"For my thoughts are not your thoughts..."

In our women's Bible study at church, we studied the book of Isaiah the last few months, and, as usual, God's timing was perfect. He used so many things in Isaiah to challenge, correct, and encourage me in my relationship with Him. A few weeks ago, I was catching up on a friend's blog and through a whirlwind of thoughts, I was instantly overwhelmed by God's grace and provision... so I must share!

But first, rewind back a few years... I was a sociology major in college. I loved my classes but I never knew exactly what I wanted to do with my degree. Way before we went to Guam, I always thought it would be fun to do graduate studies in child development or child psychology, but nothing ever happened beyond those initial thoughts. After college Brian and I married and God led us to Guam... with no jobs, house, car, etc... but of course God provided everything we needed right away! Within one month of arriving I was working as a social worker for The Salvation Army... and I LOVED it. I could talk forever about that, but let's just say it was perfect for me in so many ways, and God used those 3 years with the Salvation Army to mold me and use my passions in ways I never thought I would be able to.

Then we felt God calling us to graduate school in the Philippines... for Brian. :) Well, long story short, in order for us to stay on campus, I also had to take classes... and I couldn't justify taking classes for 3 years and not getting a degree, so I too studied for a Master's degree. Let's just say I wasn't too happy about this. ;) I don't like to admit it, but I was pretty upset about someone telling me what to do in such a big way... and they didn't have any degrees that really matched with my undergraduate in sociology or the work I had been doing in Guam. But we felt we needed to live on campus, and I was halfheartedly interested in the religious education degree APNTS offered, since I had been involved in various forms of adult education in Guam, so I started the program.

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVED living in the Philippines, I LOVED our life there, and I still miss it very much... but I wasn't always happy about being in school. I just didn't feel the need to go back to school at that point in my life and the degree I completed wasn't really what I ever wanted to study. However, I never felt God leading me to do something else... and trust me, God and I talked a LOT during my time at APNTS. ;) But when we first arrived, a few people started mentioning the possibility of teaching English as a second language. I had never thought of that before, but it sounded interesting and God opened doors for that opportunity... and I loved it! Being able to teach part-time while I was in school really saved me from going crazy in my little "how dare you tell me what to do" temper tantrum. I loved my students, I loved what we got to do together in class.. it was simply wonderful. :)

When I was about a year away from graduating, the school announced they were launching a new degree program... in holistic child development. Woah, that was what I had always been interested in, but I was too far into my program to change anything at that point. So I was really proud of the school for doing this and excited for the people who started, but I always felt a twinge of regret whenever it was discussed... "Why didn't they have this program when we came?" kept swirling around in my head... but I felt I just had to push through and finish what I had started.

So I finished my thesis, graduated, and then it was time to look to the future. As we began praying with our leaders about where God would lead us next, we talked about a few countries in Southeast Asia... and our discussions about those countries normally centered around the possibility of working with women and children, things similar to what I had done in Guam. Of course, I was thrilled and instantly felt at peace, that this was where God was leading us. But then God surprised everyone... soon after we began these discussions, a very unique Nazarene church in Okinawa, Japan needed a pastor... within 2 weeks we flew to Japan to interview... and the day we returned to Manila, the church formally asked us to come serve as their pastor.

Everyone involved knew this was where God was calling our family. So even though it was to a developed country, which was quite a culture shock, we knew God has amazing plans for us here in Japan... and we were so excited. So we came, and I was pregnant... it's quite difficult to adjust to new life when you're pregnant - just take my word for it and try to never make such a big life change when you're huge and emotional. ;) So, our first 6 months here I was pregnant, then I had a newborn... again, it's a little difficult to really find your routine in a new place. But as Noah's first few months flew by, I started earnestly seeking God's direction about what I should do and how I should spend my time in our new country and new role. It's incredibly easy to make myself busy, but God has been teaching me the importance of seeking what He has for me, more than just filling my schedule so I can say it's filled.

I felt God clearly leading me to focus on studying Japanese... so I started looking for classes that would fit in my schedule with a baby and a toddler at home, and unfortunately it wasn't easy to find. There were plenty of options at night, but that just wouldn't work right now... so I kept inquiring and waited and waited and waited. Finally after about 5 months I received word that a conversation class would be starting. It worked with my schedule and I couldn't wait to begin. I had already met the director of the language school and taken a few private lessons with her last fall. But when she emailed me about the group class starting, she also asked if I would be interested in teaching an English class at their language school. Wow, I hadn't even been looking for that, but I knew I really missed teaching... and this was something that could work with my current life responsibilities. So we prayed about it, worked out all the details, and I can't describe how wonderful it has been to be back in the classroom, even though it's only an hour a week, and begin to get to know 4 amazing Japanese ladies who are quickly becoming friends.

So now, back to why I'm writing this incredibly long blog... a couple weeks ago I was catching up on a friend's blog, and it was an update of things happening through the holistic child development program at APNTS. Without even thinking about it, I immediately felt that same twinge of regret... if only they had had this program when we started... I would have loved doing this. And then the grace of God overwhelmed me... I had just returned from teaching English to 4 incredible Japanese ladies, and I would have never had that opportunity if I hadn't gotten the religious education degree...God led us to Japan, where English teaching is an amazing way to get to know Japanese people, and there are so many opportunities. My mind was filled with the provision and goodness of God - I had no idea why I was studying those things, and I don't know how He will use them in the future, but He is using them now. As always, He is giving me abundant life - so much better than I could ask or imagine!

That week in our Isaiah study we read these verses:
"Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters....
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;....
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Isaiah 55:1a, 2-3a, 8-9

Wow, the words come, listen, satisfy, live... they just jumped out at me and took on a whole new meaning. I didn't always have the best attitude, but I am so thankful God gives us grace to hear His voice, even when we don't deserve it. So please pray for me as I continue to meet with these ladies to practice English conversation. Pray for our Japanese studies and that God would continue to provide us with opportunities to make new friends and practice what we're learning. And pray that we would seek God's direction in everything, listen to His voice, and follow where He leads. If you made it to the end of this post, thanks for listening to me ramble... and pray that God continues to show us where and how He is working in Japan. :)

Oh Happy Day!

Justin has spring break this week, so we have been intensely focusing on potty training... and the saying on these incredibly cool underwear (Japanese clothes with English phrases are simply awesome - no other way to describe it) describes our theme this week... believable courage, fighting chance... we believed it could happen, it took courage, it was a fighting chance, and we have been fighting... but we now have a very happy potty-trained boy... with very happy parents. :)
I think this happy boy thinks he will get M&M's every time he correctly uses the toilet for the rest of his life... but we'll deal with that later.
Noah is also a lot happier lately... he FINALLY cut his first tooth and now that he's crawling, he's able to get into many more things he's not supposed to, therefore he is incredibly happy. :)
LOTS of happiness at the Woolery house this week.... ;)

Changing seasons.... hopefully?

When you talk to most foreigners that live in Okinawa, typically something about the weather will come up in conversation... the island is loved, but the humidity is hard for most to deal with.... except us. We are used to high heat and humidity year round... we used to joke that when it got below 70 degrees Farenheit (21 degrees Celsius), we were freezing... and we really were. It NEVER gets very cool in Guam or Manila, and our bodies had adjusted and were quite happy with our year-round humidity. But even though Okinawa is an island, it is much farther north than the Philippines, and we have definite seasons here. So while it has been fun to have "cold" weather (it gets to 50/10 C here... and we were freezing) for the last few months, we are SO ready for warm... HOT weather. :) I've been hesitant to change the clothes in the boys' drawers... what if I switch the long pants for shorts and then it gets cold again? ;) But we've been having beautiful, but not hot yet, weather for the past few weeks, so I think we're on our way back to comfortable. :) Here's the view from our balcony this morning... we are looking forward to the summer and LOTS of time in the ocean! Have a great day!

You can't really see it in these pictures, but the ocean is SO blue and SO inviting today.... thank you God for islands. :)

Funny guys

Is it possible to eat too many bananas? I think Noah is out to test this theory... he LOVES bananas... really, really loves them. He has gone through phases of eating other foods, but his current phase is that anything that goes in his mouth, besides milk and snacks, must be bananas. I stressed out about this for about a week and then decided there are much worse things that could be happening... So he has oatmeal with banana for breakfast, yogurt with banana for lunch, and then I feed him rice and vegetables for dinner... so he holds each bite in his mouth until I also give him a bite of banana, and then he swallows with a smile. :)

And this funny guy just wanted his picture taken... he gets it from his father... ;)



He may be a picky eater, but I think we have a climber on our hands....

Afternoon adventure

A couple days ago the boys and I were on a walk in our neighborhood and we discovered a hidden treasure! So today we went back with Brian and our camera... here's what we found. :)

This is a large intersection a few blocks from our apartment...
And this is a side road with a large sidewalk...
It's mostly apartment and office buildings...
until you happen to turn your head, and suddenly...
this is what you see!!! Think of small streets or alleys between rows of apartment buildings, but these happen to be landscaped with a brook, bridges, benches, and beautiful trees and plants ... solely for the purpose of enjoying the outdoors. Isn't Japan wonderful? :) I don't think I'll ever cease to be amazed at the attention given to detail and the importance of aesthetics in our new home... here are a few more pics of what we saw today...

looking for fish in the water :)

Some residents add their own flower pots to the section their home is in (see above picture).

And even when you cross the street, it keeps going...

So much to explore! :)

simply beautiful!

We love Japan!

Growing boys

Yes, our boys are growing...every day they both learn new things and develop in new ways... here's a short update. :)

About a month ago, Noah started moving around a little more on his own...

and he started learning how fun it is to explore new things...

fast forward to today... he is crawling EVERYWHERE and is always anxious to see what Justin is up to. :)

such a handsome boy!

He has gained his older brother's love for cars... mainly because they're fun to chew on...

On to the next challenge....
success! Another chewing toy. :)

He's constantly watching Justin...
and following him around...
much to Justin's delight....
not really... notice how Justin keeps moving his books away from Noah?

the inevitable.... :)

But overall our growing boys are having tons of fun living life together...

Accountability time....

Yes, that's right... I am asking you to keep me accountable... a scary, but good thing. :) As you may or may not now, we are currently in the season of Lent in the church calendar, and wow, God is using this time to teach me so many things... way more than I ever imagined! One thing God has been talking to me a lot about lately is how I use my time... or more correctly, how I sometimes waste time. I don't normally waste large amounts of time, but I started thinking about all the little 5 minute periods of wasted time... for example, doing nothing on facebook for 5 minutes... and how I could be using that time for more productive and fulfilling things... like blogging, uploading pictures of our growing boys, even perhaps taking a short video of boy #2, and so many others. But most importantly, I need to spend time telling our amazing family and friends about the incredible things God is doing! It's not enough to just get little tidbits here and there, or when we see you (maybe) once every couple years to just say things are great, and God is good... no, we have the wonderful invention of the internet, and I need to use it for communication. :)
So, I am asking you today to keep me accountable... I am making a personal commitment to spend less time scanning the newsfeed page on facebook and more time blogging and directly communicating with people. I'm always thinking of things to blog, so now you will actually hear those thoughts, too. :) So, expect more blogs soon! And, I don't like blogs without pictures, but my next task is to download recent pictures from the camera... so I leave with an oldie but a goodie. :) This was taken about 6 months after we moved to Manila... pre-baby days, pre-lots of things days... it's so amazing to think how God has changed us and blessed in the last 5 years since this was taken! Love you all, and you WILL be hearing from me soon. :)

Pray for Japan

So, I'm sure you've heard about and seen reports of the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck mainland Japan yesterday, and I want to let you know that we are fine. :) Okinawa is a separate island, and we are about 950 miles south of Tokyo. We also frequently feel small earthquakes, but we haven't had any recently, and we experienced no effects from the tsunami. Thank you so much for all your prayers and concern! Our God is amazing in how He provides us with family all around the world who love and care for us.

But it is so important to remain in prayer for our friends and church family in mainland Japan. We have heard from or spoken to many of our close friends in the Tokyo area, and they are all okay... some had to spend the night away from home, but things seem to be returning to normal today. However, we have a Nazarene church in Sendai, one of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami, and as far as we know, no one been able to contact our pastor there yet. Please remember Abe-sensei (Sendai Nazarene church pastor) and his family in your prayers. In this picture, he is standing next to Brian... this was taken a few months ago at a Nazarene Youth gathering on Okinawa.


I remember driving through Manila the day after the horrific flooding in September 2009, and what stands out in my memory is the hopelessness on people's faces. That's all I can think of as I watch the continuous news coverage of the incredible devastation in northern Japan right now. Less than 1 % of the Japanese population are believers, and suicide rates are very high all over the country. Please pray for our Christian brothers and sisters on the mainland as they help others through this tragedy and point them to hope and peace that is only found in Christ. Pray for the Japanese people, that they will turn to Jesus in the midst of this confusing and troubling time. While we were not directly affected on Okinawa, all our Japanese friends and acquaintances have relatives and friends on the mainland; pray for us that we can also point our friends to Christ as they are concerned about what is happening in their country.

As I was praying for all these things this morning, I was reminded of God's promises in the book of Isaiah. We are studying Isaiah right now in our ladies Bible Study at church, and one of the main themes that continues to stand out to me is the importance of trusting in God - there are numerous examples in Isaiah of when people trusted in other things: man's wisdom, strength of armies, etc. But over and over again, God was more powerful than everything and simply asked His people to trust in HIM. May these verses also bring you God's comfort today as we pray for our family in Japan.

Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 43:1-2
But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

Thank you again for your prayers and support. We will keep you updated as we continue to find out information. If you would like to donate to relief efforts, go here for more information.

Praying for missionaries

I can't believe we've seen sakura (cherry blossoms) twice now in Okinawa - the last year has gone by so quickly! And unfortunately, it's been quite some time (a.k.a. WAY too long) since I've updated our blog... I guess life really does get more hectic with another child. ;) But, we are currently at the Japan Nazarene Church District Assembly in Osaka, and the meetings extend past the boys' bedtime, so I find myself sitting in our hotel room after the boys have fallen asleep (fingers crossed) with a little time on my hands. So in addition to catching up on reading and studying Japanese, I'll also try to post some blog updates. :)

But for now, I wanted to share something that was posted recently in an online magazine about Nazarene missions. As missionaries, we are always in need of prayer, but sometimes we are not always good about communicating exactly what is going on and what you can be praying for (note: this is, of course, something we (the Woolery family) MUST, and are trying to, remedy in the future :) ). So this is something you can use any day of the week when God brings a missionary or person in ministry to your mind. Again, we covet your prayers... God is working in amazing ways all around us, and we must stay focused on Him as we continue to learn and share His love with others. Thanks ALWAYS for praying! :)

What follows is a suggested prayer plan for the missionary or minister in your life.

Sunday: Spiritual life – A closer walk with God. Missionaries need times of refreshing just as much as everyone else. Those in ministry give on a regular basis. Pray that they will take the time to be filled so that they will not be running on empty or on their own strength.

Monday: Mind – The ability to learn what is needed, be it language and culture or a new way of getting things done. Pray that their mind will be open and accepting to the new things that greet them. Louie Bustle, director of Nazarene Global Mission, used to say missionaries need to “trust the locals.” It is easier to think that we have all the answers than to admit we need to learn.

Tuesday: Team – The people the person works with – for good relationships that will build up the work and honor God. Pray for the local people whose lives are touched by the missionary, as well as missionary co-workers and leaders. No one is a lone ranger… and even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.

Wednesday: Well-being – No one likes being sick. Being sick in another cultural context can be scary and even more dangerous. Malaria and other diseases for which we have no built up immunity can be deadly. Health care can be hard to find. Driving over rough roads, air travel and other mode of transportation can be fraught with … excitement. Pray for physical safety from illness and travel safety.

Thursday: Thoughts – Pray that the missionary will not be discouraged. Pray that they will remain focused on the things of God. There are “get thee behind me” moments in everyone’s life. Pray that the missionary will be able to discern those moments for what they are and be bold in confronting them.

Friday: Family – Spouse, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers, mother and father. Some of these people will be Christian, others not. Some will be going through a crisis – physical, spiritual or emotional – which drains the missionary. Sometimes the stress comes from being in the situation; at other times the stress comes from being half the world away. Pray for peace, contentment and open communication between the missionary and family members.

Saturday: Schedule – As the week comes to a close and missionaries are planning the week ahead, pray that the schedule will be filled with divine appointments. Pray that when the schedule is disrupted that the missionary will see the hand of God at work and not be angry, but rather expectant.

No matter what day of the week it is, missionaries (and ministers) covet your prayers. Thank you.

”If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

8 years ago today....

Wow, how time flies! Yes, today is our 8th wedding anniversary! So, I decided to post a few pics from that special day... please excuse the poor quality... this was before the age of digital, so these are just scanned copies of key kodak moments. :) Here's an engagement pic...
And I want to share something special my Mom did for us TODAY! She is always very good about sending e-cards on special days, but this morning, we received a poem (written by her) instead! It's actually a wonderful summary of our life together, so please enjoy...

Ode to Julie & Brian
On the event of their 8th Wedding Anniversary

You’ve been married eight years, that’s a fact,
But your story began long before that.
In 1998 you traveled to SNU --
Two freshmen, unaware what was in store for you.

You became friends along with many others, it’s true.
But as years went by, something special grew between you.
As your parents, gradually we became aware
That love was blossoming – it was in the air!

Mission trips, airplane rides, HeartPal, and summer romance;
On to Homecoming, Christmas, then a ring, and exciting plans.
We were thrilled to be a part of a Hill Country wedding,
With relatives, friends, good wishes, and God’s blessing.
(D wanted me to mention $$$, but I didn’t.
)

Then the honeymoon -- romantic, exotic and faraway –
Ahhh, Mexico…the beaches… a hurricane… a hospital stay?!?
But you recovered, and home to OKC you did trek,
To live; play house; and decide, “What next?!”

Not to Kansas City, but to Guam you did fly,
Following a calling you could not deny.
A beautiful island – what a place to call home!
Parents and siblings soon followed – no matter how far you’ve roamed! ;-)

Through jobs, responsibilities, and challenges you grew,
As love and commitment to each other grew right along, too.
One year became two, and two became three –
Until once again, God said, “Follow me.”

Saying good-bye to church family and your cherished island home
Involved tears and promises; a piece of your hearts now gone.
But our hearts are big and can always embrace
New friends, new “family,” no matter the place.

With struggles and laughter, Manila now became
Full of love, challenges, another degree after each name.
But not before your family did increase;
Justin joined the family – our joys never cease!

And again, the question, “What is our next plan?”
God said, “Don’t fret – it’s all in my hand.”
So amazingly, it took everyone by surprise!
To Okinawa you flew – more tears, more good-byes.

But so quickly you adapted, home is now Japan –
Friends and “family” are scattered over many more lands.
And then, to add icing to the proverbial cake –
Noah came along – how much joy can we take?!

And so you arrive at anniversary number eight –
Hasn’t the adventure really been great!!
With you we celebrate the past, and even more,
We can’t wait to see the future God has in store!

We love you, celebrate with you, and wish you all the best!!! Can’t wait to see
what will unfold in the next 8 years!

Love, Mom & Dad