A Delightful December

Winter is definitely here, the weather is chilly and my apartment is very cold!

There is no central heating in Japan, and getting used to living without it has been a bit of a challenge for me. I do have a heating unit in my apartment, but it is not the best when it comes to raw heat.

Despite the cold, December went quickly. We had one week of classes and followed by Finals Week. I seem to have gotten some kind of hang of things, and this finals week was a little better than the last one. After I managed to get a large amount of grading done and my scores reported to administration, I zipped off on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Tokyo!

Christmas with the Essenburgs

I got to spend a lovely Christmas season with Caitlin and her family. I was inducted into the rather extensive traditions of the Essenburg family, which were all wonderful. We made a gingerbread house, enjoyed Christmas pudding, eggnog and other holiday treats, watched Christmas movies and filled in the advent calendar. Unfortunately, the holiday could not last forever, but I really enjoyed it while it did!

Caitlin and I also worked on our wedding and honeymoon plans. We are happy to report that the honeymoon lodging is booked!

 This month, please remember these prayer requests:

• My personal level of stress and that I can deal with it - preferably with more exercise.
• That I can get acclimatized quickly to being back home in Kyoto.
• Pray for the winter trimester that we can all do our best, teachers, staff and students.
• Pray that the last part of the year will be finished strong.

Thank you for your support of God's work in Japan!
-Thomas