Sara and Bill are Engaged!!

Bill and Sara at the proposal site in Shinjuku National Gardens, Tokyo. They are standing on a little bridge and Bill had hidden the ring close by.

Happy New Years from Nagano!  The BIG news here is that our daughter, Sara, is engaged.  Sara and Bill flew to Tokyo on the Thursday before Christmas and he proposed to her on Friday at Shinjuku National Gardens.  Let me back up a few days.  The Monday before they arrived, Bill skyped with us and told us about the plans after their arrival.  We were excited to be a part of it.  Bill had planned a scavenger hunt for Sara on Friday that would end up in the Shinjuku National Gardens.

Shelly and Garrett in Harajuku, Takeshita Street the day after arriving in Tokyo.

Our daughter, Shelly, and her boyfriend, Garrett, were also a part of the scavenger hunt.  Shelly and Garrett arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday night and we went over the plans with them.  On Friday morning, Sara didn’t suspect anything and was planning on just sightseeing in Tokyo with the family.  But that morning, Shelly got her started on the scavenger hunt around 10 AM.  There were 7 destinations in the scavenger hunt starting at the hotel and ending at the gardens.  Shelly, Garrett, Liz and I were at different locations around Shinjuku during the day to deliver gifts, notes, and instructions to Sara.  I joined Sara for hot chocolate and donuts at Krispy Kreme and then later at the entrance to the gardens.

Engagement Dinner at Outback Steakhouse, Shibuya. Bill has been up two nights at this point, but is still hanging in there.

At a little before 3 PM, I met Sara at the garden’s entrance and gave her the last map.  Then she was off to meet Bill at the last location.  I slipped around behind Sara and was able to take some pictures and video of the proposal from a hidden location.  We all met up back at the entrance of the gardens and Liz joined us to go take a few more pictures at the proposal site.  Bill had stayed up two nights getting the gift bags ready and notes written for Sara.  He was definitely running on adrenaline at this point, but it was a very special proposal that she will never forget.  We went to Shibuya station afterwards and met Shelly and Garrett for an engagement dinner at Outback Steakhouse before catching a late bullet train back to Nagano that evening.  I really appreciate Bill letting us be a part of it, it was all very special.  Our Christmas time with Sara, Bill, Shelly and Garrett was wonderful and I’ll tell you a bit more about it later in this post.

Me and Liz with her first graders passing out cards Liz wrote to each student along with a gift.

The week before they arrived, Liz had a very busy week of activities.  She baked cakes and cookies for her classes at school and for Young Life.  She helped put on a Christmas play of Jesus’ birth for her first grade class.  I got to go watch the first graders in the play and help her pass out Christmas treats.  She was also able to show a video about the story of Jesus’ birth to her 360 students.

Liz speaking about Jesus at Kid's Club with Keiko translating

She also told the Christmas story at Kid’s Club with Keiko translating for her.  She told them about the prophecies that foretold of Jesus’ birth and life hundreds of years before it occurred.  Liz also gave a talk at Young Life challenging the people there to draw close to Jesus during the new year and to share the love of Jesus with others around them.

Garrett and Shelly, celebrating Garrett's birthday at El Torito's

During this week, I came down with a head cold that I still have.  I think this is the first one I’ve had here in Japan.  I have caught colds during the past two years, but I got both of them during trips to China.  Even though I had to take it a little easier than normal, I had a great time with everyone here.  By taking NyQuil and Tylenol, I was able to keep going.  I’m feeling better now with just a little congestion and cough.

Now back to the girls’ visit.  Shelly and Garrett arrived the Wednesday before Christmas and Thursday was Garrett’s birthday.  We took him out to eat at our favorite Mexican food restaurant in Tokyo, El Torito’s.  Liz had gotten a little Happy Birthday candle for his flan.  Later in the week, Liz also made a cherry pie for Garrett for his birthday.  It was only Liz’s second time to make a cherry pie and it was very delicious.

Sara, Bill, Garrett, Shelly, and Eugene playing Settlers of Catan on Christmas Day

On Christmas eve back in Nagano, we attended a candle light service at Nagano Gospel Church and were able to visit with many friends there.  We spent Christmas at home eating, doing a puzzle, and playing games.  Our friend, Eugene, joined us in the afternoon and played games with us.  Liz had also found a gym nearby that they could all go to work out in and they went several times during the week.  The first four days they were in Nagano it snowed.

Singing a song with Liz's first graders

On Monday they went to Liz’s school to meet her first graders.  They introduced themselves, sang songs with them, and played with them in the gym.  I stayed in and rested while they were there.  After they returned, we all went to a rotating sushi restaurant that is about a 20 minute walk from our apartment.  Garrett and Bill tried some new food there and we had a good time.  Later we played Settlers of Catan and finished the puzzle.  It was a 1,000 piece Disney puzzle that was fun to do.  Concerning Settlers of Catan, we played it off and on all week, but one of the girls always won.  Next time we’re all together, we’ll have to figure a way for one of the guys to win.

Shinichi, Bill, Sara, Garrett, Shelly, Liz and me at Nozawa Onsen ski slopes. It's a beautiful place.

On Tuesday, we got up early and took the train to Nozawa Onsen to go skiing.  Shinichi joined us for the skiing.  Bill, Shelly, Garrett, and Shinichi went skiing while Liz, Sara and I hung out in coffee shops watching the skiers and snow fall.  It is a really beautiful and picturesque place to go.  Sara was able to get a lot of wedding planning done during the day.  We spent the entire day there and got back home around 10 PM that evening.  Bill, Shelly and Garrett said it was a wonderful place to ski.  It snowed hard the entire day at Nozawa Onsen.

Bill and Sara at Nozawa Onsen.

Wednesday we joined Io for a late lunch and then all went to see a movie, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.  I enjoyed the move.

Thursday Bill, Sara, Shelly, and Garrett went to Tokyo for the day.  Sara took Bill around Shinjuku to some of the places on the scavenger hunt.  Shelly and Garrett went to Ueno, Asakusa and Ginza.  Shelly and Garrett came back to Nagano for dinner because they had found a place that serves raw horse meat.  Eugene joined us at the restaurant and then came back to play Settlers with us.  They liked the raw horse.

Garrett and Shelly at Nozawa Onsen and their snow boards.

Friday we listened to the Baylor-UW football game at the Alamo Bowl.  It was an exciting game.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard of more big plays in one game.  Garrett is a UW student, so it was a little rough for him with all the Baylor fans around, but UW played a good game.  Later Keiko and her Mom, Tomiko, joined everyone at a ramen shop for dinner.  They came over to visit after dinner.  Then we played one last game of Settlers with Sara winning before bed.  Saturday morning they left on a mid-morning train to Tokyo and then on to the airport and are all back home now.  It was really a wonderful Christmas with all of them.

Bill and Sara

Liz and I are getting back to a more normal routine now.  I finished reading Mark, and started back my yearly Bible reading program for the new year reading in Genesis, Psalms, John, and Romans.  I’m going to mix up my New Testament reading program some this year.  I’m also still reading The War of the Lamb.  Shinichi and I were visiting last week on the late train back from Nozawa Onsen about how Jesus calls us to fish, follow, and obey.  Also about how Jesus is working in people’s lives around us even when we don’t see if sometimes.  Jesus wants us to be available to join in His work in people’s lives around us.  I’m going to try to join in with Jesus this new year and I hope that you do to.  It will lead us on the greatest adventure of our lives.  Well, that’s all I know for now from here on a snowy afternoon in Nagano.

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