Temple in Tokyo

We attended a temple session (in Japanese) with twelve mission presidents from the North Asia Area including Japan, Korea, and Guam, the area presidency, the DTA (Director of Temporal Affairs)and his wife, the Area Medical Advisor and his wife, and the executive secretary and his wife. What a wonderful group of people! We felt privileged to be included in that group. It was interesting to have to deal with headphones in order to get the translation into English. Now I know how the Spanish people feel in the Chicago Temple. Wires get tangled and it is a little hard to concentrate when the Japanese language is in the background. But it was a wonderful experience and the temple is so beautiful. Each temple is decorated with items of the country. This one has very colorful stained glass windows and oriental decor everywhere. But the purpose is the same in all temples.
After the session, we all got in taxis and went to another part of Tokyo to Lawry's Restaurant which specializes in prime rib. Wow, talk about an experience! We were treated like royalty with them catering to our every need. We had a separate room and the waiters were so professional and attentive. First, we had shrimp with cocktail sauce and smoked salmon (which I think was raw but I ate it!). Next we had a roll, then a salad that they spun in front of us while pouring the dressing on it. Then came a bowl of clam chowder. The huge trays with the prime rib were then wheeled in and we were asked which cut we preferred. There was the Diamond Jim Brady which was about 500 grams, the Lawry's cut (300 grams), the California cut (180 grams) and then the Tokyo cut (150 grams). No one had the Diamond Jim. Most had the California or the Tokyo cuts. And besides this huge portion, mashed potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding, creamed corn, and creamed spinach were also on the plate. After all this, raspberry trifle was served! We were very full at the end of all that.
We were able to meet all the mission presidents. We will be traveling to see them once a year starting next week with two missions in Japan. The next week, we will be going to Korea. The mission president of Busan (or Pusan as the Korean call it) is Kenneth Jennings - the father of Ken Jennings of Jeopardy fame. Whew! Like father, like son! He was so fun and knowledgeable about so many subjects. You can tell that he is brilliant. He told us all about his son's time on the show and we learned many little insights. That show is one that I always watched whenever I could and I loved the time that Ken Jennings was participating. We will actually be staying in the Jennings' home when we are in Korea in a week or so.
We took a taxi back home (in the rain). Which reminds me that there is really no "umbrella ownership" here. You just take one from the stands that are by every door when you need one and leave it at another location. You could write a book and call it "The Case of the Traveling Umbrella"!
Well, that concludes today's episode of "The Adventures of Elder and Sister Gibson"! Stay tuned!