First Asaminami Planning Meeting

What an exciting day! Today was the day of our first Asaminami Planning Meeting. There were eight of us sitting around a table: Pastor Haitaka & his wife Keiko-san, Pastor Kitano & his wife Masae-san, me & Peter, and Scott & Susan Murray. We were going to take a group picture but it didn't happen... Next time!

It was so exciting to discuss the progress and blessings of 2010, to get an update on what's going on and what's being planned, to brainstorm, discuss, and plan things together, to learn more about what Pastor Haitaka's passions, visions and goals are as the Head Pastor, to get to know the roles of the two pastors' wives better and their involvement in their
respective churches, and to spend time in fellowship getting to know one another better.

The meeting was at Kabe Chapel. Pastor Kitano and his family live above the church and so Juhee had fun playing with Pastor Kitano's 3 kids today. She had so much fun she didn't even take a nap despite having slept late the previous few nights! She conked out in the car on our way back but then woke up again just after 15 minutes or so when we arrived home. She's going back again tomorrow to play with them but only from 10am-2pm as she really needs a proper nap. We've been really busy the past couple of weeks, so she's had to nap a bit here and there instead of taking a nice long nap on her futon. Hopefully she won't fall asleep in the car on the way home...

Sungjae stayed with us and crawled around everywhere until Uncle Scott and daddy created a play area out of tables for him (away from sockets and folded chairs leaning against walls!), sat on people's laps (pic of SJ sitting on Pastor Haitaka's lap, staring up at him), was held and loved by everyone, and took naps on a little mini baby futon on the floor. I'd never seen such a small futon before! It was so cute. :)

Everyone brought their own bento lunch to eat and we shared some food too, but the most memorable thing for me was the mochi that the Murrays brought. A neighbor gave it to them last night and it'd been made from scratch! The pastors' wives microwaved it to make it soft and then we ate it with soy sauce in small bowls with tiny Japanese dessert forks. I've never had plain mochi and I've never had mochi with soy sauce! Have you? Masae-san was sitting next to me and she thought it was funny that I took a picture of the mochi in soy sauce. :) It was delicious!!!

It's always great to be able to feel a sense of belonging, a feeling of inclusion, a feeling of usefulness, a sense of progress, a sense of how things work and what to look forward to. I felt all this today. It was a hard and long day today, but it was a wonderfully exciting day. I'm already looking forward to our next meeting! :)