January Jottings • 2014

Ryan, Nelle Caitlin, Kid E and Kid L

Happy "year of the horse!"

Thanksgiving, 2013
Always wiggling

Ryan reading with Kid E and our friend. 

Recently, Kid E. has been very interested in the crucifixion, and wants to read the story over and over in his story Bible. We think he is also starting to glimpse the concepts of life and death. Yesterday morning, I asked, "is Jesus still on the cross?" and he said, "No, Jesus' papa rescued him and got him off. His papa had a crow bar, so he could get the nails out." Which combines basic theology with the fact that Ryan buys our children real tools with his understanding of physics.

 February is Freedom month - celebrate a fair trade valentines! We're getting ready to celebrate and promote freedom in the month of February! We would love to share our favorite fair trade chocolate with you - reply to our newsletter with something interesting, encouraging, challenging, or just let us know you're reading, and we will send you chocolate! (mint, dark, milk, ginger, or raspberry).

Celebrating alumni! While we really don't think that Jeweliann Houlette successes had much of anything to do with being in our classes, we are excited to promote a project that one of our alumni has just completed! Jeweliann spent this month with her Japanese grandparents in Sendai, northern Japan, translating some of her grandmother's haiku into English to share with a larger audience. She journaled about her work in this blog. They printed postcards and calendars too! Would you like to think of Japan all year long? Let us know - we would love to send you a calendar!

Kid E with the "real" McQueen!

The kids are growing up! 
From April, Kid E will begin attending a local Japanese pre-school (youchien). We've been going once a week for practice days, but from February he has to go to the weekly practice by himself, and starting in April, he will enroll full-time. He's nervous; Nelle's waking up in the night worrying - but we know that it will be a good experience, and help Kid E develop language and social skills.

Big News! 
Change is coming to the Potter household--we're having another baby, due August 10, 2014!!! 

We're so excited! But also, we know some things need to change. Because of our commitment to our kids and our community, after much prayer and thought, we've decided to take another step of faith: starting in August, Nelle will reduce her work hours at CAJ to very part time – to about 15 hours a week. We are excited at the many opportunities this will open up in our neighborhood, with Kid E's preschool friends and their families, with other moms in our neighborhood, with our church involvement, and with other projects going on in the city.

We're also nervous - we need to raise more monthly support in order to take this step. Currently, we can live a very frugal and basic daily life in Japan using Ryan's salary. Anything beyond that - our children's schooling, household emergencies and expenses (new hot water heaters, for instance! more on that below...), savings for college and retirement, medical expenses, trips to see family and community in the states, supporting local mission projects, trips to see our community in Sendai – has to come from Nelle's current salary. We'd like to be able to keep our kids healthy, strong and educated, to stay connected with our family and friends in Sendai and around the US, and to continue to seek out more ministry opportunities. Do you want to be connected to God's work in Japan through our relationships with our students and our local Japanese community? Please consider supporting us! One-time gifts are always a huge blessing, but we are also now in need of more people willing to partner with us on a monthly basis. If you are able to commit to this, please read the blurb at the bottom of this update (also on the right side of this website).

Corn chips fit on my fingers!!
At Takayama, Sendai
Jan 1, 2014

Praises
1) Last month, we needed urgent prayer for two little boys in our community. We're so thankful that Ruben, age 1, is home and getting healthier! He is still not able to be around other kids, but he is breathing on his own and home with his family. Thanks for your prayers for this little boy!

2) We're also excited about the way that the spiritual life emphasis week will lead into the next seminar in February, focusing on celebrating and supporting "third culture kids." Nelle is in charge of this upcoming seminar!

3) We have margins!! We've been so blessed by the humble service of Nelle's parents, who are willing to try to make sense of our complicated daily lives, and fit in the spaces between events and demands. They have jumped in on all levels - changing diapers, washing dishes, and also helping out with office work, coaching debate students, and connecting with local friends and churches. We're so grateful! Kid L shadows "Grumpa" constantly, and Kid E. always has someone ready to read to him. Thanks to the many of you who helped make this time possible.

Prayer requests
1) Next Tuesday, the speaker for the Third Culture Kid seminar arrives in Japan for a whirlwind trip. Please pray especially for Tina's health, travel logistics and wisdom. We are really looking forward to the way her seminar will build on the foundation laid by Seulgi during Spiritual Life Emphasis week. The TCK seminar is Feb 19 - 21.

2) Please continue to pray for little Luke, age 4. He continues to struggle with leukemia and remains in hospital for the foreseeable future. Please pray especially for his mother, Momo, who became a Christian shortly before Luke was born and was baptized with her husband at our church. This crisis is raising understandable, and very intense questions in her mind. Pray that we as a community would connect with this family wisely and lovingly.

3) Nelle has been asked to step in as associate editor of the publication Japan Harvest. This is a publication for missionaries in Japan. She has written some articles and done some freelance editing the past few years, but they would like her to step into the position of full time editor for one year. This is a volunteer position, and is one of the options for her to dig into more deeply in exchange for more work at CAJ. We're not sure this is a wise commitment, and are taking some time to pray and think - will you pray with us, for wisdom, as we decide what commitments to take on?

4) Our house is very old! Last week our water heater broke because the electrical panel froze overnight. We're grateful for relatives who invite us to take showers at their house. We're hoping to be able to buy a new heater by next week, but in the mean time, we're very cold! It feels a bit whiny to complain about cold water in the light of other people's struggles, but still, we'd really like to get it fixed! Please pray for patience and joy, despite circumstances! -Update: our wonderful repair man is here as I write, working behind our house in the rainy snow; we're hoping it is fixed by tomorrow!

Thanks for being part of our January!

Staff at CAJ raise support through the Japan Christian Academy Association (JCAA). If you are excited about what we do and want to be part of our ministry and the ministries and people we support, please support us! Donations made to JCAA on our behalf are tax deductible. NEW!! Use a credit cart to support via Paypal! Follow the link http://goo.gl/7VNPiD to be directed to our JCAA donation page (no Paypal account necessary) OR make checks payable to the address below and JCAA will provide a receipt. Include a separate note indicating that the money is for us. Address: Japan Christian Academy Association: P.O. Box 905, Wheaton, IL, 60189, USA.