Today we went back into Fuchu to join in a picnic with Pastor Yoshito and his missional community. They brought some not-yet-Christian friends. Drew and Meg were able to bring some buddies, both Christian and non-Christian, to this get-together, as well. It was held in a really beautiful park in this calm, family-friendly part of Tokyo. Yoshi's vision is to build a people who live lives in community with gospel intentionality. A picnic like this fits with that vision. It was a privilege to spend the day there, chatting with new Japanese friends and reacquainting ourselves with old ones. A young lady named Maki visited Karis Church numerous times this past year and always seemed to enjoy interacting with my daughter, Melia. She now lives in Osaka after one year at Mizzou. We also met her friend Ivy who is a four-year Mizzou student and plans to worship with us when she returns in the fall. It was a relaxing day. It was a reminder of how intentional faithful missionaries live their lives and even experience leisure, and how we need to recapture that vision for our lives back in the states.