2011 July | Riz Crescini

Archive for July, 2011

Hiking Up Mt. Sarakura: Yahatahigashi, Japan

July 23, 2011

Anne and I went on a hiking date up a mountain know for its gorgeous views of our city. The mountain (Mt. Sarakura) is not too far from our house, about a 20 minute drive. You can even see the mountain from our neighborhood. Anne and I had a great time hiking and exploring. The last time we did a hike like this together was when we lived in Kobe in the late 90′s. It was so fun that we agreed to do more hiking dates in the near future. As Anne shared yesterday, “You get exercise, photography, and each other all in one shot!” I couldn’t agree more!

Anne loves to climb!

This part makes me think of Narnia or Lord of the Rings.

My climbing buddy!

Here's our ride back!

And for lunch: Turkey kebab at a new joint in town! It was soooo good!

Tags: Japan, Kitakyushu, Landscape, Mt. Sarakura, 八幡東, 北九州, 日本, 皿倉山
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CMA in Japan!

July 12, 2011

“What is CMA?!?”, you ask. CMA stands for Celebration Ministry of Arts. CMA is a performing company of Christian dancers who are based out of Colorado. This summer is the 7th year CMA will do ministry in Japan. You can find more detailed information about CMA and the work they are doing in Japan on their website.

What is exciting for me about CMA’s tour this summer is that the dancers will go and help with relief work in Fukushima prefecture. This is one of the areas in the Tohoku area that was affected by the earthquake/tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th. I have been to the devastated areas twice and having hope is a constant struggle for many of the survivors. I am confident that through their gift of dance and through their ministry of service CMA will bring a message of hope to the Japanese people they meet in Fukushima. Let’s remember to pray for them as this is an incredible opportunity.

CMA dancers have an incredibly busy schedule during their brief time in Japan but last summer, I was able to squeeze in a short practice shoot with three of the dancers. The dancers are Tiffany Case, Gwen Kennicutt, and Christine Rempel. The fun part of shooting dancers is that they are so graceful and beautiful with the poses. I wish I had all day with them! I hope I will have other opportunities in the future. Hope you enjoy the photos…..and remember to pray for CMA!