Well, after a few days of rain and humidity, there was a slight relief in the weather, so we (Ritsuko & I) decided to take a late afternoon walk. We were attempting to get to a big river, but found the quickest road there as it appears on Google Maps as now been closed, so we headed back (if I was alone I would have “bush bashed” my way through).
On the way back home we went via the footbridge over the railway near Osaka Seikei University (Nagaokakyo campus), which is on my normal jogging route, however Ritsuko had not been this way before, so we paused to take in the view (this photo). This particular campus is the school of Art and Design. The presence of this campus, according to many, helps create a vibrancy in the town that might otherwise be missing with out so many young and artistic types. The problem is that Japan's ageing population is causing numbers to decline at the university, so it will be closed down in a couple of years.
Well, for some that might be the end of it, let the university will be come another abandoned facility in Japan (a “Haikyo” location). However, for me I have a vision for something new. The university is right next to Megumi Kindergarten, and there is an unmet demand in Nagaokakyo for a Christian school, especially for Megumi graduates of which there are about 120 each year. Before we came to Japan we planned to one day to start a Christian School here, this was before we even knew of Megumi or Nagaokakyo. Now I feel here is a location, all we need is money and permit, Ritsuko is already a qualified Japanese Primary School Teacher (Bachelor of Education from Kagoshima University). With all the things God has done for us so far, nothing is impossible, if it's His will, then He'll make a way. We're already starting to get interest from parents and other qualified Christian teachers.