Whose protection?

One day when taking Alistair's name badge off his kindergarten uniform, we noticed that a small piece of paper had been slotted in the back with the word "omamori" written on it. Omamoris (literally they mean "protection") are very popular in Japan and take various forms, little amulets usually dedicated to shinto or buddhist figures. Alistair's teacher had put one in each child's badge and said they shouldn't take them out. However, we removed his, explaining to Alistair that Jesus is always watching over him, so he doesn't need any other "protection".

journeying adventures

Last Thursday saw Daniel and Matthew start their journey home from Hebron. 7 hours down the mountain to Bangalore, 4 hours to Bangkok, another 6 to Tokyo before a 1.5 hour bus journey across the city and a 1.5 hour flight up to Sapporo. The question we always have is "What if something unexpected happens? Will they cope?" Well on the flight to Bangkok, Daniel was woken by Matthew announcing that he'd been sick - VERY sick. The stewards helped with that, but in Bangkok Daniel was faced with the prospect of sitting next to a smelly brother for another 6 hours before they could get their luggage for Matthew to get changed. What to do? Enterprising Daniel dragged Matthew off to the nearest duty free shop and sprayed him liberally with sample perfumes (male perfumes Daniel hastened to add!). So it's great to know that God has given our boys initiative and the ability to handle the unexpected! Now we are enjoying family time together for the first time in our new home in Sapporo.

What's in a name?

In Japan a name is important. Most surnames would be made up of characters which have some meaning. You might greet a Mr 'Stone Field' or Mrs 'North Island'. And for first names, many people would spend considerable time (and sometimes money too) thinking about suitable 'kanji' (characters) for their newborn child's name. As we think about the new church we will start here, we are pondering the matter of the name. Do we include the name of the area or go for something different? What word or words would communicate positively to the people we hope to reach? Even the use of the word 'church' is not simple. Sometimes it is good to have the Japanese word for Christ before 'church' so it is clear that this is a Christian place. In our area there is a large building belonging to a Japanese new religion called Perfect Liberty which calls itself 'church'. It is quite a landmark in the area. But it has nothing to do with Jesus. As we consider the name of this new church in Hiragishi, may it be one which is appealing and attractive, but more than that one which will help to draw people to the only name by which they can be saved, the name of Jesus.

A time to plant and a time to uproot

This is the time for planting in Sapporo. Recently many in the community could be seen out on the pavements adding a touch of colour to the roadsides. Local school children join in too. For us at our house, it has been a time of planting, but also uprooting. The small area of garden in the front of our house was somewhat overgrown when we moved in - and more weeds sprouted up daily. The area at the side too very quickly became a jungle of growth. Gardening tools were bought and we got to work on clearing, chopping down and hauling out roots. All that needed to be done before we could do any planting. In the south part of Hiragishi there are some 28,000 people. We are here to plant a church. But so much of what we need to do in the early days is the hard work of clearing the ground, preparing the ground and searching for the soil where we can sow the seeds. In time our desire is to see not just the colourful flowers brightening up the roadsides, but people whose hearts and lives have been changed as the seeds of the gospel take root.

What's your goal in life?

Getting up at 4.30 in the morning is probably not most children's idea of fun. But if you're into baseball in Japan, that's the time you get up for the early morning practices. Thankfully none of our boys have so far chosen baseball as their sport. Calum is into football, has joined a local team, and goes along to practices four times a week - at more civilised times than baseball! Today he was taking part in a tournament - starting at 7:30 on Saturday morning! There is so much you can learn just by observing team sports in Japan. Loyalty and commitment is important; playing your part in the team is important; respect is important, for your own team's coaches, for the other team, for the referee. There is a lot of bowing - at the beginning of the match, at the end of the match, to your own team's coaches, to the other team, to the cheering parents. All in all a rich cultural experience. Certainly the training is hard work. And at times it may become too all-consuming. But there is much that is instilled in the children that is good and of value. Think about it - loyalty and commitment; playing your part in the team; respect - are these not values we should treasure too? Maybe they are too easily lost when the focus turns primarily to self.

What a great location!

Not long before we arrived back in Sapporo, a wonderful house was found for us in Hiragishi. One of the interesting features is that it is located right opposite a cemetery. One of our colleagues quipped that it was so good to get a house right in the dead centre of Hiragishi! On the other side we have great views over the south of the city, with the famous Sapporo Dome, home to the local baseball and football teams, often gleaming in the sunlight. Coming back to the cemetery, this is no ordinary graveyard - there are thousands upon thousands of graves. Actually it's more like a big park and not an unpleasant place to go for a walk. We've also found it a good and safe place to help Alistair with his cycling. It is located in an area which at one point was the suburbs of Sapporo. Next to it is a swimming pool which used to be the local crematorium - quite a thought as you're doing your laps up and down the pool! We often pass through the cemetery. Occasionally we see one or two graves with crosses, where Christians are buried. But thousands have no cross, people buried with no hope. Just looking at the graves opposite our house is a reminder that so many Japanese still need to hear about Jesus - before it's too late.

Who's that in the bright green hat?

So just how do you go about getting to know people in your area? Well, in David's case, by joining the team of what they call 'school guards', volunteers who are out and about when the children are going to and from school just to check there are no problems. All the children here walk to school - no parents walking with them or taking them by car. Last week the school guards were introduced to the children at morning assembly so now every child in the school knows who David is. And the rather fetching gear was given out - yellow armband and luminous green hat! Today was day one of being out and about and it was great to hear the children all saying 'Good morning' as they passed by. It will be a good way of getting to know them and just become more visible in the community.

Where is the wind blowing?

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes." (John 3 v 8)
A couple of weeks ago we attended a series of lectures at the Hokkaido Bible Institute in Sapporo by a Japanese pastor who is involved in planting a church in another city in Hokkaido. We were keen to learn whatever we could from his experience as we seek to plant a church here. A lot of the things he said have been extremely useful for us, but in particular we both felt encouraged and challenged by this verse. God's Spirit blows where He wills and we do not know where that is. BUT we can hear its sound. So as we are out and about in Hiragishi that is one of the things we are focusing on - listening for the sound of the wind - seeking to find where God is already working.

We have also realised once again what an asset our boys are to our ministry. Already we have several opportunities to help out at Calum's school - Lorna helps out in the school library and in making things for the school fete later in the year. On Saturday it was Calum's sports day, a huge event in Japan held at the weekend with hundreds of spectators. We were able to meet several of the parents of Calum's friends and Alistair also met up with some friends from his nursery. Already we are beginning to be recognised as we are out and about - "Calum's Mum" or "Calum's Dad" is a cry we quite often hear. And as we meet people we are consciously asking God to show us the next steps in our ministry here. Please pray with us.