Friends Past and Present

A great joy of being in Japan has been reconnecting with old friends and students.  In 1979, after graduating from high school, I spent a summer in Japan.  From 1992 to 2000, while teaching ESL at Eastern Mennonite University, I had numerous Japanese students.  This year I have had the privilege of seeing a few old friends and students, along with meeting their spouses, children, and grandchildren.  Bob and I were treated royally on each visit, and each visit was truly a pleasure!  Here are my old host parents, Kohei and Seiko Tanaka.  She taught me Japanese dance and language;  he and I had countless discussions.  I helped their two young children, Hiroko and Toyota, with their English.  Mr. Tanaka visited us in Archbold, Ohio, later that year.

Here's Sandy Liechty.  She and her husband Carl arranged for my summer stay in Japan.  I stayed with them and their children Georgia and Chris on the weekends.  We went to church together, played Monopoly together, and had countless discussions about God, faith, and Japanese culture. 

This is my dear friend, Megumi Iwaki, who befriended me that summer.  She took me all around the area on day trips, and I got to know her sister and parents.  She then spent time with my family in Archbold.

This is another dear friend, Kimie Ojima, who stayed with my family in Archbold for a number of weeks one summer.  My mother and Kimie have stayed in touch all these years, sharing Christmas letters.

And now for my students from Eastern Mennonite University.  Bob and I saw the first two while in Tokyo this summer.  Maki Nagai, a nurse, is currently working in Rwanda.

 Ryota Kuga, runs a guest house in Tokyo.

 Next Bob and I went to Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, where we saw another group of former students of mine, each of whom hosted us overnight or for meals.  First we visited Hanayo Morimoto, who teaches English.

Next we saw Hiromi Katakawa (and her husband Brad Kipfer), who went to Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and Sayaka Sugawara, an English teacher.

Lastly, we spent two days with Yuji Saeki (and his wife and daughter), who is a counselor, and his sister, Izumi (and her two children), an English teacher.  It was a wonderful family affair!

There's so much I could say about each visit, so many photos I could share.  But suffice it to say it was truly a blessing to re-connect with each person.  And I thank each one for his or her hospitality and warmth.  Now we are all back in touch, either by phone, letters, email, or Facebook!