Christmas, studying, artwork...

So Christmas was fun. I got sooo much that i didn't ask for, didn't deserve, and am completely blessed by it all (and also overwhelmed!! i have too much!!)

(it snowed a lot again!)

I now own six bibles, two bible cases, and multiple notepads to fill with notes. Thank you everyone, i think i will be good on bibles for now (unltil these six fall apart ahahaa)

It was really good to see all my relatives and friends this year for Christmas. we had lots of good food, and good times laughing about our lives and things we do. I got to hear some pretty sweet stories about my grandpa's time in the navy when he was younger. He got to live on bermuda! (i think that's how you spell it).

lately, i've been trying to get back into drawing and painting. I used to be so brushed up on it, i feel so out of practice. But i don't want to lose it. As Amber was pointing out, i've come so far with it, it would be a shame to just lose it. And i know God can definelty use it, even though it's in ways i can't imagine or think up. (He used it in korea!)

I've also started studying kanji, my brother has shown me some of the ways he used to learn them (he knows over 2,000 kanji). It's a really cool way, i think it will work. i really want to learn the language, i know it's hard (i've already studied it for three years, though it's gone down to remembering hardly anything), but i also know i can do it. God gave me a brain, He gave me the ability to learn these things, and I know He will give me the capability to learn it all the way through if i just try my hardest and give my best. He's pretty darn cool like that.

anyways, i don't have a lot of photos at the moment (isn't too much i have done that is really that interesting to take a photo of), but i did get a camera as a graduation present from my parents (thank you guys, it's something that definetly blesses me) so i will have photos of whatever does happen in the future.

(here's one of me and my family though)

God bless you all, stay safe this new year's and last bit of Christmas parties and such. Praise the Lord, we made it another year huh! don't forget to look back and see what He has done this past year in your lives, im pretty sure you will be amazed, even if there were hard things.

peace in Jesus,

-'manda

snowing, winter, coldness, snowing...

So, Michigan is a lot colder than i remember it being.


I've sort of adjusted to it (sort of meaning that i can bear the coldness on my face and eyeballs now), but it's rather dry here too. Less dry than California was (and should be expected because its winter), but harsher on the skin than Okinawa teehe

Anyways, i've not been doing too much. just visiting people, eating, helping with some shopping, trying to recreate okinawa-dishes of food, walking the dogs in the snow.



i took some photos, and some videos (we'll see if those work).




(the front of our home)


(it snowed a lot that night)





(when they picked me up from the airport)


(cooking Taco-Rice with my little sister)


(the jello my grandma gave me)


(the path we walk the dogs on, before it snowed alot)




This wednesday, i got blessed with being able to fill in at my aunt's company as the receptionist ('manda gets to answer phones!) while they attend their company christmas party. then it's christmas eve at my other aunts house with our grandparents, and then christmas morning with the family, and dinner at my first-mentioned-aunt and uncle's home. We normally go to a chinese buffet on Christmas day for lunch, but this year my aunt wanted to cook and eat at their home (which will taste super good, though it's a little sad not to eat with the vietnamese at the chinese buffet...).




^_^ God bless you all, thanks for reading and following along with me in prayer.

Merry Christmas (stay warm wherever you are!)



-'manda

Graduation!

Well everybody-


I GRADUATED!!!!! I made it! やった!!!



This past wednesday night, we have a Bible study/graduation night. We had worship and a short message from pastor Tommy, because all of the graduates (four of us) all shared from the word.





Me, Christina, Tom Cotton, and Bu-chan (ahaha) all graduated together.








It was a really blessed night, it was a really cool thing to graduate here in Okinawa. I am so blessed by the people out here, and the things that the Lord showed me and did in me here. It is a place of wonderful memories and amazing works of God happening everyday.




(Bryce rockin' out)



(he graduated too ^_^)


(we started together, we ended together)



("oh, what a hunky man! he's graduated!")


Also, the update on my circumstance is this: I am back in Michigan!
I was going to update sooner, but i was keeping my coming back a secret to suprise a friend (yay surprise!).


It is snowy, and cold. VERY cold (though i don't get much sympathy from people here because i came from an island). it is good to see everyone again, my little brother isn't little anymore! everyone has grown and looks different!

I'm going to put up a post of our new home (They moved while i was gone), and of all the snow in my next post.


Thank you for all your prayers, i really appreciate them. I need them a lot.
stay warm, and stay in Christ's deep, great love.




(Oki semester fall 2009)



-'manda
(pictures curtousy of Tamiko Murakami :] )