Its the 23rd already? what??

So i realized today its been a long time since we updated. And we have done a lot too. Including my birthday and christmas parties. All without posting a picture. We don't have too many, but for all of your sakes, we will share a few images from our busy, busy month.

We will start with my (amber's) 22nd birthday.

(From the left: Karina, Fardin, Meri, Me, Koudai, Haruki)

I started the day off going to work, and was suprised around lunch time. The kids (and their moms, and rusty) all threw me a party with a big cake! Its about an hour and fifteen mins to commute to the preschool, so i was pretty amazed to see rusty at the school. And it was a real blessing to have the moms of these little guys come too. They are really sweet and they even made me a card.


Rich and Candice gave me the rest of the day off, so rusty took me out to dinner in Shinjuku! We went to this great place named Mokuola (pictured above lol) and we got some awesome burgers and fries. We also go to know our waiter a bit. He spoke great english, so we have a few short conversations with him when he could spare a moment (it was pretty packed)

We then closed the night with some coldstone. They sang us a special welcome to tokyo song and everything.
It really was such a wonderful birthday and i feel so blessed to have such a wonderful husband to spend it with. The Lord is blessing us way more than we deserve or could have asked for.

Next up was the Tokorozawa WeGoEigo Christmas party. The picture is Mike and Jiai sharing the christmas story to the kids in full details. They don't really know much about christmas other than santa, jingle bells and special (really expensive and tiny) christmas cakes. So we wanted them to know the christmas story and also ended with the easter story. Pray that these kids will remember in their hearts as they grow older.

Lets see what next?


Taco Rice!
We totally got blessed by a family in the church with some taco seasoning and fixings, so we got right to making our "Okinawan soul food". Taco rice is always a welcome site in our house. (and you can see our christmas tree, just barley in the background! That was ALSO a gift from another family from the church! [also note the box of ornaments, still left unhung. we'll get to that christmas eve hahaha])

Just last saturday we went a few stops away to Tachikawa with a few people from the church and saw the Christmas Illumination. It was cold, packed and shiny but a good time. Lots of lights and some beautiful fireworks to end the evening.

This whole display is all champagne glasses with lights under it. Pretty cool huh?


_______________________________

Well again, im sorry for the delay, but for now this is Merry Christmas and Happy New year. Keep looking at Jesus for 2010!

-The Spearmans

Kitchen and Rooms Video

I got the video for the kitchen and rooms.

Once again, thank you so much everyone who is praying for us. The Lord has been so faithful to provide for every need that we have, both physical and spiritual. Thank you.

I'll try to post up other events soon!

House!

Hey everyone! I have so much to say and it seems so little time.

I threw together a quick video to show the outside of our house, I should be updating soon with the inside, with all of our new household things inside!

Also, I have some pictures of some Christmas events that have happened, I'll try to get those up soon too.

Quick Update!

Hey everyone, just wanted to give a real quick update on things (sorry I didn't have time to get pictures up, but hopefully tomorrow I can post em up.)

So, by God's grace, we got the free-standing house for rent! We were/are in the process of getting everything moved over and getting all of the small things that are needed for daily living. We were surprised when we realized that it just seems like there's a million different things you need to buy for convenience when you move into a new place (tape, band-aids, silverware, dishsoap and sponges, towels, bathroom stuff, everything that you *can't* think of when you are shopping for it ;) ).

For a quick update on our weekly schedule (rough update), We Go Eigo Fuchu (English school across town) we go to five times a week. I go monday and wednesday and Amber goes Tues, thurs and fri. We both have We Go Eigo Tokorozawa classes during the times we have off from Fuchu as well. I attend a pastor's devotion on Tuesday morning and Amber attends the Women's Wednesday on a Weekday (I just right now named it that, it's still unofficial though). Saturday nights we have Koinonia Klub, and Sunday we both are in weekly schedules for helping with kid's church.

Also, We'd like to sincerely thank all those who have put Amber and I up into a place and have helped us out - as far as actual housing goes. Don't worry we are also sincerely thankful for different kinds of support that others have given as well. But right now we would like to mention my parents, Pastor Tommy and Pastor Travis for specifically putting us up into a place until the Lord moved us into our own.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support, please, please continue to pray for us!

Again, this was somewhat of a quick update, I'll try to post back within the next day or two WITH pictures! Thanks everyone!

November fly-by!

Well November has been a busy month!
We've been staying busy at the church in Tokorozawa and we've been sharpening our ABC's down in Fuchu!
Starting a few weeks ago, even rusty has been heading down to the preschool once a week to help out with the classes. Wednesday is now his day on, and my day off. Also it gives me the opportunity to attend the women's fellowship at CCT. It' all in Japanese, but its a great way to hone my "Japanese ears" and get to know the ladies from the church better.

It's starting to get pretty cold around here too, but no snow. It's pretty rare to get snow, but not unheard of, so we'll see what Christmas brings us. Along with December brings us a big step. We found an apartment (right next to the church) and will move in on the 1st! Here are a few pictures from the inside.

Thats dining room/kitchen (sorry we couldnt get the whole thing in one picture)

And thats the kitchen (minus out fridge)Cant forget the shower room :]

Upstairs is next. This is the "right side" room. It has another one (pictured below) thats almost the same size. They have a sliding door between them.


Hopefully we can get some pictures when all the shutters are opened and theirs a little more decoration to look at. Untill then, you can take a look at these other things....

Tonight we went bowling. We went with the pastors family and another family from the church. We had a really good time, but somehow rusty ended up buying Kenta juice due to the difference in their scores :]




Hey and check this out! Some guy signed this and his signature is a real piece of art! Japanese people are artisans!

Well, anyways, thats whats up with us.
Keep us in your prayers please. Spiritual warfare is tough, but we have unlimited back up ;]

-Amber and rusty

Long Needed Update

Hey everyone, sorry for the time in between updates. I had planned on updating on Monday, but I'd just gotten busy during the whole week. I'm not sure on the actual date taken on a lot of events, but I'll try to post them in order from bottom, oldest to newest. Newest being on the top.

There's been a lot of fun in the last month, with a lot of pictures.

Before we get too excited and just look at pictures, I'll give a quick update on how we are doing and what we are doing. Right now, Amber is continuing to work at We Go Eigo Fuuchu (Rich's English school). She currently goes four times a week.

I teach English twice a week (at this point, looking for more). We help with the Koinonia Klub on Saturday nights and help with church on Wednesday and Sunday. On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, a few guys from the church have early morning devotions that I attend to. One of them is all in Japanese, so wish me luck on those days!

Me and Amber (mostly Amber, because shes really creative and good with art stuff) made a flyer for the English school here in Tokorozawa (the one that I teach at) and as soon as I get it translated into Japanese, I'll be handing them out and sticking them in mailboxes.

I also have the chance to attend a Japanese class twice a week, a near 1 on 1 tutoring for only 1 dollar (about) for an hour and a half of good teaching/immersion in the language.

Me and Amber also are regularly (almost every week, about 3/4 times) helping out with Kid's Church on Sunday mornings. We also got amber a new bike at Costco for a great deal.

We are really doing great out here. We love it here and really appreaciate all of the prayers that are going into ministry out here. Thank you so much and please continue to pray for us!

Okay, Pictures!
(Description of the picture will appear directly under the picture.)


These are a couple pictures from the park (somewhat) near Rich's English teaching place. Sport's Day took place here as well (I'll show that after the next picture).

____________________________

Another park picture.

____________________________

This is We Go Eigo's (Rich's English school in Fuuchu) Sport's Day.

Sport's Day is pretty much just that. You get your school together, along with your parents, family and friends and go do a bunch of organized sports, races, relays, and other fun physical activities. There are a lot of games where even the parents are involved.

This was the group picture before lunch.

____________________________

This was a towel race that we had. Two people had to carry a towel together while holding a ball in the towel. Older kids and parents had to get an additional pair and toss the ball using a flinging technique, learned only through experience, to the other pair.

____________________________

This was tug of war. Tug of war happens at certain festivals and at most sports days.

____________________________

Another of the many games available at sports day. Throw the balls in the basket/hoop.

____________________________

Racing is also important on sports day. There are also many relays that take place.

____________________________

This is me taking last place behind some eight to ten year old's (I think).

____________________________

Amber led the routine morning exercises!

____________________________

The following series is from our trip to Kawagoe. The couple following pictures are from the big temple area.

This is the temple front.

____________________________

This is a shrine. Yes, the water bottle does have a meaning, though I don't remember what it is.

____________________________

From my understanding, these are fortunes that you've gotten and you tie them here to make them come true. It's supposed to be good luck.

____________________________

These are some statues. I can't tell if they are Buddha or not.

____________________________

The following series is also from the same day that we went to Kawagoe, the old town place.

This was a picture of some friends.

____________________________

Amber looking cool next to a restaurant's moat with some fishies in it.

____________________________

This is a shrine.

____________________________

This is a line of shops. They were on both sides.

On a side note, you can pay people to carry you around in a highly glorified wheelbarrow for fun, or for something. Maybe to be cool. But you can do it. It comes out somewhere near a dollar a minute (more because of the exchange rate).

____________________________

This is a really big famous tower that has been around for hundreds of years. Pretty cool.

____________________________

Another picture of the tower.

____________________________

This was actually the first picture I took of the Kawagoe trip. I uploaded it first, so it came out last. ;)

____________________________

Happy Birthday, Michael! Sorry for the blurry picture. I tried to get Kaoru (sorry if I spelled your name wrong!) in the picture as well.

____________________________

No, it wasn't Amber's birthday, but she was happy for Michael.

____________________________

The following pictures are from the Tokorozawa Matsuri (Festival). This picture...I think it might represent villages battling. But then again, I didn't have a guide and I have no idea. But I think given the context, it looked like a battle. There was no live violence.

____________________________

Sweet picture of this guy on the roof of the wagon thing at the "Battle."

____________________________

Yeah, there were a lot of people here.

____________________________

Seriously, there were probably a zillion people there. Or more. Actually, I hear that there are some festivals that far outdo the number of people here. There are a few that reach in the many hundreds of thousands of people, so I hear.

____________________________


Someone always gets hurt, or bitten. Just kidding. Parents were putting their children in the dog thing's mouth just for fun :)

____________________________

I have abosolutely no idea what was going on here. I don't think it was Japanese. There were a lot of people.

____________________________

This was part of the parade before it got to the actual festival site.

____________________________

This is another picture of a wagon thing before it got to the festival site. That's Ruben in the front. He goes to our church :D. Sorry if I spelled your name wrong.

____________________________

The following few pictures is from Travis' son, Evan's Sport's Day. Basically something like what I used to do as a kid - a track meet, except they do a lot cooler things, even the parents participate in relays and other racing games with their kids. The entire day is just filled with a lot of fun. Also, most of these kids right here are around 4-5. Japan has some pretty good organizational skills, even among kids.

Unfortunately, somehow I didn't get any pictures of Evan's race. He was easily the fastest kid out of anyone else in his age group there. I would also bet that he would be in the top ten fastest of some of the older kids that were there too. He's a quick boy.

____________________________

Here they were performing a little dance to a song. Pretty amazing for kids.

____________________________

Little kids doing a six person pyramid.

____________________________

The pyramid complete.

____________________________

These are some of the littlest ones at church on Sunday mornings. They're all so cute.

____________________________

For a couple Sundays, some of us at the church gathered at the park to play some volleyball. Unfortunately, I only remembered to capture some pictures after we were done with our organized playing. There were a lot more people before I took the picture.

Also, on a quick note, our park is really big. It used to be an American military base, but is now a giant park. It's really beautiful and a great place to go spend time there for different occasions.

____________________________

A picture of a walkway at our park.

____________________________

Another picture of a pathway in our park ;D

____________________________

Ninjas. This is at our park. Sometimes on Sunday afternoons a bunch of people who like anime (Japanese Cartoons just to be easy), dress up like their favorite characters and take a bunch of pictures....basically.

____________________________

This starts a series of pictures from our Family Camp vacation we took with the church over to Okutama camping place thing. We had a lot of fun and good fellowship. The following pictures will be of our cabin and some of the outdoor places that we were at (in Okutama).

____________________________

This is a blurry picture of the upstairs girl's room.

____________________________

This is a picture from the balcony-like window from the girl's room overlooking the main area.

____________________________

That's a picture of the top bunk of the boy's room.

____________________________

I think this was the back of a concrete factory. I thought it looked pretty cool.

____________________________

Thought all the homies would like this one. Gave me a giggle.

____________________________

That's me on your left and Amber on your right.

____________________________

Windy river. I named it that, just now.

____________________________

It was really pretty there.

____________________________

Well, that was Silver Week. It was pretty packed.

____________________________