Road Trip: North Carolina

Well when we finally arrived in NC, we stayed with good friends, Larry and Mona Torres. We had a great time catching up with them. They left Okinawa a little over a year ago and have been in NC since. We were so blessed to have some good Okinawan food. It was the first time since we departed. Mona made us many of our favorites from Soba to Suchi, oishi.

We were also able to see Jake and Christy Reynolds while we were there. They too, are doing well, the Lord continues to bless them in many ways. They are expecting their 6th baby any day now. Please! Pray for them and the baby. We spent an afternoon with them, doing the same thing, catching up. It was a special time of fellowship.

We then departed to Music City, Nashville Tn...

Road Trip: Jacksonville to Havelock

After departing Jacksonville, Fl. We made a stop in Charleston, SC for the night. But, on the way were able to stop and see an old plantation home with rich hstorical significance. The home pictured was owned by man who had signed the original seccesion documents for South Carolina. As a result the northern troops burned down his home as they came into SC. This was a model of the original home.

We also stopped in Myrtle Beach for lunch on our way to Havelock, NC. We were very blessed to be able to visit so many cities with such rich history. We really enjoyed Charleston. We stopped to eat at Bubba Gumps Shrimp factory, very good.

We were excited to finally get to North Carolina...

Road Trip: Mobile to Jacksonville

We were so blessed to see and spend time with Mike and Ruby Valade. It had been about a year since we last seen them. Jacksonville is an incredibly beautiful city. Mike and his family are doing well, adjusting to life back in the states, but like everybody else who departs Okinawa, they miss it very much.

Road Trip: Continued

After departing Dallas and traversing rainstorms through East Texas, we finally arrived in New Orleans for the night. In New Orleans we enjoyed Crawfish Po'boys for dinner. When we departed New Orleans we saw the remnants of hurricane Katrina. To this day their are thousands of houses that have been abandoned but remain standing. Neighborhood after neighborhood of abandoned houses mark the remaining work to be done in New Orleans and Slidell. Then, we traversed the swamplands that mark southern Mississippi.

Road Trip: Part One

Greetings!

Well it has been roughly 17 days that we have been on our family road trip. It has been an incredible time traveling across the U.S. and back. We started in Albuquerque, NM on the 24th of June and as of today, we are in Nashville TN. We have had so much fun traveling and seeing many states and historical landmarks, and friends. We have taken pictures of the signs of every state that we have traveled through. We pray that you enjoy all the pictures to come, be blessed.

The first day we traveled from Albuquerque to Dallas. Dallas was a very beautiful city as well as really cool for me, I grew up a Dallas Cowboy's fan, so for me to go and see Texas Stadium was really great. We also stopped in Whichita Falls, TX. The restaurant I am standing in front of is owned by a friends father, I always heard about it so thought it would be cool to stop and see, Go Cowboys!

Visit with the Langley's

We were so blessed the other day, the Langleys stopped by Jacksonville to visit with us and the Valade's. It was so good to see the kids (Maddy and Tyler). Our kids were also blessed to see the Langley's as well. They were on their way to Atlanta, Ga to see Cindy's brother. They were then on their way to Virginia, where Mike is going to be stationed. Please pray for the Langley's, that they can get plugged into a great fellowship in Virginia.

Happy 5th Birthday Hannah!

Happy Birthday Hannah!

This last Saturday we celebrated Hannah's 5th Birthday. We had a wonderful time with friends and family.

As you can probably guess Sandra cooked up a feast with several different types of finger foods and hamburgers that Hannah's uncle Dave cooked up for her. The Orpillas and other friends from Farmington came and joined the birthday celebration.

Hannah had a great time and received many, many gifts. She was so blessed. She is really growing up to be a wonderful little girl who loves the Lord. She really has been a huge blessing throughout our transition, she does a great job of taking care of her little brothers. She also received her first Bible, she was so excited and feels like such a big girl now that she can take her own pink Bible to church. Please! Continue to pray for Hannah, that she would follow Jesus with all of her heart and be an example to all.

Monkey's on my bed...

Just a picture of the monkey's taking over my bed. The kids are growing so fast, I am blown away everyday at just how fast they grow. On the 23rd of June Hannah will be half a decade! Whooo, back off guys.

No the boys aren't matching in their pajamas. Micah is wearing Cars and Silas is wearing Thomas and Friends.

Please pray for them, that they would come to an early saving knowledge of Christ.

Movie in the Park @ Calvary of Albuquerque

This evening (Friday Night) we went to a viewing of Charlotte's Web. CCA had a family night in the park behind the church. It was really a great opportunity for them to provide a wonderful place for families to gather.

The evening was incredible and the sunset was truly amazing to see. Just before the movie started the wind picked up and a few rain drops fell, but the storm clouds soon past and made for a great night.

It was hosted by Renovate, the College minstry at Calvary, they are trying to raise money for a mission trip they will be taking to Montreal. It was great to see all the college kids come out and serve the Lord and the body here in Alb.

Hannah's First VBS at Calvary of Albuquerque

Greetings! Tomorow (Friday) is the graduation ceremony for Hannah. This year was the first year that she has been a part of the summer Vacation Bible Shool. She has been thrilled to be a part of it. The theme of the VBS is Adventure at the Gallilean Sea.

They had little robes and head scarfs for all the kids. They have spent time singing traditional Jewish Worship songs as well as shopping at the Market place like they did back in the days of Christ.

We as a family have been fellowshipping at Calvary of Albuquerque, it has been a tremendous blessing. Skip Heitzig is a tremendous teacher of the Word. We rejoice that the Lord has provided many options for us to prayerfully consider here in Albuquerque. This next Sunday we will be attending Calvary Chapel Rio Rancho.

Please continue to pray for Hannah, that she would truly experience the presence of the Lord through the VBS, be blessed.

From Califoria to New Mexico

The windmills outside Palm Springs, California


Entering The Grand Canyon State


Traversing the enchanted home of Billy the Kid


Hatch, "The Chilie Capital of the World"


Greeting friends and family!

We pray that all is well with you guys. Well, we have started our journey across the US. Last Wednesday we departed Southern Califonia. Over the next few weeks we will be travelling to Jacksonville, Florida. We will be making stops in Albuquerque NM, Nashville TN, as we hope to be driving into Jacksonville, FL on the 26th of June.

We hope to be making this a "Calvary Experience" as we will be visiting different Calvary Chapel's as we traverse the US. We are excited about our trip, although a part of me is dreading the long hours at the steering wheel. Praise the King for I Pods and Ravi Zacharias podcasts. Thus far, since we stepped off the plane at Tom Bradley (LAX) airport from Marco Polo (Venice) airport we have traveled about 6000 miles. Too bad you can't get frequent taveler miles for driving.

We have been blessed by the Lord in that we haven't had one single car problem or speeding ticket, not that we speed or anything :) We can't wait to see our friends in Nashville and Jacksonville.

Please continue to pray for us and our travels over the next few weeks. We will be spending Sandra's 26th :) b-day with our friends Mike and Ruby in Jacksonville. Currently we are in Albuquerque spending time with my mom, Virginia. Thank you guys for your prayers.

Stay with us over the next few weeks to see pictures from our journey as we traverse our nation.

Busy in California!

Gen, Sandra and Tamiko at Livingwater



Jessica, Sandra and Vanessa trying to stay cool in the shade at Livingwater



Men's prayer breakfast at Calvary Chapel in Vista, California



Worship at the Calvary Costa Mesa Japanese Minsitry home fellowship in Irvine



Rick, Travis, Santo and Masaru are grinding Japanese style with friends in California



Baptism with Japanese Home Fellowship


We have been incredibly busy since our last post. We have been here in California visiting friends, teaching classes and well eating. At the end of May I was teaching a class for S.E.N.D. Minsitries Leadership Development Program, it is their lecture phase. The three day class I was teaching was about the Father's Heart in Leadership. The class was at Horizon School of Evangelism in San Diego. It was truly a blessing to be a part of everybody's life that was involved. The class was specifically for the leaders of this years outreaches to Morroco, India and Israel. The bunch were all very seasonsed missionaries and I was humbled to be a part of the program.

Our Pastor (Rick Barnett) from Okinawa arrived last Thursday. We linked up with him and his crew from Japan for a time of fellowship with the body from Calvary Costa Mesa's Japanese Ministry. It was great to be with Japanses people again for food and fellowship. We had an abundance of food and Santo from Calvary Chapel West Tokyo brought the message. It was good to see all our friends from Japan. We were also able to celebrate with two people as they were baptized that night California style, in a swimming pool.

This past Sunday was the 16th Anniversary for Calvary Chapel Livingwater in Corona, Ca. We celebrated with them the 16 years that God has been using them in Corona. It was great to meet everybody who has been part of the fellowship since its birth in 1991. We were also able to see the Orpilla family all the way from Okinawa. A family that we are very close with, they hold a special place in our hearts. They are on their way to Albuquerque, NM. Niel is being stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base. It was also his birthday on Sunday. We then spent dinner with them eating all you can crab legs at an asian buffet in Torrance. Overall it was a very blessed day.

Please continue to pray for our visas, we rejoice in the Lord's faithfulness...