Hi from Fukushima! I've been meaning to sit down and type this out right after I arrived but have been so sleepy...thankfully, not sleeping during travel has allowed me to not be so jet-lagged here. :) For those of you who regularly fly across America, let me tell you: 3 airplanes and 2 trains makes for a long trip! For those of you who regularly fly around the world, well...I don't know how you do it! :) Thanks so much to all of you who were praying for safe travel!
Since arriving in Fukushima, I have spent time with Cindy (my American coworker) and the Nomura's (the Japanese pastor and his wife) getting acclimated, completing official paperwork, meeting students, and talking about current and future ministries. Fukushima is beautiful--a perfect mix of city and country, for me! On Thursday Cindy and I took a train to the nearby city of Koriyama, where we work at a small church and English school, and I was open-mouthed as the train slowly wound its way around the base of the mountains, displaying green gardens, orchards, and forests. I was told that there is still a little snow on the higher mountaintops too! Pictures will be posted soon! :)
Because the English schools here have just been opened, there are only about 30 students. It is really different from the previous time I was in Japan, when 3 of us teaching had full schedules and over 100 students. However, it is also exciting to be in this place with time for new opportunities, and we've already started chatting about possible children's ministry, drama clubs, and other ways to get out in the community. Along with that, there's also been a lot of talk regarding prayer and worship with the Christians here...but that is maybe for another posting later.
Another former missionary from the states is visiting for the whole month of July, so it's fun to have him here to pray, brainstorm, and help as well...tonight we have a small ministry team meeting to get everybody on the same page, and I'm hoping to take some video to upload here, so you can see everyone's faces and hear some introductions!
Jaa, pictures and more to come, ne! :)
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Haidee! :) It's so good to have a blog from you and hear joy and hope coming through your writing. Can't wait to hear more stories! We'll be praying. :)
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