I’ve been home most of the week with a bad throat. The doctor first told me I had either strep throat, influenza, or both (but didn’t test me for either), and put me on antibiotics. After several days of not seeing much pain relief, I went back and he concluded that it must be a viral throat infection that takes at least a week to heal. So I’m still in pain, but yesterday was able to teach one afternoon class. Being sick at home with three little kids is different than the good ole’ days… watching Regis and Kathy Lee on the couch and eating tapioca and sleeping whenever I felt like it feels like a dream from the past….
But here are a few things that have been soup for my soul this week:
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Yesterday our friend Yasko took all 3 kids in the afternoon for awhile to give us a break. She made hot cocoa for them, and Annie sat at the table with Yasko to start drinking. Yasko told us about this little interchange:
Annie: We should talk about something.
Yasko: OK. What do you want to talk about?
Annie: Let’s talk about God.
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I’ve been really stuck in needing translation help for papers I need to finish grading from last August. A friend Yumiko is helping to do at least some of them. It’s a huge burden lifted…

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In my English class yesterday, we were finishing up- most of the ladies had headed out the door already. Our host, Naoko, stopped Junko and me. (Junko is a Christian friend who is helping lead the chapel times in the class).
Naoko: I was wondering if you could tell me where I could borrow a Bible?
Junko and Sue (pick chins off the floor) – Uh – we have one you could borrow!
Naoko: I’ve been wanting to read one. I don’t want to spend the money on it until I know if I’ll like it or not.
(I’m going to give her one of the Gideon English/Japanese New Testaments that we have – for now. I told her once she gets into it she’ll really want to buy the whole Bible)

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Eric and our pastor went to talk to realtors about our desire to find a larger house to rent in our area. Even though there really isn’t any breakthroughs, we are moving forward… and we can continue to pray and trust God’s timing.
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Owen was eating lunch and exclaimed, “Mommy, you’re a really good cooker.” THIS was great soup for my soul!
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I was stewing a lot this week about our upcoming home assignment, housing needs, how it will be for our kids to go to the US and then come back here… and a friend wrote and reminded me of verses that I had shared at our church in LA when I was back a few weeks ago– from Genesis 1:2. It is the theme verse I have chosen for this year –that even in the midst of darkness, before God had even created light – the Spirit of the Lord hovered over the waters. Already I had forgotten my theme verse! I had forgotten that God’s Spirit is hovering over the couch when I am sick…over Naoko as she contemplates and thinks about God…over Annie and Yasko as they drink hot cocoa. And He will continue to hover (even when I forget this is true) as we move through this year of many unknowns. Please keep reminding me – I have a bad short-term memory.