My screensaver was running and this picture popped up and all the things I miss about Japan were stirred up. You are probably wondering how a bottle of Royal Milk Tea makes me miss Japan so much.

Japan is a land of many wonders, this bottle of milk tea represents one of those wonders: the ability to buy hot drinks from a vending machine. Furthermore, Japan is beautiful place. The land, the people, the culture and history of Japan is simply breath-taking. While from a Christian point-of-view, Japan has been heavily under a veil of darkness, it does not take away one bit from the beauty of it all…in fact, it adds all the more to the richness of Japan to see how God has not lost sight of this nation.

I cannot begin to tell you the emotions that stir up my heart when someone (usually myself) brings Japan into a conversation. Most people will tell you that my face beams almost as bright as the sun (slight overstatement…but close)! My heart has never felt more drawn to any one thing/place like it is to Japan. To ask where it all began, to ask why Japan, to ask any question of this nature would simply send me into a myriad of memories and thoughts which has always been difficult to collate into a seemingly cohesive response. I just do.

Japan…one day, I’ll go.