Tidbits of our Lives

I have tried for the last week to write a new post and attach a slide show to it. I have given up. For some reason it is not working. This morning, Saturday the 12th (I think), Japan had a major earthquake at 8:43 in the morning. It was the largest one I felt during my awake hours. We are OK. In Iwaki, there was no damage done. Just a bit of shaking. There was one man killed in Iwaki as a result of the earthquake; he was fishing on the ocean side and a big rock fell over and crushed him. That was the only casualty in our area.

Garden News:
Masato takes great delight in looking at our veggie patch every morning. The tomato plants are very tall. They stand up to my shoulders. We are proud "parents" of one little bitty green tomato, about five or six zucchini, and the cucumbers are now blooming, with two shapes that promise to be cucumbers. He is just now realizing that we could get many zucchini, and is surprised by the quantity we could get from two plants. The eggplants haven't blossomed yet, but there are many buds. The zucchini leaves don't look healthy. If anyone has suggestions, I am interested in some assistance.

Lighthouse News:
Our friend Junko has been going to church with another one of our friends, Orie. About two weeks ago, Junko made a statement that she believes in Jesus Christ and God. Hallelujah! It is exciting to see friends accept Jesus, and to see their enthusiasm.

Nina is in Norway for the next two months as her sumer vacation.

I am excited about next week's Saturday night event: a potluck party. I cannot wait to see what people will bring.
On the 28th of this month, I am hosting a bridal shower for one of our faithful volunteers, Tomoko. Her wedding is on Ocean Day, the 21st of July.

Our News:
Masato has another opportunity to perform in Tokyo in July. This time it is a one time event. It is a jam session; an experience he hasn't had. He is pretty excited and unsure about this opportunity.

I started the process of obtaining my japanese driver's license. I completed step one yesterday; maiing a copy of my drivers license, and other documents to JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) to translate my American license into Japanese. The next step, which is about one month from now, I take some private driving lessons, and then off I go for a written and a driving test. I would appreciate prayer that this process is fairly painless and that I only have to take the test once. Usually, from what i have heard, Americans take this test about three times before passing.

And that is the news from Iwaki, Japan.