Week 63 - April 15-21, 2014

April 15 is my mother's birthday.   She was born in 1910 and would have been 104 years old this year.  This is mother and dad's wedding picture.  They were married October 9, 1946 in the Salt Lake Temple and honeymooned by going to the Utah temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In those days one had to have a different recommend for each temple attended. 

Tuesday was zone training and interviews with President Gustafson.  The AP's did the training and part of it was a mogi in the church parking lot.  I enjoyed the flowers in the flower bed on the side of the building.

The three AP's stayed at the Kumamoto Elders apartment.  Wednesday morning we drove them very early to the Eki where they caught the shinkansen (bullet train) to Kagoshima for another training.  The picture was taken as we drove into the Kumamoto Station.

We then headed for Nobeoka to do an apartment inspection.  We enjoyed the carp streamers that were flying during the three hour drive. 

 I enjoyed trying to take pictures of them from a moving car.

This is the display on our balcony of Koinobori which means carp streamer in Japanese.  They were traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate Tango no Sekku (端午の節句^?),   This holiday is now designated a national holiday and called Kodomo no Hi (子供の日) or children's day and celebrated the last day of Golden Week, May 5.   Koinobori are flown from April to early May.  The black carp is for father, red is mother and then traditionally a carp for each son.  We have included our daughters.  The Koinobori were traditionally flown in honor of sons for a good future and in the hope that they will grow up healthy and strong.

Again on preparations day Elder Koberstein and I attempted to bike to Tatsudayamo Ryo Kuchi park.  The park appeared not to be open today but we did come across Mt. Tatsuda Park.  We decided to walk through it.  It was beautiful!

 We walked though the small graveyard.

We then looked at Taishoin Shrine which are four tombs called Yotsugobyo built for ancestors of the Hosokawa family.  This is just one of them.  They date to 1637 A.D.

We then walked through the Moss Garden "Koke-En".  We were fascinated by the bamboo.  Some bamboo trees had been cut down that were 6-8 inches across.  It looked like the roots were sending up new shoots about as big around as the ones that had been cut down.  What an interesting site.

The "Koke-En" reminded us of a time while traveling in England when we were told, "everything is green, the roofs are green, the rocks are green" etc. 

We reached a chained off road with a sign but not being able to read it, we were not sure if it was the park.  There appeared no other road options so I enjoyed the huge azalea bushes in the parking lot and we headed back to our apartment finished with another biking adventure.

 

Scripture of the Week

John 15:13

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.