One morning Addison and I got up at 6 am to join a group of people that live on the Me-Gami-Yama (God’s Eye Mountain) mountain and get together every morning to do a Japanese morning exercise. After, we watched the sun rise over Osaka. The sight was breathtaking and I wish I had made the effort more than once to start my day off this way.
As we walked back to our house I couldn’t pass up the chance to capture the beauty of the morning frost.
During the second half of the month my team was separated into two groups. Laura and Kari Anna stayed with the Umesawa’s and Sarah, Addison, Stephanie and I stayed with the Miller family. Everyday we got together for ministry and prayer. One day when we were walking down the hill to Laura and Kari Anna’s home I couldn’t resist taking a picture of Laura as she reminded me so much of a school girl going off to music class.
There is just something about enjoying a some cuddle time with a cute little dog. All of us took turns playing with the Umesawa’s dog Coco.
One day we got the opportunity to join an after school program where we played, sang, and shared a skit with the kids that attend.
During our week and a half on Me-Gami-Yama, my team partnered with the Millers, our home stay family, to host a 24hour day of prayer with themed rooms, cookies, hot chocolate and tea. All six of us took turns praying for the city, Japanese church, friends and family. As I look back on the month that was one of my favorite days in Japan.
Pictured above is the music/community prayer area. Below is Sarah preparing the signs describing each room. Then the cookie process because I had far too much fun making cookies and I am a photographer.
Addison was enjoying feeding the fire to keep the house warm for the the evening when we had a lot of people over.
Addison and I got to visit with a couple on a near by island that are here with Young Life Japan. On the way home I got to sit in the front of the train. I love riding on trains, so being able to take pictures as I rode along that day was icing on the cake.
Addison and SarahMae (with Young Life Japan).
On the last Saturday with our host families we got the opportunity to join the ladies at their Hula practice. These women and young ladies use Hula to share the gospel. I hope all of you get the opportunity to see this done, it is beautiful and very powerful.
While walking through one of the malls I had to laugh; there really are some things that are universal, like women shopping while the men sleep on the couches between stores.
While I was sitting on the bench waiting for my teammates, I saw this cute little boy. I took this picture of him to show him.
Then he proceeded to rummage through his mothers purse, pulled out her phone, and started taking pictures of me to show me after. It was so cute!!!
One of our last days with our family we got to spend the whole day with Eriko, our host mom. We got to see the neighborhood she lived in when she was younger and got to meet her mother and Grandfather.
I went in a day adventure to Kobe with Endless Pursuit. We enjoyed seeing the city from the top floor of a skyscraper, walked through China town, and experienced the most quiet crowded streets I have ever been in.
There are some things you see while walking home up the mountain that deserves a double-take and picture.
As I watched Nina sit behind her dad waiting for us to decide what we were going to do next, I couldn’t help thinking how much I am going to miss the people I have met here, the country that I fell in love with the second I got off the plane, and the most quiet and clean city I have ever visited.
During my month in Japan I was extremely blessed by all of the people that I met, and I am excited to see what God had in store for “The Land of the Rising Sun”.
