Japan part 5

 August 2, 2026

Sunday. 

One of the sweetest parts of traveling to new places is meeting brothers and sisters in Christ. We don't even need to share a language in order to enjoy a common bond.

Hearing believers worship God in their own language and joining them in fellowship reminds me just how beautifully the gospel unites us. I'm continually inspired by the people who serve God faithfully, when their work remains unseen and receives no applause, and when sometimes they don't even see results or much fruit. (I think about my time on the Indian reservations and how that work is often overlooked, but man, the Christians there are some of the most dedicated people to God.) Observing this perseverance leaves a lasting impression on me and deepens my appreciation for the beautiful family God is building around the world in places many people will never see.

Wing's dad is another example of this dedication. He's been faithfully preaching to the believers for years. I really enjoyed this church experience in Japanese. 

Natsuho and a sister from the Philippines at church.

Wing interpreted for her dad. 

Afterwards we enjoyed a lunch together. Some men came earlier in the morning to prepare the food.

Later, I took a walk. 

Vast vineyards (even some in peoples' backyards) and surrounding mountains create the idyllic beauty of Yamanashi Prefecture. 

I liked seeing houses for a change instead of only sky buildings. 

The sky deserves its own category of splendor because it's just 😮 wow.

Japan part 4

 August 1, 2026

Started off the day by finding a bakery cafe. I'm a huge drink person so I tried 2: coffee and Japanese milk tea. I must say, the milk tea tasted royal, if you can even imagine it. I can't think of another word to describe. 😅The apple pastry was quite delicious too. 

Then Wing and I checked out of the hostel and rode the subway to Shibuya. 

This is at Shibuya Crossing, where all traffic stops and all pedestrians from north, east, south, west, and diagonal cross at the same time. It's very ingenious and efficient. I wish places everywhere had this design.

After stopping by a pop-up store for her husband, Wing found an amazing sushi place for us to try.

 It's so convenient- you sit at your own spot, use the screen to order, and the food comes out on the belt and stops in front. The portions are small so you can order however many dishes you want.

Man, this is the BOMB. Sushi rolls - I could eat these every day.

Afterwards, we headed to our next destination, which was Takao, by riding the train, then walking for a while.

Love these motorcycles.

Moff Animal Cafe in Takao, Tokyo.

So cute. 🐥🐇It's similar to a zoo except most animals you can pet and there's a small room with unlimited drinks. Some animal cafes focus on one animal, such as capybara, but this one has a variety. And it's walk in - no reservation needed. There was a hedgehog, but it was sleeping. There was also a snake and toad, but we don't need to see them. 😄

I LOVE chicks.

After staying a couple hours at the cafe, we hopped on the train for an almost 2 hour ride to Yamanashi, Wing's home city.