I have had a fun couple of days with the three kids who are here with me.  Tonight (thanks to an idea from the movie Ponyo) we did a backwards night — we did baths and showers first, then ate dessert (oh- will they still eat dinner?  I guess it doesn’t matter too much one night…), and then ate dinner (they gave it a good effort, at least!) and watched a movie.  And ate caramels after.  (Olivia: “You are the best Mom EVER!”  Amazing what a night of bribery can do).

I have felt a bit restless about our housing situation.  Eric finally heard the price on the big house that is going up for sale and it is higher than we can hope to pay;  if the owner doesn’t go down we will not pursue it.  We have started thinking about the option of buying a lot of land building a prefab home on it… Whatever we do, God needs to open the door wide and make it clear. We hope to have more clarity by Monday.  Thanks for sticking with us and praying!

Eric has shared a few really neat stories from their past two days.

This morning he went to see Mrs. S. (see previous blog entry, A Tree Grows in Ishinomaki).  He didn’t have her phone number, so just dropped by.  He was so surprised – thrilled! – when her daughter and granddaughter from Tokyo greeted him.  They had just arrived to spend the weekend with Mrs. S.  They had a wonderful reunion, before Eric had to return to helping one of the teams.

There is a YWAM team spending six weeks with the Be One team up there.  They are young, energetic, and amazing servants.  We’ve loved the stories we have heard of this team.  Eric said there are a lot of other volunteers up there this weekend — thirteen drove up from Osaka late last night in addition to others  — and the YWAM team cleaned the Be One house, made a huge dinner last night, and tonight again two big pots of chili.   Amazing servants!

We had heard two weeks ago about a disturbing incident that happened to one of these team members.  Somehow, while working on the second floor of a damaged home, a bowling ball dislodged from a box headed down the stairs and hit her hard in the head.  Several trips to the hospital and CAT scans did not help explain the severe headaches and recurring pain that has continued.  Finally her parents, back in the US, decided that it would be best for her to return to the US for medical attention.  When I talked with Jennifer, she was going to start looking for tickets.

Last night, after the team cleaned and made dinner, they were in the guest house having a time of worship and prayer.  As she was worshipping, she heard Jesus say, “I have just healed you.”  She realized her head ache — the pain – was completely gone.  Completely!  The team rejoiced, and went into the home where Eric and the others were able to join in the celebration.  She is still pain free- completely healed!  Only Jesus could do this.  Only Jesus.

Jonathan and Michiyo Straker are the other family who have been making plans to move to Ishinomaki.  They flew in from the US last week, and have been spending time with Michiyo’s family.  They arrived several days ago, and for the first time saw the house that Be One has helped them to purchase.  Jonathan realized that the house is in the very neighborhood where he had done relief work last summer, and one of the neighbors had taken him around and introduced him to all the people living there– the shopkeepers, neighbors, etc.  Isn’t that SO cool?  He had already met his new neighborhood and didn’t know it at the time!  Today the combined teams continued to work to get the Straker’s new home ready to be lived in when they come back down from Hokkaido with their three children.  Praying that God continues to prepare their way for their whole family in wonderful ways.  I love what Jesus continues to do.