One of my favorite parts of living in Japan is how the Plum Blossoms announce the imminent arrival of spring each and every winter. It doesn’t matter how cold, long or full of viruses the winter is — spring is always around the corner. This year we are especially grateful for this reminder, as we can use all the help we can get to see Corona virus put in check and things be able to go back to normal. Are you thankful for the arrival of Spring this year? Enjoy the latest episode of Life in Japan.
When God created us, He put us in a garden — a place of perfect relationships and protection — a place protected by His Word for us to flourish and grow. But man disregarded God’s Word and disobeyed, and as a result we have lost the garden of God’s favor and protection. But where man’s story begins with a great fall, God’s story enters to rescue and redeem us and bring us back to the garden that He wants for us. There is no need to fear when we find our place in Him, for God has opened a new way into the garden we lost. Enjoy this message from our heart to yours.
Late last evening the news came out: Prime Minister Abe asked for the shutdown of all public schools up until the new school year (beginning of April). Up until now Japan was on alert regarding the Corona virus. The news called for much more concern everywhere. Lines for stores backed up before opening hours. Toilet paper, soap and masks were all sold out. The governor of the norther prefecture of Hokkaido asked all residents to stay indoors this weekend. It’s serious.
This morning as we told the girls they may not be finishing their 4th grade year, they were anything but sad. For kids who don’t know better, it’s like a vacation in March, usually one of the busiest times of the year.
With the olympics coming up, this may be a good decision for the health of all of the kids here in Japan. The travelers quarantined on the Diamond Princess for several days have since been released and let back into society. These potential carriers of the virus have everyone on high alert for future signs of infections. The problem is that there is no easy way to get tested for Corona virus infection in Japan. The hospitals are not equipped to test everyone who wants to be tested. So the number of cases may be much higher than what is being reported for the simple fact that most people don’t have access to the test.
This weekend we are preparing our Paz Church services to be streamed online, so that people can watch from the confines of their own homes. I will be speaking about security and assurance in times of uncertainty, and if you’d like to join the livestream, visit us at https://paz.church/japan/.
One thing people may not think of when they think of Japan is hiking, but the country is chalk full of great hiking trails. Most of the country is rugged volcanic mountains, so there is no shortage of places to explore. A trickier challenge may be to find places where the whole family can enjoy — and places close enough to home that can be done in one day. Fortunately, we became aware of Mt Takao, a mountain (big hill, really) less than an hour away. It turned out to be such a great trip that the girls are already asking when our next one will be!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Today is a day we celebrate love, and we are most thankful for it. Love is the atmosphere in which we as humans thrive and grow. Love is a commitment to help one another in thick and thin, through hormones and emotional swings (and I’m not talking just about females here). Love is not just an emotional high, but it is a force that determines our destinies. In our newest video we celebrate love — it is the reason we can enjoy such a rich life here in the greater Tokyo area. This love has propelled us here to Japan and changes the freeze of winter into the warmth of spring.
