Wollongong

Today is Monday, Day 7 of our survey trip. Tomorrow will be our last full day, and then Wednesday we the Grizzles head back to the US, the Griffiths to Canberra and beyond, and the Whaleys to sunny Queensland. Bring on the Sunshine State!

This morning we visited West Wollongong Primary school. This is a very small school of about 180 students. The administrative manager was so kind and gave us an informative tour. It was good for all of us to see a local school and be able to ask questions. Even though I went to school in Australia, I was schooled in Queensland, and I am sure we will discover differences between the systems. In fact, we already discovered one big difference. This is that non-Aussies must pay even for public schooling in the state of New South Wales (NSW), and it is quite a significant amount (about $4500 AUD per year). In fact it might even be possible to be educated in a private school for less money. Good to know!

We ventured into Sydney on Saturday. The weather was miserably cold and rainy. We still had a good time. I always love Sydney. It doesn't matter to me how many times I see the Opera House or the Harbour Bridge...I still love it. I love the cosmopolitan feel and the big-city-rush. But it sure is good to leave it behind, too. We visited the Rocks Markets which are set in an historical area of Sydney. That night, Binh Troung cooked us a wonderful Vietnamese meal and had invited about 6 friends over so we enjoyed fellowship with Aussies, Japanese, Filipinos and Chinese. The diversity here is just amazing.

We have enjoyed visiting with Christians and non-Christians. Yesterday we worshipped with 16 people in Windang (just south of Wollongong). The 16 includes children. I was encouraged greatly by their committment to God and to each other. I was especially encourage by our visit with several of the members at lunch and during the afternoon.



God is teaching us many things. We have found answers to many of our questions, but have also a whole new set of questions. I guess it is impossible to know everything.....I must pray for greater faith.

A highlight of our survey trip has been worshipping daily with our team. Singing and sharing and praying together. And of course, it is wonderful to finally be here in the Wollongong area and to experience for ourselves the sights and the people.

Here's a few pictures for you to enjoy.

Light

We had such a good send off from Park Ave Church. We were so encouraged as we walked out of Dana's sermon. (Ironically, he was talking about casting anxiety on the Lord from 1 Peter 5.) Thank you for the support and encouragement and teaching.



Today (Wednesday), the question was: How can I engage a total stranger in conversation?

We spent some time talking about what we were looking for in terms of what real estate agents could show us . . . but we couldn’t get them to show us anything. “Oh, that one’s about to be sold.” So we just drove to the addresses and took photos of the rent house and surrounds. We want to be prepared to rent when we first move to Wollongong, so we wanted to see what neighborhoods looked like and the typical house or apartment. The women (and baby, Jack) drove north and the men drove south. Us men saw houses (boring), but we also saw two boys throwing rocks or, hopefully, dirt clods at a minivan across the road. I yelled out the window at them: “Oi!” They looked at me. We drove on but I wanted to have a conversation with them. We were trying to find a pay phone so we could call a travel agent and say, “Meet us at the house on such and such,” but we couldn’t find a phone card. But, we found lunch in a little convenience store. The two men working there were cool. I wish we could have had a deeper conversation with them, but they had work to do and we had to go see some more neighborhoods. Then, we met the women back at the house on Smith Street. From there we drove up Mt. Kiera for a beautiful view of the city. We engaged a couple of older friends in some conversation. We were almost hurting ourselves laughing while taking our own picture. This new grandmother, Natalia, and her “friend,” Joseph, eventually offered to help. Joseph’s hobby is photography. He moved to Wollongong from Ireland several years ago. Jon and Sara were really good at engaging Natalia in conversation. Joseph was a little stand offish, but eventually we were all talking for a bit. “What’s your favorite thing about this city?” Natalia said, “Oh, the beaches!” Joseph said, “I’d have to say the harbor.” The harbor is old and rather small. There are still canons there from WWII, I think, and there are two lighthouses. The interesting thing about the lighthouses, I think, is that they no longer shine light into the darkness to save ships from destruction. They merely shine light on themselves as historical monuments. Isn’t that like God’s people? Sometimes we shine light on ourselves rather than piercing the darkness with the light of the world.

“You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)


After talking with the folks on the mountain and overlooking the city, we went to Wollongong University. We saw people from all sorts of ethnic backgrounds graduating. The University is set in the shadow of the mountain in the middle of a Eucalyptus forest (difficult to find, but thanks to Shawn’s navigation, we got there). We did find two young women, student workers, I think, and we said, “We’re here trying to see what this place is like and what goes on here. Where would you go and what would you do if you were us?” They answered pretty enthusiastically and seemed really glad to help us. “Go to the Uni Bar. But really classes start back Monday, so maybe come next week.” We will probably go back there and try to speak with more students and hopefully we can bond more with some students.

Well, we have prepared for spending most of the day today (Thursday), at the Macquarie School of Biblical Studies (MSOBS) annual lectureship. We’re excited about meeting some long-time brothers and sisters in the Sydney area. The lectureship takes place in a small building about the size of a four-bedroom house . . . in a city of 4.5 million souls. The churches of Christ form a small but strong group in the city. There will be a devotional at 10, Frank is doing something at 10:15, morning tea at 10:45, Dale Hartman is doing something at 11:00. Then we’ll have lunch, then Roy Courtney is doing something. I don’t know how the day will end, but we’ll probably leave there to do some shopping back in Wollongong and prepare for the next day here.

It might be a while before our next post. WiFi is hard to come by.

“Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.” (Romans 15:21)

Why Australia?

Saints and Supporters,

Thank you for sending us on this survey trip. We want to let you know some of the main questions we are seeking clear answers for in the next few weeks. Here they are:


Why Australia? Are people receptive to the Good News?

Why us? Is this the best place for our team to plant churches?

What's our plan? Why will it work?


We ask these questions because we want our future and the rest of the world's to be directed by God's desires and values. His Son, Jesus, is the reigning champion of the world! (even though people can't see that reality yet.) Blessed be your name now and forever. Amen.

In Him,
Jason & Nicole Whaley

Survey Trip Preparations

As I blog, Shawn and Kendra are en-route to Sydney via Denver and San Francisco. Jon, Sara, Jack, Jason and I will follow in their footsteps three days from now. It is hard to believe the time has come for 'the survey trip'. I've always used these words kind of loosely until now. Now they're much more meaningful to me, and this time next week, 'survey trip' will probably mean more than I can begin to imagine!

We feel as ready as we can. We are excited to know that we will have the opportunity to gather so much information while we are in Wollongong. We will meet with a real estate agent and make school visits, make price comparisons and so on. We will spend time visiting with the Christians who are already living and ministering in this area. But most exciting to me is the chance to talk to local people and gain some insight into their impressions and thoughts on God...spirituality...theology...to learn about their struggles...their needs...their day to day lives...

When we wrap up our survey trip on 7/19, Jason and I will fly to Brisbane to spend some time with my family. There have been some changes since we were there in July last year - my two nieces have grown so much, my sister got engaged, friends have had babies... We're excited to get 'caught up'.

I'll spend the next few days checking things off my 'to-do' list. I've decided that 'ready' is relative, and 'ready' or not, Sunday is just around the corner. Thanks for your prayers. We can't wait to share Wollongong with you!

whenever you wish (part 2)

We want to share some excerpts I just read the other day from Kevin's blog, http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/ . . . We know God hears what the poor have to say. If we listen, too, it might help us be of Christian help . . .

"There is indeed more to homeless people than being homeless.

Don't give money to panhandlers. More than likely they will use it for drugs or alcohol. If you want to help a homeless person, panhandler or otherwise, take the time to get [to] know the person and what they really need - and what will really be beneficial for them, and provide that instead.

Not all panhandlers are homeless, most homeless people do not panhandle."

In another place, Kevin says, "What can you do, fairly quickly, and cheaply, without much commitment to help the homeless? Read this post: Gift Bags for the Homeless," http://thehomelessguy.blogspot.com/2005/12/gift-bags.html

One day, we're going to really start putting God's Word into practice, serving others face to face rather than our mirror selves. " . . . doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing." James 1:25

jason (the mirrorman)

A needy plant

Can anyone help me save this plant. I need to know:




a) what kind of plant is it?
b) what does it need?

When we bought it...it had three stems. It now has just 1 healthy one (with significantly less leaves than it started with).

I know I need to repot it asap - but any other help would be appreciated.

And just for the record my other indoor plants are thriving!

whenever you wish

But Jesus said, " . . . you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish . . ." (Mark 14:3-9)

I always wondered what rule Jesus was telling us to keep with this. "Before you extend generosity to the poor make sure you don't have an opportunity to anoint me." Or maybe this was the rule: "Don't worry about trying to help the poor; they're too far gone; it's useless to try; just wait until I come in my Kingdom; then I'll take care of them."

Recently I realized Jesus wasn't the first one to make this observation about the poor always being among us and to give instructions on showing kindness to them. Apparently, Moses taught all the children this instruction/command. "Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."" (Deuteronomy 15:11)

Because the poor will always be with us, we need to keep our hands open. There is no 'if' the needy meet certain conditions . . . or 'only if' they are legitimately poor. Moses and Jesus make the statement that the poor are with us and our hands are open. Understood?

In actuality, however, the poor are actually quite distant from me. Also, my hands are closed. And I avert my eyes from the few who make it into the periphery of my vision.

I heard today that love is the expression of authentic human attention. If so, by ignoring those in my periphery, along the margins of my life, I am denying Jesus' clear command to love my neighbour.

The good news, though, is that the command is a promise that I will receive authentic human attention even though I don't deserve it. I thank God for those of you who have proven this promise to us.

Greetings from Abilene

We enjoyed our trip from Memphis to Abilene. The weather leaving Memphis was rainy and stormy. We were glad to leave that behind once we entered Arkansas. We spent the night in Greenville, Texas and then finished the drive to Abilene on Sunday morning. It is good to be here and be with Jason's family. We are able to relax and enjoy being together. Today we played tennis at ACU. So far Stephen is the champion. He is more resiliant to the dry Abilene heat than us Memphians. Ok...I am speaking for myself...the husband loves heat of any kind - dry or wet! I have become quite a creature of comfort since my Japan days. I can not forget laying on the futon and breathing mist or the ice on the bathroom floor in the winter. Nor the oppresive heat and humidity of the summer months (relentless from morning till night). I can't decide whether to call it a blessing that we can be so 'comfortable' in this country. I guess I wonder what the (longterm) costs of such comfort will be. That's a whole other tangent though...

We have also enjoyed time with Steven, Wendy and Matthew Gist. We were fellow AETS in Mito. It is wonderful to reconnect even after many years. Matthew is so cute and full of energy, and the Gists will soon welcome twins into their family! We really appreciate their friendship and their gentle, humble spirits.

Stay tuned for more on the Abilene Open and other happenings from the 'Big Country'.

Jonathan Alan Grizzle

Pictures: New Grizzle family; Grandma and Grizzles; Grandma and Nina; Jason with child ;-)

Jonathan Alan Grizzle was born yesterday, June 15th around 2:30am. Sara and Jon are proud parents for the second time. And rightly so. Jonathan is a good looking little boy, and Nina, now a big sister, is as cute as cute gets. She is full of personality and we anticipate that Jonathan will bring equal joy to those around him.

Still "green" at only 25 days old, Jonathan Alan will have passport in hand, and be on his way to Australia. Please remember the Grizzle family in your prayers as they adjust to being a family of 4, as they prepare to make this trip, and as they travel. Pray especially for the health and strength of Mom and Baby.

Welcome Jonathan Alan and Congratulations Grizzles!

Looking Back...

There's something so sweet about being reunited with friends. Jared and Jenny arrived safely from Oklahoma on Saturday night and we greatly enjoyed their company. Without any planning on our part, our apartment was a hub of activity all weekend. We're so thankful for our visitors! We shared many memories of Japan together, along with Rusty and Rachel Woods who have just returned from Mito, and who now live just two doors down from us. Those who have not lived in Japan might well have heard more than they ever cared to know about our time there. But it was good to laugh. And we laughed hard. I don't think the memories from our schools, apartments, church, language blunders and every day life in Japan will ever fade. I hope they will never be just 'distant memories'. Thanks Jared, Jenny, Rusty and Rachel for taking us back and making those memories so vivid. And thanks to the others who endured the stories and even laughed along with us!




I often regret not staying just that one year longer as AETS in Mito. For some reason, Jason and I, newly weds at that time, were eager to take on the world in a capacity outside of being an AET. I had been in Japan for three and a half years, and Jason for two. We left Japan 'wanting more' (of Japan). (which I still say is better than wanting less!). And after 3 months of visiting family and friends in Queensland, New South Wales, California, Oklahoma and Tennessee, we found ourselves back in the 'normal' world...looking for jobs and a niche. We didn't find it where we were looking and so set out for Tennessee drawn by the Campbells, the Graduate school and Park Avenue Congregation.



Three and a half years down the road, the pain and regret of wishing we had stayed 'just one more year' is lessened by the rich friendships we have formed since August 4th 2002, and by the continuation of friendships we left behind in a physical sense. We can't imagine our lives without those experiences and friendships from Japan. The same goes for our lives pre-Japan. Ditto for Memphis. And I have a hunch that we will look back and say the same for each place God takes us from here.

Thinking ahead...

A month from now, we will be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean...about ready to touch down in Sydney, Australia. We will miss out on July the 10th entirely. Mass transportation always strikes me as kind of strange. People from all over, in one place, going somewhere, for some reason - and wanting to be there yesterday!

I love flying into Sydney. The view of the harbour is spectacular. The Aussie pride swells in my heart when I catch a glimpse of the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. Its a beautiful city. One day soon we'll be calling this part of the world 'home'.

Its going to be a wild ride between now and July 9th. This weekend we will welcome Jared and Jenny into our home. It has been about 3 years since Jenny and I saw each other and will be the first time for Jason and Jared to meet. We are so looking forward to catching up with them before they make their journey back to the Northwest.

Next weekend we will take a road trip to Abilene to spend time with Jason's family. We're looking forward to seeing them and celebrating together Mother's and Father's day, our birthdays and Mom and Dad's 35th Anniversary. Thanks to Melissa, I have a feeling we're in for a great time of celebrating! Stephen has us lined up for a game of tennis and we might even have time for a movie or two.

A month after we get back from Australia, I will head to Vancouver for a 7 night Alaskan Cruise with Celebrity Cruise lines. It is a northbound cruise ending in Anchorage (Seward). A highlight will be a stop in Juneau where Shawn, Rachel and Carly Phelps live. We were neighbours and friends in Japan - I am so excited to see them again. Unfortunately Jason can't go because of school - but Christi Howard (a friend from Australia - who now lives in Georgia) will join me. Watch out Alaska!

Tampa, Florida is the destination for mid September. Our office will attend the Carlson convention there. It will be a short trip but will (hopefully) include a day at Disneyworld.

And then....(drumroll, please)....will bring October, and the much anticipated vacation for Jason and Nicole to Jamaica! We are SO excited. We hope to stay at a Sandals resort. The air is free! I don't get summers off like those lucky (and hard working) teachers...but I sure am thankful for these travel agent perks. They're really kicking in!

In between all these trips, I am hoping for some mega sales! :)

We had a wonderful weekend being able to relax with friends. Our team met on Monday for a cookout and meeting. We ate, and laughed, played games, and read stories. It was a good day.

Things are in high speed planning for our survey trip. We have so many things we would like to fit into 8 days - including our day of arrival. Please pray for our scheduling. We need wisdom to know what must be done, what can wait, and will need strength to accomplish all this while dealing with jetlag.

We have been blessed by the generosity of our home congregagation and another congregation in town. We are so humbled and thankful.

'Now to Him who is able to to do immeasureably more than all we ask or imagine...'

Hiking in Arkansas

I wish I could have joined Jason and Rex on their trip to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas. From the pictures, it looks beautiful, and like a welcome break from the city. Perhaps Jason will share more (perhaps a 'sermon'!) in another post...but here's just a glimpse of God's handiwork.

United...the friendly skies

Tonight I have renewed hope in the airline industry and in particular with United Airlines. Let's just say that prior to this evening, my dealings with United (particulary on long haul flights and dealing with them as a Travel Agent) have been less than desirable. Of course, we're all entitled to our own opinions, but unfortunately, a bad first experience is hard to forget. I'm all about second chances though. We purchased tickes on United to Australia this summer, and after tonight, I am almost positive that my future experiences with UA will be much more pleasant than in the past.

WHY this had to be done in the first place is far too complex for a blog entry...but in brief it had to do with the recent naturalization process and change of status/documents. Tonight, a very kind lady at the United Airlines ticketing desk in Memphis performed her part of a miracle. She changed the name on my ticket from Nicole Maree Lewis, to Nicole Maree Whaley. For those of your who work in the travel industry, you can appreciate what a miracle this is! And she did it for free. Yeah for United.

And tomorrow I will apply for my US passport. After we get back I will change the Australian passport. One day soon, I will be ALL Whaley and will never have to worry about how to issue my tickets again!




Thank you United!

Whose blog is this anyway?

My sincere apologies to my faithful 'lay' readers. While I was out the other day with a friend, my husband (without adult supervision) infiltrated our blog. Our blog has been theologically tainted!!! Now, I know that our blog title is 'JASON and Nicole', but you can probably tell that so far I, Nicole, have been the blogger...blogging about...well....stuff. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy thinking about spiritual things, and think that theology is important. But really, Dear, a sermon? On the blog??? I know this post was probably a welcome change for all you grad school students. But fear not, ladies, I'm back with my 'stuff'....

29 Years

Yesterday I celebrated my 29th birthday. I love birthdays and hope I will continue to love them even as the number increases. It was a busy day. Jason preached out at Kirby Pines Retirement home early in the morning, and then we enjoyed worship time at Park Avenue. We spent the afternoon at a work picnic in Arlington. Our manager has just moved into a 100 year old home out there and we all wanted to check it out as well as be able to spend time together out of the office. It was a great time. The house is gorgeous. Jason played horseshoes with Reese, while I sat on a swing on the porch sipping sweet tea. This 'southern lifelstyle' could really grow on me! We wrapped up the evening with a 3 person birthday celebrating with friends from Park Avenue.

I am thankful for my life. For my family, friends, experiences, health, and the blessings of my job. I am thankful that God loves me. I pray that the rest of the years of my life will be a testimony to His love and grace and mercy.

Good thing I'm a Christian

You scored as Christianity. Your views are most similar to those of Christianity. Do more research on Christianity and possibly consider being baptized and accepting Jesus, if you aren't already Christian. Christianity is the second of the Abrahamic faiths; it follows Judaism and is followed by Islam. It differs in its belief of Jesus, as not a prophet nor historical figure, but as God in human form. The Holy Trinity is the concept that God takes three forms: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Ghost (sometimes called Holy Spirit). Jesus taught the idea of instead of seeking revenge, one should love his or her neighbors and enemies. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to save humankind and forgive people's sins. Christianity 79% Judaism 50% Paganism 42% Islam 42% Hinduism 38% Buddhism 33% Satanism 21% agnosticism 17% atheism 4% Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com

In reality, it is not simply my philosophical leanings that make me a Christian. God wants all of me, not just my doctrinal positions.

It is interesting, though, how our doctrinal positions affect the whole offering we bring to God. Doctrinal misunderstandings often lead to moral confusion. Many gods lead to disunity. Nationalistic Christian philosophy marginalizes people of other races and religions. And separation of "the spiritual" from "the physical" leads to greed, adultery, and over-eating. The Corinthians, for example, were way off in their doctrine of the resurrection (cf. chapter 15). They didn't believe Jesus was raised bodily, nor that they would be. Paul gets pretty excited about the fact that their conclusion would lead to grim consequences that I have summarized: 1) the 500+ people claiming to witness Christ's resurrected body are the most immoral and successful liars in all history, 2) sin and death are permanent, and 3) there is no hope in an afterlife even if you think somehow the soul is immortal. (15:1-19) In other words, if no resurrection, then faith is futile.

But Paul assures the Corinthians that Christ has actually been raised from the dead and that his resurrection is directly connected to their own fate! (15:20)

There are really only three significant points in history: 1) Creation, 2) Christ's Cross/Resurrection, and 3) The destruction of all Christ's enemies, including death, and the general resurrection of all who belong to Christ. (15:20-26)

Christ will hand the Kingdom over to God the Father who will then be "all in all". (15:24, 27-28)

I believe that this doctrinal position would have affected the whole offering that the Corinthians would bring to God. First of all, they may have realized that even without holding an accurate doctrinal stance on the most basic Christian teaching (i.e., the resurrection), God and his agent, Paul, recognized them as saints with all the rest whose Lord is Jesus Christ! Why?Because they "were called into the fellowship of God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:1-9). So, thankfully, I don't need to be rebaptized now that reading the Bible has shifted my "afterlife" paradigm.

Second, God has also shifted my "beforedeath" paradigm. God wants to redeem our entire existence--body, spirit, psyche, mind, heart, vocation, vacation, time, possessions, money . . . We, like the Corinthians, like to think in terms of a physical/spiritual dichotomy. We don't think God needs to redeem our destructive physical habits and attractions because we think our bodies aren't eternal anyway. But the use of our possessions affects our "treasure in heaven", so the use of our bodies and minds, etc. will also affect whether we remain to be people who belong to Christ and therefore have the hope of being raised imperishable (15:52).

Third, Christ showed that he can deal with death by destroying it. Death is clearly a tragedy. But Christ will destroy death in the end. So, since we are between the two most important point in history (Christ's resurrection and our own), we can feel free to mourn over loss. But we also long to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling (2 Cor 5:2) while we wait for the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:23) and the new heavens and earth where righteousness is at home (2 Peter 3:13).

It's a good thing to be a Christian, but it requires everything, including our bodies.

Posted by Jason

A visit from Stephen

We love it when Jason's brother, Stephen comes to visit us from Abilene. He brings us out of our 'Amish' life! We see movies, eat at Red Lobster, Cold Stone and enjoy being together. He is good company and makes us laugh a lot. We're thankful he likes road trips and is happy to endure the 10 or so hours it takes to get to Memphis from Abilene.

H.O.O.D Garage Sale

Saturday was the first event for a new organization called H.O.O.D, which stands for Harding Organization for On-Campus Development. We're thankful especially for Chris and Danielle Shrock's initiative in getting this off the ground...and for their drive to make the Garage sale a success. It was a fun time working together with our neighbors.

We we blessed with so many donations for the sale (thanks to our donators!)...and with perfect Garage sale weather.




I think it was a great success for our first time. The proceeds will be used items benefitting on campus residents. Maybe a covered bicycle rack...laundry room upgrades...etc etc...

Most importantly the HOOD brings together on-campus residents here at HUGSR and gives us a deeper sense of community.

There's a number of one and two bedroom apartments, and townhouses available. Come join the H.O.O.D!

'Jya Ne' not 'Sayonara'

On Friday night, we said goodbye to the Kaneda family. Jason took them to the airport on Saturday morning. We enjoyed a relaxing meal together at El Porton's Mexican restaurant. Tomoka was well behaved, happy and a good entertainer for us. She was styling' with her sunnies...





She held our hand and wanted to sit on my lap. She instructed Jason on his driving...'Green - GO!' and 'Red - STOP!'. Perhaps we succeeded after all in making her bilingual in just three weeks! When we all hugged goodbye, Tomoka directed the hugs...She said, 'Next Daddy hug Jason...next Mommy hug Nicole'. It was hilarious!

We have already heard from them that they arrived safely in Nagoya. Katsuyuki is already back at work and we hope that all three of them get rested and back to Japan-time quickly.

We believe we will see them again. Perhaps in Japan next time. We would like to do a tour of Japan between the US and Australia when we finally head that way. We have many friends we'd like to reconnect with. (Yes - Campbells - Hitachi is definltey on the list!)

It is not easy to send friends off to the other side of the world. I appreciate our families who have allowed us to leave them. And I am thankful for email and internet and weblogs that allow us to keep in touch the way we do. To the Kanedas we didn't say 'Goodbye or Sayonara'...just 'Jya-ne or See you later!'

Certified and Naturalized

Um...I wonder if this is legal?

Jason and Tomo-chan

Backing up to before we left for California, we were able to enjoy more quality time with the Kanedas. They came over for Sunday lunch. It was nice enough to eat and play outside.

After visiting us on Saturday evening, Akiko and Katsuyuki let Tomoka watch the video they had taken at our house that night. Much to our delight, her parents reported that Tomoka said over and over again, 'I want to play with Jason and Nicole'. How sweet she is!

Tomo-chan is always so shy with Jason at first. But once she gets comfortable, she's 'all-about-Jason'. She runs after him and every trick or game he plays is followed with a 'mou ikkai yatte' ('do it again!') from Tomo.

What a blessing she is to us!

Reflections

A little more news from our California trip. We really enjoyed our time at Pepperdine. We saw friends from around the world who we had not seen in years. Some we had last seen four years ago, others seven years ago.

For those of you who have been to the Pepperdine campus, you know the beauty I talk about. It is literally carved into a cliff. To quote one man, 'you have to be a mountain goat to get around'. He is right. Don't forget anything from your dorm, or leave something down in the main auditorium!

Our dorm room had a sweeping view of the Pacific ocean, and the campus is covered with trees, plants and flowers which are common in Australia. It was so wonderful to walk outside and breathe the sea air and smell familiar smells, like eucalyptus. For many reasons, I feel closer to home (Australian home) in LA...after all it is just 14 hours over that ocean.



One time we flew into LA and from our plane (while still flying) we could see a Qantas jet about to land. It is always a little strange to see the red-kangaroo-tailed planes there knowing they have just delivered hundreds of Aussies to the US that morning, or will be taking many home in the evening. I certainly don't feel homesick these days, and I am so happy to call America home at this time, but there's just something about those familiar sights, sounds and smells from down under.

Speaking of that part of the world - we gathered with several on Thursday evening at an 'Asia Pacific Missions Interest' meeting. It was exciting to visit, share and pray with others who feel a burden to the continued spread of the Good News in this part of the world.



And it would be a shame not to mention the culinary delights of a place like Malibu. We enjoyed some fantastic seafood. King crab legs (I have not had crab like this in so long...mmmm), shrimp, great fish.... For those of you who might think I am a petite and controlled eater, you would be shocked to see how I can pack away the seafood. It shocked my husband the first time he saw me effortlessly eat an entire crab in Hokkaido, Japan. But he sure can pack it away, too:



Ok...let's be fair...we split this 6 ways. But this was a SINGLE serving of chocolate cake! Unbelievable!

Proud to be an American

May 1st was a special day for our family. I was sworn in as an American Citizen along with 203 others in a Naturalization Ceremony in downtown Memphis. I was honoured by the presence of several friends - thanks Justin, Larry Arick, Natalie and Shawn, and of course my dear husband (without whom this would not have been possible...you know the whole marriage thing...)

Celebrations began on Sunday at the Blands who had plannned a surprise party for me. It was so awesome to be honoured like that. They went all out with red, white and blue decorations from the mailbox and all throughout their home and everyone even wore red, white and blue colours! 'Bland Sundays' have become such a highlight of our time in Memphis. Thanks, friends!






Back to the actual day...it was a really neat ceremony, complete with the Navy band to provide music which stirred the heart! The guest speaker, who was also being naturalized was from Brisbane, Australia, so that was an unexpected treat.

It is certainly a blessing and an honour to be an American Citizen. Of course, it does mean that I can no longer use the line, 'Sir, I'm not an American' on corporate clients who are irritated that I don't know how to spell Roanoke, or know which state it is in... I'll have to come up with some other excuse now.

My naturalization certificate had a little glitch though - it did not get signed by the director of Homeland Security. So I had to make two extra trips to their office to get that taken care of...that is always a treat! It is all taken care of though. Most of our pictures turned out a little dark - here's one though of me at the ceremony.

Oh say can you see....the new American among us....

Greetings from Malibu, California

We're greatly enjoying the Pepperdine Lectures. What more could you ask for - we're on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, enjoying classes and speakers, singing and fellowshipping. We've reconnected with folks from Japan, Australia and from thoughout the US. We've also been acquainted with new friends from all over this country and the world. I can't help but dream a little of just how wonderful heaven will be.

The lectures will be over tonight and we will head to Marina del Ray to stay with Glen, Charla and Sienna Brown. These are friends I've known from Wynnum congregation, Griffith University and Ochanomizu congegation in Tokyo. I wonder if they've caught on that I'm following them yet?

Here's some pictures of people and places.....


What a view!



Jason and Tadayoshi Aikawa from Tokyo, Japan



Yukikazu's father Shiro Obata was honoured at this years lectures for his years of Christian service in Ochanomizu and Haruna, Japan



Here we are with Yukikazu Obata - preacher at Mito congregation, Ibaraki, Japan

Catching you up...

It will take several posts to fill you in on whats been going on. I wanted to take a minute to share with you an exciting Aussie Mission Team development. Jon, Sara and baby Grizzle will be joining us on our survey trip in July to Wollongong, NSW. The Grizzles have been dialoguing with us about Australia and joining in on our team meetings and devotionals and planning for a couple of months now. Last week they committed to coming with us to survey Wollongong! We thank God for this progress. While the Grizzles are not committed yet to our team, we praise God for their desire to serve God and to consider being partners with us in ministry to Australia. We will miss little Nina, who will enjoy about 10 days with grandparents while her Mom, Dad and newborn brother (due June 15th) will be down under.



Please remember the Grizzles in your prayers - especially for the arrival of a healthy son.

Another team blessing has been the opportunity to meet some extended family members. We enjoyed time with Shawn's Mom and brother, Jake. Of course we always enjoy time with Kendra's sister, Jane. I know she is a blessing to the Griffiths...she is a model Aunt! I'm thankful for these opportunities which bring another dimension to our team relationships.