I just got back from my weekly visit of the orphanage. We leave every Saturday at 2:00 p.m. to go and hang out with the kids. Today a couple of the kids had pictures of their future families. It was really kind of moving. We threw the football around and playing all sorts of ball games verging on the edge of insanity. But it is always a blast to be there. It is gift, and I am grateful. Easter is coming up soon and we have a whole slew of visitors. It should be a lot of fun. I need to get back to my lesson planning and grad work but I this should be a fun week. Hope all is well out there. My petitions go to those teachers out west and northeast.

So I finally figured out how to e-mail my blog posting so I no long
have to be online to write down what's going on in my life. Let's see
how this works...
I have been back in Siping now for about a month. It was cold when I
got here, and still is but it hasn't been horrible. I actually went
out to skate yesterday and was quite comfortable. Students are
starting to come back and the stores are opening up again. Classes
start again on Monday and my 8th semester as a teacher in China begins!

My travels this year took me from Thailand through Cambodia and to
Laos. I was able to see some of my fellow teachers and see how their
day to day lives look. It was a relaxing and enjoyable time. It has
been a blessing to see the different landscapes and people throughout
southeast asia. The Father's work is amazing. There are some pictures
of my adventure below. I hope everyone had a good new year and is
ready for the new semester.

Yesterday Mom and I traveled to a nearby town to see the Adachi Museum of Art. It was gorgeous. Despite the 6 + tour busses the museum was well worth the trip. The museum is surrounded by a beautiful garden. So beautiful in fact it has been named the most beautiful garden in Japan for 5 years in a row. Not a bad a achievement for a culture that praises nature. Today I also took a bike ride to the Ocean. Another demonstration of the Father's glory. I am always impressed how each beach has it's own feel. Yet I am always is awe of the oceanfront. I found a few shells and met a nice man who spoke little english, but we drew in the sand and figured out a little bit about each other before we headed our own separate ways. Tomorrow I start the long trek back to Siping. It has been a very relaxing and restful break. Kuryoshi is a bautiful place. I feel blessed to have been able to visit it in every different season.

Well this will be my fourth blog attempt. Due to some unseen problems with other servers I am going to try and start using msn spaces. We will see how this goes.