t the time of writing this, tomorrow we will be leaving our home for the past eight years in Sanda and driving up to Ishinomaki – our family of six, our dog Molly, two parakeets, one turtle, and two friends!  (We will be driving two cars- a friend’s car that needs to get up there).  It should be a memorable twelve-hour adventure! I have never driven twelve hours straight- especially not tired as I am now- Eric and I would both appreciate your prayers.  Friends from the community are coming to see us off, in Japanese fashion- I know there will be a lot of tearful goodbyes.

The home we will be living in for the next few months is in the school district where we plan to send our children.  We are still pursuing purchasing property (five minutes from this home) and building a pre-fab home and volunteer center if nothing else surfaces in the next week.  We are thankful for your prayers.

Moving is always exhausting.  I am entirely emotionally and physically exhausted.  Because we have not had a permanent home to move into, we realized that we cannot hire a moving company to move our things. 

And with our March schedule including a 5 day-retreat and meetings with our mission in the mountains, two trips by Eric up to Ishinomaki, and end of school activities for our children, we didn’t know how everything would happen.  But God did!  For one, he sent us the gift of Shirley M. for two weeks… a friend from Hawaii who came and served our family by helping with our packing, laundry, and cleaning during these crazy times.  What an amazing gift!  We have also been blessed beyond measure by the loving support of our community who have helped us in so many ways.  We have seen the goodness of God through the people He has brought our way.  

Now we have to say goodbye to them….Tonight Owen said, “Goodbyes are hard.” He hasn’t said much, but we can tell he, and the other children, are feeling this.  Praying for the Comforter to come along side us in the car tomorrow!