Wednesday (Suiyobi) afternoon found us at the International Center (Kokusai Kouryou Kaikan) for a Japanese (Nihongo Kurasu) class with our former teacher. Following the class we will teach an English class (Eikaiwa) before returning to our apartment. The picture above is one of the flower arrangements at the Kokusai Kouryou Kaikan this past week. We see the small pink blossoms out in gardens around the city right now.
We started our first round of apartment checks since we returned to Kumamoto. This week was the apartments of the Kumamoto/Nagamine Elders (Choro) and Sister (Shimi). The Shimi apartment has one closet for four Shimi. It is very crowed. We were able to find this wardrobe at a secondhand store near their apartment for 3900 yen or about $40. It has four drawers on the bottom and a mirror bonus. The ward mission leader in the Kumamoto Ward was able to arrange for a truck to transport it and help to load and unload it. It was an amazing miracle how it all worked out.
This week was a very unusual week. We generally treat the Choro and Shimi to lunch if their apartment receives a celestial rating. The Yatsushiro Choros treated us to the famous "Wheatly Family Chocolate Cake". It was a wonderful treat and surprise for us made by their Eikaiwa students. It was delicious.
The fourth home in the taxi cab parking lot was started this week. They laid the foundation. It looks like there maybe room for one more home on this little piece of land. Amazing!!
The Kumamoto/Nagamine Charo/Shimi earned a celestial rating on their apartment check. They decided to have a lunch at "Joyfull" on Saturday but one of the Charo was asked to serve in Fukuoka Friday. He left on the Shinkasen (bullet train) Saturday at noon. The decision was to have breakfast at our apartment Saturday morning. We made French toast for the group. It was nice so that he could say goodbye. He had been serving as a zone leader in Kumamoto for the past six months. Pictured is Elder Koberstein cooking French toast.
The Shimi in the Nagamine Ward asked us to pick them up from an appointment. It was up near the foothills of Aso. The person had many beautiful flower garden around the family home. The first picture is the same pink flowers in the flower arrangement at the Kokusai Kouryou Kaikan. There were many bulbs in blossom. It was a real treat to share the flower gardens.
This little bush is the snow (yuki) flower (hana). It is just starting to blossom and will be white on top when in full blossom. It looks like snow so is called the yuki hana.
This beautiful display of dolls so traditional for Japan this time of year was on display in the home. The holiday is Momo-no-Sekku Hinamatsuri which takes place on March 3 in Japan. Matsuri means festival and is a time to pray for the health and well being of young girls. Hina means dolls. The dolls were originally made from straw and grass. The celebration of this festival in Japan is traceable to the Edo Period (1603-1867).
We were served a different fruit called Pomelo, shaddock or pummelo which is a hybrid between a grapfruit and orange. It looks something like a grapefruit but is much larger and does not have the bitter membranes between the sections. It is juicy but peal able with your hands and not messy. We are going to have to find out more about this fruit. We enjoyed the treat.
Sunday evening we biked around Lake Ezu and handed out Eikaiwa fliers. It was a beautiful evening to be outdoors and fun to met others enjoying the evening. This is the park next to the lake as the sun was setting..
This is the sun as it was setting over the lake. It was beautiful!
Scripture of the Week
John 7:17
If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
1 comment:
I used to have a bush like the white flowered one. I think in AMerica we call it something like Wedding bouquet, or bridal bouquet.
I love pommelos. We have eaten so many of them this winter!
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