Another adult in the family

Today is Daniel's 18th birthday.  Seems a long time ago when David was watching the closing stages of the 1994 World Cup Final and hoping labour would hold off until the closing penalties!  It did - and started a few hours later!  Daniel came into the world on 18th July 1994.  Little did we know at that time that four years later we would leaving for Singapore with a nearly 4 year old and a 2 year old to start our adventure in Japan within OMF.  After some six weeks of orientation at the OMF HQ in Singapore we celebrated Daniel's 4th birthday and then a couple days later we found ourselves in Sapporo.  Two years of language study, seven years in Otaru, two years of home assignment and here we are now in our fourth year at Hiragishi (with double the number of boys too!)  In two days time we will mark our 14th annivesary of landing in Japan for the first time.  Neither of us had been here before, quite unlike most missionaries arriving here these days who have usually done at least some kind of short-term placement in Japan.  Our boys have grown up here and all have gone (or are still going) through Japanese primary school.  We have had rich and varied experiences over these years - many challenges, many joys, many things to learn.  We have watched our boys grow and the older two head off to India for secondary education.  Now we have reached the stage where our oldest boy is about to return to Scotland for university.  There are always changes.  There is no 'normal' - or at least not a 'normal' which lasts for long.  But it's a great life.  What could be better than to live in a land where so few know Jesus and be able to play just a small part in sharing Jesus with the people of Japan.  We enjoy our life here, though of course there are stresses, frustrations and disappointments along the way too.  As we look ahead, more challenges and changes await.  But we can look back over these years, the (almost) 21 since we were married, the 18 since we became parents, the 14 we have been in Japan, and can say that God has been faithful, he has been with us in this journey, and he will go with us as he goes with Daniel to the start of his new life in Glasgow from September.  There is much for which we can give thanks.