Azalea Gardens

Elder and Sister Powell, the mission office couple, were familiar with a wonderful Azalea Garden in Ome, a city neighboring Fussa. http://tokyorailwaylabyrinth.blogspot.jp/2013/05/azalea-garden-and-preserved-shinkansen.html.  We met with them and two other senior missionaries to visit there. Unfortunately, we missed the peak of the blossoms (see the picture in the link, above) but the park is still beautiful (and without blossoms, admission and parking is free....).

 You can get an idea of what this looked like just a week or so earlier, 

all of these mounds filled with colorful blossoms!

 Wish I could tell you the significance of this statue and what it represents. 

All the signs are of course in Japanese!

 Bruce ringing this massive bell -- it really resonated across the park!

 Elder and Sister Powell, who serve in the mission office, and Sister and Elder Slade, who serve as Military Relations Representatives at Zama Army Camp. Not pictured are Elder and Sister Graham -- he is the mental health advisor for the area and spends a fair amount of his time counseling with missionaries, although Sister Graham says "He's the mental, I'm the health!"

 This is the entrance and exit for the park.

And here's Elder Powell, talking to a Japanese woman who lives next to the parking lot. Elder Powell served a mission in Japan as a young man and puts his language skill to good use. He is so cordial and friendly and people love to talk with him.