Hey guys... every so often, I (Andy) catch a little update on the Japanese church that is posted on our website. A month or so ago, I looked on their site and noticed that Dave, the leader over their got married. I shot off an e-mail to say hi and Dave sent the note below back. I asked if I could post it - it is a great update about what is happening in Japan.

Oh yeah - if you want to see the wedding pictures (their great) check here: http://www.fletchphotography.com/davidtamaki/index.html

Here's his note:

... thats awesome! thanks for the encouragement...yes, i was a busy but great summer, we also moved to a new place right after we got back which was a lot of work, but has been very healthy and good as we start our own little family and set new patterns of life together...we are closer to a train station which makes it much easier for people to visit us and the place we found is really our style and a great little home in many ways...over the last couple of weeks tamaki was able to meet and council with a university student who was interested in following jesus and she committed her life to him and wanted to get baptized so tamaki broke in the bathtub in our new place with a baptism...cool...pray for sachi as she grows and faces continued family challenges and for tamaki as she disciples and meets with her...

every summer the monday night group shifts and changes and each fall it is a fresh start for some and old friends return and some missionary or foreign types have to leave us, but it looks like a good direction and start as always again...

we are beginning a new year of school, i am teaching 4/5 grade and tamaki is assistant/team teacher in kindergarten...the school is still struggling with institutional and personal growing pains, but we move forward and i trust that He will help us sort it all out as we grow...i am doing skateboard club with the kids again and also working on networking with the skate community when i have time...

"auntie" sharon, an "elder"(but don't say that to her ^_^) of the group, is continuing to teach hula to ladies and children from the community, working at a preschool in the area, and helping to plant a new preschool in osaka...(she is a big part of counseling us in our relationship/life, and planning the wedding and she even danced for us at the wedding)...

our norwegian boys have returned home after their year of service in japan, we miss them but wish them well as they begin school to pursue passions to change the world in areas of jouralism, photography and the arts...

asaka, one of our good friends who came as a new christian about three years ago is now finishing her year abroad as she wraps up nine months of intense school of biblical studies with ywam in taiwan following her 5 month discipleship training school in kona with a cambodia/vietnam outreach...

andy and lyann are home in singapore but plan to return on a short term trip in the next few months and then permanently in the next couple of years following completion of her teaching degree...

if you are ever in town, please look us up, and i am sure we will be around the west coast sometime too...i have to show t the lower mainland and the island and introduce her to some old friends at camp qwanoes ^_^ take care..davej (and tamaki)

us:
http://artdesignlife.com/td/

skateclub:
http://aischool.ed.jp/core/

school:
http://aischool.ed.jp

skateboarding:
http://projectskates.com (look at the japanese site pages for local pics)

music:
http://undergroundosaka.com