Then as I exited the immigration area there was a sign that I have seen many times that says "Welcome to Japan" -- but this time I noticed the sign in Japanese above it that says おかえりなさい, which basically means welcome home. And maybe it was just my excitement at not having completely forgotten all the Japanese that I learned this past year, but I really felt like that sign was for me too. Despite all the times that I still feel horribly out of place here and frustrated by my inability to understand the language and culture, Japan somehow feels a little like home. I believe that is a gift from God -- it is a reminder that he called me here to do his work.
