Influenza

It's been nearly three weeks since I've posted. I apologize for the silence.
I had a bad case of the flu with a fever, sore throat, cough, and horrible stiff neck. Thought it was going to fall off! I'm much better, now. Next time I'll go to the doctor and get a dose of tamiflu. The cold turkey thing is not fun.

God was gracious, and through the whole ordeal I only had to cancel three English classes. I was in bed whenever I wasn't teaching, though - thus the silence.

The cherry trees have started to bloom. This is a big event in Japan, and as there are cherry trees in every school yard and park, as well as all up and down nearly every mountain road, and in many private homes, the whole world seems to burst out in pink and white.

The school year starts in April, as do most new jobs, so the cherry blossoms are a symbol of new beginnings and graduations. Everyone seems to have a reason to celebrate.

Our new beginning is going to be a new place to live starting in May. We are going out almost daily to look for a new place right now. Each one seems to have at least one big flaw that makes it a no go for us. One house was perfect, and had a (very) small wheat field on one side of it, but it was right behind a drug store with a loud hum. I think it was their air conditioning system. We tried closing all the windows, and the noise didn't get much softer. Too bad. There's a nice condo on the 11th floor of a building right near the church, but it has a full view of a 150 foot idol out the front, and a big temple out the back. Oh, well. Keep praying that we will find the right place.

All we can see is the visible environment, and what little we know of various sections of town, but God knows where the people who need Him and would be open to the gospel are. We want more than anything to follow His leading in this important decision.

Mrs. Tsubakihara came to visit today. We talked over tea and apple pie for nearly three hours. She has an amazingly simple and beautiful faith. Whenever the phone rings, or she makes a phone call, she stops and prays that God will guide her words and protect her from saying anything that might hurt someone before she picks up the reciever. Hmm.... I could take a lesson. Please, please pray for her. Satan attacks her daily, telling her she is unworthy and in the way at church. She longs to pray for salvation and spiritual growth for the church members and their families, and feels out of place at prayer meeting and the ladies Bible study because the others are praying only for health needs. Satan tells her she has no right to be there if she doesn't care about people's physical problems, and she constantly struggles with whether it would be right to go back the next week.