I'm so sleepy

One of my Professors in Seminary Pastor Ray Snook always told us men to take care of our health. It bothered me but he would carry on about men in the ministry will quickly be stumbled or hindered from all the things they want to do and be limited from what they can do by bad health. He'd say, "Men get out and walk. It'll do ya good and you can talk to Jesus while you do it." He was right. My memory, health, and other things have led to the need to have a sleep test. I snore and deprive my head of Oxygen. I am always sleepy. I was caught by Mihoko a few weeks ago dosing off at the stop light. So a first preliminary test shows that I woke up 12x every hour a night. I am practicing for the cat-napping Olympics. So I went down and did the more thorough sleep test at the clinic. It was fun in some ways. I had my own private room which I haven't had for the two years moving here. There were so many wires. I felt like a puppet. Anyway, I'll know more next week. God bless and keep praying for us.

PS. I had to remove the picture due to the ugly nature. I was grossed out by me.

Goodbye to the Guerra Family

They are PCSing back to the US and have been great friends to hang out with and worship God together. Pray for their adjustment back into US culture and the transition and all. We had a great time at an all you can eat pasta place called. It was called "Modern Pasta" they are all over Japan and you get a bowl of pasta and the pizza is all you can eat. I was a good boy and watched others pig out. Although, I was caught sneaking in the only piece of desert that was ordered. It was embarrassing too as we were all getting up ready to go and I had forgot about the desert then the waiter comes running out and says wait you forgot your desert. 14 people all looked at me at once knowing who would order the desert. I should never tell others I'm on a diet. BTW, it was fabulous. I have no clue what it was but it was tiny and tasted like whipped jello with a raspberry jamb sprinkle on top. It looked healthy anyway. Now my conscience is clear and we can move on. We had great fellowship and our kids just love their kids. It was funny to see that their older daughter Isabele and our niece Yurika hit it off with some hand clap/slapping game that only girls in High School could ever do. It was too funny. The Guerra's are heading back to Las Vegas Nevada but are originally from California. In fact, Johnny and I were at rival high schools. I went to Cerritos High and he went to Artesia High. Go Don's. I was always embarrassed by our school mascot. Some were Eagles, or Bulldogs, or gladiators. We were the Don's I think it was supposed to be Don Quixote (SP) but he looked more like Zorro. So our hero has a 1970s ruffled unbuttoned shirt down to the belly button and wears tights. It works if you live in Hollywood or San Francisco but Cerritos? Anyway, did I digress. The Guerra's leave Saturday. Keep in the Word guys and may God bless you as you go we are sure going to miss you. Love you all and come back and see us sometime.

Saying Goodbye to Old Things

Here are a few last shots of the Restaurant our family had in Riverside. It was a great place with lots of great memories. Many people were initiated into the wonderful world of sushi here. It was called Akina Sushi Teppan. Teppan is the art of culinary creativity twirling knives and building onion volcano's and flipping egg onto peoples faces all the while cooking to perfection prime rib steak and seafood. We will miss Akina. Let's have a moment of Chopstick silence in remembrance of all the food flipped onto the floor by inexperienced restaurateurs attempting to pacify their hunger with loosing their lunch over the edge of the table. Many fingers were strained at the notion of a perfect piece of prime rib landing in the lap of disgrace as the fingers would malfunction causing the chop sticks to drop their prize. It was funny to watch many a mouth wide open waiting with anticipation the portion of pleasure only to be slammed shut with disappointment and dispare watching things roll across the floor or onto someone else plate. Sayonara Akina rest in peace.

We are in Japan but it felt like Fashion Island

In Iruma there is the Mitsui Outlet park that has a Costco and a mall with lots of stores. It is kind of surreal as we walk around browsing eating a Costco $1 ice cream cone and enjoying the Spring temperature. Mihoko and I both had weird moments of feeling like we were back in Newport Beach walking around Fashion Island. We ran into many foreigners and talk to some. It could be a fascinating book on how so many diverse people are living in Japan. It was a fun evening and all.

Turn on your brain

An advertisement for a bank indicating that using their services will switch their brain on. I liked this picture as it reminded me of the way the world molds and shapes us. It is like we check our brains at the door and allow others to turn switches on in our heads. In sharing the gospel there is a pleasant face to hear and smile and accept the words being spoken but somehow It can feel like the switch to conscience has been turned off. Oh that Jesus would turn the minds and hearts of the Japanese people to him. Wouldn't it be cool if missions work were as easy of walking up to people and switching their worldly minds off.

Matt 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Luke 8:35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Eph 4:22 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

Phil 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Fliers away

For the last few days we have been going to the train station to pass out fliers for our ESL class. Mihoko's Dad helped me a lot. Today my kids came out and took some pictures of us. It can be a challenge to hand out the fliers at one point I thought the pigeon might take one but even he passed me by. We were successful in getting a few out. My Father-in-law was really good at this. Rachel even got into it. She was really good. The girls would shout KAWAIIIIII and it didn't matter what she handed them they would take it. I am going to take Rachel with me from now on. Monday we had a politician come out and stand near us shouting slogans. Today we had a group of JW's that stood near by as well. No wonder people don't like to take fliers it because they are all fliered out. I mean at most of the train stations you will have cell phone companies and rental agencies and language schools and all kinds of companies fishing for prospects. Pray we will penetrate the status quo and gain a few. Pray for us to do more out reach by just hanging out at the station getting to know people and sharing.

The East side of our building

The East side of our building looking out over the 7th floor is beautiful. The Japan Air force has not developed this area of green that used to be apart of the old Johnson Air Base. I guess it was where the high school field used to be but don't really know. I just see the football uprights and guess that. Japanese Schools don't have US style goal posts. There are lots of interesting animals that roam around here too. I really love Japan it is such a beautiful place to live. Nothing like I imagined it to be. I see the glory of the sunrise and know that God is as faithful here as he is anywhere else on this globe. The interesting thing for me lately is that the Sun comes up at about 4am here so quiet times are different here. Still a blessing to spend time with the Lord. Pray for my neighbor who came out and worshiped the sun as I took these pictures at 5am. I hope to talk to him about his ritual. I was just as startled as he was too. I was worshiping God but not the Sun yet it was weird as he came out of his apartment clapped his hands and bowed to the sun. That was it. Pray he will see the creator of the Sun and worship him.

Parasol in windstorm motainai

Update on the parasol. It was left outside and a windstorm came and thrashed it against the building breaking it. We were so sad but God gave us peace in the midst of the storm to just trust him and try to fix our parasol.

New Parasol and flowering trees

Spring is here and we are loving it. The trees are blooming like crazy and the flowers are awesome. I took a 20 foot tall tree down to 10 and thought it would never survive but it came back fast. The big flowers are amazing like some kind of Hawaiian thing. I took Horticulture in High School but never saw this before. Any ideas what it is? The Mothers Sakura are so beautiful.

Mihoko and I were browsing a local recycle shop and they had this almost new parasol for a killer price. We had priced one locally and this was more than half off. We'd like to get one more and a BBQ. Your all invited to our first Summer BBQ whenever that is I'll let you know BYOBeef LOL. Mugicha is on us see you there.

The tape wasn't my idea...really

I am desperate for a plumber. We just need the correct parts. Someone came and said they can make it work with a roll of vinyl tape. I am game for anything. As water dripped and then began to spray we decided that wasn't going to work. The sink was out of a kindergarten and was much lower. I just need a transducer to exend it to the floor and something to shrink the hole? I don't have a clue what I am doing. But sink does work and the side urinal is dime on. Now if we can get the door I could use it.

View from the 7th floor

We moved to the 7th floor of the 10 building in the Ekimae plaza apartments. As you can see we have a lot of buildings in our view and if you look hard enough at the first one you can see Mount Fuji in the background next to the skyscraper parking lot. Yes that is a parking garage for a bank. You still can see the mountains and the Sunset is priceless.

Nathan's Birthday celebration continues Yummy

Sachiko has a daughter Maiyumi, that is an up & coming bakery chef and she is good at her craft. She hand made the cake and decorated it her self. There was layers of fruit in side that was absolutely delightful and Bavarian cream with the icing on top was fascinating as it looks so real but was just gelatin and sugar. The Bedow family was there to celebrate with us and the Hori's as well. We all enjoyed the feast. Notice the family resemblance between Nathan and his grand dad (Oji san)? Grandpa is 72 but he don't look or act like it. Thank you Maiyumi San God bless you.