Update from Tokyo - October 3rd 2009

Dear All:

Where do I begin?

Well, first we want to let everyone know that with God’s help, WE ARE OK!.

We are finally back home in Tokyo and although we are not out of the woods yet, slowly but surely things are beginning to get better.

For all of you that might be a bit confused, here is a quick recap:

Let’s just say that in the last few weeks the Haas Family has been tested to their limit.

First, my precious Wife suffered from a series of serious strokes accompanied by a heart attack in the last trimester of her pregnancy. This forced our Daughter to be born prematurely and she had a huge struggle with her life, same as her Mom. Thanks God they are both tough fighters. The “health storm” seems to be over, and they are now taking small steps into full recovery, against very negative odds.

Second, we were “victims” of the natural disaster that affected the Philippines, since we were staying in Manila since early August. I cannot begin to describe the devastation and desolation that I witnessed. Lots of beloved friends and family were lost and the scars are going to take some time to heal.

Leaving behind all pain and suffering, we took advantage of my Daughter and Wife’s improvement and decided to fly back home where my Family will continue their medical treatment, hoping for the best.

I have no words to thank EVERYONE for their encouragement. Thanks for the emails, blog replies, phone calls. Thanks for the gifts and the “unlimited flower supply” sent to the Hospitals. Now I can plainly understand what having friends is all about. Real friends. I’m astonished by the quality of people that surrounds us. For all I know, God will return your favors as blessings.

The next few weeks will continue to be critical for everyone. Please bear with us. I’ll try to get online as much as I can and follow up with all of you individually.

Again, THANK YOU for being there for us. I will never forget your actions.

May God bless you all.

The Haas Family