seasons and family
Mt. Yotei wearing a cloud hat. As seen from the road by the house.
Clouds are thick across the sun but the air is warm. The flowers are opening their fingers and pushing out of the soil. Where the snow has melted flat brown grass shows through and mushy mud.
March marked the end of heavy snows and by April the feet of snow that covered everything has turned into puddles and rivulets and streams trickling down the driveway, running off the shoulder of the road, gushing in the stream bed through the forest until it meets the wide rivers. The rivers are swollen, rolling under bridges in smooth sheets always moving. The house is warm in morning as the sun comes around the mountains and fills the front room.
The house in the snow. Most of the snow ended in March. It took another 2 months for everything to melt off.
As everything changes outside, our family and town also changes. The local school started the new term at the beginning of April and welcomed two classes of first graders. Our own Avila Joy is part of the new class. She was nervous about understanding the teacher, about making friends, about the work she’d have to do. But after the first day some of her anxiety decreased. She loves her school supplies and knows many of the kids in her class from kindergarten. The routines and orderliess of school fit her nicely. She also likes to ride the bus. We are relieved parents.
Kindergarten graduation
1st grade entrance ceremony
Benji also started a new class at the nursery school. His teacher has a big smile and told us she’s been studying English. She is sweet to Benji. On his first day we asked if he made any new friends. He said, “I made the teacher my friend.” On Friday after his first week he pointed out another friend to mom at pick up time — a little girl with a big smile. We feel happy and relieved for him to meet kids his age and have a chance to learn Japanese while he’s so young. Stephanie and I are appreciating some of the joys of public education — we have time to do things during the day. Now with both kids in school, we sense the new possibilities for learning language and meeting people.
As our town changes from white snowy landscape to brown grass and budding trees we sense new things in the air. People are outside playing. Bikers are biking. People are working in their gardens. We met a family the other day that lives across from Avila’s bus stop. They have kids that ride the same bus. They were very welcoming to us and gave us several things their kids have grown out of including a cool bike for Benji. The other houses next to the bus stop have people that chat with me in the mornings when I take Avila to the bus stop.
People are everywhere tending gardens or plowing fields. Bright tractors churn the cold soil. The land is alive again. We’re in the middle of agriculture here, in the middle of a changing scene where leaves are clothing trees that have sat naked all winter and new flowers are siting in fields where there was only snow.
Cherry blossoms from early May
A very Hokkaido view.
Our seasons are changing too. Almost imperceptibly at times but then a new thing comes out like a flower, just sitting in all its beauty after absorbing all the water of winter. Our daughter who was once home all the time is carrying a backpack and riding the bus to school. She corrects me on my Japanese and tells me how to do things. My boy who had no hair now has a lion’s mane that he likes tied up in a “samurai knot”. It seems like he just learned how to walk and now he’s taking long walks with his kindergarten class hoping his teacher holds his hand. Now he’s four. And our baby who was just born is laughing and playing and hanging out with his bro and sis like he was always there — just one of the kids.
These changes seem sudden at times — a kid is starting school — but it took us all the time and energy to get her there. The days of a parent and a missionary are gradual like seasons. Much of the time and effort it takes to raise a kid or impact a community is unseen — its the practical things of making meals, studying language or cleaning up after your kids or talking with neighbors. But then at times, you see break through like a new flower coming on a tree. The kids are growing up — they’re soft hearted and know they are loved. Or we have a chance to share about Jesus.
One day last month Steph got a chance to pray for a women with a hurt leg. The lady was surprisingly welcoming and looked joyful when Steph prayed for her. Earlier in the week we got to share about how Steph’s blood clots were healed quicker than the doctors expected after people prayed for her. We’re are always waiting for more opportunities to share the hope of Jesus.
Please pray that the Lord gives us continued revelation. We need his filling daily. Pray that we can have chances to share how God reconciled the world to him through Jesus. We also need better and better language skills. Pray we can be efficient in studying and diligent students.
