September was a great month!

Our days were filled with activities both routine and exceptional...

Two topics mentioned last month call for an up-date. First the typhoon. Fortunately, Typhoon Kompasu struck with winds weaker than initially forecast. It brought only heavy rain and wind to our area. That was a blessing. [It went on to kill dozens of people and destroy roads, railways and thousands of homes in North Korea.]


But the storm hit Okinawa's northwest coast with enough strength to knock out electrical power and phone service to about 32,000 homes and businesses. Large trees were uprooted, some fences and structures were damaged.

Among the areas damaged was the popular Okuma Recreation Center, a US military beach resort. The resort remained closed for three weeks due to damage from the storm.

Coincidentally, Okuma is precisely where we were planning the Young Single Adult retreat mentioned in last month's post. Fortunately, cleanup was largely complete before our event there last week. Can you believe this is our work?


Whether we have a small role or a major assignment, we enjoy using our time to help others.

• We've added one more weekly service to our schedule ~ we now volunteer every Thursday with the Chaplains' office at Lester Naval Hospital.
• Twice this month we took part in Primary children's activities which focused on missionary service.
• Phil helped again with Transfer Day. He's actually come to enjoy this missionary version of musical chairs. This was the 8th transfer since we arrived in Okinawa.
• Once again it was time for quarterly apartment inspections. You may remember this involves much more than checking for cleanliness. We check appliances, windows and screens, fixtures and drains, and more. The process is very thorough. But it gives us a chance to work closely with each set of missionaries in the 12 apartments from one end of the island to the other.

Culture Corner:
Occasionally I find time to participate when American and Japanese women come together for fellowship and cultural exchange. Notice the bounteous refreshment table following a joint Japanese/American Relief Society event.

We sometimes see kimonos worn on the street by old women and young women alike. This is true especially at festival times.

Another fun cultural activity hosted for the benefit of the American women was this kimono dress up day.