We’re here! Yay! We arrived safe and sound on Wednesday afternoon. We were greeted at the airport by our employer and his wife. We stopped for our first official Japanese meal on the way home from the airport, and then were greeted at the school by the entire team of our future co-workers. We were really tired by that time, but still had enough consciousness to be amazed and overwhelmed with gratitude when, a few minutes later, we were ushered into the new home where we will be living for the next two years.

Our home is a brand-new one-bedroom apartment that our employer and co-workers prepared for us by pre-fitting it with the furniture, appliances and supplies that we would need. We even opened our fridge to find it stocked with food to get us started (including a 1/2 gal. of ice cream in the freezer!)

Since our arrival, we have been really busy starting to learn more about our home-town and beginning to get to know our future co-workers. We have found that our apartment is about 20 steps away from a beautiful river. We are also a 1 minute walk from a small grocery store. Today, we will get to take the train for the first time to visit the nearby city of Koriyama.

As for our work schedules, we ask for you to remember us in your prayers. If you’re in eastern standard time, Sunday night before bedtime, please remember Jen, as she will be just starting her first day of teaching at the Wakakusa English School. Also, Thursday night around dinner time, please remember Mike as he will be heading off to his first day of work at Takine Jr. High school at that time.

We will try to post some photos soon of our new home and our new friends!

–Jen