How a would-be hospital stay turned into a happy day

The doctor ordered Satoshi to be admitted to hospital after a blood test in the morning showed that his platelet count had gone down. But in one of the city's biggest, newest hostpitals, there was no empty bed. (Right now Delhi has an outbreak of both dengue fever and swine flue.) We were told to wait nearby until a bed came open. So we went to our pastor's house, only 5 min away from the hospital. They graciously gave us a bed to rest, and a DVD player for Satoshi to use. He watched Mr. Bean, and started laughing. Though he was still sick, his smile and laugh gave me such joy and hope.

A few hours later, we got the report that his blood platelet count had risen back to a safe level, and though a hospital bed had finally come available, we were free to go home. Toshi is recovering well ever since. Thank you to all who are praying. This picture was taken when Satoshi was in the pastor's house, watching the DVD.

昨日、悟志の血小板が減少し、入院です。と言われました。とはいえ、病院へ行ってもベッドは満杯。今はデング熱がはやっているので病院はいっぱいなのです。「少し待てばたぶんあくでしょう」と言われ、近くにある牧師の家で待つことにしました。待っている間に、牧師が入院しなくてよいくらい、すぐよくなるように、祈ってくれました。ベッドが空いたと知らせを受けるとともに、２回目の血液検査の結果が返ってきていて、血小板の数値が元に戻っていました。結局、家に帰ってもよいとの許可が下りたのです。感謝！今は、順調に回復中です。
これは、牧師の家で、よこになって映画を見て笑っている悟志の写真です。しばらく何日かぐったりしていたので、笑顔を見れてうれしかったです。
お祈りしてくださった方々ありがとうございました。

Dengue fever

デング熱にかかった悟志。休んでいるところ。癒されるようお祈りください。

Satoshi sleeping in the living room. Pray for fast recovery from dengue fever.

I saw the sky!

Delhi is listed as one of the ""Top 10 World Cities with Poor Air Quality." In the past, whenever I looked up, it seemed like there was no blue sky, no shape of any color of cloud, but only gray sky. I always felt like Delhi didn't have sky. Then the last few days there was an outpouring of monsoon rain. The rain must have been washing away the pollution in the air. When I looked up at the sky today, it took my breath away! I saw blue sky, a white cloud building up, and light shining from behind the cloud. I took this picture from our car today. You might think this is normal where you live. but to me, today I saw a beautiful miracle--I saw the sky! (Hiroko)

デリーは世界で空気の汚れているワースト１０に入っています。見上げても、青い空も、雲の形も見えません。公害のため、空はグレー一色です。
デリーに空はないのだと思っていました。でも、ここ数日モンスーンで雨が続いています。雨が公害を洗い流したのでしょうか。今日、上を見上げると、息ができないほどの美しい空が広がっていました。青い空、黙々とした白い雲。そしてその後ろから輝く光。こんな空は、多くの人にとっては、毎日見る何気のない風景かもしれません。でも、私にとっては奇跡でした。デリーの空を見たのです！

Freedom

Last Sunday the pastor preached about the freedom that we have in Jesus. He wanted us to think about this freedom, which is the different from the freedom this world talks about and come to church this Sunday with something to share. Today there were many poems, songs, a skit, reflections, and paintings about freedom. It was very inspiring!
This is what our family did.....
先週の礼拝でメッセージは、キリストにある自由についてでした。牧師は「来週の日曜日は、メッセージはありません。それぞれがキリストにある自由について考え祈り、そのこと互いに分かち合いましょう。絵を描いたり、作曲したり、詩を読んだり、いろいろな形でキリストにある自由を表現してください。」といいました。

Sawyer's drawing on freedom:
創也が書いた絵。「他の人に仕える中に自由があるとおもう。」（創也）
Freedom is found in serving others. (Sawyer)

Satoshi's acrylic painting.
This is a picture of a hard-shelled weed, which has been trying to choke the tree on the right.
The weed is almost round, which represents thinking you have to be perfect. But the weed is cracked.
And the blue swirl is God’s Spirit, which is washing away the weed.

On the right side of the picture is the old world,And on the left is the new world that God is making (Satoshi)

悟志の書いた絵。

「完全主義であるという種が、右側にある木の成長を妨げいる。水色の波は、神様の霊がその種を洗い流していることを表している。右の上、古い世界を描き、左の下の海は神様の新しい御国を表している」（悟志）

This is Hiroko's watercolor:

By abiding, we may find freedom.
博子の水彩画。イエス様につながることが自由であるということ。

Roger sang a song that he wrote. These are the words:
ロジャーが作曲した曲の詩。


The shame and condemnation…removed by You
The guilt and accusation…answered by You
The cords of sin and Satan…broken by You
Our freedom, liberation…secured by You
Yeshu, Yeshu

Our fears and hesitation…challenged by You
Hidden lies, interpretations...exposed by You
For truth, illumination, we look to You
The path of transformation, through life in You
Yeshu, Yeshu

Deliverer--From the lies, the fears, the sin
Redeemer--From the darkness we were in
Restorer--Making us whole throughout, within
Our bonds You understand—
The Lion is the Lamb
Yeshu, Yeshu

Groans from all creation…rise up to You
Longing for the revelation…of Your own sons
A freed-up generation, we cry to You
On earth as it is in heaven, Your will be done.
Yeshu, Yeshu

Fish! 金魚

We got a used aquarium set! It came with 6 fish, but 4 died in the first two days. So we got more fish. We set it next to our dining table, so we can gaze at the peacful fish as we eat.

古い水槽と金魚を友人から買いました。ダイニングテーブルの横に水槽を置き、食事を食べながら眺めています。

The kids picked names for the fish like, Eiki, Kouki (Names of their Japanese friends), Sushi, Yoshi, Yoyo, Hoho, Charles, Frances, Bubbles and Googles and the Stripey Twins.

子供たちは一匹一匹、魚たちに名前をつけました。えいき、こうき、すし、よし、ヨーヨー、ホーホー、チャールズ、フランシス、バブル、グーゴルなどです。

But then we found that two of the fish (Bubbles and Googles) were agressive--chasing other fish and nibbling on their fins. So we expelled them from the tank into a bucket overnight, and gave them to a pet store the next day.
Even though that saved the other fish, Meena still cried for the lost of Bubbles and Googles.
けれども、バブルとグーゴルは、他の魚を突き、乱暴です。他の魚たちの平和のために、ペットショップに返すことにしました。

Bubbles (right, pinkish) and Googles (gray, above Bubbles' head) in the Disciplinary Bucket

バケツに入れられた、バブルとグーゴルです。

Surprise

Surprise!!

びっくり！

Hiroko's Watercolor--bamboo