Marsha's Blog

Today I’d like to continue a bit on what’s on everyone’s mind.  You guessed it, the Carona virus. Of course everyone’s talking about it, the news is full of it, the famous Mexican Carona beer is ruing the day they ever named it that because (I’m not kidding) some, perhaps a small percent who live away from a good TV signal, have reportedly stopped drinking it because they don’t want to get the flu. If you’re watching the news, you’ve heard that Japan has “suggested” that all schools let out for their school year three weeks early.  That, along with the year-end break, will see the kids finally returning to school mid April. The real sad part is that schools, and don’t forget we participated in these national schools with all three kids, REALLY gear up for the big finish in March. Graduations at every level from Kindergarten thru University, and most important, just about every Junior High School graduation across the nation includes a much anticipated trip to Tokyo Disneyland...

This morning I woke thinking about the twenty third Psalm, and that part about “walking through the valley of the shadow of death.” Last week I asked you to pray for my nephew Rich, and I’m happy to say that he’s passed safely through the ‘valley’ as far as the bypass surgery goes. While it was tricky for awhile, he’s still with us and improving daily.  Another one I mentioned, the son of dear friends from Japan, is today home in the arms of Jesus, after a safe and peaceful journey.   A few months ago, in the very beginning of Tony’s cancer journey, we walked into a large shopping mall that we usually steer clear of, and Tony, new to the scene, responded to a charming lady who stepped away from her kiosk and asked in sugared tones," May I help you sir?”  I was frantically clawing at his sleeve to rescue him from this swaying siren, as she led him back to her lair.   He was mumbling something about finding the telephone store when she handed him a card that said ...

Good Morning!   Today comes to you from HOME SWEET HOME!! We made it back, safely if not very comfortably.  For those of you who aren’t afforded the luxury of ‘staff travel’ at half price or less, let me assure you there is a great leveler in being the last to board, sometimes not sitting together and in the rear of cattle class.  Needless to say, I was sick of wearing a mask and was more than glad to get home. Even if it was to be quarantined.   Not only by our son, who says we will not be coming near his babies, but also by the school they go to and the Australian government “strongly suggesting”, since we were in Hong Kong, that we confine ourselves to our house for at least 14 days.  We’re at day 12 since leaving HK and about to go nuts, but I have to admit we’re sort of enjoying the ‘down time’, foraging thru the pantry for food, catching up on reading and working in the garden. Here’s a case you may find interesting.  Our cruise ship docked...

Many many years ago I remember overhearing out oldest son Trevor going on and on with his Japanese friends, telling them about our upcoming trip to America. We were due back for what was then called “Furlough”, a one-year time of touching base with churches and mission leadership that we had to take every four years. Nowadays, they call it “Stateside Assignment”, since the old term suggested “vacation”, but anyway….. As we listened, Trevor was itemizing the trip from his point of view, which included Disneyland, riding horses in Texas, shopping at all the major toy stores, and of course loading up on the special foods we couldn’t get in Japan. Later, when his friends had gone home, I asked Trevor (I think he was about 8 or so), “What do you think your friends feel when you tell them about all these wonderful things you’ll be doing?”  Of course, I was looking for him to experience a bit of shame and compassion, having gone on and on about all the things they might never be ab...