Merry Christmas! Sayonara 2009!

Hello Friends and Family,

Wow, can you believe that 2009 is going to be over soon?! We are about to finish another decade. Time just flies!

We just finished the 2nd term of school and now we both have 2 weeks of vacation. We had an early Christmas together at our apartment with Laura's parents and a friend of ours who also teaches English in Japan and he is from Australia. We had a really nice time opening presents together, snacking, talking, playing with Allen's new miniature pool table (or rather, watching him play with it!) and listening to Christmas music.

Allen left for Houston yesterday. He will be in our good friends' wedding and visit his family. I'm so glad my parents are here. We all went to Disney Sea together in Tokyo last weekend. It was a lot of fun! We went with our Japanese friend who teaches with my mom.

Tonight, that same Japanese friend, named Kanaco, is coming with us to the Mito Church to sing Christmas carols and fellowship. Tomorrow, we will cook and eat Christmas dinner with a couple women friends from church.

We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season and a Happy New Year!
Please keep us in your prayers as we start our 3rd term in January. Our goals are to keep up good relationships with the teachers and students, to build on the relationships we're making inside and outside of the Church, to get our Japan driver's liscenses, etc, etc. So, we just want to keep stress to a minimum as we try to accomplish many things while keeping Christ at the center of everything. God is good. This must be basically the goal of all Christians in this coming new year. To accomplish good things while keeping Christ at the center of everything. What would we do without Him. He is the reason why we are even alive or worthy to be called God's children. Thank you Jesus, for living and for dying and then living again for all of us!

Love to you all!

~Allen and Laura

Shisashiburi!

That's Japanese for "Long time no see!" We have a computeer virus, so that's been making our lives a bit difficult, but at least we can still use the computer. I'm updating our blog on my mom's computer now, since our's won't let us into the blog website.

Our schools asked us if we want to stay for another year and our answer was yes! We feel really blessed to have this job and it's helping us pay our school loans off. We enjoy worshipping with the church on Sundays and meeting with the AET group on Wednesdays at the church building for dinner together and a devotional. It keeps us going each week to be able to look forward to those fellowship times. We've also been going to the church retreats, which have been great times to get to know each other.

Teaching has been going well as we've gotten more adjusted to the culture and how our schools work. We make an effort to learn the language by going to the Japanese class offered by church members once a week. We have a hard time making oursleves study on our own each week though. I (Laura) was proud of myself for studying at school after my classes a couple days ago.

Allen, my mom, and I will be cooking together tomorrow night and Saturday morning for the Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday.

Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! We were recently challenged to be more active in our thankfulness, like doing something in return or using what we've been blessed with to help bless others. And we are all blessed in many ways. There are so many people who go without food, shelter, or transportation each day. Let's encourage each other to really be thankful for each little blessing we have and to realize that it's from God and that it's not just for our own pleasure but also for helping to bless others.

Take care and God bless!

Love,

Allen and Laura

Hello from Cambodia!

Hello Friends and Family,

We are in Cambodia right now and it is raining hard. We crossed over the border earlier this afternoon and took a taxi ride to our guest house. There are tot tots here which are motor bike taxis and you sit in back on a bench under a canopy. We also rode on a tot tot today. At the guesthouse we had some really good food - fish with coconut curry (served in a coconut shell) and green curry. We will go to a Cambodian Church of Christ in the morning and then visit the Angkor Wat area tomorrow and on Monday. There is a lot of interesting things to see here and some really cute kids. Keep us in your prayers for a safe trip.

Take care everyone and God bless!

Love,
Allen and Laura

Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia

Hello Friends and Family,

Sorry we haven't posted for a while. We were busy with the end of the term and training for a week. Now we're on vacation with our AET friends, Kristin and Hanna. We arrived in Thailand yesterday and today we're heading out to Malaysia. Our flight was cancelled so we're waiting in the airport to board at 1:15 and then we'll arrive in Malaysia at about 4:30 pm. Our time is up on the computer, so we'll update again after our trip.

Love,

Allen and Laura

End of First Term

Hello Friends and Family,

We had our one year anniversary on the weekend of July 12th. Laura walked into the teachers' room and found a big bouquet of flowers at her desk! of-course she was surprised because I am not that often romatic when it comes to buying flowers. Then that evening we just focused on Scripture and watched the Passion of Christ together. Then the next day (Saturday) we went to the church building to help with the feeding the homeless ministry. It was fun - Allen sang with some other church members and we met a lot of people and ate with them. Then we went to Kairakuen park (biggest park in Japan) together and walked and rode a paddle boat in the Senba Lake. Then the next day we went to Tokyo with some friends. We visited the Tokyo church that morning and ate lunch with the church members, then went to the Tokyo Tower, and then to the busiest intersection in the world (literally) where we did some shopping, and then we went to the Ethiopian resteraunt called Queen of Sheba (one of two in Tokyo), which was the main reason we wanted to go that weekend. It was a really fun and memorable weekend.

Allen was off work for 5 days because there was a student from his school that got the swine flu. Almost every AET hated Brett and Allen because thier school was the only one got closed. But he found out that he has to make up that time later. He also had a difficult couple of weeks at work because of some miscommunication and cultural stuff. He had a talk with some teachers and the vice principle and things are looking up now. Please pray for Allen to be more reserved at school and to try more to understand Japanese culture inside and outside work. Also, pray that we be patient with the indirect way of communication here.

Allen's Health Update

Allen went to the doctor recently ( 2 visits so far) and he took him off ibuprophen and gave him some different medicines (one for stomach protections, one for muscle relaxation, and one for pain). Also, he had an MRI, and the doctor said that there is no major bone damage, but the problem is in the muscle (tight and sore) and his body has been getting used to it so it's just developed more and more. And the doctor said it doesn't help it with him being in a new place. The latest news is that he gave Allen a two weeks trial of this different medicine and daily excercise specifically for his left buttox. He has to wear a back support thing everyday except for when he sleeps and he also has to wear this thing that sticks to his left buttox. So far it seems promising. He needs your continued prayers that God will use this doctor to help heal him.

School update
Our first term just ended today. Today was the closing ceremony. The students left school before lunch. We stayed at school to prepare for the next term, which starts at the end of August. Today, Laura did some decorating in her English room after lunch and Allen worked on preparing materials and talked with the teachers about how to better communicate about the lesson plans for next term.

During Allen's week off from school, Laura was of course jealous, but she had a good week. Allen also had a good week. He went to Ibaraki Christian University to visit some friends and Dr. Ives' class. He went to the beach with another AET who was also off work b/c of swine flu. He talked and prayed with the new preacher from church and he gave Allen some good cultural advice. He also had some quiet time reading his Bible.

Church Re-treat
Over the weekend, the church had a retreat just 30 minutes away at a campground. It was really nice. We sayed in these cute colorful cabins and we had dinner at this onsen building. Allen went in the onsen (public bath - men and women are separate), but Laura didn't feel like it so she just got a massage instead. Then later after dinner, we had singing and prayer. Allen and Laura taught a children's Bible class and Laura's mom, Tammy led a women's discussion group about giving your worries to God. It was an uplifting weekend.

The girls are now doing a Bible study together once a month, and we've had one meeting so far. It will be a great thing for all the girls to do together so we can focus on what's most important in our lives and encourage each other.

what about Japan so far?
We are at the point where we are past the "romantic" (everything is wonderful) stage of culutre change, and we are partly in the struggling and content stages ( we go back and forth depending on the day), so please pray for us that we will keep our trust in God for strength and patience and all the fruits of the spirit as we try to live and work in Japan.

Please also pray for Allen's brother Matthew, who is trying to go to preaching school. He is trying to move on from living in a refugee camp, and he's struggling with money and finding a job.

Love to all,

Allen and Laura

We have internet!!

Hello everyone!

We are so excited that we finally have internet in our apartment! It hasn't been in the least bit convenient to use the computer at school or other places, so that's why we haven't updated our blog until now. It's been a process trying to settle into our routine here, and we just keep getting busier and busier it seems like. Now we have Japanese class every week at the Mito church with ladies from there. That's been really nice and helpful. The LST (Let's Start Talking) group has been here for 4 weeks and for 2 more weeks helping Japanese people practice their conversational English using the Bible. Allen's really excited that God has worked through him to reach out to 4 teachers from his school to come to the church for LST. We've enjoyed going to the LST parties on weekends - meeting their readers and playing English speaking games with them.

Allen has also been helping out with the children's singing ministry in the church. He's enjoyed teaching them a song he made up. We're enjoying being involved in the church on Sundays and the AET group study on Wednesday nights, which we also invite Japanese people to come to, so we usually meet someone new on Wednesday nights. It's been really cool that a few new people have come to the church recently just by heresay about the church.

I (Laura) try to mention the church every opportunity I can at school, so they have a positive picture about what the church is and that Japanese people can be Christians and still be Japanese. Here in Japan, Christianity is seen as American culture, and Japanese are very proud to be Japanese, so becoming a Christian would be like leaving their Japanese lifestyle behind.

The Japanese Christians at the church here are wonderful people and we've enjoyed getting to know them. There is a new preacher here now. He and his family came here from Abilene Christian University in Texas. I told them about my family that lives there and works at that school, but he said he doesn't recognize their names. The church here is really going to miss their preacher and his family who are leaving to move to California. The church had a goodbye party for them, and Allen put me on the spot to sing an Ethiopian song with him for them. I think they liked it. They have been are very great couple for the church here, but they feel called to go do God's work elsewhere. The new preacher and his wife have been great too. His wife, Mari, has helped many of us AETs out when we've gotten sick and needed a ride to the store or the doctor and for translation. She's such a sweet lady.

Allen's also enjoying soccer with the AET's and some young Japanese boys who have started playing with them. We've been getting stronger physically but also tired a lot because we ride our bikes to school everyday and to places we have to go to after school, like church and meetings.

School Life -
Working at Japanese elementary schools and nursery schools has been a neat and interesting experience for us. They are pretty different from American schools. The teachers are all in one room (the teachers' room) - they come back to this room before and after classes, and the students learn a lot of other responsibilities at school besides schoolwork, like gardening, cooking, cleaning the entire school almost everyday, and cleaning outside too (there's no ganitors here at the schools). And the vice-principle does a lot of the outside yard work. It's interesting and surpising sometimes. And we, as AETs, are expected to help out with all of it during specific times of the day. The day goes by pretty fast when we have classes and all these other things we help out with and playing with the kids a recess (which is a lot of fun). It's starting to get hotter and humid now though, because rainy season is here.

It's been really nice that my mom can be here. She's doing so well adjusting to the culture and life here. She loves working with her teachers at school, especially her translator who is studying to be a teacher. Her name is Konoko. She wants to take her to Tokyo and she seems interested in church because she asks mom questions about church.

Please keep the people mentioned in this message in your prayers (including us). We really want to shin Jesus's light while we're here, but many times it's hard when we have the communication barrier and we get tired and weary. So pray for our strength, health, and faith. We are going to get Skype soon, which is a way we can call people through the computer and it's really cheap! Whoever wants to talk to us please download skype onto your computer like we're about to do, and we can talk for free!

Talk to you all later!

With love,

Allen and Laura

Still Waiting for Internet

Hello Everyone,

We're sorry we still haven't posted pictures yet, but once we get internet at our own apartment, we will post pictures.  It'll be at least a month before we get the connection at our place.  Thank you to those who posted comments!  It's good to hear from our friends.  We're still doing well and enjoying life here, besides the random awkward moments and feeling lost, but God is good.  

Just in case anyone is interested, I found a good website for free game ideas for teaching English.  It's called www.teachingenglishgames.com.  

So, Golden Week (a holiday) is over, and we had school last Thursday and Friday, and our next holiday is in July, so it'll be a long stretch.  And it will start to get really hot soon.  Keep us in your prayers that we will stay strong and appreciate each moment no matter how difficult it may seem at the time.  And we will pray for you too.  Let us know any prayer requests.

Time to go eat sushi!!  Sushi places are actually cheaper than McDonalds here, but much, much healthier.

Talk to ya later!    ~Allen and Laura

First Week

Hello Everyone,

We're sorry we haven't posted until now, but it has been a busy past week and we won't have internet service in our apartment for a while yet.  Life has been good for the most part, besides feeling sleepy a lot and disoriented being in an unfamiliar place with strange roads going every which way without road names.  We're starting to learn our way around a little, at least knowing how to get to our schools and to the church building from our apartment.  Our buddies here who have been helping us have been wonderful, and we are so thankful for all the furniture and stuff that the other AETs left for us.  We've had some "fun" times riding on our bikes to get places.  Laura got soaked riding home from school yesterday, and then afterward had a nice cup of hot chocolate and found a rain suite in a closet, so next time she will have that on hand, just in case.  

The training is done and the 6 of us got certificates and are now beginning to teach.  Our focus is teaching conversational English, so we have to be creative to make it fun for the kids and have activities where they use the new words and phrases we teach them.  We have enjoyed our schools so far and the teachers are very nice.  The school is set up differently than in the U.S.  The teachers are all in one room together with their desks and with the principle, vice principle, and head teacher in the front of the office.  The classrooms are more like the students' classrooms instead of belonging to the teacher.  The kids are so, so cute (especially the little ones).  We also have kindergarden and nursery classes that haven't started yet.  The 5th and 6th graders aren't as interested in learning English because they think they're too cool, but we are going to try to keep it fun and interesting for them.  

We're excited for Laura's mother to get here in May.  Laura has already met lots of really sweet Japanese women from the church and who have helped us who also speak some English, and all of them are waiting to meet her mom.  We should find out soon when she will arrive.  I think she will enjoy her experience here and she will like her AET buddies, who will help her with transportation and finding the things she needs for her apartment.  

Life is different here and it takes some getting used to, so we are so glad we have friends here who keep helping and encouraging us.  We are really excited to get involved in the church activities coming up.  Today they had a pizza lunch and we talked about what to do for our Bible class.  After church, we went with our friend Kristin out to the countryside and saw rice fields and went to a farmers' market.  It was really beautiful out there with more wide open spaces compared the compacted city life.

Ok, we are about to go each sushi for dinner.  We love sushi now and realized that raw fish won't kill us, but it's actually really healthy.

Talk to ya'll later!  

Love,

Allen and Laura

10 days until Japan

Hello Friends and Family,

We are leaving for Japan on Thursday, April 16th. We are excited and nervous, but we know God is in control. Pray for us that God will use us in this new journey in our lives. We will be teaching English at elementary schools and will be called "AETs" (American English Teachers). This will be our job for the next one to two years.
This has been an amazing weekend, with two of our Japanese friends, Hiroka and Hitomi, deciding to become Christians. They were baptized in the last two days. We are so happy to have these two new sisters in Christ. It is a perfect way to begin our new journey to Japan, where we hope to build new friendships and share Jesus with them in whatever way we can. God is so good and it is amazing what happens when we give Him the reigns to direct our steps.
We believe in the power of prayer, so please pray for us as we prepare to leave and nervously begin a new chapter in life. Thank you for blessing us and we want to stay in contact with you, so here are our emails: laura.thompson@alumni.oc.edu and allenshifa@yahoo.com. Let us know of any prayer requests you have and say hello now and then so we don't lose touch with each other.
God bless you all and we will be back later.
As they say in Japan, "matane!" (see you later)

10 Days

Hello Friends and Family,

We are leaving on Thursday, April 16th for Japan to start our new jobs there teaching English at elementary schools. We are excited and nervous about this new life