新しい生活

私たち家族は新しい冒険を始めようとしてます。突然に聞こえるんですが、その通り！突然です♫

圭介は農業大学出て以来ずっと農業に興味がありました。やってみたいという思いがずっとあったけれどなかなか機会が無かったし、お父さんのカメラ屋で働き始め、結婚して、子供4人授かり、どんどん農業をやるのが現実ではなくただの夢で終わっちゃいそうなところだった。でも圭介はずっと神様に祈り求めててた。今の会社もずっと続かないだろうし、もっと家族との時間も欲しいし、家族がともに暮らし、直接的に神様に頼り、生活したいという気持ちはどんどん強くなって来た。でも将来はカメラ屋を取り継ぐ事になるでしょうと思い、お父さんを置いてやめるも自分からやるもしたくなかった。でもひたすらに祈ってたところ10月の終わり頃、お父さんがある長い付き合いのお客さんであり、蘭越町でお米の農家を営んでる友達と電話で話してた。その会話の中でお父さんが自分の息子は農業に興味があり、たまに土地を見たりしてることを話した。その農家の人が話しに乗って、蘭越町では農業をやりたい若手を募集してる事などを教えてくれた。お父さんは息子がやったらいいんじゃないかと話して、その農家の人はいろんな情報を集めてくれて、私たちを紹介してくれました。

その後に圭介がお父さんにもう1回確認してみたところで、本当にやりたいならやっていいと言ってくれました！！

 お父さんから話が始めて、色んな道が開いて来てるとわかりました。

 しかも同じ蘭越町に私たちの教会のリトリートハウスもあって、同じ教会のクリスチャンも何人かが隣のニセコ町に住んでる。教会がまだないところで私たちがそのクリスチャンの友達と励まし合えるし、その地の人たちと生活を共にし、イエス様の証をしたいと思ってます。神様は私たちを蘭越町に行きなさいと道を開いてるようにどんどん強く思うようになってます。

 農業研修は最初の時期はトマト農家で学びます。

 次の年は蘭越町の農業研修施設で実際トマトを作ってみる。

これから色々大変なことが沢山ありそうけれど、神様の御心の真ん中にいるなら、平安の中で神様に頼りつつ、前に進んで行くのが楽しみ。

  研修してる家族のために給付金がありますが私たちの家族の人数では少し厳しいけれど冬の間はアルバイトした方がいいと言われてます。圭介はセブン商会で何かの形でアルバイトはできそうなのは感謝です。何より神様は私たちの必要を知っておられるから安心です。

具体的に祈って頂きたいことは沢山ありますが

*12月13日で申し込み書を出したので、1月に面接があると思います。神様の御心であるなら無事に受かるように

*家がいい値段とちょうどいいタイミングで売れるように

*これから住む場所(町営住宅)が私たちの家族にとっていいところが与えられるように〜 (狭くてもいいんですが綺麗でカビがないところは私の体にとって大切。カビのアレルギーみたいな体質がありますので)

*圭介とローラも研修を受けるつもりですので子供たちは保育園に行くことになると思いますが、皆無事に入れて、すぐ慣れて、彼らにとっていい経験となりますように〜

今のところではこれが一番大きいのですが、お祈りよろしくお願いします。

Family photos from 2015

Rankoshi adventure (BIG changes for our Family)

December 2016 update from the Noguchi’s

This may seem sudden to you, because well, it was very sudden to us. But God seems to be opening up the doors with a big change for our family. 

 Some of you might not know, but Keisuke graduated from an agriculture college in Tokyo with a major in soil study. He has always had a desire to get into agriculture farming but never had an opportunity to pursue it. He has been working for his father in the family business for 8 years and we thought he would continue running it for his dad. Keisuke didn’t want to try and leave his dad or try and make things happen if they wouldn’t be helpful to his dad. But he has been praying that God would open the door if it would be God’s plan, and would dream about farming and occasionally look at land in different areas for sale. But we didn’t really think it would come to reality. 

   Well, in late October Dad Noguchi was chatting with one of their long time customers. He is a rice farmer in a town called Rankoshi. This is a neighboring town of the well known Niseko (becoming well known world wide for it’s skiing and various outdoor recreation destinations). It is about two hours south west of Sapporo. It also “happens” to be the town where our church Fukuinkan has a retreat center and is praying for a future church plant. 

  Dad Noguchi mentioned to this farmer friend that his son had an interest in farming. This farmer got all excited and called the town office and got all the info about their farming internship program. It turns out the internship program is looking for young people who would be willing to learn farming and start up more farms as Japan has a dying out population and need more home grown food, etc, They are desperate for farmers! And the program just happened to not have any applicants this year and extended the enrollment deadline the same week we were introduced to them by our farmer friend. 

 Then Dad N said it would be worth a try for Keisuke to go for it. The camera business won’t last forever… So he could start now while dad is still working. We were very very surprised that DAD was the one who brought up Keisuke’s desire for farming, and then very positive about allowing Keisuke to go if he wanted to! 

  

 The training program starts in April. The first season we would learn directly from a farmer. Working alongside of them and getting hands on experience. The next season or two (depending on how well you do) we would do our “own” crop at the facility of the training program under the supervision of a “teacher” 

Then when you “graduate” they will help you financially for the first five years of your farm. They want you to learn to do tomatoes first as there is a shipping market for tomatoes right in Rankoshi. 

 We would receive financial aid (though it isn’t very much) that would be enough to get by but a little tight with our family of 6. But during the winter months we are free to work a part time job (Keisuke will probably work part time for his dad in some way) to help with financial stability. 

   This seems like a big jump, but we are feeling more and more that God has opened up the doors, and we are to step forward in faith. 

There are a few new Christians in this area connected with our church, but no church. Maybe we can be an encouragement to them? We feel strongly that God isn’t just sending us to Rankoshi to do farming, but to be a witness for Him in this unchurched area. 

  We would appreciate prayers as we move forward getting ready for this HUGE change and adventure. 

 Some prayer requests:

 Pray for our house to sell. We need to sell our house for a good price so that we can pay off our loan. It will be pretty tight financially in our new situation, so it would be EXTREMELY helpful to not have to pay our loan from our house. 

 Pray for details of housing in Rankoshi

The town will provide half of the rental cost for housing as long as we use housing that belongs to the town. They said there were many different types, depending on the timing. Sometimes apartments, and sometimes there might be a house available. We are hoping for a house, but know God is in control. Whatever it is, we are praying that it would be the best fit for our family, and CLEAN (not moldy) is very important as I get sick with mold. 

 pray for our family as we transition

 Keisuke and I will be entering the training program together. So the kids will need to be cared for. The town has a nice day care and we are hoping they will all be able to get in. and adjust well. Since it is farming, some days during planting season etc, would be very long. But other days maybe not as long. also in the winter when there is nothing to do for farming (too much snow in Hokkaido) then maybe the kids can stay home with me during the 4-5 months of winter. 

 Pray as we apply on Tuesday (december 13th) 

  If this is God’s plan, we know He will continue to open the door. But if we are mistaken for some reason, that He would close the doors firmly. 

 This is a huge step of faith for us. But we are excited to see how God is working and would appreciate your prayers for us. Love to you all! God bless

Long time no blogging.

Hello there. We have not disappeared from the earth. Just a bit busy since the last post. After Keishi's birth, God has given us two more daughters. Making a total of 4 beautiful children.

   Yoshiki is 4 1/2. He is creative, kind, silly, observant, and very passionate. If he gets angry, he is very angry and expressive. But he is also very loving. He goes to preschool on a touch and go basis as we chose not to put him in a full time school.
    Keishi is now 3 1/2. He is goofy, smart, good at acting, and very quick to laugh or cry. He loves Yoshiki his brother but wants to be Hitomi is little sister.

   Hitomi is 2 years old. She was born September 17th, 2014. Her name is taken from Psalm 17:8 and it means "the apple of my eye".  Her brothers doted on her as a baby,and tease her constantly now that she is bigger. She is so beautiful and smart but don't cross her or she can be pretty scary. ;) Hitomi loves to cuddle her "babies" and is a good little "mommy". When not being provoked by her brothers, she is quite sweet. She is also a tom boy. Walked from age 1. And can keep up very well with her big brothers.

 Eimi was born May 2nd, 2016. Her name means eternal hope and is pronounced like her aunt Amy. She will be 5 months old tomorrow and is just the sweetest thing. She can roll over and sleeps through the night since about three months old. She brings much joy and calm to my heart in the craziness of raising 4 young children.

 Keisuke and I are so thankful to God for the blessings that God has entrusted to us.
We have had some rough things happen in the last three years. Changing of our church here in Sapporo, learning how to discipline our children, death of my precious older brother Tom at 39yrs old. But God has been faithful trough it all. He is always with us and helps us through these hard times and encourages us with many beautiful and fun times too.

I will try to update a little more often. But no promises with my crazy life ;)