like home

::: "feels just like home," said reiko, a grandmother of four and the newest member of our asian access team...

...arriving thursday in osaka, it didn't take long for this longtime californian to feel right at home with us, kari, and all the takamoto and thomson kids...she was busy chopping lettuce for lunch when claire and i said hello for the first time in person...loved her shirt too...

...we also loved the way the kids make praising God so fun and undignified...

...from oldest to youngest: owen on the bongo...

...his sidekick, toby, on snare...

...annie on woodblock...

...nina on bells...

...when it comes to undignified praise, we big kids learn a lot from the little ones...

...speaking about learning a lot, i really get so much out of my friendships with my colleague-mentors, peter (left) and eric...

...i really admire and appreciate these guys...we meet as an asian access regional team every two weeks (these are called "grow group meetings")...after bible study, we break off into two groups -- men and women -- and spend about thirty mintues or so talking and praying together...afterwards we have lunch together...well, the women make fun of us because even though there are just three of us guys and five women, the guys always go way over on time, leaving the women waiting and itching to eat..."gomenasai (sorry)" -- that's usually the first thing the guys say when we come back into the main room...guys who like to share...no shame in that...

:::