Here are several other experiences from my short time in Okinawa. Let me post their drawings first then tell you a little about the multiple drawings in the second.
The first is a quick sketch I did of a young mother my sister Janice met on the plane on her way to Okinawa. Apparently, she is an Okinawan married to an American, sat down at the piano in our living room--Janice asked her to sing and play for us, and when I saw her child's response and saw Janice pick her up and rock her, I couldn't stop myself from drawing the scene.
Junko Filllmer, the second person, also married to an American, took Janice and me to a historic site as well as to an art museum on a day when Joyce was busy with music lessons. The historic site she took us to was an old castle ruin with beautiful ocean view.
The samurai character in the top left? Videos showed how an Okinawan lord, Amawari, long thought to be a traitor, might have actually been a hero! God seemed to whisper: "Sometimes, truth can be unearthed decades later--sometimes. But your Everlasting Father sees all the time what is happening; don't worry about what other people think and just live for My Eyes."
Another reason this was exciting is because Junko and the Amawari account continued something "My brother" Brian told me about in Ishigaki a few days earlier. I e-mailed Brian and told him I heard the entire story.
Bokuten, a gifted Okinawan blockprint artist, was featured at the art gallery Junko took us to. My sister Janice went shopping at shops nearby and let art lovers Junko and me spend as much time as we wanted ogling all his things (he does more than just blockprints).
Oh, of course his work was way better than my drawing of it; It's just that the blue rock thrush (iso hiyo dori) showed up outside the window at the place Junko took us to for lunch, and it was in one of Bokuten's prints, so I just wanted to post it here. Besides, that's my favorite theme of Bokuten' works: coming out of the shadows onto a sunlit beach area.
Anyway, thank you, Lord, for such an enjoyable day.
