Price Family at IHOP-KC: dancing in the orient

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9, 2010 : Hiroshima²

Quick Sketch:

Team on-their-own for the day—rehearsal, train ride, shopping & A-bomb visit, & more rehearsing
Yutaka and Sue counseling day

Trip Diary:

Dear Friends and Family,

As Yutaka and I ate our Wed. supper in the “Thankfull Restaurant” (that really is the name!), it felt like dejavous. Just two years earlier, our last team in 2008 had ended their stay in Kure (town near Hiroshima) with an evening at this restaurant. It had seemed the perfect ending to our time with these joy-filled folk. Never would have we imagined the testings ahead for these believers.

We met for several counseling sessions and various conversations; we have heard quite a few stories—many the same—how hard the last months of trial (abuse on all fronts) have been, but also how faithful God is. We came home both saddened and encouraged—many going on with God despite the hard season, yet other younger believers struggling in their faith. We are sobered. We are called to prayer. We are reminded that in this earthquake ladened land, where every building is constructed in preparation for catastrophe, we too must have solid foundations, and develop our daily personal history with Jesus that will withstand any possible catastrophic event.

We also came away with two other assurances—

-- that God is faithful and will not allow more than we can handle;

--that these people feel incredibly loved by us for traveling the distance to hear their hearts.

The dancers successfully managed their 24 hrs. without their “team parents.” Surprise?! It was we who missed them! We couldn’t stop talking about the great team that we have. Some shopped; others visited the A-bomb Peace Memorial—very sobering.

Thursday prayer—

Final rehearsal for Thurs.7:30pm (Th., 5:30am CST) performance at the public auditorium near the Kure train station.
Marcio (one of pastors Yutaka, Joshua, & I homestayed with) & friends will prayer walk the streets Th. before the performance, attempting to gather interested unbelievers to performance.
Final “chow” (Portuguese for goodbye) Friday morning early.

Much love,

See you in just four days!

Sue