April

I've run out of creative juices for the titles of these posts, so here's my update on April. April came and went, and I'm left looking back at memories that I said I would write about, which now seem like much longer ago than just a month.

As mentioned in my previous post, my parents came to visit at the tail end of March, overlapping just a few days with Kara, who was also visiting me at the time. It was a full spring break, to say the least. I'm thankful.

I'm thankful for how God works, even in the disappointments of life. My grandparents were also planning to come with my parents this time, but those plans were abruptly changed when my grandma had a medical emergency less than a week before they were planning to come. Even in the hard, God gives comfort. I'm thankful that Kara was here at the time, while most of my community here were tied up with guests of their own that week. My parents were back and forth all week in trying to decide if they would still come or not. Another opportunity to trust that God knows all, and He will see us through the highs and lows, the joys and disappointments. With my grandparents' encouragement, they did still come, and what a gift that was!

While my parents were here, we did another first for all of us in Japan. We took a few days' trip up to Hokkaido, the northern island, where much of Japan's agriculture is. While there, we were able to visit some dairies and get a glimpse into milk production in Japan! It was so fun to see similarities to what is so familiar of my Indiana home. No matter how long I'm living in a city, the country will always make my heart happy. The scenery was stunning and the food was delicious!

After arriving back to the mainland, my parents and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Japan's famous cherry blossoms! After they missed the bulk of the blossoms during their visit last year, we were glad to have several opportunities to view them this year, and even enjoyed a picnic under the cherry blossoms. The time was short, but sweet.

Then came Easter season. We had a few events at church as an outreach to my English students. It was good to see several students come and share in a fun time, and hear the joy of the Easter story! It's the story that never gets old, and I pray that God would work in the hearts of each and every person that has heard about Jesus' great love for us.

I enjoyed being a bit of a tour guide with some visitors that came for just a couple days in Tokyo before they went on a cruise around Japan. I'll forever be amazed at the connections that are made even on this side of the world! It's a small world after all.

Otherwise, life goes on, sometimes quicker than I expect it to! Thankful for a faithful God who is with us every step of the way.

God leads His dear children along!