Out East

I have three supporting churches in Michigan who worked together to make my trip out east wonderful.  I had fun at VBS, outings with friends, attending the ordination service of a friend, and even spending time with a childhood friend and her family.

To those who live in the middle of America,  Michigan is out east.  I loved my drive out there through corn country.  I loved getting to share about Japan with hundreds of children, as well as hundreds of adults.  One of the three churches has been supporting me the longest and they have become like a second home church to me.  My trip "out east" was truly a blessing!

Taking Pastor Lyle for a ride!

Fun with Flat Coco!

Ice cream run after VBS

Another group of kids having fun with Flat Coco!

Jonna's ordination service

Lunch with friends!

Friends for over four decades!

Our mean pirate looks

Dinner with friends, an evening filled with laughter!

Learning about the Ford family

Benefits of Home Assignment

While I am in the U.S. I miss being in Japan and part of ministry there.  However, I do get to join some events I miss while I am in Japan, like Father's Day.  (I also missed it in the chronology of blogging!)
I loved being with my family for Father's Day-and all of the other holidays this year.  The day before the holiday Dad, Tom and Andrew cut down a tree in the backyard.  Then, on Father's Day, we had a fun time making S'mores.  Flat Coco even liked them!

The hard workers!

Mom and Marietta enjoying the swing.

Abi and Flat Coco enjoying the flowers in the yard.

Front yard

Andrew demonstrates how to eat a s'more

All ready!

Kim gives Flat Coco a taste

Helping Flat Coco roast another marshmallow

Roger is all ready!

Along the Way

I spent over half of June going to and staying in Michigan.  I had a fun drive out to Michigan, stopping along the way to visit friends.
６月に半分以上ミシガン州に行くと泊まることです。行く途中で、友達の家に尋ねました。楽しい旅だった。

Iowa has some cool rest areas!
This one was dedicated to Iowa authors.

Illinois has some nice rest areas, too.
This is the view from...

...here!  Very cool lookout tower.

I went a little out of my way to go to Springfield, IL, where I saw Pres. Lincoln's home.

This is where Abe Lincoln was sitting when the message came  that he had been chosen to run for president.

The front hall where he would have hung his hat.

The 'family' room where Abe played with his boys and his wife sewed.

The bedroom, with a cute little heating stove.

The house as it was probably situated when Abe lived there.

After seeing Lincoln's home, I rushed on to Champaign
where I went to a Sidewalk Prophets concert with Dan and Molly.

A models the Peruvian tablecloth.

Z had a different look.

Coco helped Donna with some electrical work.

This indoor park is inside a church.

Z and his friend with Coco.

Selfie of the girls

Me and my friend-sister

The big kids being blinded by the sun!

Dad's Check-up

After flying all over the country, I arrived back in South Dakota just in time to hop in the car with my parents to go to Minnesota.  Dad's 12 week study had come to an end and the doctors needed to do some tests to see how his body had responded to the treatments.  All of the tests went well.  His doctor called him the star student because his body was responding so well to the treatment.  Praise God!
アメリカのあちら、こちらへ飛行機で移動した後、SDに戻りました。そして、帰ってすぐに両親とミネソタ州に行った。父のチェックのためだった。その結果はよかったです！お医者さんはすごく嬉しかったです。私たちも嬉しかったです！神様に感謝しています！

We had some fun with the statues in front of the clinic.

The Mayo brothers

Mom sat on the cat bench to share the good news!

Going West

 After a fun weekend with friends and a week with my Colorado Springs relatives, I got on another plane and went farther west.  It was a lovely day for a flight over the Rocky Mountains.  I took a bunch of pictures out the window, trying different angles to get better pictures without glare, etc.

I was ready for a little snack when I arrived in Salt Lake City.  Auntie Anne's hit the spot!  I have loved big, soft pretzels since high school when our marching band went to New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and I got my first taste from a pretzel vendor in Battery Park.  Pretzels were always one of my favorite snacks, and the giant soft kind did not disappoint me!

My aunt took me to the Asian market because she wanted me to make a Japanese dinner.  I was so thrilled to find some of my favorite treats!  We had curry rice, which everyone seemed to really enjoy.  I loved it!  It was nice to get a taste of home.
We had a lovely meal in the backyard.  My aunt is a wonderful hostess.  My cousin and her boyfriend joined us after the baseball game where my cousin was heckled.  Oakland was playing Chicago.  She is a White Sox fan.  Enough said!

Enjoying the beautiful weather and yard.

Some Japanese snacks to go with dessert.

We took in an afternoon game on Sunday where we learned why my cousin was heckled.  She appears to be a quiet person as she sits knitting from her seat in the third balcony, but put her team up to bat, and there seems to be a different person with you!  It was fun, though!  Oakland has a player named Coco, so I took a picture of Flat Coco with the sign when Coco was up.

We went out for Burmese food with my cousin and her roommate.

Daphne taught me how to make jewelry

On Friday we took the bike trail into a cute little town for brunch.
It was much warmer than we had anticipated!

The dog tried to beat the heat by laying (lying?) on the cool tile floor in the kitchen!