Tom: We're Back!!!

I just got back to my home in Renton, WA. Thanks Gary for the ride and thankyou for all those friends who came to the airport and welcomed us back. I already miss Japan. It's cold here in WA. I miss the warm and even humidity of Japan. Oddly enough I miss the commotion of all the people (family) around 24/7. (24/14!) We had an amazing VBS. 10 days of VBS, 3 days of travel and 1 day total of rest. What a team! Even tired and hot they came through without complaining. We even had extended VBS days, 4 PE @ the Park Days at TMK, 2 PE @ the Park Days, 1 pizza luncheon and a nursing home visit at Nokendai.
I am going over the pictures and video of then two weeks. There were so many special times during the two weeks. Watching both sets of children singing their hearts out and doing the hand motions. The PE @ the Park were special but the most special day for me was "Teach the Teacher Day". Here the TMK children were to show me and the others some of activities they've learned at their school. A group of 5th graders perform stunts and routines that they performed on their sports day.









Another new wrinkle this year is that we asked for essays or stories of what they are learning at VBS. Many children wrote stories or drew pictures of the thing they learned and experienced. They have been very creative and heart-warming. One girl named Rei wrote all by herself, "At day 3 we talked about that Jesus asked all of his friends, "Who am I?" Petro (Peter) know that he is a Son of God. I really know that he can make a miracle. I need to believe that Jesus alive from it's death." She attends a international school so she know more English than most of the children.









"Fish" by Yu and Shu-On "Cicadas" by Sara
"Fishing" by Yuzuki