more additions to a list of things I can never be thankful enough for.

Well, today was a day filled with lots and lots of unexpected surprises. I started the day with a nice talk with the deaconess at my church about future ministry options for my church and the area. Very exciting. I was given a new skirt that actually fit. I got news that site training (when I teach the next missionary all about their new job) will be moved up a week (so that it doesn't conflict with the last week of classes). All very good stuff. Even had a nice day teaching kids about "Away in a Manger." It's actually really exciting, because I have enough Japanese this year to really explain what the song means. So several kids got to hear about the story of Jesus' birth (and I get to do it all week!)

But I guess the biggest surprise of the day was when my students came to my night class. I have four students in this class, all men. This is my highest class. They are all really cute. I like them.

Last month, my bicycle (donated by the church) busted a tire. New tires are a little costly, and I didn't have the money to repair is. Now this bicycle has been giving me trouble the whole time I've been here. One of the students in the class, who I like to think of as my Japanese grandfather, has on several occasions fixed the bicycle for me. (he also brings me beautiful roses from his garden!)

So this time the bicycle seemed done for. I actually had to walk to the hospital yesterday (little less than an hour actually, and I did choose to walk, I could have taken a bus.) But a bicycle makes things like shopping, and getting places so much easier.

So tonight he came to class and showed me a piece of paper. Turns out the four members of the class got together to buy me a new bicycle!! They even put my name on it! And registered it with the police! (you are supposed to register your bike in Japan, kinda like you do with cars. The picture of the bright red sticker is the registration number.) So if I loose my bike, or it's stolen, they can trace it back to me if it's ever found. It's such a wonderful present!

I can't even begin to express how excited I am about this. I took it for a test ride tonight, and I think I rode around 8 miles maybe. Hehe. It was lots of fun.

These are of course pictures of my wonderful new "mama-chali" (mother's chariot) as they call your basic bikes here in Japan. It's a nice deep, burnt red. It's got a nice pedal-powered light, and brakes that work! haha. It's really great!

If you look at the last picture, it's what was written on the bike manual. I find the English rather funny.

So that's my exciting story for the day. God just keeps blessing me so much. And the funny thing is, for every blessing like this that you can see, there are so many more that can never be seen or even fully expressed or realized. I'm always in awe of how much God takes care of me.

Thanks so much.