Learning new things...

This week we assisted the mission by picking up and delivering bikes to several distant locations. We also looked at several apartments in preparation for the new missionaries to arrive on Saturday. We spent 2 days driving to many different places in Japan. This blessed us with opportunies to remember how to drive in Japan. The steering wheel is on the opposite side and you drive on the left side of the street. It is a real brain twister. We also got to drive through the mountains. The mountains in Japan are steep and covered with trees. I love the surprises like small temples/shrines when you least expect it or a beautiful Japanese garden among many houses and buildings. The azaleas are blooming so Kobe is a beautiful place.

Conveniences: The toilet at my apartment has a hand washing station on the tank. The water that fills the tank can be used to wash your hands then drains into the tank for the next flush. My kitchen is 7ft by 7ft. That includes the refrigerator. It is difficult for both of us to stand in the kitchen at the same time. The dish drain is a two level upright so it takes up less space on the counter. We found a tray that fits on the sink. This expands our counter space which gives us a little more room for food preparation. The bathroom has a tub/shower room. You shower outside of the tub first then you can soak in the deep tub. The water is at least 3 feet deep. You can leave the water in for the next person because you were clean when you got in to soak. The water is heated as it comes into the shower. You just set the degree then you have consistent heat during the whole shower. No running out of hot water. There is good water pressure so it is quite nice. You take off your shoes before coming into the house. That means all your shoes are in one place. No more searching for shoes. We are learning new conveniences all the time.

> We went to the Kobe Zoo on our P-day. I think I enjoyed watching the children as much as I did the animals. These children are so cute. The parents dress them up to go to zoo. The girls had matching dresses and hats. I would have loved to take pictures but I'm not sure the parents would have appreciated it. I said, "Konnichiwa" to a little boy about 2 years old on the train. He quickly shut his eyes and covered his face. I was too scary. "Kowai!" We went to see the california sea lions. A Japanese mother told her child, "Nichiyoubi Otousan" Which means "Sunday Father" Maybe, this is what daddy looks like on Sunday?

We decided to have a Japanese Parfait, which is extremely delicious, but we forgot to look at the price. It was $20!! Yikes. I mentioned to a lady at church that the shop owner should lower his prices so that people would buy more. She said that the Japanese people prefer expensive things that are top quality. If he lowered his prices, people might not buy it because they would assume it wasn't great quality. It definitely was great quality but a bit too pricey for me. Check out the gold leaves on the top.

Fred found his bakery.

We are loving being part of the mission. There is much work to be done and we love being part of it. I am so grateful for all of these precious opportunities to serve. I am grateful to my family who supports us in our desire to serve this mission. I am especially grateful to God for his abundant blessings. I desire to share the joy of Jesus Christ and his gift of life he has given us. "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18