(final sunset from the ship)
The place was fantastic! It started with an interesting cultural experience of putting our shoes in shoe lockers at the door. After you put in your shoes, you lock it and take the key with you to your table. Our dinner was superb! The little boys had their food on Anpanman (a famous cartoon character in Japan) plates. Lucas loved his sushi, Carter and Calvin did great with their food, and I loved my beautiful bento with so many interesting flavors and displays. Even Natsumi was unsure about what some of the things were.
We parted ways and headed back in the dark (because the sun sets at 5 p.m. here!) to our quirky AirBNB.
(Hello, Yokohama!)
We ate a final breakfast in the Windjammer buffet and said goodbye to our worldschooling friends. One family went with us off the boat. Lourdes is from the Philippines, her husband is from India (who would be joining them in Asia later), and their two boys connected with Calvin during all those sea days. Lourdes and I connected during several of the Bible study days. I thought she might be interested in going to church with us that Sunday morning. We were planning on attending the Yokohama church in the Mustard Seed network.
But it took time getting off the boat, waiting in line, going through customs, waiting in line for the shuttle, and riding the shuttle all the while pulling/carrying all our stuff. We made it to a plaza near Sakuragicho station by 9:50 a.m., and we had forty minutes to make a fifteen minute walk to get to church on time at 10:30 a.m. My plan was to take our time getting to the church. Apparently, even though I had rehearsed this plan over and over in my head, I hadn't communicated it clearly to Lucas, who thought our priority was getting train cards set up for everyone. He and Lourdes left me with 7(!) boys to go get in line for the train cards. I kept looking at my watch. Time kept ticking. What was taking so long? 10...10:05...10:15...we're going to be late... I finally remember that although I can't text Lucas, I can send a WhatsApp text to Lourdes. They were still in line. I was frustrated then mad then in tears. Ever since we had decided to attend Mustard Seed Osaka, I had planned that on this disembarkation day, we would attend Mustard Seed Yokohama. And now we were going to miss the service altogether.
While still waiting, I got on my phone to check for nearby churches with later start times. Enter Yokohama International Church. When Lourdes and Lucas came back with the train cards, we set off for a ten minute walk (which doesn't seem far until you have ten people with loads of luggage). When we "arrived" at the location, we couldn't figure out where to go. This was different than a church in America that is usually obvious with a big sign and parking lot. We finally realized that it was up on the 8th floor of the building on the corner. The elevator was tiny, so I sent my suitcase up with one group, and I walked those eight flights of stairs to get to church!
When we arrived, I think it was during their meet-and-greet time; I didn't realize that it was in the middle of the service (and we had missed all the singing). We heard the announcements, stating that after the service, they have a time of lunch and fellowship and then board games. And then the sermon in both English and Japanese.
I was so disappointed about missing the other church service, but I think this was right where God wanted us to be. We got to watch a baptism of a Japanese believer (which doesn't happen too often), and we spent multiple hours there fellowshipping with the pastor from Kentucky, a teacher from the Philippines, and my sister in Christ from central Japan. The boys played games, and it was a good way to spend the afternoon before taking the train to Tokyo. (more about our church experience here). Thankfully, the nearest station to the church was on a train line that led straight to the train station nearest our Tokyo AirBNB with no transfers.
When we arrived in Tokyo at Okachimachi station, my friend Natsumi and her son greeted us. Natsumi was in my games class last spring at Friendship International, and she had recently moved back to Tokyo. It was great to reconnect and to have a ready-made tour guide! Natsumi led us to our AirBNB to drop off our luggage (off the boat, shuttle bus, walking to church, on a train, walking to the place then up 3! flights of stairs. This is Japan!), then through the famous Ameyoko shopping street to Ueno Station to help us book our Shinkansen tickets. Then she had made reservations for us at the only restaurant she could think of that had seating for 9 people.
(I had loaded many non-Colson items in Colson’s backpack, so I carried his in the front)
Natsumi is quick! We have not yet acquired our “Japanese legs” because we are not used to all the walking and stairs!
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