Easter Festival 2012

Last year we held the very first Hiragishi Izumi Church Easter Festival.  This followed on from our having gone to visit another church which has held a similar event every year towards the end of April in another part of Hokkaido.  Their event was very much outward-focused and for people in the neighbouring community.  Last time we held our event on a Sunday but this time, for various reasons, went for a Saturday.  The cold and damp weather of earlier in the week gave way to a warm, sunny day with no wind (it can be very windy at this time of year in Sapporo, as it was the day after the Festival).  Having been somewhat overwhelmed with unexpected numbers last year (and too few helpers) we were more prepared this time and had a good team of people to help, some from OMF, one from another church and indeed a group from Hong Kong who happened to be visiting for a few days and were glad to be there and help.  Many children who had been last year and at Christmas time came again.  We also had quite a number of new children, as well as quite a few parents (including one dad) and some older people from the community who came along.  One elderly lady had called a few days before and came quite a distance by bus and then walked to the venue.  She seemed to have a great time watching all the activity as well as indulging in the shortbread and white chocolate raspberry muffins on offer at the cafe corner.  We had various activities for the children, ranging from outdoor sporty things to slime-making to games.  There was food too, including the ever-popular mini-hot dogs.  Then in the middle part of the programme an OMF colleague from Brazil shared why he had come to Japan, told the Easter story and then did some hip hop dancing, after which he taught as one and we all joined in.  The event ended with the children all decorating an egg and taking home a bag of goodies, including a card with a simple Bible verse about Easter.  We trust that many were touched by the message of Easter and also experienced something of the life and hope we have in Jesus just by being there and being part of the Easter Festival.  We look to God to bring fruit from this kind of event.  Lorna hopes to follow up one young mother soon.  And the next day two of Alistair's friends who had come also turned up at our afternoon worship service.  We trust that somehow God is working out his purposes through these times of interacting with people and will use the various conversations that took place to be stepping stones for people to move closer to Jesus, whether that be soon or even in years to come.

Ceremonies

It has been some time since anything appeared here.  Now is the time to rectify that.  The frantic juggling of past months (and not least the last few weeks) have meant little or no time for doing things like posting here.  Now that one of the jobs is handed over to someone else, and David is no longer PTA Chair of the local school, and Lorna is back from her travels in Singapore and India, there is a little more breathing space to begin regular posts once again.  These past weeks have involved lots of greetings, bowing and speeches for David.  The end of March and beginning of April is ceremony season in Japan as it marks the end of one year (school, church, business) and the beginning of another.  David had to pop up in several places to give greetings ranging from a Bible School graduation to an induction service for a new pastor to a welcome to parents at the entrance ceremony for the local primary school.  It was important not to get the pieces of paper mixed up and give the wrong speech on an occasion for which it was not written!  There were two ceremonies at at the local school, both with some similarities and some differences.  The first took place late March as those graduating from sixth grade and moving onto middle school took their places for the last time in the large sports hall where those events tend to be held.  It was a moving occasion with full involvement from the whole school and lots of attention to detail and much bowing.  There were not a few tears too.  As always, these occasions are done very well in Japan.  There is a high regard for closure and doing it properly and meaningfully.  David's task as PTA chair was to give a congratulatory speech, the first half for the graduating sixth graders, the second half some words to the parents.  What to say?  In the end David chose to speak about a book by Max Lucado called You are Special which is translated into Japanese and which one of the years at the local school had actually performed last year during the school show.  It seemed to go down well and afterwards we heard from both parents and teachers that they had been moved by the speech.  Just one little opportunity to speak some words of hope and encouragement into the lives of these children who have now moved on to middle school.  The speech-making season for David is now over but the ceremonies continue - they are an important and valuable part of life here.  How far do we need to understand that and what lessons are there for the church as we seek to engage with this society and its people?  It is a constant challenge to consider how to bring the gospel into this context.