Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

So this morning we all went to church.  Even Suzuka and Haruka.  They were curious, they’d never been to an actual church service before, so they just kind of sat there and watched while everyone else got their core exercise.  You know, stand up, sing, sit down, chant, all that stuff.

I went up on stage, and they stood up, bowed and clapped.  I haven’t blushed that hard in a long time.  But then that led to a message about what you worship being more important than how you worship, and how God can take any form of worship as long as it’s him you’re worshipping.  I wasn’t expecting that and neither was anyone else.  Something about “thou shalt not have any gods before me” doesn’t mean you can’t have any others, just that he has to come first and they have to serve him.  And if they don’t, then, well…

Pastor looked a little uncomfortable at that.  So did Yuki and her friends, but mostly because there was no bell to ring.  Sigh.

Anyway, they were confused by the rest of the service – the English was a bit too advanced for them (and pastor didn’t help by using theological terms like “penal substitutionary atonement” – they know what a word that sounds like penal means and started blushing furiously).  I had to explain afterwards.  And I told the pastor to cut that out, it’s confusing people.

He countered that it’s not every day Japanese women come to visit.

I countered back that if a sixth grader can’t understand, then he’s probably just showing off.

He didn’t like that much, but he takes me seriously now, so he said he’d take it under advisement.  That’s all I ever ask.  And to be fair, that wasn’t a message, just me being me.  For whatever that does.

After church, we got some pancakes (which they loved) and then they practiced for a while until Crystal and her band came over.

She chose pretty well.

The new drummer is Bethany, and she’s pretty much the epitome of a rocker chick.  Torn tights, jean shorts, off the shoulder rock tank top, and a spiky hairdo.  But she knows her stuff.. I mean really knows her stuff.  She made me look like a rank amateur.  I’m fine with that, of course, cuz that’s what I am.  But let’s see her perform with a symphony.  So it’s all good.

The new rhythm guitarist is Jayden, and he’s at least competent.  Seems like a bit of a jerk but he seems to get along okay with everyone.  He just thinks he’s God’s gift to women.  Crystal shot him down a couple of times – girl has a mouth when she needs to use it.  He just kind of sulked for a bit.  But he can play, and as long as he keeps playing and isn’t too much of a jerk, I guess everyone’s okay with it.

The bass guitarist is Katy, and she’s pretty good too.  She’s actually a pretty normal looking brown hair glasses-girl, but she can shred like nobody’s business.  It’s just that the pink princess dress, twintails, bows, and mary janes kind of make you not take her seriously… until she starts playing.  Then you’re like “oh, I get it now.  That’s her schtick.”

Except I’m not sure it is.  She really does seem like exactly what she dresses like – when she’s not holding a guitar.

Crystal actually has a ways to go to catch up with them, but they knew that going in, so everything’s fine.  Jayden even was giving her a few pointers, interspersed with veiled digs on her intelligence, and she snapped right back at his appearance, intelligence, smell, and parenthood, and then immediately picked up what he was telling her.  It looks like it’ll work out.

You know, like “If you knew how to play, you’d know that if you did this it’d sound a lot better.”

“Your mom sounded a lot better last night too, you foul smelling mistake”, but then she did what he said and she did sound better.  And that seems to be all he really cares about.  And her, too.

I dunno.  Maybe they’ll end up dating.  They have that energy.

Haruka and Suzuka just kind of watched all the proceedings with amusement, but clapped enthusiastically after they ran through a song.  We introduced them, and Jayden kind of hit on them, and they quite expertly (and politely) told him that if they were the last three people on the planet, the human race would die out.

I mean, kid’s like sixteen anyway and they’re in their twenties.  What exactly did he expect would happen?

Anyway, that popular band’s concert was tonight, and we took them to the shop to see it.  Suzuka looked around… “I’ve seen this place on LINE”.

Yeah… yeah, she probably did.  I mean, Both Yuki AND train onee-chan…  and… well someone saw Haruka and Suzuka there, and now that’s on LINE too.  What is it with these otaku?  It’s easy to forget they’re at least as popular as Yuki.

That popular band was actually pretty good.  Everyone had fun, and it was a packed house.

Haruka and Suzuka are now fast asleep, and I’m about to join them.  But as we were going home, Suzuka looked like she wanted to say something.  Finally she settled on, “You have an unusual life, don’t you?”

She doesn’t know the half of it.

Tomorrow I guess they’re going to spend a lot of time practicing, well, when Yuki doesn’t have to go to class.

Love you all!!! ❤️