Family Christmas in Japan

Well, not our family. We're on home assignment in Canada, but there was a family Christmas celebration in Harumi on Sunday, and you'd never guess what was featured at it...

Gospel Hula! Since hula is a dance that tells a story, it's inevitable someone would think of this, and Kimiyo, the woman on the left, is a former dance instructor who of course connected enthusiastically with this. You can see Kimiyo and two other women from the Harumi Praise Time interviewed on the video clip below.
CGN Report on Gospel Hula

Life Goes On Without Us

 Carol's Girls Club was on hiatus for a few weeks this Fall after Carol's return to Canada. When the decision was made to move up our home assignment, Keiko took up the challenge to continue the ministry.

Making Christmas cookies has been a tradition in Harumi, and Keiko and Co. are continuing this. Girls' Club consists of some English, a craft or other activity, and some teaching from the Bible. 

Carol Love has stepped in to assist Keiko in the Girls' Club ministry. This is the ideal pattern, where we as international workers assist local believers in ministry. As you can imagine, Carol's telling the Christmas story here. It's great to be involved in the Girls' Club when we're there, and it's even greater to see it continue when we're on home assignment.

Postwar Reconstruction

 This morning's run took me past the newly reconstructed Tokyo Station. Of course, the station was reconstructed while still in use, which presents a considerable challenge.

The surprising thing about this work is that it is finally restoring Tokyo Station to its original form before it was bombed during World War II.

The top floors and rotundas were hastily cobbled together after the war, but now in 2012 the original glory of the building has been restored with all its ornate plaster work and copper cupolas. This might be the longest delayed reconstruction after World War II anywhere in the world, but some things are worth waiting for.

SWAG at CAWF in ROC about LRPGs

When I arrived at the conference site I knew I was in the right place, because of the logos on the banners. No, they didn't give us the banners, but they did give us many other things with the C&MA logo or the name of the conference on it. SWAG stands for either Souvenirs, Wearables and Gifts or "Stuff We All Get" depending on who you talk to.  Items we all received with the C&MA logo imprinted on them included two ties, two key chains, a lapel pin, a shaving kit and a flashlight. 

 The volunteers at this conference wore the "four fold" smocks to identify themselves. CAWF stands for Chinese Alliance World Fellowship, and over 160 gathered in Taipei, Taiwan, ROC for the fourth conference from all over Asia, North America, Europe and Africa.

The theme of the conference concerned encouraging the younger generation to get involved in world evangelization.

The conference was held in Mandarin, but fortunately translation was available. It was encouraging to hear the passion and vision of the participants, and to hear of a wider vision to look beyond reaching Chinese worldwide, to reach all LRPGs, or Least Reached People Groups.

Our colleague in Fukuoka, Pastor Shao, gave a heartfelt plea for a focus on the needs of Japan. I can't speak Mandarin, although there is some overlap with Japanese in the pronunication of some words, but even I could hear a difference in Pastor Shao's manner of speaking.

I learned later that it's the Beijing and northern China accent, and it stands out. Pastor Shao grew up in China as a loyal communist and atheist, until He met Christ in Japan. He's now introducing other Chinese to Christ in Fukuoka, where there are 40,000 Chinese living in the city.

I was thankful for the chance to represent the mission at the conference, and the swag was a bonus.

Japan or Taiwan?

When we first approached the C&MA about service in Asia, we were told that there were needs in Taiwan and Japan, and we should pray about which country we felt led to serve in. Twenty five years later, we find ourselves with a connection to Taiwan through our role as team leader overseers, coaching two teams working in that country. So, in answer to the question of twenty five years ago, the answer turned out to be "both".

We're of course serving in Japan, but our second trip to Taiwan is ongoing as we post this. As for the scene you see here, this is the Taipei Grand Hotel. While Japan has adopted many architectural aspects from China, the red pillars are distinctively Chinese.

What's Holding It Up?

A group from Harumi spent the weekend up in Ishinomaki in the disaster zone, cooking lunch for 70 survivors and doing some other volunteer work. One  task was to haul some rubble to this house, which has two walls torn away by the tsunami. The city will demolish the house and haul away the rubble with it. Looking at the place you could ask "What's holding it up?" but that question could be asked about the Tohoku recovery efforts more than 18 months after the triple disaster.

We arrived in Ishinomaki as the morning program for tsunami survivors was in progress. Miyuki of Enka Friends was performing, and you can see a video clip of the Enka Friends concert in Harumi by scrolling down on this blog. This program and lunch have been held weekly since March 2011, and  people have found Jesus through it.

So, let's get the food on the grill and get going! I've got mushrooms and leeks cooking on the charcoal here, and the strips of thin sliced beef for yaki niku are cooking on the left. In the middle are the noodles and cabbage of yaki soba. We were so glad to have the vegetables and meat prepared before our arrival. With a 90 minute traffic jam en route, we couldn't have been ready on time any other way. 

While in Ishinomaki we watched a two block long procession of Buddhist priests walking, ringing bells and chanting. Since Buddhist priests are best known for doing funeral rites, their presence in the neighbourhood reminded us again of what has been lost and how far the area has to go to get back to "normal".

You've Never Done This Before...

It's the summer, and if you want to waste a little leisure time and see a little of Japan via your computer screen, this link gives you a unique opportunity to drive a commuter train in Japan. The line is the one our daughters have used to get to school our entire time in Japan, so we know the scenes you'll see from the cab very well.

http://www.realrailway.com/en/ikebukuro/simulator60.html


When you hear the annoucement for the next station, you need to apply the brakes hard, and then ease off as the train comes into the station, being careful to stop at the exact place indicated. That's the way the real drivers do it.

The News Is Not Good...

This report from a credible news source gives some alarming statistics about health in Fukushima, near the reactors: http://www.businessinsider.com/a-stunning-36-percent-of-fukushima-children-have-abnormal-growths-from-radiation-exposure-2012-7

Our Last Post About High School Adventures

This is the third graduate in our family from Christian Academy in Japan. Megan is pictured here with friends (and a spectacular view of Tokyo) at the grad banquet.

Our other two graduates arrived back in Japan in time for the graduation ceremony. They're getting some hours in teaching this summer, helping to finance further studies back in Canada.

Megan also will move on to teaching at an English school, and then in the Spring to the Kingfisher Project of Capernwray. Next summer we return to Canada for home assignment, and Megan will start the next phase of her studies.

Thanks, Whoopi!

The movie "Sister Act" really struck a chord in Japan, and gospel choirs have sprung up all over, singing in the style of black churches in the US. The uninhibited joy in the songs really connects with people who don't know what the lyrics mean. Christians and missionaries have formed choirs as a means to explain what those joyful words mean.

We had a concert in Harumi arranged by a believer in our Harumi Praise Time, and it included a local gospel choir that two of our people are involved with. The poster behind these happy singing faces announces that it's a concert in support of the Tohoku region, which was hard hit by the triple disaster of March 2011.

We also had gospel music in traditional Japanese styles.  Enka Friends performed, and a video of one of their songs, based on I Thessalonians 5:16-18 is included here. This particular song is in the style of music used during the "matsuri" or festival season in late summer, and the actions resemble "bon odori" style of dance at those occasions. Remember, you saw it here first!

西洋料理 Means "Western Cuisine"

In the case of our two weeks of cooking classses held in four locations, it was chili with taco salad in a tortilla bowl, pizza and lasagna. There were classes for children, who were assisted by their mothers, and then classes for adults. Lasagna was the recipe people expressed the most enthusiasm about learning, although judging from the leftovers (none) there was considerable enthusisasm about eating all the culinary creations.

"Gramma Eva" came to us from Westburne Alliance Church in St. Catharines to share her recipes and cooking tips and her walk with Christ with the women and children.

The classes enabled us to make first time contact with a number of people, and also were a benefit to churches like Sayama, where we lived and ministered in the early 1990s. That church now has its own pastor and building, something we couldn't have imagined back in those early days.

Recruited!

Heather returned last week, and Chris and Jeremy, her friends from church in Calgary were coming through Japan at the same time and wanted to see and be involved in our ministry in Harumi. Say no more! We'll get something together for young people, including Boys' Club boys.

As soon as they arrived, they put together a program of English and games to go along with the pizza

Since the young people made their own pizzas, it was difficult to keep enough toppings on the table!

We had ten youth plus some parents involved in the pizza night, and hope to follow up with some more events and continuing contact, so it was a good start.

Next to Our Apartment

Our apartment is in the background of the first shot of this video and appears again later in the video. Harumi Triton Square is a shopping/dining/office complex right next to our apartment. What you see on this video is a one minute walk from our front door. And no, I have no idea what "Racky Brain Cam Labo" is, other than a potential name for a rock group.

Where Is This?

Is this Japan? Vietnam? No, it's Taiwan, where Carol and I attended the installation service for My and Dao Nguyen at the Vietnamese church in Jhongli, near Taipei. My and Dao came to Taiwan from Windsor, where we served in the early 1980's.

This picture looks a little more like Taiwan. We'll be popping in to Taiwan to support the two teams working in that country and to represent Brem Frentz, our Asia regional consultant, who is pictured here with us at the night market. I'm not sure what this stall was selling, but I know it wasn't stinky tofu. We didn't spend much time in the vicinity of the stinky tofu vendor because it abundantly lives up to its name.

Who's That?

Well, the one doing the presentation is a CRASH Japan worker, but the face in the power point or video presentation is a familiar one. This appeared on Facebook recently, so even though Carol hasn't worked at CRASH since June, she appears in this presentation, which probably shows a little of the short history of CRASH's response to the triple disaster in Tohoku a little more than a year ago.

Famous people have this experience all the time. They see their faces in magazines, or hear their voices singing in BGM in public places. It's a little more unusual for us, but in the past year we've had this phenomenon. There's a link to Heather's blog here, and her account of the day of the earthquake and her reflections on it have attracted readers from all over the world to her blog, and her words have appeared in church bulletins and other blogs and publications. If it's disaster in Japan that makes us famous, we'd rather be anonymous!

The Latest from CRASH Japan

A year ago I was in Mongolia when Psalm 46 happened in Japan. When the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, when the waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea. As I returned to Narita airport, I suspected I was entering a totally different Japan, and that was the case. Train service, electricity, and supplies in stores were all less than normal. Meanwhile, Carol had started working at CRASH Japan, and I soon joined her. Our colleague Don Love and I drove the first team up to the base in Tono, a couple of days after the expressway was reopened, and before it was properly repaired. That was one rough ride, only outdone by the aftershocks we felt at the base camp in the middle of the night! Meanwhile, Carol Love established the financial department of CRASH, often working until midnight with all of the details.

Our first two weeks at CRASH Japan were 9:00am to 8:00pm with meals provided. The work day reduced to more normal hours, and we cut back to three days a week helping in volunteer coordination. I was able to help with Donor Relations from home, and Carol continued going to the office until June. Yet, as you can see from the one year video, the work has continued since our time there, and the statistics speak for themselves.

Carol, Heather and Laura experienced CRASH Japan as volunteers, helping to muck out homes. Heather was able to volunteer with United Japan, and then Carol Megan and I went with a group right in our neighbourhood to serve lunch to people in Ishinomaki, back in September. No matter how much help Tohoku receives, the work that remains seems endless. Much of what CRASH Japan has been doing in recent weeks involves meeting the emotional and spiritual, as well as physical needs of the people in the affected areas.

The Heads Go Bobbing By...

Out our balcony we can see a little of the road on the east end of our island. Between two apartment buildings and just over the elementary school we usually see cars go by. Today, we're seeing heads. We can't see the bodies underneath, just the heads, bobbing down the road.

I think this map will help you understand what we see once each year. The runners certainly aren't as bunched up as in the photo above, at the start line in Shinjuku. By the time they pass through Harumi, (#19) they've run almost all of the marathon and they just have a few miles left until the finish line at Tokyo Big Sight, which is a huge convention centre.

While I'm not a marathoner, I have run to Tokyo Big Sight (finish line), Shinagawa (#9) Asakusa (#16) and Tokyo Dome (beside #4). I just run those routes on separate days, not all together. I've also run around the Imperial Palace moat, at the center of the map. A local newspaper counted 3,500 runners on that route on a weekday evening, and I've been amazed at how many runners there are there. It's embarrassing to be passed by so many! Last time I ran that course, I was accompanied by a man who visited Canada for the Vancourver Olympics and toured the country coast to coast. We chatted for a few minutes until our paths diverged. It's a great place to run!

Valentines Tea

Yes, as a matter of fact, they did taste as good as they look.

...and, the Valentines Tea was a good time to discuss what the Bible says about marriage relationships.

The Covenant Players presented a brief but thought provoking play on marriage and appreciating one's spouse that everyone appreciated.

Am I Old Enough for These Glasses?

When you see the metal frames with the dark plastic panels over the lenses, like the ones Dr. Hinohara is wearing in this picture, you know those glasses are meant for men who are past a certain age. I'm not sure what that age is, nor do I know whether I've reached it. You'd be interested to know that Dr. Hinohara was born in 1911. He's certainly reached and surpassed that age, whatever it is. But, he hasn't yet reached retirement age. He's still writing, speaking and working at his day job which is...

running St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo, within sight of our apartment. The medical building is in the foreground, and the office towers in the background. This is where Carol gladly parted with her gall bladder last year. As the name suggests, St. Luke's is a Christian hospital, and because of his longevity, vitality and wisdom, Dr. Hinohara's books sell well, and he is often consulted by the mass media in Japan.

On Sunday one friend of ours brought in a clipping from one of the major newspapers in Japan. It was an article by Dr. Hinohara on the topic of "Forgiveness", something with which people in Japan struggle. Dr. Hinohara's article closed with the words of Jesus on the topic of forgiveness from the Gospel of Luke. It's great to see a believer with such a high profile and vast respect having this kind of influence in Japanese society.

Who Needs Walls?

A roof is necessary in Penang, but not walls. The clusters of food stalls on the island offer a variety of great and inexpensive meals. Dinner for a dollar!

It was no hardship to be called together for a Regional Leadership Team meeting in Penang, Malaysia in the coldest January in Japan in 26 years! Meetings don't make for great pictures, but this was the view we had as we met for three days.

We did get outside for one session, which we held on a nearby beach, with a barbecue lunch served to us. While it was only a few hours, I should have been more careful in applying the sun screen!

We travelled to Penang through Singapore, riding the immense Airbus A380 to Changi Airport, and arriving at 4:00am. We slept for an hour or so in the departure lounge and then got breakfast (runny eggs, Kopi and Kaya, of course!) and continued on to Penang.  On our return we arrived at Singapore at noon, and Toshimi san, our former neighbour in Harumi, joined us for lunch. That was a much more enjoyable layover! This is your typical tourist photo, where you can hardly see the people in the picture. The Merlion in the background is a symbol of Singapore.

A Soak in the Mountains

You can see the lights of Chichibu, a city in the mountains northwest of Tokyo, in the background of this picture. Our room overlooked the city, and so do the outdoor hot springs perched high on the cliffs. We were there for a night during Christmas break to enjoy being together, yet one of us has to soak all on his own in a separate hot spring. Still, it's enjoyable and invigorating to be in freezing temperatures outdoors and up to your neck in hot water, while hearing the rest of the family enjoying themselves on the other side of the wall in the adjacent hot spring.

If you follow Heather's blog, you've already seen these pictures. I'm borrowing them, and you'll see a link to her blog at the top right of this blog, so this is like an ad for her blog and its excellent photography. While the mountains were scenic, the one and only road out was blocked by a collision for two hours, and we had no way out, and an event to attend that evening. That's life in the mountains, I guess.

Getting into the mountains is like going back in time. So many great scenes to photograph, and so many good pictures taken by Heather.