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.