Far East Daily Blog #4

September 16, 2014 Perhaps the highlight of this day is the opportunity Carolyn and I had to travel from Yokohama toTokyo Narita Airport aboard a Japanese fast train. It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to experience the smooth ride of a Japanese train. When we got to the airport it was a pleasure to have met up with so many of the other bishops and their spouses whom Carolyn and I had not seen for several months. The camaraderie between the members of the House of Bishops and their spouses is truly impressive. It is not that we are all in agreement with one another or even in harmonious relationships. We are very different, but those differences give us the opportunity to appreciate one another through an appreciation of our differences. Carolyn and I found that having been in this time zone for over 4 days, we had a significant advantage over most of our peers. Though we are still experiencing some of the effects of jet-lag, for the most part we can sleep when we want to sleep, and be awake and alert when we need to be awake and alert. Though usually most of us take alertness for granted, overcoming the effects of moving through 13 time zones in one day makes for a enlivened appreciation. More tomorrow. +Jay