Reflections on a Year

As we draw to the end of a year, it is time to reflect on the months which have just gone by and look forward to what might lie ahead.  Certainly at this time last year we could never have predicted that 2011 would have brought such tragedy and suffering to so many, not just in Japan but in many parts of the world.  We had just had a really encouraging first-ever Hiragishi Family Christmas and were hoping to build on that through the year.  But there were to be many twists and turns which we could not have anticipated which made many changes in our lives.  February saw us receive a phone call to inform us of the sudden death of the pastor of Otaru Church where we had worked for eight years.  It was the pastor with whom we had worked for one year before handing over the leadership to him in 2008.  For the coming months we spent time with the folks in Otaru and David committed to preaching there once a month till September.  Less than a month after that, the earthquake struck unleashing a tsunami of unbelievable power to sweep away anything and anyone in its wake.  Although we were far away from the tsunami zone, the day of the earthquake and its aftermath are unforgettable.  Almost immediately we were involved in coordinating a team from Hokkaido to visit one of the areas.  Over the months many volunteers have been to help in the devastated areas and it was a privilege to be able to lead a team in July (with Daniel and Matthew too) and do what we could among people who had lost so much.  There are many sobering scenes which have been seen and pain-filled stories which have been heard over the months since March 11th.  Many of our colleagues have worked tirelessly and sacrificially serving in these areas.  Life was to change for us even more as OMF decided to begin a relief work in one of the tsunami-devastated areas.  The couple appointed to lead the work were the leaders of OMF's work in Hokkaido and the end result for us is that we took on that role temporarily from August.  These past months have been an intense time of juggling and trying as far as possible to give good time and energy to the work in Hiragishi as well as leading the OMF work and team in Hokkaido.  We are thankful for God's grace which has always been sufficient and his strength which is indeed made perfect in weakness.  We have continued to be involved in the community here - Lorna has done much through the local school and David became PTA Chairman in April.  These have given many opportunities both to get to know people and become known by so many.  One big lesson we have learned is the importance of building up relationships with people and being where people are.  It has been encouraging to see so many coming to events we have held at Easter, during the summer and then again at Christmas - and almost all of those who have come are people who are known personally to us or others in Izumi Church.  The boys have continued at Hebron and the local primary school respectively and there have as always been more than a few tales to tell (they would take up too much space to narrate here!)  So it has been a year of many unforeseen changes.  But as we look back we can give testimony that God has been with us and has provided for our needs.  Nothing catches him by surprise.  Looking ahead, we can already see many changes on the horizon - but who knows what else might be waiting?  Next year should see Daniel finishing Hebron and hopefully starting university; Calum will go to Hebron in August; we will at some point in the year hand over leadership of Izumi Church to our OMF colleagues Richard and Catherine East; our present co-workers the Kochs will head back to Germany for their first home assignment but plan to return to Hiragishi in 2013; and the big change will be to take on the Field Director role from November.  We are thankful that another colleague will take on the Hokkaido leadership from April and give us some breathing space to get ready for all the other changes.  We always take encouragement from the words od Deuteronomy 31:8 at the beginning of a new year - the Lord himself goes before; He is with us; He will never leave us.  Great promises!

Hiragishi on Christmas Day

This year Christmas Day fell on a Sunday. For many Japanese people Christmas means going on a date (for young couples) or having time with family on the 24th. Kentucky Fried Chicken is popular as is Christmas cake (quite different to the equivalent in the UK). Some though are drawn to churches at this time and candelit services on Christmas Eve are popular. We decided not to hold something like that here in Hiragishi but had a low-key service followed by a time of eating some traditional Christmas goodies and playing a few games. We moved our usual worship time from the afternoon to the morning and once again were able to use the building we have rented several times before. While we have many people coming along to events we have held, we were not sure how it would be for a worship service as many people we know seem to not be at that point yet. However it was encouraging that a number of people came along, some for the first time. It was a special joy to see several of the boys' football club friends come - certainly the first time they have ever been in a worship service. How Chuang gave an excellent short message. We sang some well-known carols. Sambi did a great children's talk with clever props. Afterwards a few more friends came with their children for the food and games time. It was a happy time and once again an opportunity to share the love of Jesus with those who were there. Afterwards one young lady who was there for the first time said she would like to study the Bible. We are taking small steps forward and move expectantly into another year to build more on the foundation which has been laid. This Sunday sees us start the New Year with a worship service and a time of sharing and praying together. But more about that in a future blog.

An international gathering

Last week we enjoyed our annual OMF Christmas prayer meeting. The OMF team in Sapporo gather every Thursday for worship, prayer and fellowship but the Christmas one is always special. This year was no exception as we celebrated together and enjoyed the 'internationalness' of OMF. We had readings in different languages ranging from Afrikaans to Scots; we had songs in Swiss German and Welsh; some shared different Christmas traditions in their home countries. We had people from the UK (all four countries), US, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, Singapore, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Hong Kong and Brazil. One of the joys of being part of an international, inter-denominational mission organisation is its sheer diversity. It was moving to worship in and listen to well-known carols and well-known passages of the Bible in different languages. What a precious reminder that one day there will be those gathered in heaven drawn from every tongue and people group. It is a blessing to be able to work together with colleagues from many different lands and cultures as we seek to bring the timeless message of the gospel to the people of Japan.

Another Family Christmas

Last Saturday we once again rented the place we have used on several occasions before for different events. It was the second ever Hiragishi Izumi Church Family Christmas. We had asked people to let us know if they were coming so had a fair idea that we were going to get a large crowd again. And of course there were always going to be children who just turned up on the day. We had learned our lesson from last year when we struggled to cope as a very small church with the numbers who came so procured the help of some folk from other churches - a wise move as it turned out. This year we had also asked someone we knew from our Otaru days to come as our special guest. She is a ventriloquist who tells the Christmas story with her doll Gon chan in a fun and compelling way. So we got down early to set up and some children began to arrive half an hour before we were due to start. The kids and adults poured in - we had around 80 kids and over 20 adults. It was a great time of singing, games, food - and of course the amazing ventriloquist and Gon chan telling the story of Jesus coming to earth. One thing which we were immediately able to work out was that we knew almost everyone who had come. Many of the children were from the local school. Almost all the children from Lorna's English classes were there. A good number from the boys' football club came too. The lesson learned - how important is to be out and about in the commnunity, to be involved in activities locally and in particular to build up good connections with the local school. The challenge - to see some of the many people we have got know to move on beyond just coming to an event. We are hoping that at least some might feel they want to come and celebrate Christmas Day with us when we will have a low-key service in the same building followed by some games and food. Thank God that He is at work in Hiragishi.

A Happy Day

Hiroko is a member of a Gospel Choir in Sapporo which has been going for a number of years now. Some members are Christians; many are not. Yet they love to sing gospel songs (often in English) and one such is the well-known 'Oh Happy Day'. Last Sunday was certainly a happy day for Hiroko and for Hiragishi Izumi Church. It was the day of Hiroko's baptism. She believed in Jesus earlier in the year and since then has been preparing for and looking forward to her baptism. It was a joy to hear her testimony and be there with her as she confessed her faith in Jesus and was baptised. We had rented once again the building we use occasionally which really is a perfect venue for such occasions. We had to borrow a portable bath from another church and fill it up before the service (the water stayed pleasantly warm). It was not such a big bath so presented a little bit of a challenge at the baptism - but we managed just! Hiroko had hoped her father would come but didn't know if he would. Her mother had said she had no interest. Well, her father did come and he seemed really moved. Her parents live not too far away from us. Around ten of the choir members came too and sang a couple of songs at the fellowship time after the service. It was all in all a wonderful day as we had our second baptism in the life of Izumi Church. We trust that the Lord will use Hiroko as a blessing to others and we look forward to seeing her grow as a one of God's precious children.

New Life

We will always remember Valentine's Day 2010. It was a Sunday and Wataru came for the first time to our church. In fact for the first time ever to any church. He had been invited by Sambi who thought it would be good to invite him on a 'special' day. He was very nervous and uptight and that showed in the way he spoke - fast and to the point. He came again on other 'special' occasions. He was always keen to introduce himself as someone who definitely did not believe in God. His self-proclaimed philosophy was 'Life is war'. Yet over time he changed and softened, eventually reaching the stage towards the end of last year when he was coming almost every week and then wanted to start Bible study. He has been doing that with David and JP for the best part of a year. He is very sharp and good at analysing what the Bible says. He had lots of difficult questions too - we would often stray onto different topics than the ones we were meant to be studying. It was thrilling to see his heart begin to open but always there were objections. We sometimes struggled to find a way to deal with them but gradually he began to edge closer to faith. And that point was reached a couple of weeks ago as he confessed his faith and became a believer of Jesus. It is a joy to see how God has changed him. Certainly he has many issues to deal with. But now he has a power within which can give him the guidance and strength he needs. Life may well still continue to be 'war' but in a different sense and fought with different weapons. He is a young man who could be a great warrior for Jesus. JP and David will continue to meet with him week by week to help him become grounded in his young faith. We are looking forward to Wataru being the third person to be baptised in Izumi Church - the second one was yesterday and that will be the focus of the next blog entry. We praise God for these encouragements - small steps, but one by one Jesus is building his church in Hiragishi.

School Festa

Every year there is a special event at our boys' school called the Festa, a Saturday morning set aside for games, stalls, food and fun. The day started with Calum and Alistair going off to school as normal as the second period of the morning was a chance for parents to go and observe the class. These times happen quite regularly at Japanese primary schools and it is always interesting to see how the class works and the way the teacher and children interact with one another. The Festa is organised by the PTA so many mothers had been busy for many weeks making things, setting up and getting everything ready. Before the Festa itself started, the children came into the sports hall to be entertained by the wind band from the high school next door. The standard is always amazing - almost professional. David spoke to the teacher who is the conductor and he said the band practises every day (sometimes early morning) and at weekends too. As PTA Chairman, David had to make various mini-speeches and announcements during the morning. The Vice Chairmen (or rather Chairwomen - everyone else on the PTA is a mother!) had helpfully written out a script of what to say when so David just had to pop up from time to time and say his piece. As well as all the other stalls and food on offer, there is a Dad's Corner where three dads helped out with a basketball shoot - a popular place. It was a great way to be involved again in the local school and in a small way give back something for the many benefits we receive in being able to send our boys to Japanese primary school. Of course it also means we are increasingly well-known in the school and community. As we look forward to our Family Christmas event in early December, we hope that many of the local children (and parents) will once again come along. More news on that nearer the time.

Where have we been?

You might be forgiven for thinking we have fallen off the planet. No blog entries since the end of August! We are still here - it's just time has run away over these past weeks. Actually the last entry explains a lot of the busyness as we have juggled the two roles, one leading the church plant at Hiragishi and the other leading the Hokkaido Region of OMF. This month David has been away from Sapporo, first at OMF meetings, then at an OMF Directors' Retreat and now in India for half-term at Hebron. Our lifestyle is certainly unorthodox! It's been great to be here as always. The first few days at school were helpful to catch up with some teachers and staff but the highlight of October half-term is Drama Week. Every year certain year groups put on plays of excellent quality. This year it was the turn of Daniel and Matthew's years to take the stage. Daniel had a smaller role in his play (a superb production of the Hunchback of Notre Dame) while Matthew had a more main part in Murder in the Cathedral, a difficult play set to spoken verse in older style English. His class did very well and Matthew ended up getting an award for Best Actor Runner Up. He is interested in politics and what we saw on stage showed some of the right qualities for that - at the end he was one to give the convincing speeches to the audience. This week we have been at the beach on the south-west corner of India. Kovalam is a gem of a place - warm sea, beach, many little restaurants and cheap hotels. The pace of life is very relaxed which gives great time for reading, pondering and reflecting, as well as enjoying leisurely breakfasts, bowls of tropical fruit, lime sodas and many other culinary delights - and that all very cheap for someone used to living in Japan! Matthew has taken many photos of the ocean and sunset - one is attached as the photo for this blog. Tonight the long journey back to Ooty begins for a final day of buying the all-important tuck for next term and a final meal at our favourite place for Sunday lunch before David begins the even longer journey back to Sapporo. A busy month awaits but hopefully we can be a bit more disciplined in keeping up with this blog to share the journey we are on with the church plant in Hiragishi as well as more widely in Hokkaido and indeed Japan.

A double role

Last week saw another job added to the Ferguson portfolio. It goes by the rather grand title of OMF Interim Regional Director for Hokkaido. Quite a mouthful that one. The former Director is moving next month with his wife to Miyako in Iwate Prefecture, one of the areas hit by the tsunami. A new OMF work has already begun there due to a couple coming back to Japan from the UK for some weeks over the summer and teams of volunteers which have gone to help. However, from next month there will be permanent presence there for at least the next two years. Anyway, back to Sapporo, this left us with a gap to fill here. Quite a big gap actually as the Regional Director role involves many things and easily fills the time of a full-time worker. Now we take on this role part-time for six months. David plans to be in the office Tuesdays and Thursdays but it is unlikely to work out as neatly packaged as that. There will be lots of juggling! We hope for no great crisis during these coming months. The work at Hiragishi continues and these are important days as we look to see the church built up here and some of the many people we know beginning to move closer to Jesus. We are happy to serve our colleagues here in Hokkaido and work together with them as we live and minister among the people here. These are challenging days with much to learn, lots of new experiences, many people to speak to, listen to and encourage. But they are also exciting days to be in Japan. Today saw yet another new Prime Minister. Governments come and go but our unchanging God is working out his purposes for this land and the people that he made.

All change - again!

The holidays are over. The older two boys left on Monday for India. The new school year at Hebron begins today. The younger two have a few more days before second term begins here. It was great to be a family of six again for some weeks, though during our holiday time we were not always all together as the boys had different camps in which they were involved. Daniel is now in his last year at Hebron. It's amazing this has come round so soon! He is a school prefect and has various other responsibilities during this final year. Next year will see him finish and hopefully move on to university. Matthew has three more years at Hebron but as Daniel goes into his final year there, Calum starts his final year in Japan. If all goes to plan, he will go to Hebron next year. Next year will be a time of even more comings and goings than normal - whatever might be considered 'normal' in our lifestyle! And as if that were not enough, there will be a major change of role for us at the end of next year with a move to Tokyo after that. But that is stil far off. While we prepare for the future, we live in the present and we are looking forward to continuing the task to which God has called us in Hiragishi once we are back into 'work mode' next week. There is another change of role to be faced then too - but a post on that can wait till then. Meanwhile we are glad to know Daniel and Matthew are safely at Hebron and we will enjoy our last few days with Calum and Alistair before we get back to the busyness of the coming weeks.

English Kids' Camp

Since April last year Lorna has run two weekly English classes, one for younger elementary school age children and another for the older year groups. As well as teaching them English from a native speaker, there is the chance each week at the end to share a simple Bible story (in Japanese) with the children. Many of these children (and their parents) have come to different events we have held over the past year or so. This past weekend we held a camp for some of the English class children - not all were able to come so we had manageable numbers. It was great fun. We were helped by a team which is over here from the UK in July working at another church nearby and two of them also stayed overnight. We had games. We ate some British food for supper - mince, potatoes, carrots and peas followed by trifle! That seemed to go down well. In the evening we practised a play which Lorna had written in simple English telling the story of Daniel in the lions' den. The kids did a great job saying their lines and enjoyed making some masks and props together. The evening ended with fireworks (always part of a camp here). We expected the children to be up early - and they were. Morning exercises took the form of hip hop and then it was time for bread sticks baked over the barbecue. The camp ended with parents being invited to a time of games and food on the Sunday morning and a presentation of the play. It was so good to see many parents turning up, including several dads. The children have had many seeds sown in their hearts over these past months. We trust that in years to come, and even now, some of these children - and their parents - might find their way to Jesus.

A Busy Weekend

This past weekend saw us once again rent the kindergarten building we have used before for Hiragishi Church events. On Saturday we held a UK Culture Day. A team of six from the UK are spending a month working with a church near us and came along to help in different ways. We had fun with icebreaker and other games; we heard about the different parts of UK culture; shared about the significance of the crosses on the flag; sang a traditional song; enjoyed some Scottish country dancing; and ended with a traditional afternoon tea complete with cucumber sandwiches and scones with jam and cream. It was great to welcome people who we know well and have come along to events before. It was also a joy to see a number of people there for the first time. There was a great atmosphere with time to chat to many of the guests who were there. For a small church like ours to hold something like this is always a challenge and we were glad of the help of the team from the UK. These kind of events are 'easy to come to' and offer a low key way to get to know people in our community and a place where we can invite folks we have been getting to know well. People are at ease coming. Our hope is that some will want to know more and come along again. Everyone took home a card with some details of Izumi Church and an invite to some other events we plan to hold in the autumn. As soon as the Culture Day finished we were straight into an overnight camp for the children from Lorna's English classes - but that blog can wait for another day.

Impressions of Iwate - Day 6

We are now back in Sapporo. Travel and catching an overnight ferry meant no time for the Day 6 blog yesterday. It was another action-packed day. The morning saw us loading up the vehicles again. The destination - the town of Yamada which we had driven through the day before and which had been badly affected by the tsunami. We headed for a large temporary housing area with some 150 houses. Some set up the mat and laid out all the things we had brought - vegetables, clothing, blankets, foodstuffs, things for children and babies. Others of us went round the doors telling people we had come. Everyone's eyes opened wide, they smiled, said thank you and headed for the area where we had set up stall. No sooner was everything laid out than it was all gone! No one here has access to shops (there are none left nearby) and many have no car. We helped some of the older folks carry things back to their tiny houses - little ways to serve and to chat. After a quick turn around at the base, we were off again to a smaller temporary housing area, this time small enough that we could deliver some items to each household. Again, the welcome was warm. Some even insisted on giving something in return - a can of juice or an ice cream bar. People with so little giving out of what they had. We drove back to our base again, tidied the place up for the next teams who arrived last night (not OMF teams) and headed north, passing through some other devastated places on our way to Hachinohe where the ferry was waiting. Yesterday, four months to the day of the tsunami, was the first day ferries could operate from that port since then due to the damage incurred that day. It was a busy ferry! Now we are back to daily life in Sapporo. But now is also the time to reflect. What have we learned? What can we do now? How does OMF move forward in these coming weeks and months? Other teams will go. A couple (and their young son) are in Miyako over the coming few weeks. A more permanent presence will be established from September. The needs are vast. The potential is great. Funds have been donated in abundance. Supplies are continually needed and those needs will change as the months go on. The challenge - to provide the resources, both human and material, so that the work of reaching out in word and deed, the work of listening, of being alongside, of encouraging, of being the hands, feet and ears of Jesus can continue in these hugely needy areas. The OMF July team's visit is over. But the work of rebuilding broken communities and broken lives goes on and will go on for many weeks, months and years to come.

Impressions of Iwate - Day 5

Today has been quite a day. It started off with a jolt just after 10am when a strong earthquake hit off the coast of Iwate. It was M7.1 and immediately the sirens went off and announcements started giving a tsunami warning and saying to people to move away from the coastal areas. That continued for some time, even after we had gone to the service at the local church. Occasionally the service stopped so we could listen to the announcements. In the end of the tday he tsunami amounted to hardly anything but it went to show how suddenly these things can happen - and almost 4 months to the day of the big quake. It was great to worship at Miyako Community Church and have fellowship with the folks there. We were given a warm welcome and it is so good that OMF can work in partnership with this church and Pastor Iwatsuka. The afternoon saw us head further south along the coast to visit some of the towns which had really taken the brunt of the tsunami. The scenes were quite incredible. As a team we reflected on our time after our evening meal. Some expressions people used - like a war zone. Like the aftermath of Hiroshima. Desolate. Sense of hopelessness. The buildings that still stood were gutted; some were badly charred due to fire; some still lay toppled over; some were just twisted wrecks. Mangled cars were everywhere. The roads through these towns have been cleared but it is like driving through a ghost town. You can't even imagine what it was like before. The town of Otsuchi lost over 60% of its population. The clear up seems hardly to have started in some places. The Ostuchi town office was swept away by the tsunami along with the town's mayor and other leaders. Later one of our team met an old lady from Otsuchi who survived by running up the mountain - she said simply that Otsuchi is finished. There were many poignant sights today but one that sticks in the mind is seeing a boat with the name 海友 - the characters for 'sea' and 'friend'. What an irony. The sea which today was so serene and beautiful - it is an idyllic coastline - is the same sea that had come crashing in with such force and swept away everything and everyone in its path. We stopped to pray for Otsuchi. We then moved further south and saw more of the same. Where do they begin? How do they rebuild? What about those who remain? Huge questions. All that we have done in our time here seems to have been but a drop in a bucket. Yet surely each drop counts. Each drop has meaning. And surely more and more need to be committed to come here and live with these people, serve these people and point them to the only way out of the utter devastation and hopelessness we saw today.

Impressions of Iwate - Day 4

Today was hot. 35 degrees hot! And our task for today (well, some of us anyway) - to pack some packets of special noodles along with the accompanying sauce into bags then head off to Taro, a badly affected area, to deliver these round the neighbourhoods there. This time we worked with a group from another church around a two hour drive away. People were so grateful to receive even the little we were giving them. Their words were kind. Their smiles were sweet. Some even bowed down in the entrance way on their hands and knees. As we delivered, there were several opportunities to linger and chat - in the shade thankfully. People were open to speaking about the dreadful events of 11th March. Our task - just to listen to their stories and say very little. It was evident today that for some the time has come for them to speak out their pain and tell their stories. Who will be there to listen over the coming weeks and months? This morning Daniel and Matthew had a different task as they headed off to a local primary school to play games and sports with some children there. The children were so happy and seemed to chat all the time. We were not long back from Taro when we were packing up the vehicles again with vegetables, clothing (some people can't readily buy or even have the rescources to buy things they need). This time we went to another temporary housing area in a remote part of Miyako. Soon people were gathering round, selecting what they wanted to have, chatting and thanking us for coming. Again some people were opening up, one man even describing the day of the tsunami when he had to cling on to a tree as the water rose and threatened to sweep him away. He survived as did his wife. Just one story out of thousands. As we chatted as a team tonight we wondered about the idea of a 'kikiya' (literally a room where you can go to have your story listened to). This is a time for those who love Jesus to be available to listen, to sit alongside, to be there as people release some of what has been in their hearts for these past months. That is a big challenge for all of us in the churches in Japan.

Impressions of Iwate - Day 3

Another day. More new experiences. This time a visit to a primary school in an area badly affected by the tsunami. In the school playground (they are large in Japanese schools) the military have set up large tents which are operating as temporary bathing facilities for people who are not in their own houses or are not able to use the bath in their house. Each day there is an after-school club for children whose parents are working. We were asked to go at 3pm and the request was for a barbecue. We spent the morning getting all the stuff together and were pleased to receive a (very large!) barbecue grill from another missionary who had just finished time in the area. When we got there the teacher said 'We have lots of children today'. There were around 35 and some other kids from the area turned up too. We played some fun games, football, even an egg and spoon race! One of our team taught them Frere Jacques in French. Then it was the BBQ time - the kids loved it. At the end we had lots of goodies (including some tartan pencils from Scotland which we have had for ages) and everyone was delighted to get something. Some of these kids would have lost their houses and everything in them. We didn't talk about that though - it was time for fun and food and just building relatioships with that school. The pastor of the church was there but in the background - cooking the food and helping clear up. How many of these children are hurting inside? All of them have witnessed and are daily seeing sights round about them that are unimaginable for most of us. As we drove back we saw many destroyed houses, some left half-standing awaiting demolition. We saw the mangled railway track. A train still stood on the track having been derailed at the moment the earthquake struck. We think the people in the train got out to safety before the tsunami came crashing over the thick sea wall. Tomorrow Daniel and Matthew will go to another school with the pastor's son just to play and have fun with local kids. The rest of us are out and about again, this time delivering a special noodle dish to locals in a certain area. One other impression of today from an early-morning walk. Sometimes you go past buildings which have been wrecked. Others are damaged. Yet others just round the corner appear to be relatively unaffected. The force of the water was immense. To look on now though you wonder why the water went some places and not to others. Those who remain are surely grateful to be alive - yet perhaps too there is a sense of guilt because some of their friends and neighbours lost their lives while they survived. The task of rebuilding broken buildings is huge. The task of rebuilding broken lives is perhaps even greater. We trust that the little of bit of fun we gave the children today helped even in some very small way.

Impressions of Iwate - Day 2

This morning we loaded up the car with bags of vegetables and fruit. Many people in the temporary housing or in less accessible areas simply cannot get hold of such things. Our first stop was a temporary housing area outside the town of Taro. The pastor had been only once before and said people there might be much more reserved. There was vast destruction in that town and many lost their lives. People there had also had to endure television crews and people who came for so-called 'disaster tourism'. We went and started going round the houses. People were happy to receive. Some, especially older men, were hanging around and eager to chat. We were able to spend time listening, chatting, seeking to encourage and simply being other people around for a short time. The people were grateful that we had come even though we had done relatively little. We moved on to some other areas in the town, delivering the bags of vegetables in more remote areas. Once again people were so happy to receive these. The pastor knew of various people in these houses - he was keen to introduce to David to one who was a relative of a pastor he knows in Sapporo. What we witnessed next though was sobering indeed. We drove through the area of Taro which bore the brunt of the tsunami. Mist was gently rolling in from the sea. It was an eerie sight. Just a vast area where houses had been washed away. Many were new-built houses. People thought the thick tsunami-proof wall would protect them - but no one reckoned on a 40m high wave. The whole area looked like a war zone - tidied up to some extent but just the remains of buildings razed to the ground, other buildings standing wrecked, fences mangled, piles of wreckage everywhere, the sea wall crumbled. Some 200 perished in that small town. The afternoon saw us move on to another temporary housing area where the pastor had visited a few times already. We had lots of items which were spread out on a large sheet of tarpaulin and people gathered round to receive what they needed or wanted - anything from oranges to underwear to pots to things for children. Soon it was pretty much all gone (some Bibles were taken too) and we had some great chats with the people - again they were all so grateful. Later we were able to linger some more with a few people. One man spoke movingly about all he had lost and how people here need 'kokoro no kea' - literally care of the heart. When David asked what people wanted most, he simply said community, people to talk to, people to be with. What a need there is. What an opportunity there is for people who love Jesus to follow his example and just go to where hurting people are. This man said that from now on is the time when people really need the 'heart care'. We need to pray that many would be available to go and be there, people like the pastor of the church in Miyako, people who will be prepared to move to these areas and just be with the people, listen to their stories, share in their pain and show them the love of Jesus. Tomorrow is another day - different again as this time we will be doing a barbecue and having fun and games for children at a local primary school. Watch this space again then.

Impressions of Iwate - Day 1

Last night six of us headed off from Sapporo bound for the ferry terminal at Tomakomai and the overnight crossing to Aomori. After not too much sleep in the somewhat mis-named 'easy comfort zone', we arrived early this morning and headed down through Aomori, part of Akita and into Iwate, one of the prefectures most badly hit by the March 11th tsunami. We were destined for Miyako, the large town where OMF now has a base for future work. Everything looks quite normal as you enter the town. You pass a Mr Donuts and even a new McDonalds. People go about their daily business. Then we headed down into the areas nearer the coast. While much clearing up has been done, the devastation was still shockingly apparent. Mangled buildings. Large areas where houses had been swept away in an instant. Piles of scrapped cars. Some areas survived unscathed. Others continue to live on the second floor of their houses. Still others have houses that are totally intact. Everywhere you see buildings with what looks like red graffiti - a condemned building to be knocked down. Later we met the pastor of the local church and it was great just to observe him in action. He has got to know people. He is earning trust. He is building bridges. As we went to a temporary housing area, he obviously knew and was known by a number of the people there. This evening a mobile cafe was set up there (run by the son of an OMF missionary) where people could come and gather, chat, and enjoy free drinks and cakes. We paid a visit to a school where we will go on Friday. A number of the children there have been badly affected by the tsunami and its aftermath. They want us to do a barbecue - as well as games and probably some English too. And to cap off an eventful day, bizarrely we ended up chasing a little dog for about 2 km. We were passing in the van and saw the owner chasing it as it had run away. Dog was retrieved and owner very grateful. We didn't quite know what to expect when we came here. We certainly didn't expect to be rescuing a dog! But our eyes have been opened - to the sheer scale of the devastation (and we have not been to the worst areas yet). But also been opened to see a pastor and other Christians sharing the love of Jesus in word and deed. And also to see people, from young children to the elderly, who have been through so much but who are moving on with life as best they can. Tomorrow we visit another area to deliver vegetables and other things. May we all be open to show and share the love of Jesus and just be alongside, even for a moment, these precious people.

Together again

This blog seems to have gone quiet over the past two or three weeks. Two OMF Conferences, the older two boys returning from India, preparation for a one week trip to one of the areas devastated by the tsunami, plus all the usual things (and not a few extra too) have cut into available time. But here we go again. It's great to be together again as a family of six. Matthew got home just over a week ago and Daniel followed two days later having been away in the Himalayas for two weeks. The first week back always sees them indulge in plenty of sleeping plus plenty of trips to the fridge to see what might be there for consumption. A late birthday cake for Matthew was also baked; Daniel conveniently has his birthday during the holidays. The younger two of course are very happy to have their older brothers on hand, not least to go and play football! We really do live quite an unusual lifestyle with all the continual coming and going. But in an odd kind of way that becomes usual to us. Daniel and Matthew are looking forward to joining David as we go as a team of six people to Miyako in Iwate prefecture from the day after tomorrow. It's great to be able to do this together. Matthew will have the job of photographer and Daniel has the task of writing up a log of all that we do day by day. Although we have some idea of what we might be doing, flexibility is the key. Watch this space for some news of what we end up doing.

Time away

June is often Conference month for OMF. This time we have the pleasure of attending the two OMF Conferences in the different regions. At the moment we are in the beautiful surroundings of Karuizawa, a mountain retreat in Nagano prefecture for what is called the East Japan Conference. Missionaries working in Aomori, Sendai and the Greater Tokyo area have gathered for their Annual Conference. As we will take over the Field leadership role from the later part of next year, we thought it would be good to come and spend time with folks here, getting to know a little better both the people and the work in which they are involved. We have been able to come without our boys thanks to wonderful co-workers who offered to look after them for these few days. The venue is in itself an oasis - surrounded by tall trees, green everywhere, a quaint town nearby. Just wakening up in the morning and being able to go for a walk in the sunlight with birds singing is so refreshing. We have been challenged by Bible messages, stimulated by hearing stories of things going on, encouraged in small group times and just so thankful for our OMF colleagues, many of whom have had to cope with many stressful situations since the events of 11th March. It is indeed a joy to be part of OMF and we give thanks to God for this opportunity to be away, for rich fellowship times (oh and great food too!)

Three months on

One of our Japanese Facebook friends added a simple comment to his wall today - 'just three months passed'. We knew immediately what he meant. The 11th of the month will always be a day to remember. Three months have indeed passed since the devastating earthquake and tsunami of 11th March. The huge relief effort goes on. Many thousands remain unaccounted for. Many more continue to live our their lives in the evacuation centres. The nuclear crisis is not in the headlines as it once was, but that does not mean it is over. Prime Minister Kan may be the next one to be out of a job. Here in Sapporo we are remote from the areas where the greatest destruction and loss of life occurred. Yet, the northernmost of those areas are reachable from Hokkaido (a journey of many hours including a ferry ride) and a number of teams staffed by pastors, local Christians and missionaries have gone to some of the worst affected places over these past months. OMF has decided to start a work in one of the cities (called Miyako in Iwate Prefecture). A couple has been appointed to lead that work and a building rented. It is hoped that this will be a base for others to come short-term to help in the ongoing relief work. Already it is being used. David plans to lead a small team down to that city early in July. A number of our colleagues, especially those who live in the north-west of Honshu island have been many times to the areas, helping in many different ways. It has been encouraging to see churches and Christians working together. The task is vast. What OMF can do is just a drop in the bucket in many ways. But each drop counts. We don't know what will come of this work but trust that somehow the Lord will use those there - not just through their words, but perhaps even more so through their ears and their hands - to be vessels of love, comfort and encouragement to those who have lost so much.

Births, Deaths and Weddings

When we had our final service at Otaru in March 2008 after eight years there, it was a sad time for us. It was the end of one very important chapter in our lives and we were leaving people that we had got to know and love so much. Little did we know then that we would once again be involved in ministry in Otaru. Recently the church has seen a birth, a funeral and a wedding, all in the space of a couple of weeks. When we were in Otaru, one of the hardest times for us was the illness and subsequent death to cancer of Akio Sasaki. His wife remarried two years ago and had her first child last month. Around the same time a man (also called Sasaki) who David had baptised in 2005 when he was in his early 70s was hospitalised and died a week or two later. His funeral was last Thursday, the first church funeral since the pastor's death in February. Then on Sunday, after the service, there was a wedding! It's quite a story but basically it was an older couple who had been living together for a few years, both then came to faith in Jesus and wanted to be married before God before being baptised. It was a great occasion, with some moving speeches and testimonies afterwards too. One of the most touching moments was when the married couple sang one of their favourite hymns accompanied by the husband on the guitar. It turned out the guitar had belonged to Mr Sasaki who died last week and his wife had given it to the husband. The folks at Otaru have been through much in these past months and it was so encouraging to see them rejoicing in this couple's faith and marriage and looking forward to the double baptism later in the year. Another man has also confessed faith in Jesus and will be preparing for baptism too. For Otaru Church June always means the Sun Kids Festival, the big outreach of the year which always draws many local children. We trust there will be yet further encouragements for the church on that day.

Celebrating New Life

Mother's Day in Japan is on 8th May. We had our service as usual at 4pm with some extra guests too. A couple of the men had made curry rice and we had eaten that and were enjoying fellowship time in various parts of the room. A lady called Hiroko who had come for the first time to our service the previous Sunday had been chatting with Kaori and Nora, reading in the Bible and praying together. Kaori then said Hiroko had something to say. She had just believed in Jesus! Hiroko has been involved with a gospel music choir for many years and had some Christian friends. She has been on a faith journey and it is with great joy that we were able to witness her commit her life to Jesus. She is really changed, knowing the joy of the Lord and was straight away sharing with family and friends. It is such a privilege to welcome a new believer into our young church and to be able to help a baby Christian to grow in these early days of faith. It is also an encouragement for us to see signs of things beginning to happen in Hiragishi. The first two years were very much a time for getting known and slowly building up relationships. Now as we are in our third year here, we look to the Lord to bring more like Hiroko and to see gradually the church being built up in this community.

Parents and School

Late last year David had a phone call from Calum and Alistair's school. 'Would you like to be PTA Chair for the next school year from April?' Stunned silence. Lorna has had lots of involvement with the school but David very little, apart from doing the morning duty as school guard and attending the school events. And a foreigner being PTA Chair?! Anyway, David agreed and the duties have now begun. The school prefers a dad to be the Chair but most of the duties are carried out by the mothers on the committee who do all the work and David just pops up now and again to give a word of greeting or a speech (the graduation and entrance ceremonies are some months away yet so plenty time to practice for those!) This Saturday is school sports day so is the first occasion in the school year for the PTA Chair to do his bit. An encouraging word is expected at the beginning and a closing comment too. Just for fun, the PTA Chair is also expected to fire the pistol at the start of the mums and dads tug of war - low-flying crows beware! And there is even more fun the previous day. In the afternoon all the mothers (or some grandparents) gather to claim their spot around the area where the sports take place. Last week each family was allocated a number (the children choose lots) and the parents divide off into groups of ten in order of the numbers chosen. Apparently the mothers then run off fast to place their pegs on one of the best spots for their mat at sports day the following morning. The PTA Chair is expected to turn up and set the various groups of ten off on their race for the best spot. Some guidance has been given though - the PTA Chair is meant to say that people should take care and not run! We'll see what happens. It's certainly a great way to be known by everyone in the school and indeed in the wider community.

Learning and growing

This blog has been a bit silent over the last two weeks or so. The Golden Week holiday, a Training Week and various other meetings this week have led to a busy time. But today is a quieter day! Last week OMF held the second IBCM Training Week. IBCM? A key part of OMF's vision for the lands in Asia where its people work - to see an indigenous, Biblical church movement among these different people groups. The Training Week was once again for younger missionaries but all had some (and one or two had quite a lot) of experience in Japan and working in the church here. It was a rich time of learning, engaging and interacting with many issues as we seek to understand the culture and religious setting of Japan and bring the timeless message of the gospel to the people here in the context in which they find themselves. It was a blessing to benefit from the wisdom of those who were able to guide us through difficult issues. This time it was a particular joy to have Japanese colleagues sharing with us. We all need to learn and keep learning. But more than that we all need to grow, and keep growing. Last week's trianing was not simply to impart head knowledge. Yes, we do not need to engage our minds, but so too do we need to be changed and moulded as we live and engage with the culture and people here in Japan so that we can grow as followers of Jesus and be better equipped to share Jesus with those around us. How we long to see a movement of the Spirit in this land which touches many places and many lives, a movement in which many are drawn to Jesus and the church is built up to the glory of God. These are days to pray for Japan and to pray to the Lord of the harvest that he would send out workers so that many can see the love of Jesus in action, but also hear the message of hope and salvation that comes through Jesus.

Hallelujah

Well the blog at the beginning of the week did not quite happen but better late than never. How good it was to celebrate Easter in Hiragishi with our first-ever Easter Festival. With a forecast that had been predicting rain for the weekend, and a pretty awful day on Saturday with rain through the night, we looked forward to the weather God would send on Sunday. We awoke to no rain, then a bright start to the morning to dry up the soaked ground, and a beautiful warm, wind-free afternoon - perfect for our Easter Festival. Preparations were made. But would people come? Some started to arrive 40 minutes before it was due to start. And people kept coming and coming. Children of all ages, mums, dads, grannies. In all we had around 110 there, though it was hard to keep count. Everyone had fun with the outside football and strike out, enjoyed the various activities inside, indulged in sausages and chocolate bananas, and there were some yummy cakes for the adults. All left with a self-decorated egg, some chocolate eggs and a short Bible verse. In the middle of our Festival we had the exuberant JP helping us all join in some hip hop dancing to a praise song and then David gave a short and simple message about Easter. It was a blessed day. We look forward to doing it again next year. Meanwhile we are thinking how best to follow up all who came and what to do next - some larger events, some smaller gatherings so we can have more time to chat more leisurely to people. It will be great to see some wanting to take the next step, maybe open to some basic Bible study, or coming along to a service. We meet many of these people as we are out and about in the community, or at the local school; some are neighbours (two sets of JP and Nora's neighbours came and one commented that it was great to be able to meet her neighbours at a church event!) We are excited to see what God is doing and look forward to all that will lie ahead. We had a great Easter worship service too in the same building, with the sun streaming in. A blessed Easter indeed.

In the battle

In our last blog we shared about plans for the Easter Festival this Sunday. There is lots still to be done, not least with Lorna only having returned from India on Monday. However, as always with these kind of events here, there is something of a battle. There are always walls you hit up against us and hurdles to overcome when you seek to bring the good news of Jesus in this land. The spiritual battle is very real. And as we proclaim the message of new life, the message of a Risen Saviour to the people in Hiragishi, we know we have an enemy who is more than keen that the message is not heard. It's not unusual in our experience for things to go wrong or difficulties to get in the way as we hold special events. Calum is part of a local football team and has lots of friends there he could invite. They have just arranged an event for the very time of our Easter Festival! The local school is a place where we know lots of people and where can invite many children and their parents. Just this week there has been an outbreak of flu in some classes (unusual for this time of year)! The weather is due to be nice all week until the weekend when it is forecast to be cloudy and rainy! Some our activities are planned for outside. No doubt there will be other things we 'battle' against as the week goes on. Do join us in prayer that the Lord's hand would be on all the preparations and and against anything that would seek to hinder or interfere with people coming on Sunday. For many, if not all, it could be the first opportunity ever to hear what Easter all is about. We look forward to sharing about all that happened in a blog at the beginning of next week.

Easter is coming

Easter is not big in Japan. Just like Christmas, it is not a public holiday here. However, whereas Christmas is in some way celebrated (albeit in presents, cake and bright lights fashion), Easter just passes by unnoticed. For the churches, Christmas is a big opporutnity for outreach and many events are held, usually very well attended. But Easter is often simply marked with a special service for the church folks on Easter Sunday and that's it. There is little observance of Lent and nothing to mark Holy Week (of course there will be churches which do so but generally that does not happen, at least that has been so in our experience). But how we want to celebrate Easter and take the opportunity to proclaim the message of the cross and a risen Saviour! This Easter we are doing something a bit different in Hiragishi. We got the idea from visiting church at this time last year. That church has for the past 20 years or so held an Easter Festival for the community on a Sunday afternoon at the end of April having held their worship service in the morning. Japanese people love festivals - food, games, fun things to do (and they are often associated with the Shinto shrines). The church we visited has built up many contacts over the years and had well over 250 people coming that Sunday afternoon. We are planning something much more modest and who knows how many will come. Like we did at Christmas we are renting a building very near us which has lots of space both inside and outdoors. We are palnning food, games, crafts and a section in the middle where one of our OMF colleagues who does hip hop dancing will do his stuff and everyone can join in. We'll have a simple Easter message then too. Just now we are busy with all the preparations - always a challenge for our small church. Later that day we will hold the Hiragishi Easter worship in the same building and it would be great to see some folks coming to that too. Easter is not known here - but through this Festival we want to make the message of Easter known. Jesus is alive - may people in Hiragishi hear that and come to know him!

Half term

This being April, it means a trip to India for one of us. And this time it's Lorna'a turn. Remarkably this time we found a route which got her there in 24 hours. Usually there needs to be some stopover somewhere. One bus ride, four flights and a 3 hour taxi ride up the mountain and Lorna was at the Guest Home in Ooty last Friday evening (Indian time) having left here on an 8.30 flight Thursday evening. The first week at Hebron (Parents' Week) is always a bsuy time with parent/teacher interviews, music performances, sports events (the swimming gala this time in which Daniel excelled in all his races) and an Easter play/musical in which both Daniel and Matthew have main roles. As well as being a time to catch up with the boys, it gives time to meet the teaching staff and dorm parents informally and also meet up with many other parents who work in a whole variety of roles in many different places. Hebron really is a multi-cultural experience and every time we go there we appreciate the family-like atmosphere around the school. After a busy half-term of study and many other extra-curricular activities, everyone is ready for a holiday in the second week. For us the destination is usually the same, whether it is April or October - Kovalam, a town on the beach right at the south west tip of India which is lined with little hotels and restaurants and with a warm sea (for surfing in rather than swimming). After the week away, it's the long overnight train and then taxi journey back to the school for the final weekend and boys settling in to life in the dorm again - and for exams which lie ahead. In many ways we lead an odd lifestyle. But the blessings are rich and varied. We are so thankful for Hebron school and the many opportunities it has given our boys in ways that go well beyond mere education.

Continuing to Care

As we enter the month of April, this is a time of change in Japan. It is the start of the new business year and the new school year. Many people move home at this time due to a change in job. Of course for thousands of people last month brought about such cataclysmic changes that they will barely notice that we have moved into April. The changes for these people who have lost so much will continue to impact them for many months and years. Just as the business and school years start this month, so does the new year for most churches. Many choose a theme and Bible verse to guide them over the coming twelve months. It is now just over six weeks since the tragic death of the pastor at Otaru Church. We have been involved much there over these past weeks helping with preaching and the children's work on some Sundays and also being with the people, visiting them and listening to them as they process all that has happened. One of our colleagues who is trained in counselling went one Sunday and shared with the church folks about dealing with loss and their grief and that was a very helpful time. She will go twice more over the coming two months. The question for us is how far and in what ways we can or should be available to help. People have not only faced the death of their pastor but now also the sense of sadness and loss that is affecting the whole nation in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. For Otaru, this Sunday is the start of the new church year and David will be preaching then. The pastor had already decided on the theme and guiding verse for the coming year so David will use that on Sunday as a basis for his message from God's word. It is the start of a new church year but a new start unlike any other as it is so connected to all that has happened over these past weeks. May we continue to know how best we can help care for and serve the people in Otaru as they move forward but continue to face many challenges in their walk as God's people in that part of Otaru.

An unfolding tragedy

It is now over 10 days since the earthquake struck and the ensuing tsunami caused such devastation of lives and property along the north-east coast of Honshu island. While the media coverage in the west continues to focus much on the nuclear plant in Fukushima, here the stories of human tragedy continue to emerge. Whole towns with reasonably-sized populations have just been wiped out along with many of the residents who failed to escape the waves in time. Many simply drowned. Many were fleeing with their special 'earthquake' bags filled with essential documents and basic suppplies but could not reach the high ground before the tsunami came crashing into their towns at heights no one could even have imagined. In many towns a line can be drawn where the waves stopped - on one side there is almost complete destruction; on the other houses stand as if nothing had happened. Different buildings serve as evacuation centres for those who have lost their homes. Some churches are using their buildings for that purpose. Getting sufficient supplies through can be a challenge. It is cold too. The elderly in particular find it hard. Obviously there are many physical needs. But so too are there emotional and spiritual needs. One of the tasks which needs to be done is identifying and then burying the dead. In some places mass graves have been prepared. But the task of finding survivors even yet is not over. In one place a 16 year old boy and his elderly grandmother were found (both amazingly well) after 9 days buried under the rubble of their house. The OMF team is preparing to go into one town from tomorrow and set up base at a church which suffered some damage during the tsunami but is still inhabitable on the second floor. Two missionaries who have scouted out the area have found some grim sights. The needs are vast. The task is great. But each of us can play our part, whatever that is, to bring relief, comfort and hope to those who need it so much.

Jesus' Hands and Feet

At the moment life is busy here. Since Friday we have been involved in coordinating a trip by a small team of OMF missionaries in Sapporo to one of the areas devastated by the tsunami from next Tuesday. Two of our colleagues who work in the north of Honshu have already gone to search out the area, make the necessary contacts and see in what ways OMF can help. An area has been identified, contact made with a local church which can be used and a decision made to use this visit to minister by way of providing simple hot meals and any other practical tasks which can be done. It is not a case of simply turning up and trying to help. There is lots we are learning as we go along and we are glad of the expertise of a group called CRASH which started a few years ago and is staffed mainly by missionaries which has the specific aim of reaching out to help people in crisis situations. At the moment we are gathering together supplies; a team is place; vehicles are ready; and we are trying our best to source the necessary equipment and not least the fuel which is in short supply in certain places. All being well the team of six will leave at 5am on Tuesday morning to connect with a ferry to Honshu at noon and then the long drive to the base camp. How it will all go, no one really knows. The key is flexibility. And a servant heart. One of our colleagues talked helpfully of being Jesus' hands and feet. We may well not be in contact with our missionary friends once they are in the area as communication is very difficult with no phone lines and few mobile providers which work there. We will try to keep you posted as to how things go. So how can you help? Please pray for the team for safety, stamina, good health and oppprtunties to love and serve people in Jesus name. If you would like to give to the relief effort in which OMF and other agencies invovled, you can do so by donating to the Sendai Earthquake Relief Fund which is an OMF project. If you are in the UK, visit the omf site at www.omf.org.uk and you will be able to give online or by cheque. It is a blessing to us to be able to help in some small way and to know the depth of care and support from round the world.

When disaster strikes

It was a day never to be forgotten. It was day which saw many lives lost in a moment. It was a day which saw some of the most horrific devastation left along vast areas of the coast and further inland on Japan's main island of Honshu. It is a day which has forever changed Japan. Things are not the same now and never will be. Although we felt the power and intensity of the earthquake to some extent where we are in Sapporo, we are far removed from the areas which were literally swallowed up the sheer force of the waves as the tsunami crashed into the north east coast of Honshu. Some had managed to flee to higher ground. Many did not. Thousands of people killed. Countless homes destroyed. Half a million in evacuation centres. The logistic challenge facing the country is almost unimaginable. The scenes on television screens, the stories of human tragedy leave everyone numbed and heavy-hearted. How do you begin to move on from here, far less to understand it? Even now there are many heroic efforts ongoing to find people as yet unreached. There are fears about the state of the nuclear reactor where some brave workers are risking their lives daily to fight off the threat of radioactive leak or worse. The immediate needs are vast. The long-term needs are also vast. What can we do? For the moment it is very difficult to get into the affected areas. OMF is joining with other agencies and looking to help in whatever way we can. We can of course be and are praying, caring for people and just being with people around us. What can you do? Of course pray. Give. Consider what practical help might be possible in the weeks and months that lie ahead. We plan to follow up this blog with more detail as to what we and you can do in the next entry which will appear soon. Meanwhile we appreciate the prayers and concern of so many. As we see the vast needs around us, may we also keep our eyes fixed on unseen things, on the Lord of grace and mercy who is in ways that may be a mystery to us working out his eternal purposes.

Masks

Seeing people wearing a white surgical mask is a common sight in Japan. People who have a slight cold, or do not want to risk catching a cold, can be seen with one of these masks that covers the whole of the mouth and part of the nose and is attached with elasticated string behind the ears. In times when flu is doing the rounds (it usually hits at some point in the winter months causing school classes, and even whole schools, to close for a few days) the masks are well on display. It's always a challenge for us to try to understand someone speaking Japanese behind a mask - it can be hard enough at the best of times! Recently we heard of a new trend in mask-wearing which has nothing to do with keeping clear from bugs or spreading your own. Some people are wearing (or perhaps it should be hiding behind) masks simply to give them a sense of security. Designer masks are now also in vogue. Some use the masks to hide what they feel they don't want others to see on their faces. There was a story of a high school girl who resorted to wearing a mask after being teased about being ugly. However, she was in time able to kick the habit by coming to the realisation that masks can conceal the face but not the heart. One of the discoveries we made early on in our time in Japan is that what you see on the surface is not necessarily the same as what lies underneath. That can apply in many ways from words spoken (or not spoken) to facial expressions to the way the dynamics work in a meeting or group setting. The trend of mask-wearing (for non-health reasons) seems to take that to yet another dimension.

A sad day

Last Tuesday we heard some shocking news. The pastor of the church where we worked for 8 years had been found dead in the church. We had spent a year together from 2007-8 when we handed the leadership on to Pastor Ishihara. He leaves a wife, two boys (aged 13 and 10) as well as a foster child (aged 3). For the last week we have entered into the grief and shock of the family and church members as they come to terms with this tragedy. A funeral in Japan usually takes place the day after death (or at the latest the following day) and even before that there are ceremonies at different points. The coffin is open at the head and people go to look and even touch the dead body. The funeral itself starts with an evening wake which is like any funeral would be in the west - some hymns, prayers, a Bible message and a eulogy about the deceased (which David gave). The coffin is left in the church and then the next part of the funeral takes place the following morning - a similar service with a different Bible passage and message. Then come some of the most emotional moments. People file past the coffin and place a flower beside the deceased's head. Then the family say their final farewells before the lid of the coffin is shut. After that the coffin is placed in a bus and some of the mourners travel to the crematorium. This is also a very emotional time as there is a further small ceremony just before the coffin is wheeled in front of one of a series of doors and then disappears while everyone looks on. People then move to another room and eat lunch together before returning to the crematorium for the final part of the funeral ceremonies. The bones of the deceased are wheeled out on a trolley and everyone uses chopsticks to place the bones in a casket. That may seem quite gruesome to those are used to the way things happen in the west but people here are quite used to it, indeed quite matter-of-fact about it. Sometimes a close family member may receive a bone to keep personally. The casket is then handed over before the bus takes everyone back to the church for a final hymn and prayer and often a greeting from the deceased's next of kin. A Japanese funeral is a long process and happens very quickly after death. For us, we have come to appreciate many of the ceremonies which take place and indeed the open attitude towards death. Now though for the family and the members of Otaru Church a long hard road lies ahead. We will share more about this in our next update.

Skiing at school

One of the fun things about school in Hokkaido during the winter term is that skiing is part of the curriculum. In every school playground (and they're quite large here) the accumulated snow is piled together into a mini-mountain. The younger children have several classes each winter learning how to walk uphill in skis and then skiing down the gentle slope. The older children would find that too boring so head off to a local mountain for more serious stuff. This morning Lorna joined some other volunteer mothers to help the 7 year olds on the mini snow mountain. It had been snowing overnight so some of the children were getting stuck in the snow in their skis just walking over to the slope - then they had to manoeuvre their way to the top! All children here learn skiing from a young age; most in fact go to ski schools at the mountains during the long winter holidays. And, as an added bonus, if your income is at a certain level, the local government pays for new skis and equipment every three years. All our boys have had the opportunity to learn skiing at mountains almost right on our doorstep - and with the guarantee of snow on tap for several months of the year.

Fire Horse

Yesterday Lorna was at the local school where she often goes on a Tuesday morning, sometimes for library duty, sometimes doing things with other mothers. As always there is conversation about all sorts of things. But yesterday Lorna discovered something she hadn't known before. She happened to mention she was born in 1966. And that brought about quite a reaction. 'You're a hinoeuma - a fire horse!' Not really following what that was all about, an explanation followed about how 1966 was a very inauspicious year for a baby girl to be born. The Chinese zodiac calendar has twelve animals and the one which matches to 1966 is a horse. No big problem there. However, there are also 5 elements (earth, wood, fire, metal and water) which can go with any one year, giving 60 possible combinations of animal and element. 1966 saw the horse and fire combine and that year became the first year of the hinoeuma (fire horse) since 1906. 'Fire horse women' are said to be dangerous, headstrong and deadly to men! The ladies at the school yesterday said that it was hard for a 'fire horse woman' to find a marriage partner. Yesterday the mothers all had a laugh about this but there is a more sinister side. In the year 1966 there were about 600,000 fewer births than the previous and succeeding years. And even sadder, the abortion rate rose significantly in that year. It was an eye opener to us and really showed us how some of these superstitions can really affect what people here do, even if they don't actually believe it. The next 'fire horse' year is 2026. How great is the task to bring the gospel to people in a land where so many superstitions and traditions can lead so many astray.

Bean throwing

Every year at the beginning of February, if you were to visit a local primary school or kindergarten, you might see some rather strange sights. Some children or an adult might be wearing scary ogre masks. Most children would be throwing roasted soybeans (or peanuts) around the room. And you would hear shouts of 'Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi' which roughly means 'demons out, good luck in'. In the past all sorts of other traditions took place on 3rd February (the spring festival) as people wanted to get rid of evil spirits and welcome in its place good luck and happiness. In some areas there is special rolled sushi which is eaten ostensibly to drive out the demons and bring in good luck. Alistair went to an after-school club this week (the day before the 'bean-throwing' fetsival day) and came home saying everyone had been throwing the beans and shouting - but he happily announced he didn't throw any. He was happy though to come back home with a few packets of peanuts. While in some ways, this can be seen as just fun for children, of course there are also underlying spiritual elements. But there are grains of truth to be found which can become building blocks for the gospel. Yes we need rid of the 'bad stuff' within us; and yes we need to be cleansed. As we grapple with these traditions and whether to be involved in them, it is always good to stand back and see how we can use these things as a contact point to share the gospel. We don't need to throw beans or shout for the demons to get out - in Jesus ours sins are taken away once and for all, our hearts are cleansed and we know daily the joy of his being with us.

Back to 'normal'

Earlier this week Matthew made his way back to Hebron. Daniel left the week before for his mock exams which are now over. As a 'reward' for having to go back a week early, the A Level students can enjoy a long weekend at the beach. There is often some little story (sometimes quite big stories!) when our boys travel here and there. This time (despite having everything clearly written down), Matthew managed to get off the train at the wrong terminal at Narita Airport in Tokyo - but after a quick call home, he managed to sort it out. Many folks we speak to here are amazed that our boys can travel all the way to India and back on their own - something they have been doing since they were 12. They usually see it as a great adventure and enjoy all that international plane travel has to offer. Sometimes they meet up with friends from other countries at one of the airports en route. We send them off with all the information they need, hopefully enough money for all they need, and secure in the knowledge that they are met by an escort from the school at the other end. Most of all though we send them off knowing that God goes with them and he sends his angels to look after them (probably more than we know). We always look forward though to the first e-mail to let us know they are safely there - but being boys that's not always the first thing on their mind! We miss the boys when they are gone but know they are at a great school with great staff. And Lorna is already looking forward to her visit for half-term in April - no doubt with more travel stories to add to our collection.

Valentine's Day

At this time of year in Japan the department stores and supermarkets fill with various chocolate goodies as Valentine's Day approaches. Here it is a little different as it is only the guys who receive chocolates on 14th February. The ladies get their turn a month later on White Day. All good business for the chocolate makers no doubt. While Valentine's Day may not be a time that is normally marked in churches round the world, some here have used this as an occasion for an outreach event. This year the younger folks in Izumi Church - JP and Nora along with Sambi - are planning a simple get together at the Kochs' home over lunch on 13th February. It will be very low-key with food, chat, making something together. Sambi has some friends that she is keen to invite. Wataru (who is studying the Bible with David and JP just now) will come too. As we were talking about dates, Sambi was keen to have something over lunch on the Sunday as then her friends could come along to the worship afterwards later in the afternoon. It's a real joy for us to see Sambi using her gifts, looking for opportunities to invite friends and especially being keen that they can come along to the worship too. How we long to have more believers like her and to be able to help them to grow and play their part in the building up of God's kingdom in Japan. We are looking forward to see what God will do this Valentine's Day. It was on that very day last year that Wataru first came to church - he only came because he was invited on that day but now he really enjoys being part of the fellowship and is edging closer to faith in Jesus. You just never know what God might use to draw someone to himself - even something like Valentine's Day!