Initial Update from Japan

We do not have internet or wifi at home as of yet, so we have not been able to freely jump on the computer and communicate like we are used to.  Also, free public wifi is not accessible like in the U.S., but we found a place!

We just want to start off by sharing how grateful we are…

We are grateful for community

On December 14th (2 weeks before departure), we were able to celebrate how God has prepared our family and blessed us with a community of prayer warriors and generous givers.

When we first launched our campaign, we had no idea what to expect, what to share and how our mission would be received.  The only thing we could focus on was being obedient to where the Holy Spirit continued to lead us.  What a learning process for us and we are overwhelmed at how God covered us with His provision and protection.

The more we lean into our Father and each member of the body of Christ (whether in times of weakness or venturing towards the unknown), the more we feel God’s presence.

Our family is truly grateful for your prayers and generosity.

We are grateful for safe travel, family and friends

We landed in Japan at Haneda Airport on December 28th.  The looks we got as we kept unloading suitcases (11 and 2 carseats and two strollers) off the conveyor belt and onto 3 luggage carts.  At the same time Chloe was having a melt down from total exhaustion.  We had to have two staff members wheel our suitcases through customs and out to where Meg’s brother, Ryo, was waiting for us.  Thankfully, 50 feet away, there was a shipping service to ship 9 suitcases home before we set off to pick up our vehicle and set off for our 10 day travel from Tokyo through the southern part of Japan.  We were welcomed and served along the way.  So thankful!

We are grateful to God who planted the desire in our hearts

We arrived home on January 8th!

Getting settled has been a joint effort.  Meg’s mom has had to go through grandmothers items before we could unpack and move things around or completely out of the house.  An 89 year old that lived in this house for almost 30 years equals A LOT OF STUFF!  After a solid three weeks, we are about done and ready to welcome others in our home.

We are hoping to get Chloe started in pre-school by April (April is the start of Japan’s school year).  We have our eye on three schools.  Two are full and one of the schools has 6 openings.

We are grateful for a smooth transition

We are adjusting to a different lifestyle.  I will share some specifics in our next update.  Every once in awhile, Chloe says she doesn’t want to live in Japan and she wants to go back to her home in America. She misses friends (calling them by name).   I think she is finally coming to the realization we are here to live for awhile.

Prayer requests

Please pray for our family as we continue to process life change and working on our daily rhythms that coincide with various moving parts that our new for us!