Starbucks friends

Most of you know how much I love Starbucks, and coming to Japan hasn't changed that a bit. It's a great place for me to temporarily escape the demands of life. It's also proven to be a good place to meet people. A couple of months ago I was reading when these two sweet looking ladies came and sat at the table next to me. I might not have noticed them except that they were obviously watching me with huge smiles on their faces. So I smiled back and said hello, and the story goes from there I suppose. We enjoyed an hour long visit and made plans to get together again. Since then Junko and Tomiko have taken me out for Italian food and invited me into their homes.
I've just returned this afternoon from having a delicious lunch with them at Tomiko's house. They asked if I like music, to which I replied 'of course!', and the next thing I knew we were listening to an entire CD of gospel music and classic hymns! Songs like "Amazing Grace", "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and the "Doxology". I was sitting there trying to take it all in...think of it...a follower of Christ come to Japan for reasons beyond even her own understanding, doing such a normal thing as eating lunch, with two ladies who have never heard the message of Christ, and He was there. And they hadn't a clue, yet.


Top row: Tomiko and Junko. Bottom row: Ryou and myself.
Ryou is Tomiko's nephew and he is hilarious! He's only six years old but I think he should be a comedian on tv someday. You're not gonna believe this...he tape recorded the entire time (about 4 hours) just so he could hear me talk later!