Winter Has Arrived

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week with some activities with so many friends from English class and from the Church.  While it wasn’t turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy, it was close—chicken and rice and gravy.  We had some fun games and shared a film on the Savior’s birth, since this is the opening of the Christmas season.  They loved it. 

While we are in a tropical land of palm trees and volcanoes, and it is warmer than other parts of Japan, we also faced the reality this past week that it can also get quite cold and may even be icy and we may even see snow here. 

We have enjoyed sharing the tradition of decorating our Christmas tree here, and other family Christmas traditions with our friends here.  In the absence of grandchildren to do those things with we enjoyed an evening with enchiladas, Christmas music, and an old BYU Motion Picture film “The Gift” on the spirit of Christmas giving.  Thanks to these friends we are feeling at home while still far away from home. 

This week we also got to attend a special meeting in Fukuoka with about 200 other young missionaries, and a few older couples like us.  Wow, what amazing strength, faith, and dedication to the Lord these young people have.  Many of them rode buses or trains for several hours to be there and to return the same day, and then also for nearly five hours they were riveted on the messages and the instruction they were receiving on how to be better servants of our Heavenly Father during this special season.  They are great examples to us.  While this isn’t necessarily an easy experience here, it is a great soul stretching experience for us.  We are blessed in so many ways. 

 

 

Decorating our Christmas tree with our friends. 

Didn’t they do a great job?! Thanks you two!

 

 

We stopped at a rest area in the mountains on our way to inspect missionary apartments about an hour away from us, and saw this somewhat ominous sign warning drivers about driving near snow removal trucks.  What does that mean?

We were a little surprised to see these bags of snow melt on the hilly road near our home.  What does that mean?

 

Yes, that is snow on the top of the volcano.

What does that mean?