Inaka (eenahkah) = country-side

Hi all.
I finished serving in Tokyo on Sunday. I cried as I left. I loved it there. I knew if was the right time to go, but I still couldn't help but cry. I'll miss them...
Now I'm in Gunma--the real country(side)! I'm so comfortable here. And Daiju's family is really great. They all take really good care of me. They're so calm, too. It's a very relaxing family.
Oh, yesterday we all went to Tochigi (a nearby prefecture [state]). We went to the city of Nikko. There, I got to see all kinds of traditional Japanese things, and Daiju explained them to me. The coolest thing was getting to see the original "see/speak/hear no evil" monkeys! I think he said they're like 400 years old. The temple area we saw was not only a national treasure but a world treasure. Pretty spiffy.
Today Daiju and I met Sayaka's parents with Daiju and then Yuta's sister, Miho. It was really fun to get to talk with them. Last year, when I first met them, I couldn't say much to them, but now I know more Japanese, and Daiju helped translate when I couldn't communicate. It was great.
Miho accepted Christ about a year ago. It was great to be able to encourage her in her faith. And Sayaka's parents were so glad to hear that their daughter has turned down hanging out with friends when she needs to study. All in all, today was GREAT.