May 24

The weather has become warmer and good for bicycle riding.  This afternoon after watching online worship service at Tokyo Union Church, I decided to go on a bicycle ride.  I went out to Mizuko and back, but really when I left, I only just took which ever roads appealed to me.  It was an interesting ride, with a lot of gardens being worked on.  

Watching the neighbourhood.  :) 

The rice fields look like they are being prepped and planted.  

Mizuhodai station on the Tobu Tojo Line.

 It is hard to believe that this is growing only a couple of kilometers from where I live in Tokyo.  Now if I was in Saskatchewan, that would be a different story...

 This is the Cainz and Beisie in Niiza.  The parking lot is totally full.  The order line in Starbucks, was lined up, proper distance apart, outside the door and around the building. 

It was a beautiful day to go on a bicycle ride.  I could tell I haven't been on a long ride for a while because I forgot to bring water with me.  But alas, I am in Japan and you can always find a vending machine that sells water.  If you don't see one of those, there is always the local convenience store! 
A friend of mine posted a song, It's Gonna Be Okay, by Tasha Layton. I downloaded her other singles and they were played while I was riding this afternoon.  I kept praying for all those who are struggling now, because of the big change in our lives with this COVID19 virus.  Many of us (if not all of us) will probably not return to a normal that was like before this virus showed up.  It is always such a comfort that we know God never changes and he still calls us to be witnesses.  Pastor Doug preached this morning on how we continue to be witness to the Gospel of Christ, even though now this looks quite different, we are still witnesses.  No matter what, God will continue to use us for his purposes, walking with us each step of the way.  What a blessing and comfort! What is even more amazing is that God has called me to Tokyo, Japan to do this! 

Corona virus/COVID 19

 It has been quite a while since I have done any posting on this blog.  A lot has happened since that point.  The big event has been corona virus or COVID19.  It's amazing that 4 months ago, we had no idea how our lives would change.
So things are quite different now.  I am working from home, spending a lot of time on my computer, looking at screens.  I have also found myself being in prayer constantly.  I have prayed for requests, family, friends, churches, schools.  Now I feel I am praying much more specifically, for specific events and they are all constantly being prayed for.  Sometimes thinking about all that I want to pray for and about, can feel burdensome, however I am confident that God wants to hear from us, so this is good.  I hope this is one thing that will continue. 
My routine has changed some now that i work from home.  I get up in the morning and exercise by either doing a circuit training or sometimes I participate in cardio boxing.  Either one of these gets my blood pumping and once I'm done, I feel good, warm and sweaty, but good.  I'll make some breakfast and start by checking emails.  Occasionally, I have found myself being busy with emails for hours, and the shower comes later in the day.  During the weekday, there are a number of projects, meetings, webinars, researching and planning.  I have found that being on a screen much of the day can be draining, and by 17:00, I am ready to get out of the house and move.  I typically would hop on my bicycle and go for a ride, or go for a walk around the neighborhood. 
Sundays are different days for me, now.  It takes about an hour to travel to Tokyo Union Church (TUC) from my house.  Before all this, many Sundays after worship, I'll walk around in Harajuku, walking through the shops or just down the streets, sometime getting some lunch at a restaurant and then ride the train back home.  Now Sundays do not include that hour of traveling to and from home to TUC.  TUC now live-streams their worship services, so I feel like I have been given much more time on Sundays.  The afternoon includes some sort of exercise outside, unless the weather outside is not nice. I have listened on Audible, a couple of books, American Dirt by Jeannine Cummings, and Splilled Milk by K.L. Randis.  I just purchased Dare to Lead by Brene Brown and will probably start that today.  I do not see people personally much during the week, although I pop on over to the 7/11 convenience store a block away, or I'll go to a larger grocery store for food.  I do wear a mask every time I leave my house.  You can be "looked at" if you walk around without a mask, especially if you walk into a store.  Being a foreigner, I really don't want more attention than I'm getting already.   
Some days can be more difficult, but I always remind myself that I am doing well.  As a leadership team, we read an article That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief which has been brought to mind as I am navigating the end of the school year activities.  Many of the activities were cancelled or we now have a form of it virtually, now what we would have liked. 

Getting ready to participate in worship at TUC's Live stream

These are some pictures I took when I went riding a couple of this in the last few weeks.

Many times I wear a mask as I ride, sometimes I just keep it in my pocket to use if I stop.

You can see that church from far away.

Obviously an obsolete sign...maybe it will be super valuable someday.

Crossing over the expressway.

I don't see this in Tokyo very often.

Yanasegawa

The building is falling apart.

Musashino Line

Working on the Yanasegawa.

Closed public playground

Look at the cute sheep family...

These are by my house, They were beautiful when in full bloom.

I pray for those who test positive with COVID19, those who have lost loved ones to this disease, those who found out their loved ones have a serious diagnosis of other diseases, wondering if they will receive the treatment they need and receive that treatment safely.  I pray for those who work in the medical field, whether in hospitals, clinics, care facilities as well as those many people who work in essential services to provide conveniences for others.  I am very appreciative for what so many do for each other to keep each other safe. 
I am doing fine during this time.  I'm glad I have a chance to get out each day.  The weather has been beautiful most days, and I have been able to do some exploring around the neighbourhood.  I am blessed.