Dear Friends,

This has been a year mixed with mourning and gratitude as we said our good byes to many cherished members of our personal "cloud of witnesses." Tom’s mother, Mary Hastings, died on May 9; Tom’s doctoral advisor, Dr. James Loder, died on November 9; Carol’s dad, Bill Tolley, died on November 11; and Carol’s 99-year old maternal grandfather, Jotham "Swede" Blackburn, died on December 9. While we continue to deeply feel their absence daily, we are so grateful to have been here in the States during the last year and a half to share some of the last days of their earthly lives.

One of our goals was to make a summer road trip out to Iowa to see Carol’s grandfather and Aunt Bev and we are so glad that we did. We had a wonderful reunion with them. From Iowa we continued on down south to Texas where we had a great visit with Rose in Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas; up through the southeastern states to Williamsburg, Virginia, where Paul and Sarah were born, and back to Princeton. On the way we visited with Tom’s niece and nephew, Carol’s cousins, and many old friends.

Rose has decided to complete her college degree in Austin, Texas, at the University of Texas. She feels very much at home there after living and working in Austin for a year and a half, plus there’s the added bonus that she now qualifies as a bonafide Texas resident. We were happily surprised to find Austin such a beautiful and lively city and can understand why she likes it so much. Her major is English with a possible minor in psychology.

Paul is in the middle of his second year at Bowdoin College (a religion major) and is still loving it. He’s been an avid rugby player and their team made it to the Northeast Championship game this year. He’s also singing in a small a capella group, and he acted in the spring musical, "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum." Still strumming his guitar and writing songs, he’s hoping to do some recording this spring.

Sarah is in her third year at Princeton High School where she has done well, but is looking forward to the smaller and more personalized atmosphere of ASIJ in Tokyo for her senior year. She spent a few weeks in Cape May this summer helping out her grandparents, and another wonderful week in upstate New York at a Young Life camp with her friends from Princeton. With 16 years of age comes the learner’s permit and Sarah loves driving (and is good!). Tom and I hardly ever get a turn in the driver’s seat anymore!

Katie is an enthusiastic first grader. It’s so exciting to see her learning how to read. She has two good friends who live in our apartment building and the three of them have a great time playing at each other’s houses or outside in the playground. She’s been taking swimming lessons all fall, and now has decided she’s ready to start piano and wants Mom to teach her. She too, can’t wait to move back to Japan.

Carol continues to study part-time and is especially enjoying the field education work in a local nursing home that began this past fall. She plans a weekly Bible study, leads worship services there and in the hospital about once a month, and visits with the residents. It’s been exciting to have this opportunity to minister after all the intense classroom studies.

Tom has completed his course work and additionally, taught a class this fall for Dr. Loder who had been on sabbatical. After finishing his comprehensive exams on February 6, he will begin writing his dissertation. In March he’ll take off a week to travel to Japan to be the keynote speaker for a conference on Christian education for the missionary community.

The four of us will pack up our bags again in August and head back to Japan for another term of service with Tokyo Union Theological Seminary. It’s amazing how quickly two years goes by. We’re looking forward to returning, but will be sad to leave Rose and Paul again and all our extended family and friends.

Love,

The Hastings

The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 185