To the people of the Christ the King and First Church:
Dear friends,
“Everything
is bigger in Texas” is the first phrase we learned when we moved from
Boston to Houston. From the size of the cars, the roads, the houses, and even
to the size of the bowls of clam chowder! Texas, you are the winner!! We had
a wonderful experience here, and our memories are definitely Texas sized!
This summer Naomi was offered a position as organist and assistant music director at a Presbyterian church in the Seattle area, and we decided to accept and move out west. Since this decision was made in the middle of the summer, we missed the chance to say good-bye to many of our friends. We are so sorry about that. However, Jon will be back several times to Houston this fall to finish work on his degree, and he will pop in to worship at Christ the King Church, and stop by First Church to say “hi” to everyone, just like in the good old times!
For now, it is sad to think about leaving Houston, but we think we will be happy. The Seattle area has a vibrant organ culture, and some of our former classmates and teachers are already working in the region. Also, although he famously claims Tennessee as home, most of Jon’s family is originally from the Pacific Northwest, and it is a somewhat familiar area for him, so we think we will have a rather easy time settling in. Of course, having many “sushi” restaurants available is also a big plus for us!
We both like the Japanese proverb “Sumeba-Miyako” which means, “where you live becomes the best place to live.” We hope to keep this spirit in our hearts wherever we go and wherever we live from now and forever.
For now, it is farewell to all of you, but we believe that God willing, our paths will cross again in the most unexpected and happy ways. It was truly a blessing for us to get to know all of you and to have shared in worship together. Many wonderful memories are in our hearts, and we will never forget. Finally, we must say that people’s smiles and kindness are big in Texas too! We are so happy to know each and every one of you. If you ever have the chance to visit the Seattle area, please let us know. We would love to see you! Until we meet again, let us meet in our prayers and in our songs of praise.
Many thanks and love,
Jonathan Wohlers and Naomi Shiga