Well, this PBLOG is almost a year behind, which actually makes it look up to date! Because right now we are almost at the Sakura Peak again. However rather than jumping ahead in time, I'm going to keep going with it, so the record is on the internet of all the amazing things the Lord has shown us and the Lord has done in our lives here.
As for some of my newer photographic works, I'm planning more galleries, but the priority is on this PBLOG at the moment, which is about all I can manage at the moment in additional to all of the work we do here, plus maintaining two other websites (one for church and another site where I attempt to sell some prints).
This photo of the Sakura by a river in Nagaokakyo was taken on my way to work at Bambio (a civic centre building in Nagaokakyo) for the start of the school year in April 2010. The school year starts in April in Japan. That Sakura blooming was significant because that at that time the numbers grew in our more stable children's classes at Bambio and at our house, that with the children's classes doing well together with my work teaching in English at Megumi Kindergarten, we were no longer dependant on the come and go as they please private adult students to meet our monthly expenses.
What we do at Bambio is run 6 English classes a week. We hire a small classroom (in Bambio there are many rooms of various types and sizes, used for everything from art/craft type classes, to aerobic classes).
In addition to the various children's class, private adult students, teaching at a kindergarten, and church work we do. We also have a small portfolio of investments in Australia that provide us with a small passive income stream.
I am not trying to say that this is a great business model or something. In fact this move would not have been possible with out the help and support of many others that got us through the tough first year (Thank You from the bottom of our hearts everyone who has supported us in many ways: prayerfully, financially, emotionally, etc). Neither am I saying we have the greatest lifestyle, just I'm making it clear what we do and how we earn a living. If our focus was on making money I wouldn't say we've done well... BUT, we are here as "tent maker" missionaries (but not affiliated with Tentmakers International), we do what ever work we can to support ourselves and that gives us an opportunity to meet and minister to people. We live very simply (no car) and in a little old house that's 12 minutes walk from the train station, so our monthly expenses are not very high. Maybe one day I might write a book on "how to live in Japan on the cheap", because a lot of other foreigners (including other missionaries) in Japan don't seem to know how. Our monthly living costs here are only about 1 quarter (or less) of what they were in Australia. Our income here is about a third of what it was in Australia, but we seem to have more left over here. We're the living the frugal Japanese lifestyle and it's been an amazing journey God has brought us on thus far!
Note: This is the last of my "heavy PBLOGs" for a while, I might have them out more regularly now that I've got this one and the previous one off my chest. Cheers James.