Welcome to ITO NEWS

After being in 10 different countries since we left the US, we are thankful to be in Japan! We are thankful for the prayers of so many that have kept us safe and given us a blessed time. We are staying in Akihiro's brother's home which is in downtown Tokyo and right next to his parent's home, so it is very nice (despite the scenic view of electrical wires and concrete!). We did find an apartment and are very thankful as it is in a more residential location--most of the houses around are only 2 stories! The apartment is actually the second story of a house, so it has many windows--even a window with a view in front of my kitchen sink! Hopefully we'll have pictures soon. It is about 200 meters to a walking path along the river that will take me near the Klaus home (another American family living in Japan)! It is just what we need! We plan to move this coming weekend. I also got a cell phone--what a blessing that Akihiro is just a call away if I need help! I feel like a child who cannot read--everything is in kanji symbols. Yes, sometimes I just keep pressing buttons til something starts working!

Thanks again for all your prayers! We certainly cannot make this journey without God's help!

Sorry the blog update is so late in coming! I will try to do better!

Also, we have a Skype number that is transferred to my cell phone. If you should want to call, just remember that we are 14 hours ahead of Illinois time! The number is 309 740 1599. We'd be glad to talk to you! Hopefully I can update the rest of the web site soon!

This morning the sun is shining and the birds are singing! I am so thankful for the quiet place we have--but more than that--I am thankful for the quietness I feel in my heart, knowing that the Holy Spirit lives in our home and in our hearts here in Japan, just as he did in the U.S!

On Tuesday, I went to the grocery store and bought most of the food items I need. I am thankful that many things look similar to Japanese foods I used at home, but it still takes me a while to figure things out--much different than going to Aldi's and tossing everything into my cart! That night I was able to cook a "real meal"--rice, miso soup, salad, seasoned chicken, Japanese style squash, and an Asian pear for dessert (their fruit is delicious!). After supper, we--after over a month of being unsettled--resumed our routine from Tremont. We read a story from the Bible story book, 3 questions from Bible Trivia, and sang a hymn at Akihiro's electronic piano! It felt like we christened the place!

Yesterday I dug in and washed all the dishes and started scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing! It is fun to see how much better it looks and smells! My battle with mold and musty smells has begun--the damp weather really promotes these!

Today Akihiro goes to the notary to set up his company--Family Medicine, LTD. This company will cover a broad spectrum--workshops, provide support through preceptorship to the hospital in Kofu, and hopefully many other avenues. It is a big step, but we feel that the Lord is opening up the way for us. Being his own businessman will hopefully let him work from home more and be flexible so that he can help me and help the church.

I am thankful for how big my kitchen is! The refrigerator is probably about 2/3 of an American size, so I am glad I am a 5 min. walk to the grocery store!

With high speed internet, I am now enjoying much easier downloading for pictures, but also better Skype communication! I no longer have to hold my computer up in one hand as high as I can hold it to try to catch a signal--"Hello, hello--can you hear me now?!" I move to another corner of the living room--" How about now?" With this high speed, I can do dishes and talk to my family! It is so cute to hear the little voices of my neices and nephews crystal clear!

This is our street! It is very narrow and short, but is very quiet! Many of our neighbors are elderly.

This is the view out my kitchen window. Behind those trees are the emperor's cemetary. The bike path which goes along the river is between our place and those trees.

This is our living room. I am thankful for Akihiro's digital piano and Kay's futon sofa. I'm not sitting around too much yet, but think a nap on the sofa on a sunny day sounds delightful!

Once I get my kitchen cleaned up (I'm too lazy to dry those dishes tonight!), I'll post a picture of that!

Here's an outside shot--we are on the second floor!

Today we had our annual communion service at the Shioda church. It was a very special day and I feel even more a part of the church family there. After the 12-15 members partook, we greeted eachother--a very special custom that I (tearfully) was a part of. We were blessed to have Mark and Bev Bahr (Mark is our counseling elder) here for the service. We had been reminded that this group of believers has very little in common except the most important thing--Jesus Christ. Thanks so much for those who remembered our service in prayer.

I was thankful to have had an experience in Hawaii that made me realize again how much I need the Lord. I am almost embarrassed to mention it, but not having access to email or the internet or phone (easily and cheaply) to have contact with family and friends made me feel isolated and made me draw closer to God. I am thankful that He and His love (shared by those who know Him) is not bound by time or distance. This experience made Communion more meaningful as I thought of the isolation the Lord felt as He bore our sins.

On to less serious things...
I am writing this in the lobby of the Isawa Hotel as that is where we get wireless service. It is Sunday night and the hotel is full. Coming from the onsen area is a man's voice singing--oops, there goes the hotel manager to take care of that! There are people coming in and out of the onsen in the hotel provided kimono-style pajamas. It is an interesting experience!

Well, it is Monday morning and we stayed at the hotel last night. It was nice to see the friendly smiles of the staff again! Before our room got messed up I took a picture last night--also one of our breakfast. I am not sure what Flat Stanley thinks about Japanese food--he just keeps smiling! The server of our breakfast sure thought he was cute! I think he might like it so well here in Japan, that he won't want to go back to Logan's class! We'll see!

We had our annual business meeting at church yesterday. How interesting to see--we all just sat around the table and decided things like collections, sunday school teachers, trustees, etc. The only 3 brothers were elected (again!) for one year terms as trustees, Akihiro will help Bro. Toru with Sunday school. This makes him song leader, trustee, and song leader! The biggest discussions, though, centered around how our church handles funerals for the members/faithful friends and the possibility of remodelling/rebuidling of our church. Interestingly enough, sometimes the family and neighbors of these believers are so strong that there is a Buddhist funeral for them. We are prayerfully and carefully trying to figure out how to approach this situation. We would appreciate your prayers in both of these matters!