Sorry we have been away from the blog world again! Hope everyone is doing well! We have been super busy and all of us got sick in the last few weeks. Luke got sick first and it came to me (Yu), and a few days later, Michael got it. We prayed a lot last week since Michael was scheduled to preach on Sunday. Thankfully, he felt better on Sunday and was able to preach on “missions” on Sunday. Our favorite topic! Everyone seemed to be encouraged! Praise the Lord!
Here are some of our recent photos:
At Mom and Child Time at our church. It is one of Luke’s (and mommy’s) favorite times of the week. He has made so many friends!
Isn’t he cute?
We participated in the “Relay for Life Cancer Walk” with my dad. He walked for 24 hours straight but we just walked for a little while.
On each paper lantern, there is a handwritten message from the participants. It was such a special time for us as we walked remembering my mom and all our friends who are battling cancer.
On every 3rd Saturday, we lead the children’s program at church. Michael shares a Bible story and Yu leads music. We love these kids!
Everyone wants to hold Luke!
This little guy melts mommy’s heart!
Luke’s favorite toy!!!
Our pastor’s ordination service. Michael introduced our family in front of 100+ people and did a great job with his Japanese!
Michael with my cousin’s daughter. Since my grandparents moved to our city (from the city that was damaged by tsunami), all the cousins try to get together when everyone is in town so our grandparents can see all of them! It is fun (and loud) when we are all together. Of course, Luke loves being held by everyone!
Look, I can stand!
I can climb, too!
I have two bottom teeth (and top two just broke through)!
We got a care package from Aunt Cathie! Luke couldn’t wait to open the box!
Wow, we have been away from the blog world for a while! Sorry we haven’t updated our blog for a while. August was such a busy month. We hope you all had a wonderful summer!
We want to thank you all for your prayers and encouragement as we grieved the loss of Yu’s grandmother. We miss her so much but we also praise God that she is in heaven right now. We want more Japanese people to have a personal relationship with God so that they can have an eternal life.
In the middle of August, we went to Gold Coast,Australia for our dear friend’s wedding. The bride grew up with Yu in Japan so she is just like her little sister. What a blessing it was to celebrate with her and her family!
Even though she is a lot younger, they did almost everything together! We were not sure if we could make it until the last minute but I was SO thankful that we got to go and Luke had a chance to meet his family in Australia!
We can’t believe it’s already September! After a short summer break, we started our ministries again. We are going to focus on disaster relief effort this fall, but we are also praying that our student ministry will grow as well. We are going to start teaching English at church and we hope many kids and students will come from the community.
We pray God will continue to use us in amazing ways. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers! We are here thanks to God’s wonderful plans and YOUR prayers and support!!! We are honored to partner with you as we work for His glory!
Back in October I started a post on role models. The World Series had just begun. Josh Hamilton was all the buzz along with the rest of his team. There was a lot of talk about role models and about Hamilton in particular. Growing up, kids don’t really think about who their role model is or isn’t. For me, it was just about who I liked as a player.
With the fast and upcoming parenthood around the corner, I began to think about what a role model ought to be. Nine months later I’m still wrestling with it. It’s not because I don’t know in theory what a role model should be. It’s that I don’t think that sports players should be what kids try to emulate. At least not to the extent that is often the case.
What children need so desperately more than ever are parents. As a kid, I had a lot of friends from good homes, bad homes, broken homes, to mended homes. In all of them, it was essentially the same. Parenting, parenting, parenting. Parents ought to be the number one role model in a home. That’s not to say sports teams or players don’t count. They just don’t make first string.
As a parent, I’ve learned a lot of things:
1. Children need parents not managers. It doesn’t matter how many times I tell my son something I still have to be evolved by partaking in the process. (I know, I know, he’s only 6 months old but he’s still pretty sharp in my estimation.)
2. Children see children do. Even a six month old wants computer and phone time. Any time Luke sees either he makes a mad dash to take control. Anything unhealthy around the house will just make taint Luke’s upbringing.
3. Children don’t just need to be told they are loved. They need to be shown they are loved. Of course, can’t help but want to hold my child and tell him I love him. Sing to him, read to him, or just have a good laugh. That kind of quality time isn’t the same as watching television.
This may not be much to more experienced parents but these three observations sure have gone a long way. And while our son may grow up to idolize some great athlete, musician, or even politician, he has two parents that are working hard to be the best parents and role models we can be.
Thank you for taking time to read this post. We would love to hear from you whether you agree or disagree. God bless and take care! Until, next time….
I know I am posting this late, but I wanted to take time to write about my favorite dads. I am so thankful to have them in my life and I know Luke feels the same way!
I have been so blessed to be raised by a godly father. He is a great example of a father who loves God, family, and others around him. He is busy with his job on weekdays but takes time to come see us and help us in the evenings. On Saturdays, he drives for 3 hours (one way) to Oshika Peninsula to help those who lost homes due to the tsunami. I have been amazed to see how much he does for them. And on Sundays, he is pretty busy at church. I am not trying to brag, but I have a great dad. He takes care of Luke when we minister to young people and we can’t do it without his help! I thank God for giving me my dad.
This year was Michael’s first Father’s Day! Luke (and I) made a gift for him and he loved it! We are grateful for everything he does for us and for others. He has been a great dad ever since Luke was born and Luke LOVES playing with his daddy! I am always touched by his heart for Japanese people. He has been going to the tsunami-hit areas almost every week to help people there. Last Saturday, he went there with other church members and helped cleanup a destroyed home. As you can imagine, it is a dirty job. But he hasn’t complained about getting dirty. When he came home, he was happy to report that the owner of the house was so happy to find some of their important documents that were under all the mud. With his limited Japanese, he is trying so hard to get to know these people. Luke and I are so proud of him! We pray God will continue to give him strength and wisdom as he shares His love with those who are hopeless.
Hi, this is Luke! Thank you for praying for me as we stayed in South Korea. God protected me and I am doing great! I made so many new friends there and everyone smiled at me!!! When we left South Korea, my parents took me to Hokkaido (northern island in Japan) on our way home. As you may remember, I only had my emergency passport so I had to go to the US Consulate to apply for the real passport. I also needed to get my birth certificate. My mommy told me there is a lot to do to become an American citizen! Hokkaido is a beautiful place and we had such a relaxing week. My parents were happy to be away from their busy lives. We enjoyed God’s creation and our family time!
By now, you may already know that I love to smile. I had my own bassinet on the plane. I entertained my parents during the flight!
First time to be in the pool. I look confused in this picture but I loved playing in the water!
First trip to the zoo! I think daddy had more fun than I did. I didn’t know what to think about some of the animals I saw, so I fell asleep.
I got to meet my parents’ friend, Masa. He became a Christian in the US and he is helping a Christian band in Japan now. My parents enjoyed hearing about his ministries in Hokkaido.
Mommy loved all the pretty flowers. She asked daddy to plant more flowers in our garden. We will see if that happens!
We took a cable car to go up the mountain. It means I have already taken a cable car twice in my life. I think my parents really love mountains…
Do you see snow on the top of the mountains? My grandpa loves skiing (did you know my grandma was a ski racer?) and he wants to take me skiing next winter. I think it would be fun but my daddy doesn’t think so…
I had fun looking at my daddy’s sun glasses!
We visited one of the oldest houses with a beautiful garden.
I fell asleep again! I can sleep anywhere and it makes my parents happy!
Daddy and I! As you can see, I LOVE my hands!
Mommy and I! I smiled really big because my daddy was trying to make me laugh. I love his funny faces!
Last picture- I was so bored on the plane to Akita so I decided to learn how to read. I love it when my parents read books to me. I hope I will be a good reader!
I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip. We had a wonderful time there. But we kept thinking about people who lost everything because of the tsunami. It is really hard for them to go somewhere to have fun right now. Please continue to pray for them. Please pray that all the babies will be as happy as I am. My mommy says I make everyone around me happy. Thank you for praying for everyone in Japan!
Today, we celebrated Mother’s Day. It has been a bittersweet Mother’s Day because it is the first one without my mom and also as a mom. My mom went to heaven after battling with cancer for a year. She was the best mother that anyone could ask for and I still miss her so very much. I often wish I could ask her for help and advice as I raise my son. I think of her when there are ministry opportunities because she was so gifted when it came to serving God and ministering to others. As I remember her, I am especially thankful for five things.
1. She loved God.
She put God before anything else. There was no question about it. She lived to glorify Him. She taught me to know Him, to love Him, and to make Him known. Even though it was hard for us to let her go, it was God’s time and she was ready to see Him. Her strong faith really inspired me.
2. She loved family.
It was such a blessing to be raised by such wonderful Christian parents. My mom was always there for me and we had a close relationship. She was there to rejoice and cry with me. She expressed her love for me by praising me and also by correcting me when needed. I always knew she loved me. As I raise my child, I always want to remember how she loved me and taught me.
3. She loved church.
She was at church 4 to 5 times a week. She was not a paid staff, but she was there because she loved helping and ministering to others. After she passed away, several ladies told me that they always knew they would see my mom if they went to church. They shared that my mom always took time to listen to their stories and concerns and to pray with them. I always enjoyed seeing her smile when she was at church. Her love for the body of Christ is something that I will never forget.
(Preschool Sunday School that she taught. That was her favorite time.)
4. She loved missions.
Growing up, my parents drove 4 hours (each way) to the west coast of Japan to help the small mission church twice a month. They went without knowing how many people would show up. Sometimes, nobody showed up. They even went on snowy days. As a child, it was hard to understand why they spent their Saturdays going there instead of taking us to fun places. But now I do. It’s because they wanted to share God’s love with people who had never heard about Him. Now, that small mission church has their own pastor and is growing. Praise the Lord. God called me to do missions, but seeing my parents’ love for the lost helped me to have a heart for the world. I am thankful God gave me such a great example like my mom who showed Christ’s love and hope in her actions.
(With Mr. and Mrs. Boatwright who lived in Japan for over 30 years as missionaries. She respected them and told me what she had learned from them.)
5. She loved children.
Anyone who knew her would say “oh how she loved kids!” and that is so true. She loved every single child with ALL her heart. She knew how to love them and to reach out to them. And the kids knew they were loved so much. There were several kids from broken families and they knew my mom would protect them and love them no matter what. When I was in college, I called her almost every week, and she shared a lot about each child she knew, and I truly enjoyed listening. Ever since we moved to Japan, I have heard so much about how she touched and changed the lives of the kids (and parents). Several girls told me how much they wish they could see her again, and it made me cry. As I raise my child and get involved in the children’s ministry, I want to follow her path. I want to love children like she did.
(Don’t you just love her smile?)
I miss you so much, mom! I will always treasure what you have taught me. I am so thankful for my mom’s life, but I am also SO grateful that God gave me a son so that I could be a mom. Becoming a mom was always my dream, and it finally came true this year. Words cannot express how much I love Luke. He is the best gift that Michael and I have ever received. Even though being a mom is not always easy, I love being a mom and I never take that for granted. I pray every day that Luke will know how much God loves him. I know I am not perfect and I still make so many mistakes, but I pray God will help me to be the mom that He wants me to be.
I love you SO MUCH, Luke Kai! Thank you for being my son.
Wow, we can’t believe it’s already May! In April, we celebrated Luke Kai’s 100th day. In Japan and South Korea, a baby’s 100th day is very special. In Japan, the ceremony called “Okuizome” is performed in hopes that the child would never have to worry about food. As Christians, we know God will take care of Luke’s needs! In South Korea, a small feast is prepared to celebrate the baby’s having survived this difficult period. Long time ago, it was believed that a baby’s chance for survival increased after the 100th day. Once again, we thank God for protecting our son during the last 3 months.
Since we are away from our families in Japan and America, we invited our friends in South Korea to celebrate with us. We are blessed to have this “special family” here in Korea. They have been such blessings!
Luke was so happy to see everyone! I cooked Japanese food and we had a delicious ice cream cake for dessert.
We couldn’t find “Happy 100th Day” decorations so we put “Happy Birthday” instead…
His Korean girlfriend came!
Having fun but the babies were not interested in having their picture taken.
Getting sleepy… He will regret this someday!
Yummy ice cream cake! He was asleep so mommy had to blow out the candles!
He got lots of gifts!
Mommy was excited to get more clothes for Luke! He is getting so big!
Group picture! Do you see our babies looking at each other? So sweet!
Before we ended the party, everyone prayed for Japan and also for us. It meant so much to us. We have been encouraged by all the prayers and we know our God hears them. We are so thankful for our friends who are making our time in Korea very meaningful.
Luke Kai, words cannot describe how much we love you! We thank God for you every single day. You make us smile and give us strength when we are tired. You may not remember what you went through the last few months, but we hope you will always know how much you are loved. So many people from all over the world are praying for you. We pray that you will always trust our Lord who loves you and cares for you. Thank you for being our son!
(I wrote this before the earthquake but saved it so that Michael could read it before posting it. Sorry I am posting this late.)
Our baby boy is two months old! Time goes by so fast! It has been the best two months of our lives! He has been such a good baby and we can’t ask for more! God is opening many doors for us through Luke. I have met many moms and I am enjoying getting to know them. I had lunch with two of them and we are hoping to meet more often. I am so thankful that God is giving me many opportunities to share the gospel with them. I was also asked to be a part of “Mom’s Time” at our church. It is a weekly ministry for moms at church that my mom had started years ago. I am so thankful to be a part of this wonderful ministry and I pray that God will use me to touch many lives. Many moms are lonely and hurting because their husbands work all the time and they don’t get to spend much time with them. Please pray that many of them will come to know the Lord.
Wow, we have been away from the blog world for so long… We are sorry that it took us so long to write a new post. It has been the best month of our lives. Our son, Luke Kai, was born on January 6th. God provided wonderful doctors and nurses who made everything go so smoothly. They took good care of mommy and Luke! While we were in the hospital, we were able to share what we do in Japan and our faith in the Lord. We praise God for this opportunity.
Luke is such a blessing from God. We prayed and waited for this baby for a long time. God’s timing is perfect. We thank all our friends and families who prayed with us. THANK YOU!
Luke makes us smile all the time. He reminds us of God’s faithfulness every day. We are thankful that God has chosen us to be his parents and we pray that we will raise him for His glory.
