Its amazing how much Japanese you can forget with a 2 week break, at least that’s what others say as it assumes you had a lot to forget in the first place! It was wonderful to have a break from the usual fairly tight routine, but we’re also happy to be back in the groove and to be inching along again. The 3 oldest children start back at school / Yochien on Jan 21st so home will become a little less fraught and Talitha will be able to enjoy uninterrupted morning sleeps again….

 The big change for us this month will be the church we attend each week; we need to experience life with a local Japanese congregation so will visit a couple of churches this month and then, in consultation with others, make a decision for the year. It’ll be good to get more involved in local church life, to have somewhere to take our neighbours, and it should provide excellent language practice….

We still await the arrival of the big snowfalls that stay until spring; life will then get busier as the roof of the house and the road outside will need to be kept free of snow - good morning exercise for all of us. A good way to get chatting to the neighbours too; the neighbours on our left seem to be avoiding us so it might be a good way of breaking the ice…if you get my drift…

 Sam and I submitted to the start of language study at the beginning of September, and the long silence here is a mark of the fact we’ve been submerged in it ever since, only now feeling we can come up for air. Its full on, hard work, and seems to demand every ‘free’ moment. We’re doing ok with the textbooks but struggling more with our ability to speak, feeling tongue tied for perhaps the first time in our lives (!). We look forward to a 10 day break over Christmas / New Year.

Stephanie Hocking from Kent has been with us for the last few weeks, and has been a big hit with the children; Talitha is certain she is Emily Haynes re-incarnated and has steadfastly called her ‘Emily’ all through. We will be very sorry to see her leave on Dec 10th, and are already praying for another ‘Emily’ to take her place.

Right, back to my verb conjugation….

We had a long and uneventful journey on Monday (Aug 6th) arriving in the dark and eventually falling asleep in a Lighthouse…..the name of the church in Satsunae were we are staying temporarily while we organise a place to live. (more…)

We’re very overdue for an entry in the blog, so here goes before we leave for Japan (tomorrow!) (more…)

 A week ago we heard from OMF that our support levels were considered sufficient for us to head to the Singapore Orientation Course in July, and then onto Japan in August.

 So in the last few days the contents of our home have slowly been disappearing into boxes, to other people’s homes via Trade Me, and into the bin….Sam has been buying up snow boots and thermal underwear (for the children!) from The Warehouse, the landlord has been given notice, and Martin has accepted he can’t delay completing  his tax return any longer!

(more…)