It has been great fun in recent weeks to participate in American rituals that celebrate fall.  Japan has its own way of celebrating this season that we have learned to enjoy, but being in New Jersey has brought our whole family great joy as we have participated in numerous events that have made for unforgettable memories.

We have had THREE harvest parties!  Our kids have felt immensely lucky… and keep asking when the next one will be.

Here are some memories from the Mt. Laurel E. Free church harvest party-

And photos from Cedar Lanes harvest party, the mission community in which we are living.  Owen and Annie learned how to bob for apples;  Annie got her face painted;  and we all enjoyed American s’mores.

Then, on Halloween itself, our kids had a chance to go “trick-or-treating” with their little cousin Isabella.  Cinderella, Annakin, and Kitty Cat seemed to enjoy the conquest of ringing the doorbell more than getting the treats, which we aren’t complaining about.  We used the opportunity to visit several newer and older friends…

One of my friends shared that her daughter’s Kindergarten teacher told her that October 31st is the devil’s birthday.  While I understand some of the sentiment that makes many Christians anti-Halloween, we have loved how many Christian communities have used the harvest season to celebrate; to bring people together; to build relationships.  It has been – and done — all of these things for us.