There is something really special about having friends from home visit Japan.
Especially when that friend is someone you've known your whole life.
Most of us have those friends...the ones we've grown up with and have more memories with than we even realize. The friends you go to camp with, run basketball drills with, celebrate every birthday with, go through your most awkward teen years with. The friends who's house becomes your house, you know the taste of their moms cooking, and all the pets they've ever had. The friends that make you laugh effortlessly by just bringing up some silly childhood memory and the friends that are perpetually stuck with you in life because you've just done too many things together for there to ever be a divide.
To me, that friend is Kristen. (better known as Dresser, dress, kdress..)
We've been through it all together and she just so happened to be on the Japan mission team from our church that came through Tokyo recently. I was so stoked to see her, even if it was just for a brief dinner and hang out on the roof overlooking Tokyo Station.
HAHA this is a pic of us during our F.O.R days. I was super chubby and she was tall, lanky, and always wore knee pads. We have come a long way folks!
This is Dresser in a nutshell : Right when I saw her she was like "oh I changed my clothes because I thought you were going to come all stylish since you live in Japan now!" HAHAHA. She didn't realize I was coming from a field trip with my students in which I was running around Asakusa all day so I was clearly NOT dressed to impress.
The last time we saw each other was a year ago or so, right before I left the states...but we picked up right where we left off. She's one of the people that makes me laugh the most and anyone who knows dresser knows this to be true.
She also hand delivered this B E A U tiful package from the kiddos! yay! Everyone was asking my mom "what should we bring Amie?" and the honest truth is, I have everything I need here so hand written notes and cards are the best!
Tiny bookmarks of the kids!!
We spend most of our time hanging out on the rooftop of the KITTE building which offers an awesome view of Tokyo station.
We all had dinner at this popular Giant-bowls-of-udon place near Tokyo station. It was so fun to talk to everyone and just hear how their time in Japan was. You know, God really is so faithful and being around my brothers and sisters from GVBC reminded me of that truth. We all know Japan to be a nation of not many Christians, so having the team here and one of my best friends was just really encouraging and uplifting for the soul!
"...so everything will live where the river goes." Ezekiel 47:9