We're Here in Japan

Dear Friends - Thanks to all of you who came out to Crossway Church on Wednesday to pray for the mission team members and give us a warm sendoff.  When we come to Japan we take one piece of luggage and one box of supplies for the EEC, decorations and other activities.  The weight limit for luggage is 50 pounds and three of our boxes were dancing around the 51 pound mark.  I was concerned that we might get charged extra for those boxes, but we passed through check-in with no problems.  Right now it is 10:40PM, Thursday in Japan - and 6:40AM in California.  The body is really confused, right now.  Please excuse any errors in this post - spelling, grammar, and clarity of thought.  Tomorrow morning we need to catch our first train at 9:45AM - that will give us time to partake of the buffet breakfast at the Narita Gateway Hotel where we are staying.  I'm not trying to make the members of our church who are going to Baja, to build a family a home, this Sunday feel bad - but I doubt you'll have a breakfast like ours during your week down south of the border.  I'm sharing a room with Koby tonight and he's taking a shower right now.  It will probably be our last shower for the next week and a half.  Before you get excited - those of you who have followed our trips from previous years know that we will be going to the public baths once we get to Chino tomorrow.  I look forward to soaking in a tub tomorrow night.  When we arrive at the Narita airport, we use our carry-on bag for our toiletries and a set of clothes to get us through the next day.  The rest of our luggage gets sent to the Chino church by takkyubin - kind of like UPS or FedEx.  The problem this year is our luggage won't be delivered tomorrow as we expected - it will arrive on Saturday.  So we won't have clean clothes when we start out the day on Saturday.  I guess that means I wear my fresh clothes on Friday and then turn my t-shirt, shorts, socks, and underwear inside-out for Saturday.  You don't think anyone will notice, do you?  Anyway - thanks to all of our families, friends and church family members who support, and have supported this mission in the past.  Your prayers, donations, and well wishes make this trip possible and provide us with confidence through our loving God.  May God bless each one of you as we have been blessed by you.  Love, Don