Our Update

We're still in Oregon and actively  finding the joy in our situation. 


We hope to fly home this week. Please pray  they really DO RUSH the results from the cardiac tests last Friday. We are still not sure if we should fly home before we receive results. 


Today's test was cancelled. This is the one we tried last Monday and Tricare pulled authorization, then they authorized and then Friday afternoon cancelled again. Our Dr. in Misawa assures us they can do this test in Misawa. No reason to stay here another week for a test Tricare may pull. 


Our hearts and prayers are in Misawa as VBS begins today and a plane went down yesterday. Praising God for the pilot's safe recovery. 


Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Travel Malaise

We hit some sort of "travel malaise" yesterday. None of us seemed capable of doing much.  We DID go out and get some food once....and shopped for "inline wheels" for Michael's skates. Oh-and I managed to find a "clicker" for presentations, a portable hard drive for traveling..... 


We're still talking about a new Nikon DSLR....not sure if we want a D3100 or a D90....or the D7000 or something.....anyone have these? We have a D70 - the D 90 has the same extra features over a D 3100 but it adds a bigger screen to view your photos and short video capabilities.  I'm also debating about a keyboard for my ipad....this captured my fancy....

Yep - a keyboard that rolls up....though Michael pointed out that I'd need some sort of flat surface to use it...haven't bought anything. Probably won't. LOL 


BTW, Michael is currently in the midst of the elusive cardiac tests. They said 4 hours....so whatever they are doing is more involved than what was done in Japan....we are praying for answers and the all clear to head home as planned next week. 


We drove over to the girl's apartment....Bre was working and we woke Krista up. She had a Korean/English class at midnight. LOL  A rare thunder storm came through...we sat, watched...visited....and came home....maybe we'll think of something exciting this afternoon after Michael returns. LOL 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Refusing Offense

"Blessed is he who does not take offense at me." Matthew 11:6


When Jesus acts in unexpected ways our human tendency will be to take offense.....Offense - to scandalize, cause to stumble....we are scandalized and stumble when He either doesn't act as we expect or does act in a way we don't expect.  


I don't want to be this person. I want to continue to dance with Jesus, even through the unexpected ups and downs of my life. I don't want to be quick to be offended - either at leadership, the church, friends or Jesus. I want to quickly spot and uproot offense - and it's cousin - bitterness.  


I've been considering this verse since reading it in PWOC Japan's reading program.....and read a few more quotes I want to capture from, "At His Feet" by Chris Tiegreen. I think these quotes tie in well with my desire to remain dependent on Him to lead in the dance, without offense. 


These are taken from July 16th's reading:

 If Jesus let the disciples avoid the storm, "they would never have known Him as the Master of the wind and waves." 


"When we avoid the dangerous waters we avoid the deliverer.....We were made to know Him and whether we like it or not, some of His characteristics can only be discovered in the deep treacherous waters."


"We can't really know the deliverer unless we need deliverance."


"We can't know our redeemer unless we need redemption." 


"We can't know our refuge unless we experience danger." 


I knew my "memorial stone/word" for the year was Secret Place/Hiding Place/Refuge....and to truly know Him as my refuge, my secret place, I must have need of hiding....I wouldn't trade the lessons of the past months for the comfort and team that I seek or our "plan." I'll keep dancing and trust He is working out the details I can't understand....He's the God of the unexpected as well as the expected.


Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Life's a Rollercoaster

Yokohama, Japan

Yep - feels like a roller coaster and we may be nearing the end. ::snort:: Seriously, Michael's cardiac tests are back on for Friday.  We even went by the center to make SURE there are no glitches and they are ready to go! If the results are all good (and we're praying they are) we'll be on a plane home to Japan by next Thursday.  As for the other test - the Dr in Misawa feels the new pain is probably adhesion from his surgery and not abscess or left behind material....so that one may be axed completely. 

We hit new highs in hotel living today.  I finally have a light bulb....you know...one that isn't burned out. ::snort:: 

We've been feeling pretty low about missing happenings in Misawa - VBS specifically (You can still register here). Pastor Bre (numero uno Gherkin) decided to help us fill that void. We went over to New Hope Christian College with her and loaded up costumes, pillars, walls and such to create Babylon for their VBS. 

Nolan loads pillars into OUR 15 pass van

Church van loaded with "stuff"

Bre and Nolan with the banner he and Arielle helped paint

We were in AWE when we went back to "the garage"  - we'd assumed all this would be stored in her and Donna's office...spilling over into the general office and possibly Pastor Kirk's office. ::snort:: 

Note all the little cubicles for each program in a local GARAGE

 Michael assures me when we have a real garage it will look like this

The notable exception to this organization was Bre's cubicle...the Children's Ministry section...

Bre assures me they'll all just know it's "VBS SEASON". ::snort:: 

I confess to a fair bit of green-eyed JEALOUSY over all this storage space....I noted the same in Michael - I suspect it's a typical chapel staff reaction. LOL 

Arielle went to youth group with Krista at Lively Stone Fellowship where Krista is a children's pastor who does a bit of many other things. 

Nolan is with Bre working on VBS marketplace posters. 

Michael and I are settling the younger ones into hotel beds for the night.....

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Looking for Fleeces? ::snort::

It MUST be time to go home. My travel size shampoo, conditioner, shaving gel, hair spray, deodorant and toothpaste have all run out.  I took this as a good sign. 

At breakfast I heard our flights are changed again. Won't be flying tomorrow.

We headed out for today's test and discovered, though it WAS  approved BEFORE the appointment was made, we now have a new PCM in Misawa (one we've not met)...and Tricare says THE NEW PCM needs to request these tests....They rescheduled this test for Monday.

Someone in Tricare is now calling various Tricare departments to work it out. Michael has two cardiac tests scheduled for tomorrow. He's over there to see if this same scenario is in place or if they are still scheduled.

OUR thoughts are the abdominal ultrasound due to  post-op pain can be done in Misawa when we get back. The cardiac tests need to be done before we return. Hopeful the tests tomorrow continue as scheduled....at least if they aren't we will know NOW and can begin working on it. LOL

So....maybe all the toiletries running out didn't mean we'd fly tomorrow....but that I need to go shopping and will be traveling for another 5 weeks. ::snort::

{Note 2:24 p.m. Tuesday, 17 July - ALL tests ordered by the cardiologist have been postponed a week, regardless of prior authorization from 13 July and referral from Dr. T in Misawa.  This is obviously a Tricare snafu....we are still praying we can go home by the end of the week; but things are fairly dicey  now. 

We appreciate your prayers. This is nothing like a vacation. We didn't plan this expense.  We can't leave this location in case they suddenly work it out and we can be seen.  We still have NO answers to the medical questions we had over 3 weeks ago and still do not want to be in different countries until we have those answers. This is the type of  bureaucratic error which is likely to be common-place with a national health care plan. ::snort:: 


We ARE blessed. We do have health insurance. We are together. We do have friends and family to visit in Eugene (but if we knew we'd be here THIS long we'd also have visited CA and TX).... To be clear...we know we are blessed, we know God is sovereign...but our ministry is in Japan. We have unfinished projects, unfinished ministry, and an upcoming huge inspection....we want to go home. ::grin::}


Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum

This museum (or 2 museums really) is FANTASTIC. There is also a theater and water park which we didn't even enter. LOL

We took advantage of a tour in both the aviation and the space museum. This really gave us a good overview. We each explored various spots of interest afterwards.

A kit - and a possible retirement project

  

Zander got really interested in all the planes and space....

Spruce Goose engine to the top right of kids

Gas at .13 a gal

Actual nosecone from one of the rockets

Titan - provided by Vandenberg AFB 

Roy rightfully pointed out I neglected to get a photo of the Spruce Goose...but I found some online....the kids really liked the beach balls he had in case of crashing.....still full of 1940's LA air....

This was a VERY COOL museum - see the Goose? 

This evening I began to think of all the "work" that I planned to get this month before this unexpected trip....which led me to think of all the people I miss in Misawa...which led to the revelation that MANY of them have moved in the 5 weeks since I've been in Misawa and I missed saying goodbye...which led to tears...and to thinking of the "3 boys" who are in TX....and Dad G finishing his race well...and Mom G alone in CA.....which led to me simply bucking up. This is the way it is right now.  Things won't always be so unsettling.  And then we saw this.......and I laughed....and pushed the sad thoughts away for another day.

Electric Car recharging station 

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Bre's Shrinking!

It's been a while since I've shared a Zanderism.

Zander to Bre: You seem shorter than I remember. I think you have shrunk about 6 inches.

Maybe she IS shrinking? 

Reality - he's been growing...as has Stacia!

Choosing Joy!
©2012 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...