like the moon reflects the sun.  Rather we are like these stars Emeri has on her ceiling.  They take in light all day long and then when the light is turned off, in the darkness they shine from within.  We take in the Word of God and because the Spirit lives within us, we shine!  The more we take in, the brighter we are!  A believer who does not spend time abiding in Him still has the Spirit within, but his light is faded.

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The next day, I went to Eli's class to share about Japan.

A lesson on bowing.

Did you know that Japan has over 6,000 islands?  There are the big main islands, of course, but also some very small ones that are uninhabitable.  

Wedded rocks - truly.   "According to Shinto, the rocks represent the union of the creator of kami, Izanagi and Izanami. The rocks, therefore, celebrate the union in marriage of man and woman. The rope, which weighs over a ton, must be replaced several times a year in a special ceremony. The larger rock, said to be male, has a small torii at its peak." - wikipedia

Cat island - Actually, there are 11 of them.  More cats than people.

Monkey island -  Here is a picture of me when I was Eli's age, sitting on Taniguchi's lap.  We took a couple of boats across to the island.  Actually, you can walk across in low tide.  This island is close to where I grew up.  

We talked about the school system.  School runs April - March, so the children in the 1st grade are now on break and begin 2nd grade in April.  I gave them a sheet to practice a couple of the hiragana Japanese alphabet.

Most of the children at Eli's school come by car.  Probably all of them.  

Public school children ride a school bus or they may walk too, if they live close enough.

At my parent's Japanese kindergarten, the teachers would go pick up the children from their homes to take them to kindergarten.  Here is my mom with another teacher.

I rode the train to school.  Here I am in first grade.  

In highschool, we took the plane or overnight ferry.  Sometimes the overnight train too.  Highschool was in Tokyo, about 1000 miles from home.

I told them about earthquakes and volcanoes.  

 This is Sakurajima which was fairly close to our home; about 3 hours away, the distance of Little Rock to NW Arkansas.  I can still remember it blowing up and dusting our home and car with ash.

What a fun morning we had! 

I got to have lunch with the grandchildren and then headed back to Kansas!

I am grateful for nice wide shoulders on highway 400!

A car was passing a truck and if I had not taken the shoulder, 

he would have plowed into me!

Sad to see some of the burned land.  Kansas had several fires this past month.

Now we are getting much needed rain!

Voices of Zambia in Topeka

We made a trip to Topeka yesterday.  I love the scenic beauty of driving through the Flinthills of Kansas!

  

If Allen had not worked during the day, we could have left earlier and eaten at the Hays House.  

The notorious Jesse James spent some time at this place!

Google Maps took us right to the little church, north of Topeka where Voice of Zambia was singing.

Our boys, Oscar and Harold were right at the entry way to the little church.  What a joyous reunion!

 We began sponsoring these 2 guys from Zambia through a ministry called Gospelink.  We began supporting them first as they were students in Bible school in Zambia and now as staff at the school.  One day they hope to become pastors of churches there in Zambia.  Most churches there cannot support full-time workers.

 

Willy Hunter shared the vision for Gospelink.

Willy first came to our church many years ago and told us about it.  We were on board!  It takes a lot of money to support a full time missionary to go overseas with his family.  Housing, vehicles, language school, etc.  I am so grateful for the churches in America that supported our family in Japan!


But when you support a guy in his own country, he won't need to learn a new language or culture.   We can provide training and living expenses at a much less costly rate and the results of Gospelink is incredible!  We can purchase bicycles for them to go town to town.  Gospelink says they are averaging about 5 new churches daily!

A packed weekend!

There was lots of fun this weekend with the family....
...playing with cousins who came up from Arkansas, Jason's deli,  a trip to the zoo, the Y (no pictures of that), birdwatching, birthday party and church.
















A trip to the city and lunch at Jason's Deli.
The kids are getting older now and were all able to sit at the kids table without grownups!





The zoo is always a great place for the kids.  We can't see it all in one day though.   Good reason to have a membership and be able to go anytime we want.

The kids love to take pictures with the statues.  

Claire was chased by a duck so was surprised that she got this close to these!

zebra kill by lion

The lions, which are one of my favorites were off exhibition, "for introduction". 

 We are getting more lions I would guess?

Good thing we bring the wagon to pull a tired 4-year-old!

Funny how the kids can be so tired and yet, when they see a playground....

The airport is just beyond the zoo 

Tired parents!

 That pose cracks me up!

 

 The kids called the penguins with a mimic cry and they all flocked over.

On Saturday morning, the Arkansas kids went on the monthly bird walk that I go on at our local college.   The kids were up by 6:30 and anxious to go!  It was a tad bit early as the birdwalk wasn't until 7:30, so we made a stop at our donut shop in town!

We had a sweet breakfast and also purchased a couple of boxes for the church brunch.

The brisk wind made it chilly.

Glad we had our coats!

Despite the high winds, we saw Mississippi kites, a couple of cooper hawks building a nest, a belted kingfisher, several mallards, jays and other birds.  Next month the leaves will be sprouted on the trees and they will be harder to see!

We celebrated Hannah's 12th birthday party (a few days early).

 Sister love!

From the cousins - a box within a box within a box within a box....

and an ITunes gift card inside the last one!

 I made her a card with pictures of each year.

 The birthday girl got to choose her favorite foods for the meal...hamburgers, bacon-wrapped smokies, watergate salad, Doritos and a few other things.

wrestling and pile-on are favorites!



We ended our weekend with church together as a family.  The church brunch was pretty awesome!  People brought biscuits and gravy, sausage, donuts, egg bakes and much, much more!  Josh and Staci led worship.  Adam preached.  Our bellies and hearts were filled!