Hey Steve

Today well, today in Japan is a very awesome person's birthday. Meet Steve:

Riding on a CH-53 "Sea Stallion" Navy aircraft flying out into the Pacific Ocean on a trip to the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan Aircraft Carrier and U.S.S Essex ships.

Steve is my best friend Tiffany's husband. He is currently stationed in Japan and is assisting in the relief effort after that horrific earthquake a month ago. I met Steve in 2002 when I was massively pregnant with Ashlee, and we were stationed at Fort Hood. My husband and he served together in our ward and I immediately fell in love with his go to attitude and his sense of humor. He understood my humor, I understood his, it was cool. At the end of my pregnancy, we were concerned of what we should do with Elle while I was at the hospital, Steve immediately offered their place and for Tiffany to babysit. He then invited us over for dinner so that we could get to know his family better, that's when I met Tiffany and the rest is history.

Steve has an amazing love and testimony of the gospel. He loves to serve and help those around him. Everyone is his friend. Steve is also my go-to guy when I have a question or when I am in need of advise on how to handle Aaron. I know that I can ask him anything, and he will always be there to give me the answer.

Thanks to Facebook, I have been able to keep tabs on what he has been doing in Japan. He posted this little note, and I hope he doesn't mind that I share it, it truly brought tears to my eyes, and increased my respect for him.



My life has been a bit crazy..that is for sure!  You remember all of the late night or early morning conversations we had while driving up/back to New York for orienteering events about future assignments.  Well I am here to tell you, that the Lord knew exactly what he was doing when he sent me to Japan.  I am thoroughly convinced that 18 years ago when I was called to serve a mission in Japan, the Lord needed me then, but He also knew that he would need me in a capacity many years down the road.  Who would have thought that I would be located in Sendai at the time of the earthquake!  Normally most new Foreign Area Officers(FAO) do their immersion In Country Training (ICT) year in Tokyo.  However, the leadership knew that when the year was up I would take over as LNO to the Northeaster JSDF army, they decided to just move me here and have me do the year training out of Sendai and then just move into the job.  This was yet another action done through the ways of the Lord.  At the time of the Earthquake and Tsunami, I actually was in Tokyo on a Ward Temple trip...you should have seen the Angel Moroni.....he sure got the shake of his life (ha, ha).  I then spent the next 21 hours on the road trying to get back up to Sendai to check on Tiffany and the kids.  They were all safe, and during the ride home I was told that my training year would get cut short and they needed me to start work immediately upon getting back up to Sendai.  The previous LNO was about to PCS and he left after the earthquake happened.  So I got put into the hot seat very quick and was the first U.S. military guy on the ground after the earthquake.  I got to the house at 0100 in the morning...got a bit of sleep and then made sure Tiffany had enough food, water, etc. and then headed into work...many other small tender mercies of the Lord happened.  Tiffany makes a four hour drive (one way) up to Misawa AFB to get medication for her and Jacob.  It just so happened that she went a week before the earthquake and stocked up on three months' worth of groceries. The week prior, I just had our 200L tank filled full of Kerosene for our heaters, and the night before the earthquake we filled our bathtub up with fresh clean water for a bath.  In Japan you wash yourself outside the tub and use the tub to soak, so the water does not get dirty.  So when I got home from Tokyo at 0100 on Sunday morning, Tiffany had three months of groceries, 200L of fuel for the heaters, and a bathtub full of fresh water.  Typically since space is at a premium, most Japanese go and shop for groceries every 4 or 5 days and keep on hand a stock of at most a week.  So we now had a great opportunity to share our food and fuel with neighbors and church members.
Now who could argue that the Lord prepared me and my family to bear the burdens of having to go and start some of the most important work of my life.  Some of this preparation started 18 years ago as a missionary and some much later.  The work that I am doing as Chief Liaison between U.S. forces and Japanese Self Defense Forces (JSDF) for is incredibly important and I testify that the Lords hand is in this work everyday!!  Tender mercies!!  As I reflect upon the last several weeks, it has become unmistakably clear at the Lord's presence in the affairs of not only my life here but the Japanese.  This has been an incredibly awesome experience and I am humbled to be a part of it.


I don't know when I will get to see this amazing person again, I can't believe it's already been a year since we got to visit them while they were in Maryland, but I can't wait to see him. Oh, and of course, this wouldn't be a post about Steve unless I post this picture:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!!!!

Dandelions

My yard is being invaded by dandelions, and you know what, I don't care. Yes, I know, I should care, but they are bright, yellow, and some much needed color after living in a brown landscape. They also bring a much loved memory. My Grandma Pete's yard was invaded with dandelions too. And when I would go to her house to visit, she would send me out to pick the flowers. I would get paid a penny for everyone I picked. I always assumed she needed the flowers for her flower shop business she had, but now after having kids, I think it was to get me out of the house so she could get stuff done. I have memories of my cousin Brian and me going into her enormous backyard and picking every one we could find. 50 cents was a lot of money to an 10 year old, well, it was a lot of money to me. So now, when ever I see these little burst of sunshine creeping into my yard, this memory creeps into my mind and brings me much happiness.

My Grandma & Grandpa Pete. My uncle Uncle Bruce is next to my Grandpa,  Uncle Scott is on my Grandma's lap, my dad Paul is on the armchair, and my Aunt Wanda is in my Grandma's tummy.

MISS TIFFANY

This little monkey was meant for the outdoors. Everyday she wants to go on an adventure outside. So usually once or twice a week we go explore the beauty around us. Last week she wanted to go see a lake. So we loaded up and headed to Greer to look at the little lakes they have. She would have sat there for hours looking at the water. She wants to go fishing, so I guess we, ehm, the Easter Bunny will have to bring fishing poles to the Doster Dorks.