We are the champions

One of the things that impresses us about life here in Japan is the way that sport is encouraged from a young age.  Our boys are all into football.  There is a great set up here from the local teams right through to city-level training, prefecture-wide training and national-level training.  Since last year Calum has been involved in different levels of training and was chosen to become the captain of the team representing the whole of Sapporo in a tournament over the last few days.  Teams came from different parts of Japan, drawing in some of the best Under 12 players from their areas.  It all began as these things go with an official opening ceremony.  All the teams lined up and there were a few speeches along with everyone doing a fun warming up to music.  Near the beginning Calum came to the microphone.  He was the one chosen to give the opening greeting on behalf of the players and a vow that everyone would do their best.  He wrote it himself, memorised it and delivered it really well.  Then the action started and it was great to watch such a high level of play from 12 year old boys.  Calum's team did really well and clinched the trophy and winners' medals with a fine 2-0 win in the final. 

After that it was time for the closing ceremony and presentation of the trophy.  As captain, Calum came forward to receive a large flag for the winning team followed by presentations of various trophies and medals to each player in the winning team.  All of this was accompanied by the music of the hymn Thine be the Glory which is traditionally used here for victory in sporting tournaments.  Then it was the turn of the sponsors to give out their goodies - the boys received a boxload of things from cornflakes to cookies to bottles of juice and packets of Milo and cocoa powder!  Calum's team also got T shirts with the word Champions on the back.  It was a great few days and another fascinating insight into Japanese culture with all that goes into the different parts of the opening and closing ceremonies.  Of course at the start and end of each match too there is polite handshaking and bowing - at the end the players all run over to the opposing dug out and bow to the coaches and then do the same to their own coaches.  It is no surprise to us that football in Japan is on the up.  It is well organised, good fun and there is a great spirit among the children and the coaches.  Apparently one of the present Japan national team members once played in this very tournament.  Who knows - maybe we have seen over these past few days one of the future stars of Japanese (or Scottish?) football. 

Children's Camp

This past weekend we held another camp for some of the children in Lorna's English classes after our inaugural camp last year.  We once again rented the building below our house which we often use.  It is perfect for a camp.  14 children were there, a mixture of ages, boys as well as girls.  We also had the help of a short-term team which is here from the UK - they were invaluable as they worked behind the scenes, led games times and related to the kids (even those who could not speak much Japanese).  We had a number of games, both indoor and outdoor during Saturday afternoon before a British-style evening meal of coronation chicken (seems to be in vogue this year) followed by jelly and ice cream.  The latter seemed more popular!  Then in the evening we used the story of David and Goliath as our focus for the weekend.  David told the story, accompanied by vocal involvement from the watching children, and ending with one of the team collapsing as Goliath was struck down.  Lorna had written a simple play in English and the children learned their parts and made props before a rehearsal.  The evening ended with fireworks outside and then the sleeping bags and mats were laid out. 

After several hours sleep the children rose early in the morning (more willingly than some of the adults!)  We had the barbecues going for stick bread and sausages. The children were then given the challenge of going out in groups with adult help and taking photos of different things and actions following instructions written only in English.  Soon it was time for the parents to come and see a performance of the play.  We had a good number of mums and dads.  The children did really well with the play.  After a game with parents against children followed by some food and drinks, it was all over and we tidied up.  It was a great weekend.  These children hear a Bible story each week at the class and it was good over the weekend to focus on the message of David and Goliath and just to be able to spend time with these kids.  Who knows what seeds have been sown...

Another adult in the family

Today is Daniel's 18th birthday.  Seems a long time ago when David was watching the closing stages of the 1994 World Cup Final and hoping labour would hold off until the closing penalties!  It did - and started a few hours later!  Daniel came into the world on 18th July 1994.  Little did we know at that time that four years later we would leaving for Singapore with a nearly 4 year old and a 2 year old to start our adventure in Japan within OMF.  After some six weeks of orientation at the OMF HQ in Singapore we celebrated Daniel's 4th birthday and then a couple days later we found ourselves in Sapporo.  Two years of language study, seven years in Otaru, two years of home assignment and here we are now in our fourth year at Hiragishi (with double the number of boys too!)  In two days time we will mark our 14th annivesary of landing in Japan for the first time.  Neither of us had been here before, quite unlike most missionaries arriving here these days who have usually done at least some kind of short-term placement in Japan.  Our boys have grown up here and all have gone (or are still going) through Japanese primary school.  We have had rich and varied experiences over these years - many challenges, many joys, many things to learn.  We have watched our boys grow and the older two head off to India for secondary education.  Now we have reached the stage where our oldest boy is about to return to Scotland for university.  There are always changes.  There is no 'normal' - or at least not a 'normal' which lasts for long.  But it's a great life.  What could be better than to live in a land where so few know Jesus and be able to play just a small part in sharing Jesus with the people of Japan.  We enjoy our life here, though of course there are stresses, frustrations and disappointments along the way too.  As we look ahead, more challenges and changes await.  But we can look back over these years, the (almost) 21 since we were married, the 18 since we became parents, the 14 we have been in Japan, and can say that God has been faithful, he has been with us in this journey, and he will go with us as he goes with Daniel to the start of his new life in Glasgow from September.  There is much for which we can give thanks.

Sharing the gospel

Recently at an OMF Training Week we held in Sapporo, two pastors made the distinction between what can be called 'speaking' the gospel and 'showing' the gospel.  Of course we need to use words but there is also a time and place for showing the gospel through our lives, our deeds, our attitudes.  People watch our lives as well as listen to our words.  It is not an either/or but a both/and.  As we went today to a couple of temporary housing areas in a different area (Otsuchi) which was very badly damaged by the tsunami, we could see both in action.  We worked with another team to set up a mobile cafe at one place.  They have no common room where events like this can be held so there is little opportuniry for people to gather together.  Unlike yesterday, the sun shone,we set up the tents and soon the people gathered in large numbers for cool drinks, but more than that just to have the time to chat together.  The people were so appreciative, even though we were doing so little.  We listened once again to their stories.  Someone came with a guitar and led in some singing of traditional songs.  We then sang a couple of songs too.  It was a great time.  The cafe continued in the afternoon but David headed off to another place with one of our team and the leader of the other team to what turned out to be a very small temporary housing area.  We were meeting for two hours there and three ladies turned up.  It seemed the craft was using beads to make bracelets!  David was wondering whether it might have been better to have stayed at the other place! In time one older lady left and two remained (one being the daughter of the older lady).  The next hour was quite amazing as these ladies asked some questions about the Bible and about Jesus.  They knew some of the basics - something about Jesus dying on a cross and being born in a stable.  They kept asking questions and it gave great opportunity to share in words what the Bible is all about, who Jesus is, what the cross meant, and lots more.  We left most of the talking to the leader of the other team as she is the ongoing contact there and we hope that next time there will be good follow up.  We shared one or two Bible verses too.  One lady had said she read one page of the Bible and it was too difficult as it was just a list of unpronounceable names!  We worked out she had a copy of Matthew's gospel and did not get past Chapter 1!  The Bible is too difficult, she said.  It was great to be able to share with these ladies in response to the questions they had asked.  That over, we headed down to Kamaishi to see another building OMF has bought with relief funds to use as a base for relief work in that town and in Otsuchi where we had been.  A Japanese pastor is heading up the work there.  He has lots of ideas.  How will it develop?  What are the next steps?  Big questions which need much thought and certanly the Lord's leading in these times of much opportunity both to speak and show the love of Jesus.  We headed back to Yamada after a long, tiring but satisfying day and decided to use a local prefab restaurant for our evening meal.  The owner had operated a restaurant there for some 49 years and now is working in a prefab place.  We thought it would be fairly basic but it is a great place inside and the food was of amazing quality.  What a joy to eat there and give a little business to this community.  Many people were eating out there and obviously having a great time.  Yamada seems to be a place where recovery is beginning to happen and people are looking forward - even though the path ahead remains a long one.  It's been a good week here.

Nothing goes to plan

One of the keywords in working here in the tsunami-devastated areas is flexiiblity.  Plans can be made but they don't necessarily turn out the way you expect.  There are sudden changes and various twists and turns along the way each day.  It is a battle too - and that means things can go wrong or get in the way or just be made more difficult than they are anyway.  Today once again we set off for a temporary housing place.  But just as we got there it started to rain.  There seemed to be no one about.  But then one lady appeared and she was the only one for quite some time.  Then one more and eventually one more appeared.  We heard that just today a special shuttle bus had been arranged to take people from that temporary housing area to a shopping centre, so many people were gone.  But maybe part of the plan for today was for the ladies in our team to have time with these three ladies.  The conversation was good and the ladies enjoyed singing with us at the end.  We packed up and headed off to hear how one of the team had got on helping an American carpenter do some work at another temporary housing place.  But that had not gone smoothly either for all sorts of reasons.  Meanwhile the rest of the team got ready to go to yet another temporary housing area right next to a primary school.  We had a great time with the children there, having fun outdoors, doing some games inside, sharing snacks together.  Two of these children have already signed up to come along to to a special week-long Kids Gospel Outreach at the end of this month.  One game involved the three Ferguson men being wrapped in toilet paper by their teams to become mummies, ending with the three mummies having a race across the school playground.  A crowd had gathered by this time to watch this bizarre event.  David ended up surrounded by a group of 6th grade boys and had some good chats.  Wonder what the teachers thought if they were looking out from the windows!  But it was great to give these kids fun and build up some relations there.  Back to the cafe we went and were just about to head off when David and another team member were beckoned over to a table where a few customers were sitting.  Why are you here?  What led you to start this work here in Yamada?  What makes you do this for these people?  That led on to an unexpected but fascinating conversation.  One older man who is frequenting the cafe regulalrly summed up very well what we are doing here - caring for people's hearts, for their inner needs, listening to them, providing a place where people can gather and relax.  What a blessing to be a small part of this ongoing work in Yamada.  Tomorrow we head off to another town where a member of the OMF team (a Japanese pastor) has recently moved and started a new work.

Another day, another place

We set off again this morning as usual at 9am.  After a quick stop at the cafe in Yamada, we were on our way to another temporary housing area.  Same set up.  Same ideas as yesterday.  Same team.  Yet, today was different.  Where were the people?  No one seemed to be in.  One lady appeared and told us that today an announcement had come over the town loudspeakers that this would be one of the days when the conditions are right for going to gather sea urchins.  It seems many had gone there!  We wandered around to see if anyone was there.  We prayed for people to come.  It seemed deserted.  But it turned out to be a time of great blessing.  Gradually some people gathered and had time to chat and make the craft.  An older man came in with his wife but didn't care for the craft so was about to leave when we called him over to the barbecue.  An 81 year old man who loved sports - good conversation starter.  Then as we casually chat, he says he lost his eldest son in the tsunami.  And his home, his shop, his taxis (his former job now taken over by his third son who lives in another temporary housing area).  There is no hope, he says.  We continue listening and chatting.  He tells of his love of singing, and how he had bought himself a karaoke machine to use inside his temporary house (and this after being in hospital for a major operation last year).  It made our day just to chat with and listen to this man.  Meanwhile inside, the craft has finished and we join the ladies (and this man) in singing a couple of songs together, including one about the Lord being our shepherd and guide.  We ended as we did yesterday by singing God Bless You, which brought tears to a number of eyes.  After that we invited the elderly man to sing us a song - he started but then forgot the words!  But then all joined in with a moving rendition of a traditional Japanese song.  As this was going on, a 14 year old boy who had decided to have a day off school appeared.  It was good to engage with him for a while - the thought lingered though that this is a boy who is struggling in many ways, maybe even bullied at school.  People were so appreciative - yet we had done so little.  One lady came up at the end with small gifts for some of the team.  And she also explained how some had felt apprehensive about coming, wondering if we were just the same as the Jehovah's Witnesses who seem to be very active in the area.  Challenges from all directions!  We packed up and headed back to the cafe in Yamada.  We heard that a lady had come there today for the first time and she happens to live in the temporary housing area we will be visiting tomorrow morning!  There were more adventures in the afternoon, including a visit inside a temporary house (first time for David) to meet with a couple.  They had told the story before of how they had scrambled up the hillside and watched the awesome waves come in and sweep away their house below.  Tomorrow the plan is that one member of our team join with an American carpenter to build something at the temporary housing area where they are living.  Back to the cafe where some of the team dug a trench (unearthing all sorts of objects as well as rocks and concrete - there was a shoe, a child's toy, an item of clothing).  These had all belonged to local people - what were their stories?  Are they even still alive?  Why a trench - to plant some sunflowers round the car park area at the Ippo Ippo cafe.  The place looks really good.  There is a sense that this town is working hard to get back on its feet.  There is a positive spirit among the people we meet.  May Ippo Ippo be used more and more to reach many people in this community.  And may each of the team here be used over the remaining days here to share something of the fragrance of Jesus among those we meet.

Back to Iwate

Almost a year to the day since last being here, David is back in Iwate with a team of 6 people, including once again Daniel and Matthew.  The journey was much the same - overnight ferry crossing, a three hour drive down the coast, arriving yesterday afternoon and settling into the team room at the OMF building in Miyako.  Things have changed and moved on in the intervening twelve months.  OMF has had a couple working here full-time since last September along with a Japanese couple and more recently others added to the relief work team, including a volunteer helping with different carpentry projects.  A big change since a few months ago is that OMF's work is now concentrated on a place called Yamada where a temporary building has been put in place offering local people a place to come and gather and enjoy some goodies in a bright and welcoming environment.  It was great to be able to see that place today but more than that, to see so many coming and going at different points in the day.  This morning we set off for a temporary housing area, having arranged in advance to hold an event in the small room set aside for such gatherings.  A number of mainly older ladies gathered and it was a great time of chatting, eating some snacks and making a craft together.  At the end our team sang a song with which the local ladies joined in and as they ate lunch (barbecued frankfurter sausages in tortilla!) we serenaded them with a song which has become popular here called God Bless You.  During the craft time some members of the team were preparing the barbecue and it was good to spend time with some of the men (all of them fishermen) who came to enjoy some food and chat.  After we had packed up, we headed back to the cafe in Yamada which was in full flow.  Round about the OMF place, a number of temporary shops had sprung up, and even a temporary hot spring bath which is offered free to local people.  We went to visit another area of town where an 86 year old man introduced us to a local community centre where every other month the old folk from round about gather for karaoke, but their equipment was now old and out-dated.  When, where, how, in what ways can and should OMF be involved in reaching out to meet the needs people in different areas of these communities?  As almost the only foreigners in the town, the OMF team stick out.  News passes round the community by word of mouth.  There are huge opportunities in Yamada but many challenges too.  From what we saw today, God is beginning to do a work there in that town of some 17,000 people where many properties have been destroyed, many have been displaced into temporary housing and the heart of the community was ripped apart by the tsunami of last March.  Yet, there is hope and people are moving on.  The OMF motto is 'one step at a time'.  It is encouraging to see these small steps forward and we look forward to being part of the work here during this week.