The Everyday

This has been the longest Wednesday ever because we gained an extra 15 hours after switching time zones. The plan this morning was to fly from Hiroshima to Tokyo, spend the night in Tokyo, and then fly out from there tomorrow. While we were at the Hiroshima Airport, Marty had the idea to see if we could get an earlier flight and just head home today instead of unpacking and packing up again. Especially with a baby, it's sometimes easier to do things in one big swoop. He ended up calling his dad (Marty's dad is a professional when it comes to arranging flights) and by the time we left Hiroshima we were set up for a flight that afternoon. We were both very glad everything worked out with switching flights because the airport turned out to be a zoo, and if we had gone the following day we likely wouldn't have made our flight. We also ran into Kurumi at the airport which was fun! The flight was long. There was this 3 year old who was screaming for several hours, and at one poin

Saijo today! Marty and I served in Saijo together. I was in my last transfer and he had 6 months to go. He was my District Leader. I was his STL. I remember at the time thinking he was a really great Elder, and my companion told me she thought I liked him haha but I was also a very focused missionary. As a side note I think the more Marty and I tell our story, the more we make it sound like we really liked each other on the mission.haha.  There was one big reason we wanted to go to Saijo...they have an amazing Okonomiyaki restaurant. (Can you tell we're foodies from all my posts?) I'm happy to report it was still there and still amazing. The restaurant was a bit cramped, and the couple next to us with a bigger table saw we had a baby and traded us places to give us more room. I was taken a back that a) they noticed we could use some more space b) volunteered to switch us without us even asking! Grateful for kind people. Qs Emi and Dad We both got American style Okonomiyaki. I w

Took the shinkansen down to Fukuoka for the day!  This random guy wanted to hold Emi. It was so cute! After arriving at Hakata Eki we took a taxi to Jotis (aka the best indo curry place ever). That was our go-to place after district meetings when I served in Fukuoka. It was just as yummy as I remembered!  This meal makes my mouth water. Marty and I always joke over which place has the best Indo Curry--a place in Okinawa or Jotis. He and his family have tried both, and it seems like Okinawa is the winner. But when we got to Joti's today he said that the place wasn't Jotis. Come to find out what he thought was Joti's was a different place...but he still claims the Okinawa's curry is better after having Joti's today. He did say they have better naan though...which is the best part of Indo Curry in my opinion;) Then we made our way to the temple. We opted just to walk there. It started raining, but even though it was raining it was very hot. Kinda fun. Our umbrella cont

A ward member offered to drop us off at the Takemura's home. However, I didn't realize that Takemura San had messaged me on FB earlier that morning and said that she would come pick us up at the church. So there we were, waiting at her house and she was waiting at the church for us. After being told by the members that we had left to Hiroshima, she and her husband came home to find us at their doorstep. I'm so glad that everything worked out okay in the end! Takemura San had prepared a very nice meal for us--Karaage, Sukiyaki (my favorite:)), Okonomiyaki, Tako yaki, vegetables, and rolls. She must have been preparing food for us all week! She also had canned fruit for Emi, and she and her husband took turns feeding Emi so Marty and I could eat. They were so cute with Emi and you could tell they were over the moon to meet her. They have 2 daughters who are grown, but neither of them are married or have children, so Emi is like their adopted grandchild. After our meal, Takemu

One of the parts I've been most excited about this trip has been taking Marty and Emi to Yanai. Yanai was my bean area, and I served there for over 6 months. I loved the ward there and got to know the members well. This morning, we headed out early and took the train down to Yanai. I loved looking out the window of the train and remembering my trips to-and-fro to Zone Meeting and District Meeting. When we arrived in Yanai it felt like the same inaka (countryside) city I knew.  Iwakuni->Yanai When we headed to Yanai, I was expecting to feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and emotion for this place I grew to love when we got there. I was surprised when arrived to find that although I felt happy to be there I also had memories rushing back of some really hard times in my life. Walking to the church, I felt a bit discouraged and sick to my stomach. I wasn't sure how the rest of the day would go. However, when we made it to the church and started walking in, I saw some of my