The Fujihara Delivery Service promptly arrived at 9 am to sweep us off to Tiene station to meet Wakako and Tim for the last time. They sent us off from Chitose promptly at noon, but not before Tim helped us find Hokkaido‘s famous caramels.
We literally didn’t know who was going to meet us at the airport until Tim called Peter while we were waiting for our train to Chitose Airport. It was then that we found out our schedule for the day was to meet Bobby and Claire Ryu at the airport, walk the town of Kobe, and then head to their home for a few days.
A local Starbucks held our fancy, so we ran in there for some initial conversation, as the rain started up again once we were out on the town. They’re a pretty modern couple, and their term with Asian Access is nearing it’s end. It’s sad to hear, but exciting to hear how much the Lord has blessed their ministry.
After a little shopping we met Bobby’s friend, Tetsu. He’s a local business man working in marketing. He wanted us to experience the best. So first was an appetizer of special tako-yaki (That’s Octopus balls, for the rest of us). There we learned more about him and his relationship with the Ryu’s. I almost forgot to mention, that the Ryu’s friend, Rosette. She just finished her master’s in psychology and is seeking to actively use it to address social problems in Japan should the Lord will.
As if twenty pieces of tako-yaki between the six of us was not enough, we had to follow up with another local delicacy, okonomiyaki. It’s like a Japanese pancake. But we choose to top it with mochi and cheese. And we ordered two, plus appetizers. After two hours of conversation, we managed to finish it all. Rotating conversation partners throughout the night, we walked the town a bit to attempt to justify our hiyu-kiarori dinner.
Now three-fifths of us are sitting around with laptops, chronicling the day and catching up on emails.
That means I’ll actually get the posts in order and put up the videos. I hope you’ve been able to enjoy them. Our tour is a whirlwind, and just when we’re ready to start doing ministry, it’s off to another church to start our hajime all over again.
Watch the short video.
Hi Andrew, I am enjoying your blog. I get confused on who is who but it still has been interesting. I guess you are in Osaka now. Quite a whirlwind visit this time. The Big Sur fire is going east so Big Sur has been saved. Some people have been allowed to return but others are having to wait. John Espinosa has been there all week helping out. Bobbi said he just came home & still smells like smoke even though he takes a shower. We are almost done with painting. Dad has done a really terrific job. We will be putting the furniture back tomorrow. Miss you, lots of people asking about you. All for now. Love, Mom
— Karlyn · Jul 9, 11:42 PM · #