I had a lot of anxiety about giving this message because perhaps a lot of you have never really thought about the meaning of Christmas before or have any idea what this day is all about. In Japan, perhaps Christmas is a day when you go out and eat cake or Kentucky Fried Chicken. Or maybe Christmas is a day whenyou go out with your favorite people at see the lights at the Pageant of Starlight.
Christians have a different kind of Pageant of Starlight. In the weeks leading up to Christmas we light these 4 candles to represent our waiting and anticipation. And on Christmas day we light a fifth candle to celebrate His birth. We`ve just heard the Christmas story read by volunteers and we lit a candle for each portion of the story.
Each candle represents something that we think about during this time of the year. The first candle represents Hope. Hope comes first because unless we have hope we can`t be ready to receive all the good things that life has to offer.
The first reading we heard talked about the prediction of the birth of Jesus. Neither Mary of Joseph had any idea what this unexpected pregnancy meant for their lives or for the world. Joseph was planning to divorce Mary after the baby was born. But, their faith in God gave them hope and the will to continue with their plans despite whatever fears they had.
Maybe you can think of something in your life that scares you. Maybe you`re afraid you won`t graduate or that you won`t be able to find a job or a girlfriend. Whatever that thing is that scares you, if you don`t at least have hope that you might accomplish your goal then it becomes that much more impossible to succeed.
The second candle represents Peace. In the U.S., and perhaps other parts of the world as well, Christmas is one of the only times of year that families gather together. Growing up, I lived in Nor Ca with my mom and my dad worked in Los Angeles during theyear. And so Christmas would be the one time of year when my dad could get 2 weeks of vacation from work and we could spend the holidays together as a family. On Christmas Day we would go visit my father`s side of the family and have dinner together. My father`s family doesn`t live that far away but we never really get together during the year. There are old arguments and disagreements that were never resolved in my family, which I`m sure is true in others as well. Yet on this one day out of the year we all come from far away to share a meal together as a family.
In life there can be even greater differences that divide us. It could be the language that we speak or just the fact that we attend different universities. But this center is one of the few places where there are so many different people together in one place. Sometimes we have disagreements or differences in character but we can all pretty much agree that this is an amazing place or otherwise I don`t think you`d be here. If we didn`t all try to make an effort to be accepting of those differences then I don`t think this center could exist.
The third candle represents Joy. Christmas is a time of celebration when we eat large feasts and give one another presents. But it`s also a time when we can celebrate the things that we already have.
In our family we would take the artificial Christmas tree out of its storage space and put it up in our living room. Then, we decorate it with ornaments that we had collected over the years. Every year my mom and I would each go to the department store and choose an ornament that best represented something good that happened over the year. When Iwas in 5th grade, I played flute in the school band and so my ornament was a glass angel playing a flute. The year we bought a new car, we found a little ornament of Santa Claus driving a car. It was a chance for us to be grateful for the blessings we had received over the year.
Christians celebrate the gift that we received in the form of this little baby born to ordinary people in a tiny manger with the sheep. Shepherds and Kings from far away lands came to give gifts to this tiny baby and so every year we give Christmas presents so that we can celebrate the joy of this day. I received a Christmas present in the mail last week. The package arrived from the Women`s Fellowship of a church in Hawaii. I`ve never visited this church and I don`t know any of its members and yet they thought of me and found out my address so they could send a package halfway across the world. This reminded me of maybe the most important part of Christmas, the forth candle. It represents Love.
Of course, there are many different kinds of love but the love that we talk about at Christmas time is the love we have for people we`ve never even met. In the final passage from the Bible we hear. All of these people were coming from different places talking about this baby. What I like about this passage is that it talks about how Mary felt when she received these gifts. She knew that her baby was special but she couldn`t have possibly imagined the celebration that his birth would bring hope to so many people, or that wise men from distant lands would bring gifts to her small family in peace, or that there would be so much joy and celebration. Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
At Christmas time I always like to think about all of the blessings that I`ve received over the year. It was a blessing to me that I had this chance to be in Japan with all of you. It is a blessing that I have a family who loves and cares about me even though I`m far away. I had no idea that I would have all of the wonderful experiences I`ve had over the past (almost) two years. Or that this opportunity would be provided by church members all over the U.S. who donate money to support my activities and the work of this student center.
And maybe that`s what Christmas is all about, not the gifts that you will receive but the ones you already have.
After the offering we`ll be singing a song called Magnificat which is Mary's song where she sings about her joy for this new blessing in her life. It's a song of joy and a song of thanksgiving.
And Mary said:
My soul glorifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
For he has been mindful
Of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
For the Mighty One has done great
Things for me—Holy is His name.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
December Sycamore Tree
Recently, I walked down to a dam near my house. I was told that there was salmon swimming upstream trying to cross the dam. So, me and a couple of my neighbors got together and woke up early before work to walk to the river. We must have sat there for over 30 minutes watching the fish as they writhed and jumped out of the water. Some of the salmon fell in their attempts but they continued to struggle against the current.
Later that week, I went back to the river by myself. There was a large group of young men in rubber suits and another older man explaining how on both sides of the river there were more gradual gradations that were constructed so that the fish could go around water that was falling quickly down the dam. I walked a little bit farther down to where the JR and shinkansen tracks cross the river and found there were fish in this part of the river as well, swimming up to where other fish were trying to cross the dam. Eventually, I began to get hungry and, inspired by images of fish in their own daily efforts to survive, I decided to go home and eat something vegetarian for breakfast.
I’ve seen similar images on television of salmon being stalked and eaten by grizzly bears in the rivers of Alaska but this was the first time I had ever seen this kind of event in nature so close to where I live. I started to think about all of the other miraculous things that are probably happening around us if we only get up early in the morning and go looking for them.
Later that week, I went back to the river by myself. There was a large group of young men in rubber suits and another older man explaining how on both sides of the river there were more gradual gradations that were constructed so that the fish could go around water that was falling quickly down the dam. I walked a little bit farther down to where the JR and shinkansen tracks cross the river and found there were fish in this part of the river as well, swimming up to where other fish were trying to cross the dam. Eventually, I began to get hungry and, inspired by images of fish in their own daily efforts to survive, I decided to go home and eat something vegetarian for breakfast.
I’ve seen similar images on television of salmon being stalked and eaten by grizzly bears in the rivers of Alaska but this was the first time I had ever seen this kind of event in nature so close to where I live. I started to think about all of the other miraculous things that are probably happening around us if we only get up early in the morning and go looking for them.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
November Sycamore Tree
Dear Sycamore Family,
One of the latest bits of gossip around the Student/Youth Center these days is about the upcoming wedding of two center alums. There have been many couplings between center members is the past but one of the things that makes this pair unique is that the groom is preparing to become a Buddhist priest and the bride has recently been baptized into the Christian faith. They met at the student center while they were both college students. At the time, both of them were still discovering their own views on religion and spirituality. The Student/Youth Center was the place where both of them had encountered Christianity for the first time as it is for many of the young people who gather there today.
I met the newly engaged couple at the recent Student/Youth Center alumni reunion in Tokyo last month.I had heard a lot about them from other alumni and so I was a little bit curious. There is a lot expected of the wives of Buddhist priests in Japan, especially in the smaller temples as the one to which the groom belongs. The bride began working full-time when she graduated from college and plans to continue working after they are married. I'm sure they will face many challenges in the future but it was so encouraging to hear their story because it generated a deeper discussion on how the center has shaped the spiritual lives of so many other young people.
Our mission is not one to convert people to Christianity but to share a spiritual practice in the midst of the increasingly busy lives of Japanese youth. We hold Bible study and candlelight Taize prayer meetings and we pray before all center events. At large events we explain that prayer is a time when we can give thanks for the food before us and speak whatever is on our minds. If we ever make people uncomfortable we try to offer the space for them to express themselves. One alumna put it best when she said that, her time at the student/youth center helped her realize that accepting something doesn't mean you have to agree. Over the years so many different people have come to the student center and it's been a place for interactions between the diverse mix of people who gather. I have had my opinions and beliefs challenged on many occasions as well and am grateful that the center has been a safe place to do so.
One of the latest bits of gossip around the Student/Youth Center these days is about the upcoming wedding of two center alums. There have been many couplings between center members is the past but one of the things that makes this pair unique is that the groom is preparing to become a Buddhist priest and the bride has recently been baptized into the Christian faith. They met at the student center while they were both college students. At the time, both of them were still discovering their own views on religion and spirituality. The Student/Youth Center was the place where both of them had encountered Christianity for the first time as it is for many of the young people who gather there today.
I met the newly engaged couple at the recent Student/Youth Center alumni reunion in Tokyo last month.I had heard a lot about them from other alumni and so I was a little bit curious. There is a lot expected of the wives of Buddhist priests in Japan, especially in the smaller temples as the one to which the groom belongs. The bride began working full-time when she graduated from college and plans to continue working after they are married. I'm sure they will face many challenges in the future but it was so encouraging to hear their story because it generated a deeper discussion on how the center has shaped the spiritual lives of so many other young people.
Our mission is not one to convert people to Christianity but to share a spiritual practice in the midst of the increasingly busy lives of Japanese youth. We hold Bible study and candlelight Taize prayer meetings and we pray before all center events. At large events we explain that prayer is a time when we can give thanks for the food before us and speak whatever is on our minds. If we ever make people uncomfortable we try to offer the space for them to express themselves. One alumna put it best when she said that, her time at the student/youth center helped her realize that accepting something doesn't mean you have to agree. Over the years so many different people have come to the student center and it's been a place for interactions between the diverse mix of people who gather. I have had my opinions and beliefs challenged on many occasions as well and am grateful that the center has been a safe place to do so.
Friday, October 9, 2009
October SHARE
For the second year in a row, this September I returned to California to visit my family and to participate in the annual bazaar at Sycamore church. One of the reasons this trip is so important to me, perhaps more than Christmas or New Year’s, is that this is an event that gathers not just my family but many other families that are a part of the Sycamore community. Friends from college, middle school, and even elementary school have come to know that they can always find me working at the bazaar every 3rd Sunday in September.
It was interesting to see so many people, most of whom I hadn’t seen since the past year and to see how much all the young children have grown-up or changed. And it was also sad to remember the people who were such a vital part of the bazaar every year but have either passed away or become to ill to continue. Every year, the older members of the church start to grumble that they were getting a little too old to continue and couldn’t they just give a larger donation to the church than coming out to help.
This year was my 12th bazaar and there is one year that I remember when I was about 16 years old. It was so foggy in the morning that the people who came at 5am to cook rice and grill chicken could barely see in front of them. It looked as if it was going to rain. It cleared up a little by 11am but that year was one of the worst years ever. Afterwards, we had so much food leftover we had to give it away to 3 different homeless shelters. But that year was also the year that we made the most new improvements. One of our church members designed new tents that could be put together without hammers or screws out of steal pipes and we replaced the old wooden tables with new plastic ones that are lighter and easier to set up. People realized how important the bazaar is to the community and they made extra donations to help with these improvements.
The older people are still getting older but they are the ones who have made it possible for us younger members to continue in this event that has been happening for almost 60 years. This year they were very grateful to have 3 young people from Sendai come out to help and we always welcome anyone else who’d like to participate in our annual tradition.
It was interesting to see so many people, most of whom I hadn’t seen since the past year and to see how much all the young children have grown-up or changed. And it was also sad to remember the people who were such a vital part of the bazaar every year but have either passed away or become to ill to continue. Every year, the older members of the church start to grumble that they were getting a little too old to continue and couldn’t they just give a larger donation to the church than coming out to help.
This year was my 12th bazaar and there is one year that I remember when I was about 16 years old. It was so foggy in the morning that the people who came at 5am to cook rice and grill chicken could barely see in front of them. It looked as if it was going to rain. It cleared up a little by 11am but that year was one of the worst years ever. Afterwards, we had so much food leftover we had to give it away to 3 different homeless shelters. But that year was also the year that we made the most new improvements. One of our church members designed new tents that could be put together without hammers or screws out of steal pipes and we replaced the old wooden tables with new plastic ones that are lighter and easier to set up. People realized how important the bazaar is to the community and they made extra donations to help with these improvements.
The older people are still getting older but they are the ones who have made it possible for us younger members to continue in this event that has been happening for almost 60 years. This year they were very grateful to have 3 young people from Sendai come out to help and we always welcome anyone else who’d like to participate in our annual tradition.
Oct SHARE article
Sycamore Bazaar
サンフランシスコ空港に到着し、入国のために審査を受ける。アメリカに何度も行っているハさんは楽々通過。さすが！
ピくんは英語で色々と聞かれているようで、少し困っていた。英語という名の最初の関門を突破し、無事アメリカに入国！
「お～、アメリカだ～！」と言って、アメリカっぽい雰囲気を体いっぱいに感じるのかと
思ったら、それほど異国に来たのだという感じは強くなかった。私は2年前のインドスタディツアーに参加し、インドの強烈な異国感を体感した。アメリカはインドと比べて、日本とのギャップが小さいこともその要因かもしれない。
今回のアメリカの旅のメインイベントは、シカモア教会のバザーに参加すること。シカモア教会は、1904年にアメリカへ来た、日本人3人によって始まった。
シカモア教会のバザーは規模が大きく、1年の行事の中で最も大きいものだ。今回のバザーも1,500人の方がシカモア教会へ足を運んだ。
私たちはこのバザーの準備からお手伝いをしたのだが、意外にやることが多かった。大きなテントを建てたり、ステージを組み立てたりと力仕事も多く、なかなか良い労働だった。印象に残っていることは、栗まんじゅうを作ったこと。栗まんじゅうなんて、日本でも作ったことがないのに、初めて作るのがアメリカとはおもしろいなぁ。
確かにやることは多かったが、その分だけ深くバザーに関われて良かったと思う。どうせやるなら、思いっきりやった方が楽しいもの！
私たちと同じ力仕事を、私から見るとおじいちゃんのような年齢の方がせっせとしていた。日本の教会でも同じようなのだが、シカモア教会も特に平日は若い人は仕事でおらず、高齢の方が教会の仕事を多くしている。アメリカも日本も同じなのだなと感じた。
バザーは大成功に終わり、お手伝いをした私たちも、心地良い達成感をたっぷりと感じることが出来た。
シカモア教会とセンターの繋がりがより強くなったので、今後もセンターからエネルギーのたくさんある若者が、バザーに参加するのもおもしろいと思う。きっとシカモア教会の人々も歓迎してくれるだろう。繋がりは本当に大事だなぁ。
今回の旅は、全てのプランを立ててくれたサンディを初め、毎回車を出して頂いたサンディのお父さん、受け入れて頂いたホストフォミリー、シカモア教会の皆さまなど、本当に多くの方の助けによって成り立つことが出来た。本当にありがとうございました。
I want to join Sycamore Bazaar again someday. I’ll be back!
K
Sycamore Bazaar
As we were passing through customs upon entry into the U.S., Ha-san passed through
without any problems like a veteran traveler. M-kun has a few problems understanding questions asked in English. So, we overcame our first hurdle and entered America safely!
I kept thinking, "Ah! I'm in America!" and that my body felt like it was in America. But, slowly I started to feel less strange. Two years ago, I participated in the India study tour. In India, you feel a strong sense that you are in an exotic place. But when you compare the U.S. with India, maybe the differences between Japan and the U.S. are not as great.
The main purpose of this trip was to participate in the Sycamore Church Bazaar. Sycamore Church was created in 1904 by 3 students from Japan. The Sycamore Bazaar is the biggest event of the year. This year there were over 1,500 people in attendance.
In this year's bazaar we helped with many difference parts of the preparation, including many things that surprised me. We worked pretty hard helping to pitch large tents and assembling the stage. One thing that was interesting to me was the we make Kuri-Manju (Translator's Note: Kuri-Manju are Japanese cakes that are baked and filled with a chestnut paste.). I have never made Kuri-Manju in Japan so this was a very interesting experience. We did a lot of different work but I think that this helped us to experience the bazaar more deeply. If you get to try everything then it is so much fun!
We did a lot of heavy lifting with members of the church. But, even though they are older than us they worked much faster., As in Japan, younger people often work on weekdays so the main work of the church is done by the older men. I felt that this was one similarity between Japan and the U.S.
The bazaar was very successful and because we helped we also felt a good sense of accomplishment. Now that ths ties between Sycamore Church and the Student/Youth Center have become stronger I think it would be interesting for other energetic young people to participate in the bazaar. I think the members of Sycamore Church will certainly welcome their help. This relationship is very important.
This trip was possible because of S, S's father, the hospitality of our host families, and the members of Sycamore Church, and so many more. We are very grateful for their help. Thank you so much!
I want to join Sycamore Bazaar again someday. I'll be back!
K
サンフランシスコ空港に到着し、入国のために審査を受ける。アメリカに何度も行っているハさんは楽々通過。さすが！
ピくんは英語で色々と聞かれているようで、少し困っていた。英語という名の最初の関門を突破し、無事アメリカに入国！
「お～、アメリカだ～！」と言って、アメリカっぽい雰囲気を体いっぱいに感じるのかと
思ったら、それほど異国に来たのだという感じは強くなかった。私は2年前のインドスタディツアーに参加し、インドの強烈な異国感を体感した。アメリカはインドと比べて、日本とのギャップが小さいこともその要因かもしれない。
今回のアメリカの旅のメインイベントは、シカモア教会のバザーに参加すること。シカモア教会は、1904年にアメリカへ来た、日本人3人によって始まった。
シカモア教会のバザーは規模が大きく、1年の行事の中で最も大きいものだ。今回のバザーも1,500人の方がシカモア教会へ足を運んだ。
私たちはこのバザーの準備からお手伝いをしたのだが、意外にやることが多かった。大きなテントを建てたり、ステージを組み立てたりと力仕事も多く、なかなか良い労働だった。印象に残っていることは、栗まんじゅうを作ったこと。栗まんじゅうなんて、日本でも作ったことがないのに、初めて作るのがアメリカとはおもしろいなぁ。
確かにやることは多かったが、その分だけ深くバザーに関われて良かったと思う。どうせやるなら、思いっきりやった方が楽しいもの！
私たちと同じ力仕事を、私から見るとおじいちゃんのような年齢の方がせっせとしていた。日本の教会でも同じようなのだが、シカモア教会も特に平日は若い人は仕事でおらず、高齢の方が教会の仕事を多くしている。アメリカも日本も同じなのだなと感じた。
バザーは大成功に終わり、お手伝いをした私たちも、心地良い達成感をたっぷりと感じることが出来た。
シカモア教会とセンターの繋がりがより強くなったので、今後もセンターからエネルギーのたくさんある若者が、バザーに参加するのもおもしろいと思う。きっとシカモア教会の人々も歓迎してくれるだろう。繋がりは本当に大事だなぁ。
今回の旅は、全てのプランを立ててくれたサンディを初め、毎回車を出して頂いたサンディのお父さん、受け入れて頂いたホストフォミリー、シカモア教会の皆さまなど、本当に多くの方の助けによって成り立つことが出来た。本当にありがとうございました。
I want to join Sycamore Bazaar again someday. I’ll be back!
K
Sycamore Bazaar
As we were passing through customs upon entry into the U.S., Ha-san passed through
without any problems like a veteran traveler. M-kun has a few problems understanding questions asked in English. So, we overcame our first hurdle and entered America safely!
I kept thinking, "Ah! I'm in America!" and that my body felt like it was in America. But, slowly I started to feel less strange. Two years ago, I participated in the India study tour. In India, you feel a strong sense that you are in an exotic place. But when you compare the U.S. with India, maybe the differences between Japan and the U.S. are not as great.
The main purpose of this trip was to participate in the Sycamore Church Bazaar. Sycamore Church was created in 1904 by 3 students from Japan. The Sycamore Bazaar is the biggest event of the year. This year there were over 1,500 people in attendance.
In this year's bazaar we helped with many difference parts of the preparation, including many things that surprised me. We worked pretty hard helping to pitch large tents and assembling the stage. One thing that was interesting to me was the we make Kuri-Manju (Translator's Note: Kuri-Manju are Japanese cakes that are baked and filled with a chestnut paste.). I have never made Kuri-Manju in Japan so this was a very interesting experience. We did a lot of different work but I think that this helped us to experience the bazaar more deeply. If you get to try everything then it is so much fun!
We did a lot of heavy lifting with members of the church. But, even though they are older than us they worked much faster., As in Japan, younger people often work on weekdays so the main work of the church is done by the older men. I felt that this was one similarity between Japan and the U.S.
The bazaar was very successful and because we helped we also felt a good sense of accomplishment. Now that ths ties between Sycamore Church and the Student/Youth Center have become stronger I think it would be interesting for other energetic young people to participate in the bazaar. I think the members of Sycamore Church will certainly welcome their help. This relationship is very important.
This trip was possible because of S, S's father, the hospitality of our host families, and the members of Sycamore Church, and so many more. We are very grateful for their help. Thank you so much!
I want to join Sycamore Bazaar again someday. I'll be back!
K
Thursday, October 1, 2009
October Sycamore Tree
シカモア教会のみんな様、
お蔭様で無事仙台に帰れました。
シカモアバザーに招待して頂き、本当にありがとうございました。
シカモア教会の皆さんは、本当にバザーを楽しみにしているのだなと感じました。私たちにはたくさんの仕事がありましたが、その分だけ、バザーに深く関わることが出来たと思います。お力になれたでしょうか？
滞在中は皆さまのお蔭で、とても快適に過ごすことが出来ました。ありがとうございます。
この有意義な経験を生かし、残りの学生生活も頑張りたいと思います。
いつかまたバザーに参加したいです。
Dear Sycamore Family,
First, we want to express our sincerest gratitude for allowing us to participate in this year's bazaar with all of you. But we would also like to thank you for sharing your homes and lives with us as well. A lot of people go sightseeing in San Francisco but very few people get the opportunity to work as a part of a community to create something so special as the Sycamore Bazaar. We also got the chance to play with the children of the Sycamore Pre-School, go bowling with the Friday Bowlers, and form new friendships with the members of Sycamore. The experience taught us all a lot about ourselves but also changed the way we think about what America and Americans look like.
We hope that we are able to help at the bazaar again someday. And, if anyone ever wants to visit Sendai we hope we can show you the hospitality that we have been shown during our time in California. Thank you so much!
M, H, K and S
お蔭様で無事仙台に帰れました。
シカモアバザーに招待して頂き、本当にありがとうございました。
シカモア教会の皆さんは、本当にバザーを楽しみにしているのだなと感じました。私たちにはたくさんの仕事がありましたが、その分だけ、バザーに深く関わることが出来たと思います。お力になれたでしょうか？
滞在中は皆さまのお蔭で、とても快適に過ごすことが出来ました。ありがとうございます。
この有意義な経験を生かし、残りの学生生活も頑張りたいと思います。
いつかまたバザーに参加したいです。
Dear Sycamore Family,
First, we want to express our sincerest gratitude for allowing us to participate in this year's bazaar with all of you. But we would also like to thank you for sharing your homes and lives with us as well. A lot of people go sightseeing in San Francisco but very few people get the opportunity to work as a part of a community to create something so special as the Sycamore Bazaar. We also got the chance to play with the children of the Sycamore Pre-School, go bowling with the Friday Bowlers, and form new friendships with the members of Sycamore. The experience taught us all a lot about ourselves but also changed the way we think about what America and Americans look like.
We hope that we are able to help at the bazaar again someday. And, if anyone ever wants to visit Sendai we hope we can show you the hospitality that we have been shown during our time in California. Thank you so much!
M, H, K and S
Friday, September 4, 2009
September SHARE
Thinking About Food
A quick glance at the label one of the many processed foods found in any convenience store in Japan or the U.S. would reveal a list of a dozen or so ingredients. Some of these are recognizable like butter or sugar and some are less so. Sometimes it’s hard to draw the connections between these ingredients and something we might like to eat.
At last spring’s work camp to the Asian Rural Institute, a man named Johnny from Malaysia lead a workshop on palm oil production and its uses. We looked the ingredient labels for popular foods like Country Ma’am or convenience store cream pastries and looked for common ingredients. From the workshop we learned that in 2005, palm oil became the most commonly found ingredient in processed foods in Japan. Palm oil is also processed into sweeteners like sorbitol (in Japanese ソルビトール) which is found in yet more foods because it is cheaper and it helps keep the foods tasting fresh longer than using regular sugar. According to Johnny, one of the dangers for palm oil farmers is wild fire. Palm oil trees grow very quickly and they have high oil contents and therefore catch fire very easily.
For the past year and a half I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to participate in these volunteer work camps alongside students from the center. Every time I am shocked to learn something new from people so central to producing the foods we eat. While their hard work makes our lives cheaper and more convenient, theirs become more difficult. Talking about these issues is one of the many experiences I look forward to every summer. The solutions to these problems are not always clear and well defined but it’s the process of finding them together that will make the biggest impact.
- (SKLT)
Saturday, August 1, 2009
August Sycamore Tree
When I first arrived I Sendai I remember that one of the first things that one student said to me was that I wasn't what they expected. When they heard that a missionary was coming from America they had immediately envisioned an older white male. Since I am none of those things I guess I hadn't quite lived up to that student's image of what an American looks like. As I've been here longer I sometimes feel like a disappointment in other ways, I look Japanese but don't speak like a native, or that I speak Japanese 'too well' for a foreigner. Recently, a student told me that I speak Japanese 'too well' and they would have to find somebody else to practice their English on.
In time I've also come to realize that perhaps this experience in Japan hasn't looked exactly the way that I had pictured it over a year and a half ago either.So then maybe it isn't that I haven't lived up to expectations but rather that, on both sides, we had to break out of preconceived ideas.
In this same spirit, a few students and I have talked about arranging a trip to Sycamore for the bazaar. After hearing me talk about Sycamore so often they've realized how different my image of the U.S. is from their version of America and are curious to see it for themselves. Probably the next time you see me I will be acting as a tour guide, so I hope that you will help me show these students what our little part of the U.S. looks like.
In regards to last month's article, I always welcome questions/comments/suggestions. Thanks for the e-mails I have received, I'll work on compiling those into future article.
SKLT
Global Missions Intern (GMI) and
Assistant to the Director
Sendai Student/Youth Center in Sendai, Japan
In time I've also come to realize that perhaps this experience in Japan hasn't looked exactly the way that I had pictured it over a year and a half ago either.So then maybe it isn't that I haven't lived up to expectations but rather that, on both sides, we had to break out of preconceived ideas.
In this same spirit, a few students and I have talked about arranging a trip to Sycamore for the bazaar. After hearing me talk about Sycamore so often they've realized how different my image of the U.S. is from their version of America and are curious to see it for themselves. Probably the next time you see me I will be acting as a tour guide, so I hope that you will help me show these students what our little part of the U.S. looks like.
In regards to last month's article, I always welcome questions/comments/suggestions. Thanks for the e-mails I have received, I'll work on compiling those into future article.
SKLT
Global Missions Intern (GMI) and
Assistant to the Director
Sendai Student/Youth Center in Sendai, Japan
Monday, July 6, 2009
July SHARE
Slow Life
As summer vacation is approaching I've talked to many students at the center about their summer plans. Some people are going to study for exams or complete internships to help them with their job searching. Still others are planning trips with their friends to go abroad or visit other parts of Japan. It's exciting to hear about all the different things that people will do with their free time.
Personally, I will be participating in the center's volunteer work camps to Okunakayama in Iwate Prefecture and the Asian Rural Institute in Tochigi Prefecture. I am looking forward to both because of all of the different people we meet in each place and for the slow time that these camps allow center staff and students to spend together outside of our busy work and study schedules. A unfortunate result of urban living is that our lives don't leave time to talk about things that are bothering us, our dreams for the future, or silly thoughts that we have that are forgotten because there are other more important things to talk about.
Most students plan to return to their hometowns for part of summer vacation to spend time with their families. Our hometowns are one of the few places where our lives slow down and we can become magically transformed into children again. Our families and childhood friends don't see us in our current reality of work and school and so we are perhaps more free to enjoy these comfortable conversations. Although sometimes our visits home can seem boring, it's important to remember that these are the moments which allow us to refresh ourselves before going back to our busy lives. I will also be returning home in September for a few weeks for a vacation. I've always thought it would be nice to plan a trip home with some of the friends I've made here in Japan over the past year and a half, my family in California would very much like to meet the people I spend all my time with in Sendai.
(SKLT)
As summer vacation is approaching I've talked to many students at the center about their summer plans. Some people are going to study for exams or complete internships to help them with their job searching. Still others are planning trips with their friends to go abroad or visit other parts of Japan. It's exciting to hear about all the different things that people will do with their free time.
Personally, I will be participating in the center's volunteer work camps to Okunakayama in Iwate Prefecture and the Asian Rural Institute in Tochigi Prefecture. I am looking forward to both because of all of the different people we meet in each place and for the slow time that these camps allow center staff and students to spend together outside of our busy work and study schedules. A unfortunate result of urban living is that our lives don't leave time to talk about things that are bothering us, our dreams for the future, or silly thoughts that we have that are forgotten because there are other more important things to talk about.
Most students plan to return to their hometowns for part of summer vacation to spend time with their families. Our hometowns are one of the few places where our lives slow down and we can become magically transformed into children again. Our families and childhood friends don't see us in our current reality of work and school and so we are perhaps more free to enjoy these comfortable conversations. Although sometimes our visits home can seem boring, it's important to remember that these are the moments which allow us to refresh ourselves before going back to our busy lives. I will also be returning home in September for a few weeks for a vacation. I've always thought it would be nice to plan a trip home with some of the friends I've made here in Japan over the past year and a half, my family in California would very much like to meet the people I spend all my time with in Sendai.
(SKLT)
Monday, June 1, 2009
June Sycamore Tree
May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia
As I’ve listened and watched the debates over same-sex marriage and gays in the military happening in the U.S. especially the case of the Arabic translator and Iraqi veteran, Lt. Dan Choi. I’ve often wondered about the LGBT community here in Japan. I’ve found that it’s an especially taboo topic here in Sendai while that does not seem to be as big of an issue in larger cities like Osaka or Sapporo. On May 17, several cities around the world as well as here in Japan held marches and events to raise public awareness about homophobia. This year’s theme was about Transphobia and gender identity.
In Sendai, we passed out flyers that explained what homophobia is and how this movement started in 2005 on the anniversary of the day that the World Health Organization (WHO) officially removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. We also had a 3 question survey which asked (1) if you believe that there are people in your community who struggle with their gender identity; (2) if you personally struggle with your gender identity; and (3) if you have heard of the movie Milk starring Sean Penn. Participants were asked to place stickers on a large poster board which had boxes for yes and no responses. Everyone who answered the survey got coupons for 300 yen off a ticket to see the movie Milk in theaters.
It was a difficult event because of heavy rains and the more famous Aoba Matsuri happening across town. But, everyone who came out did their best to call attention to this cause. Two participants had written a theme song for the event and sang along to their guitar. Unfortunately, very few people stopped but I was impressed by the spirit of the staff members of the event who stayed energetic despite the cold and rain. The people who did stop, though, asked intelligent questions and I think they left with a higher awareness than when they came.
http://idahomophobia.org/
Monday, May 18, 2009
Pray for Japan on Sunday, May 24, 2009
also posted on the Global Ministries website: http://globalministries.org/prayer/24may2009.html
Lectionary Text and Prayers for Japan: John 17:6-19
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.
Dear God, thank you for the many gifts of community and fellowship with the global Christian community brought to us through missionaries around the world. This week we pray for Japan. We ask for your light and guidance for Christians in Japan, while few, continue faithfully on their journey towards your kingdom here on earth. Help us, as missionaries, to learn to serve and walk alongside our partners in the Japanese church on this mission. We…
Global Ministries International Partners in Japan:
Lectionary Text and Prayers for Japan: John 17:6-19
I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.
Dear God, thank you for the many gifts of community and fellowship with the global Christian community brought to us through missionaries around the world. This week we pray for Japan. We ask for your light and guidance for Christians in Japan, while few, continue faithfully on their journey towards your kingdom here on earth. Help us, as missionaries, to learn to serve and walk alongside our partners in the Japanese church on this mission. We…
- Pray for global food security and for ministries like the Asian Rural Institute in Tochigi Prefecture which help to inspire leadership in rural communities both in Japan and around the world.
- Pray for the indigenous peoples of Japan from the Ainu peoples of northern Japan and Hokkaido to Ryu Kyu peoples in Okinawa, and others as they continue their struggle for acknowledgement by the Japanese people and government.
- Pray for the Christian centers and smaller ministries like the Emmaus Center, the Douhoku Centre, the Student Christian Fellowship (SCF), Bazaar Café, and Ginowan Seminar House as they continue to serve as a vital meeting point between the church and the wider community. Help them to continue their work serving the most vulnerable and needy.
- Pray for sexual minorities, the LGBT community in both Japan and the US, that they are able to find acceptance and understanding from their families, religious institutions, and government leaders.
- Pray that awareness of Article 9 of Japan's Peace Constitution will continue to grow both here in Japan and abroad. We pray that Japan will be an example of peace in seeking non-military means for conflict resolution.
(Prayer by SKLT)
Global Ministries International Partners in Japan:
- Doshisha University: http://www.doshisha.ac.jp/english/ Martha Mensendiek is a teacher of Social Welfare at Doshisha University, Kyoto. Casilda Luzares teaches English.
- Asian Rural Institute: The mission of the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) is to build an environmentally healthy, just, and peaceful world, in which each person can live to his or her fullest potential. This mission is rooted in the love of Jesus Christ. To carry out this mission, ARI trains and nurtures rural leaders for a life of sharing. Leaders, both women and men, who live and work in grassroots rural communities primarily in Asia, Africa and the Pacific form a community of learning each year together with staff and other residents. Through community-based learning they study the best ways for rural people to share and enhance local resources and abilities for the common good.
- Emmaus Center: Rev. Jeffrey Mensendiek works as the Director of youth ministries at the Emmaus Center, Northeast Conference of United Church of Christ in Japan, based in Sendai, Japan. Ms. Sandra Lee-Takei works as a global mission Intern at the Emmaus Center as the assistant to the Director of youth ministries.
- Kobe College: http://www.kobe-c.ac.jp/ekc/index.html
- Korean Christian Church in Japan: http://www.kccj.net/
- Miyagi Gakuin Women’s University:
- National Christian Council of Japan: http://ncc-j.org/english/profile.htm
- Tohoku Gakuin University: http://www.tohoku-gakuin.ac.jp/en/index.html
- United Church of Christ in Japan:
- Sandra Lee-Takei serves as a Global Mission Intern at the Emmaus Center
- Casilda Luzares teaches English at Doshisha University and is involved in pastoral ministries to migrant workers from the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand.
- Martha Mensendiek teaches Social Welfare at Doshisha University
- Jeffrey Mensendiek serves and the Director of youth ministries at the Emmaus Center and the Sendai Student/Youth Center in Sendai.
Friday, May 8, 2009
May SHARE
Safe Place to Express Yourself
While we were visiting the Bethel House during this spring’s Hokkaido study tour, we met people who had psychological challenges like schizophrenia, addiction, and some who were recovering from agoraphobia. We also met social workers, doctors, and staff who worked alongside them managing the various Bethel projects like konbu sales and creating books and DVDs to teach others about Bethel. Because everyone works together in the same space there is a very friendly atmosphere and members are encouraged to express themselves freely. One of the social workers, Etsuko Mukaiyachi, helped us to understand how the ‘Bethel Way’ differs from contemporary medicine in that they try to avoid medication but to help members cure themselves through learning how to express their feelings and emotions in healthy ways.
I was reminded about a period in my life right after I graduated from college. I didn’t have much success finding work and it seemed like everyone else around me seemed happier and more successful than me. At the time, I lived with a friend who had graduated from university the same year as me. We had lived together for almost 3 years and could talk about all the stresses of each day. I also had one teacher in school that I respected very much and always made time for me when I came to his office. Because I had this support network of friends who helped me verbalize the anxieties I had about my future I was able to realize that there was nothing wrong with me and that I had talents too. When I did finally receive my first job offer, the thing that made me the most happy was telling those same friends.
Something that was unique about Bethel is that members and staff work together as equals and it was often difficult to tell who was recovering from mental illness. We all have anxieties and a low degree of mental illness in away. But, maybe we can also learn to help ourselves by seeking out a community we can trust to talk about and express all the joys and difficulties in our lives. Through simply expressing them aloud to others, we learn to appreciate both our talents and faults and grow from them.
- SKLT
北海道の「べてるの家」を訪れたとき、精神障がいを負う人たちがスタッフと一緒になって働いている姿に驚いた。スタッフの向谷地悦子さんによると、べてるではクスリで病気を治すというよりは、当事者自身がいろんな人に自分を表現できる方法を通して病気とつき合う道を求めているとのことだった。
自分が大学を卒業したばかりの頃を思い出す。就職活動が上手く行かず、他の人たちの方が自分より幸せに見えた時期があった。あのころ一緒に生活していたルームメイトとは日常的なストレスとか何でも話し合える仲だった。また尊敬していた先生も、いつでも私のために時間を取ってくれた。このような人たちのネットワークの中にあったから、私は自分の将来に対する不安などを表現できたし、自分はおかしくない、自分にはいろんな可能性があることに気付くことができた。やっと仕事が決まった時、私は喜んで真っ先にこの人たちに嬉しい知らせを伝えたのだった。
べてるの大きな特徴の一つは当事者とスタッフが対等な者として隣り合わせで働いていることだった。誰が当事者であるか分からないほどだった。私たちにだって不安はあるし、精神「病」も少しはあるのではないかと思う。自助努力として私たちができることと言えば、自分を表現できるコミュニティーを探すこと。信頼して自分の悩みや喜びを伝えることのできる場所を見つけることだと思う。単純に言葉でもって自分の内面を他の人に表現することで、自分の良いところも悪いところも見えて来るし、それと付き合って行く力が与えられて行くのだと思う。
サンディー（SKLT）
While we were visiting the Bethel House during this spring’s Hokkaido study tour, we met people who had psychological challenges like schizophrenia, addiction, and some who were recovering from agoraphobia. We also met social workers, doctors, and staff who worked alongside them managing the various Bethel projects like konbu sales and creating books and DVDs to teach others about Bethel. Because everyone works together in the same space there is a very friendly atmosphere and members are encouraged to express themselves freely. One of the social workers, Etsuko Mukaiyachi, helped us to understand how the ‘Bethel Way’ differs from contemporary medicine in that they try to avoid medication but to help members cure themselves through learning how to express their feelings and emotions in healthy ways.
I was reminded about a period in my life right after I graduated from college. I didn’t have much success finding work and it seemed like everyone else around me seemed happier and more successful than me. At the time, I lived with a friend who had graduated from university the same year as me. We had lived together for almost 3 years and could talk about all the stresses of each day. I also had one teacher in school that I respected very much and always made time for me when I came to his office. Because I had this support network of friends who helped me verbalize the anxieties I had about my future I was able to realize that there was nothing wrong with me and that I had talents too. When I did finally receive my first job offer, the thing that made me the most happy was telling those same friends.
Something that was unique about Bethel is that members and staff work together as equals and it was often difficult to tell who was recovering from mental illness. We all have anxieties and a low degree of mental illness in away. But, maybe we can also learn to help ourselves by seeking out a community we can trust to talk about and express all the joys and difficulties in our lives. Through simply expressing them aloud to others, we learn to appreciate both our talents and faults and grow from them.
- SKLT
北海道の「べてるの家」を訪れたとき、精神障がいを負う人たちがスタッフと一緒になって働いている姿に驚いた。スタッフの向谷地悦子さんによると、べてるではクスリで病気を治すというよりは、当事者自身がいろんな人に自分を表現できる方法を通して病気とつき合う道を求めているとのことだった。
自分が大学を卒業したばかりの頃を思い出す。就職活動が上手く行かず、他の人たちの方が自分より幸せに見えた時期があった。あのころ一緒に生活していたルームメイトとは日常的なストレスとか何でも話し合える仲だった。また尊敬していた先生も、いつでも私のために時間を取ってくれた。このような人たちのネットワークの中にあったから、私は自分の将来に対する不安などを表現できたし、自分はおかしくない、自分にはいろんな可能性があることに気付くことができた。やっと仕事が決まった時、私は喜んで真っ先にこの人たちに嬉しい知らせを伝えたのだった。
べてるの大きな特徴の一つは当事者とスタッフが対等な者として隣り合わせで働いていることだった。誰が当事者であるか分からないほどだった。私たちにだって不安はあるし、精神「病」も少しはあるのではないかと思う。自助努力として私たちができることと言えば、自分を表現できるコミュニティーを探すこと。信頼して自分の悩みや喜びを伝えることのできる場所を見つけることだと思う。単純に言葉でもって自分の内面を他の人に表現することで、自分の良いところも悪いところも見えて来るし、それと付き合って行く力が与えられて行くのだと思う。
サンディー（SKLT）
Friday, May 1, 2009
May Sycamore Tree
Dear Sycamore Family,
Spring is the season of change in Japan. The fiscal year in Japan begins and ends on April 1st and companies work hard to close their books for the year and hire new employees around this time. The school year also starts in April and realtors often find themselves busiest during this time and desperately searching for work the rest of the year. It’s no different here in Sendai. At the student/youth center 2 staff retired, one person returned from maternity leave, and one temporary person finished her term. Now, we are left with 3 people, our administrative person Miho Ookoshi who manages the building during the day, Jeffrey Mensendiek and myself who take care of the student center activities in the evenings.
In March, while all the students were on spring break we were hard at work preparing for the new school and fiscal year while Jeffrey and I were traveling most of the month leading a study tour to Hokkaido and a volunteer work camp to the Asian Rural Institute in Tochigi Prefecture.
Hokkaido was the major event of the spring holiday because it was an 11-day trip stopping at various places all over Japan’s vast and northernmost island. Also, the student/youth center has not lead a study tour to Hokkaido in over 7 years. An outline and explanation of our trip’s schedule is at: http://skltsnews.blogspot.com/
Other projects I’m working on are creating an English website and providing more English materials both for English speakers in Sendai but also for our many supporters abroad. I will be sure to keep you updated on these projects as they develop.
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!
SKLT
Global Missions Intern (GMI) and
Assistant to the Director
Sendai Student/Youth Center in Sendai, Japan
To learn more about what Sandy has been doing be sure to check out her online resources:
- Newsletter Articles (English and Japanese): http://skltsnews.blogspot.com
- Personal Reflections (English only, sorry): http://skltstravels.blogspot.
com
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Hokkaido Study Tour
(I've been writing an entire newsletter in English every month since October so here's a little snippet from the April edition since I haven't gotten around to blogging about the Hokkaido Study Tour yet.)
Hokkaido Study Tour Presentation
When: May 15 (Fri), 19:00~
Where: Sendai Student Youth Center
This spring we had a fantastic study tour to Hokkaido from March 9-20th. This year’s study tour participants included center student council member, Mai, previous center student council member, Koriyama, and Hashimoto. Sendai Student/Youth Center director, Jeffrey, and staff, Sandy, also participated.
For the first part of the trip we spent 5 nights at Moto-Urakawa Church and participated in activities at the Bethel House community and support center for people living with psychological challenges, such as depression or schizophrenia. This was a very eye-opening experience for all of us as we interacted with Bethel members during their group meetings and helped to package konbu (kelp) sold in the Bethel store to support their activities.
Secondly, we went to Nayoro and stayed at the Douhoku Centre, a support center and meeting place for rural farmers in northern Hokkaido founded by a missionary from the United Church of Canada. The Douhoku Centre has activities similar to our center’s activities in Sendai but for bringing together rural farmers to talk about common issues as well as educate the community about food security and the importance of consuming foods that are grown locally. We had a good discussion with Douhoku Centre director, Robert Witmer, and staff, Kuriko Fujiyoshi, about ways to continue the work of centers like ours in contemporary Japan.
Mr. Miura, director of the Ainu Information Center in Rumoi, took us on a one day tour of Asahikawa to help us learn more about the history of the Ainu peoples as well as other indigenous groups in Japan. In that day we visited the Kawamura Ainu History Museum and the traditional graves of Ainu leaders. Finally, we visited 2 Sendai Student/Youth Center OB/OG living in Sapporo. This year’s study tour presentation will be on Friday May 15th at 7pm, dinner will be provided for 200 yen.
Read more here.
Hokkaido Study Tour Presentation
When: May 15 (Fri), 19:00~
Where: Sendai Student Youth Center
This spring we had a fantastic study tour to Hokkaido from March 9-20th. This year’s study tour participants included center student council member, Mai, previous center student council member, Koriyama, and Hashimoto. Sendai Student/Youth Center director, Jeffrey, and staff, Sandy, also participated.
For the first part of the trip we spent 5 nights at Moto-Urakawa Church and participated in activities at the Bethel House community and support center for people living with psychological challenges, such as depression or schizophrenia. This was a very eye-opening experience for all of us as we interacted with Bethel members during their group meetings and helped to package konbu (kelp) sold in the Bethel store to support their activities.
Secondly, we went to Nayoro and stayed at the Douhoku Centre, a support center and meeting place for rural farmers in northern Hokkaido founded by a missionary from the United Church of Canada. The Douhoku Centre has activities similar to our center’s activities in Sendai but for bringing together rural farmers to talk about common issues as well as educate the community about food security and the importance of consuming foods that are grown locally. We had a good discussion with Douhoku Centre director, Robert Witmer, and staff, Kuriko Fujiyoshi, about ways to continue the work of centers like ours in contemporary Japan.
Mr. Miura, director of the Ainu Information Center in Rumoi, took us on a one day tour of Asahikawa to help us learn more about the history of the Ainu peoples as well as other indigenous groups in Japan. In that day we visited the Kawamura Ainu History Museum and the traditional graves of Ainu leaders. Finally, we visited 2 Sendai Student/Youth Center OB/OG living in Sapporo. This year’s study tour presentation will be on Friday May 15th at 7pm, dinner will be provided for 200 yen.
Read more here.
April SHARE
What the Center Means to Us
The last week of classes at the student center ended on a very positive note. At the end of each day we gathered all of the classes for tea and a workshop about what the student center means to us. The concept was to practice communication skills by really taking the time to listen to our fellow center members. The workshop participants included students, teachers, and even a few people who just stopped by for the day. Each of these people is an important piece in the bigger center picture and I think these workshops really helped us all to feel a greater appreciation for everyone that contributes to it.
The Student/Youth Center is a very unique place that doesn’t have very many analogs elsewhere. When explaining to people from the U.S. I’ve sometimes compared the student center to the YMCA or YWCA in the way that we teach various classes in the evenings which are open to the community. I’ve also heard students describe the center as a college circle where there are students from all different colleges participating in activities together. The center also has resources from different college, universities, church groups and NPOs, so it is a bit like a resource center where people from all these different groups can get information about events and activities in Sendai. But, this still isn’t the whole picture.
In March, we discussed this topic more at the student council retreat and tried to think about how to explain what the center is. It’s still a little difficult but slowly we’re taking what we learned from other center members in the communications skills workshops and imagining a new way to see our activities and make them more accessible to people outside this community. We hope this will be an ongoing conversation as the new school year begins.
-SKLT
The last week of classes at the student center ended on a very positive note. At the end of each day we gathered all of the classes for tea and a workshop about what the student center means to us. The concept was to practice communication skills by really taking the time to listen to our fellow center members. The workshop participants included students, teachers, and even a few people who just stopped by for the day. Each of these people is an important piece in the bigger center picture and I think these workshops really helped us all to feel a greater appreciation for everyone that contributes to it.
The Student/Youth Center is a very unique place that doesn’t have very many analogs elsewhere. When explaining to people from the U.S. I’ve sometimes compared the student center to the YMCA or YWCA in the way that we teach various classes in the evenings which are open to the community. I’ve also heard students describe the center as a college circle where there are students from all different colleges participating in activities together. The center also has resources from different college, universities, church groups and NPOs, so it is a bit like a resource center where people from all these different groups can get information about events and activities in Sendai. But, this still isn’t the whole picture.
In March, we discussed this topic more at the student council retreat and tried to think about how to explain what the center is. It’s still a little difficult but slowly we’re taking what we learned from other center members in the communications skills workshops and imagining a new way to see our activities and make them more accessible to people outside this community. We hope this will be an ongoing conversation as the new school year begins.
-SKLT
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
April Emmaus Newsletter (エマオ通信)
What are these centers?
As I’ve been working at the Emmaus Center for the last year, I find that describing what I do each day at the Sendai Student Center is often very difficult. Most young people who come from the U.S. to work in Japan are English teachers and so my friends and family often assume that I am teaching English. Also, I’ve sometimes felt isolated from the larger community of missionaries working here in Japan because the bulk of them are pastors and teachers. So, how to explain what it is that I do here in Sendai…
This center is a very unique place that doesn’t have very many analogs elsewhere. When explaining to people from the U.S. I’ve sometimes compared the student center to the YMCA or YWCA in the way that we teach various classes in the evenings which are open to the community. I’ve also heard students describe the center as a college circle where there are students from all different colleges participating in activities together. The center has resources from different college, universities, church groups and NPOs, so it is also like a resource center where people from all these different groups can get information about all these activities in Sendai.
On the recent spring study tour to Hokkaido our group had the chance to stay at the Douhoku Center in Nayoro. The Douhoku Center was founded by missionaries from Canada to serve rural farmers in northern Hokkaido. Talking to the staff of the Douhoku Centre, Robert Witmer and Kuriko Fujiyoshi, was a great chance for me to talk to other center staff about what it is that we do. Witmer-sensei described these centers as amphibious, a place that exists in between the church and the wider community. In our daily lives we live, work, and play in a wider world filled with concerns about how we will raise our children or nourish our bodies. The church is an important place where we can nourish our spirits but often it doesn’t have the resources to serve rural farmers and young people in their daily lives where people most need the Spirit in their lives. It’s hard to explain what it is that we do at each of these centers in a practical day-to-day sense but our work is simply another side of teaching everyday in schools and preaching in churches on Sunday mornings. Although the Douhoku Centre and the Sendai Center’s activities are completely different, they share in common this amphibious nature. We live in between these two worlds and bridge the gap between them.
Sandy
「センター」って何？
青年学生センターで働いていて困っていることが一つあります。それは、友人などに自分のしている仕事をなかなか説明できないことです。アメリカから日本に来ている若い人のほとんどは学校などで英語を教えています。ですから、多くの友人や親戚は私が日本で英語の教師をしていると考えています。また、日本で出会う宣教師たちの多くも教師であったり牧師であったり。自分と似たような境遇にいる人と会うことがないことで寂しく思うこともあります。仙台で自分のやっていることを人にどうやって説明したらよいのでしょう？
実にこのセンターは特殊な場であり、他に類のない場所と言えます。知人に青年学生センターを説明するときよく、ＹＭＣＡやＹＷＣＡのように夕方にいろんなプログラムを提供して地域に開かれている場所だと説明します。また、センターに集まる若い人たちからは、ここはいろんな大学から人が集まって何かを一緒にするサークルのようなところだ、という説明を聞いたことがあります。センターは様々な大学、短大、教会、ＮＧＯなどとつながりを持っているので、いろんな情報が集まってそれぞれの団体がこの仙台という街で何が起こっているのかを知る接点になっているとも言えます。
この３月に北海道名寄市にある道北センターに泊まることができました。このセンターは昔カナダの宣教師によってはじめられたもので、農村の人々を応援することを目的としています。そこで働くウィットマー宣教師や藤吉栗子さんとお話をする機会を通して、「私たちはセンターで何をしているのか」について共に考えることができました。ウィットマー先生はセンターとは教会と地域社会との間にある存在、水陸両生(amphibious)であるという言葉を使いました。私たちが日常的に生きている社会の中にはいろんな関心事が飛び交い、子育てから自分の健康にいたるまで様々です。既存の教会は自分自身の魂を潤す大切な場でありますが、農村の人たちや一般の青年たちを具体的に励ましたり応援したりするほど力はありません。そのような中で、センターの働きは学校での勉強、教会での礼拝と並んで社会の人々に霊的な励ましを与えているところです。道北センターも青年学生センターもそれぞれに違う働きをしていますが、でも、この水陸両生的性質においては似ています。センターは二つの世界の間にあり、二つをつなぐ懸け橋なのです。
サンドラ･久美子・リー・武井（サンディー）
（翻訳：ジェフリー・主事）
As I’ve been working at the Emmaus Center for the last year, I find that describing what I do each day at the Sendai Student Center is often very difficult. Most young people who come from the U.S. to work in Japan are English teachers and so my friends and family often assume that I am teaching English. Also, I’ve sometimes felt isolated from the larger community of missionaries working here in Japan because the bulk of them are pastors and teachers. So, how to explain what it is that I do here in Sendai…
This center is a very unique place that doesn’t have very many analogs elsewhere. When explaining to people from the U.S. I’ve sometimes compared the student center to the YMCA or YWCA in the way that we teach various classes in the evenings which are open to the community. I’ve also heard students describe the center as a college circle where there are students from all different colleges participating in activities together. The center has resources from different college, universities, church groups and NPOs, so it is also like a resource center where people from all these different groups can get information about all these activities in Sendai.
On the recent spring study tour to Hokkaido our group had the chance to stay at the Douhoku Center in Nayoro. The Douhoku Center was founded by missionaries from Canada to serve rural farmers in northern Hokkaido. Talking to the staff of the Douhoku Centre, Robert Witmer and Kuriko Fujiyoshi, was a great chance for me to talk to other center staff about what it is that we do. Witmer-sensei described these centers as amphibious, a place that exists in between the church and the wider community. In our daily lives we live, work, and play in a wider world filled with concerns about how we will raise our children or nourish our bodies. The church is an important place where we can nourish our spirits but often it doesn’t have the resources to serve rural farmers and young people in their daily lives where people most need the Spirit in their lives. It’s hard to explain what it is that we do at each of these centers in a practical day-to-day sense but our work is simply another side of teaching everyday in schools and preaching in churches on Sunday mornings. Although the Douhoku Centre and the Sendai Center’s activities are completely different, they share in common this amphibious nature. We live in between these two worlds and bridge the gap between them.
Sandy
「センター」って何？
青年学生センターで働いていて困っていることが一つあります。それは、友人などに自分のしている仕事をなかなか説明できないことです。アメリカから日本に来ている若い人のほとんどは学校などで英語を教えています。ですから、多くの友人や親戚は私が日本で英語の教師をしていると考えています。また、日本で出会う宣教師たちの多くも教師であったり牧師であったり。自分と似たような境遇にいる人と会うことがないことで寂しく思うこともあります。仙台で自分のやっていることを人にどうやって説明したらよいのでしょう？
実にこのセンターは特殊な場であり、他に類のない場所と言えます。知人に青年学生センターを説明するときよく、ＹＭＣＡやＹＷＣＡのように夕方にいろんなプログラムを提供して地域に開かれている場所だと説明します。また、センターに集まる若い人たちからは、ここはいろんな大学から人が集まって何かを一緒にするサークルのようなところだ、という説明を聞いたことがあります。センターは様々な大学、短大、教会、ＮＧＯなどとつながりを持っているので、いろんな情報が集まってそれぞれの団体がこの仙台という街で何が起こっているのかを知る接点になっているとも言えます。
この３月に北海道名寄市にある道北センターに泊まることができました。このセンターは昔カナダの宣教師によってはじめられたもので、農村の人々を応援することを目的としています。そこで働くウィットマー宣教師や藤吉栗子さんとお話をする機会を通して、「私たちはセンターで何をしているのか」について共に考えることができました。ウィットマー先生はセンターとは教会と地域社会との間にある存在、水陸両生(amphibious)であるという言葉を使いました。私たちが日常的に生きている社会の中にはいろんな関心事が飛び交い、子育てから自分の健康にいたるまで様々です。既存の教会は自分自身の魂を潤す大切な場でありますが、農村の人たちや一般の青年たちを具体的に励ましたり応援したりするほど力はありません。そのような中で、センターの働きは学校での勉強、教会での礼拝と並んで社会の人々に霊的な励ましを与えているところです。道北センターも青年学生センターもそれぞれに違う働きをしていますが、でも、この水陸両生的性質においては似ています。センターは二つの世界の間にあり、二つをつなぐ懸け橋なのです。
サンドラ･久美子・リー・武井（サンディー）
（翻訳：ジェフリー・主事）
April Sycamore Tree
Dear Sycamore Family,
I am writing this article a little bit early because I will be traveling from March 9-20th in Hokkaido for the Sendai Student/Youth Center annual study tour. Every year the Sendai Student/Youth Center sponsors a study/exposure trip to Southeast Asia or other parts of Japan during the school holidays in the spring. Past trips have been to Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and India. Last year, I also participated in the study tour to Okinawa where we learned about U.S. militarization and the history of the native people of Okinawa. Okinawa is a small chain of islands off the southern coast of Japan and Hokkaido is the large island off the northern coast so I will be lucky to have visited both extremes of Japan.
In Hokkaido, our first stop will be a place called the Bethel House in Urakawa in southern Hokkaido. Many years ago, a Red Cross doctor created a counseling group for patients with psychological challenges such as schizophrenia, addiction and depression. In 1984, some members of this group gathered and decided to create a community where they would live together and share their common experiences. In 1993, members of the Bethel House (べてるの家) began to buy sea products like seaweeds and kelps to sell at church bazaars in order to support their activities.
Second, we will visit the Dohoku Center (道北センター) in Nayoro in northern Hokkaido. Like the Sendai Student/Youth Center, this center was founded by a missionary from the United Church of Canada in partnership with the United Church of Christ-Japan (UCC-J). It’s a meeting place for neighboring rural farmers. Activities frequently include work with nearby Ainu communities. While we are in Nayoro, we will also visit Ainu sites and learn about Ainu culture lead by the director of the Ainu Information Center (アイヌ情報センター).
Of course, there will also be time to eat delicious Hokkaido seafood, visit the famous Asahikawa Zoo, and spend time getting to know our fellow travel members. Students who have attended these study tours in the past have said that it had been one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. Not only did the study tour give them the opportunity to get to know their fellow student center members but also to learn about a place in a much deeper way that they would as tourists.
More when I return!
SKLT
Global Missions Intern (GMI) and
Assistant to the Director
Sendai Student/Youth Center in Sendai, Japan
I am writing this article a little bit early because I will be traveling from March 9-20th in Hokkaido for the Sendai Student/Youth Center annual study tour. Every year the Sendai Student/Youth Center sponsors a study/exposure trip to Southeast Asia or other parts of Japan during the school holidays in the spring. Past trips have been to Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and India. Last year, I also participated in the study tour to Okinawa where we learned about U.S. militarization and the history of the native people of Okinawa. Okinawa is a small chain of islands off the southern coast of Japan and Hokkaido is the large island off the northern coast so I will be lucky to have visited both extremes of Japan.
In Hokkaido, our first stop will be a place called the Bethel House in Urakawa in southern Hokkaido. Many years ago, a Red Cross doctor created a counseling group for patients with psychological challenges such as schizophrenia, addiction and depression. In 1984, some members of this group gathered and decided to create a community where they would live together and share their common experiences. In 1993, members of the Bethel House (べてるの家) began to buy sea products like seaweeds and kelps to sell at church bazaars in order to support their activities.
Second, we will visit the Dohoku Center (道北センター) in Nayoro in northern Hokkaido. Like the Sendai Student/Youth Center, this center was founded by a missionary from the United Church of Canada in partnership with the United Church of Christ-Japan (UCC-J). It’s a meeting place for neighboring rural farmers. Activities frequently include work with nearby Ainu communities. While we are in Nayoro, we will also visit Ainu sites and learn about Ainu culture lead by the director of the Ainu Information Center (アイヌ情報センター).
Of course, there will also be time to eat delicious Hokkaido seafood, visit the famous Asahikawa Zoo, and spend time getting to know our fellow travel members. Students who have attended these study tours in the past have said that it had been one of the most memorable experiences of their lives. Not only did the study tour give them the opportunity to get to know their fellow student center members but also to learn about a place in a much deeper way that they would as tourists.
More when I return!
SKLT
Global Missions Intern (GMI) and
Assistant to the Director
Sendai Student/Youth Center in Sendai, Japan
Sunday, March 1, 2009
March Sycamore Tree
Anpan-man is arguably the most famous cartoon character in Japan. After spending only a few moments with my co-worker’s 2-year-old daughter, Nonoka-chan, I learned the song and hand gestures for not only Anpan-man but also his fellow super-heroes Currypan-man, Shokupan-man, and the evil Baikin-man (a villain from the ‘germ world’). There are images of Anpan-man virtually everywhere in Japan, painted on the sides of trains and school buses and there is an entire museum dedicated to Anpan-man in Yokohama. I didn’t know what Anpan-man’s super-power was until a joint youth event that was held at the Sendai Student/Youth Center last weekend. ‘Anpan’ is a baked pastry filled with red-bean jam and Anpan-man’s face is made out of this pastry. In the original children’s book by Takashi Yanase, Anpan-man finds people who are hungry and lets them eat parts of his face. When his entire face has been eaten a kind baker, Jam Ojisan, bakes a new face which is bigger and filled with more jam so Anpan-man can continue his work. Takashi Yanase was an author of children’s books and he was inspired by his time in the military when he was often hungry. As a Christian, he imagined that feeding others from one’s own body was the ultimate embodiment of love and community service.
This year was the 2nd joint youth event for all the churches in the Sendai-area. Christians make up a very small minority in Japan and since churches are very small there are very few young people. Last year some of the college-age and recent graduates decided to start an annual youth event so that these young people could meet and share their faith with one another. The theme this year was "What does it mean to work?" and was centered on the Anpan-man picture book. In total, there were 23 people including high school and college students as well as pastors and recent college graduates. After we read the Anpan-man story we broke into smaller groups with 2 students and 2 people who were working.
In my group, our discussion boiled down to the question of who it is that you’re working for, whether it be for your company, your family, or yourself. Often students have dreams of finding a job where they can help the most people by becoming doctors, politicians, or teachers. Just as many people use tissues as go to a doctor but society values the job of the doctor more. After the event, the students had very positive comments and felt that they had a better perspective on finding meaning in work or community service.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
February Sycamore Tree
Aisatsu / Being Present
One of the conversations I had this winter regarding my experience living in Japan was about the importance of aisatsu (挨拶 = あいさつ) in Japanese culture. Basically, aisatsu is a greeting when you meet someone or a short speech made at an event. If you look up aisatsu in a Japanese-English dictionary it will give you various greetings you might use when you pay aisatsu to someone (i.e. Good Morning! / おはようございます/ Ohayo Gozaimasu!). But, the literal meaning is closer to the act of being present or making an appearance in social situations. I feel like the importance of aisatsu has taken an especially long time to register with me since this ethos is not as strong in the U.S.
Aisatsu is about showing respect and humbling yourself before others. When you first arrive as a guest, for example, it’s extremely important to say a few words to your host. There are standard words of greeting and thanks but what you say isn’t nearly as important as the fact that you have shown respect to someone who has helped you. When I first arrived in Japan because students and pastors in Sendai would come up to me and introduce themselves, present me with their business card (名刺 / meishi), and ask me very formally to help them and the student center during my time here. I was surprised by the formality of this exchange and sometimes frustrated because my relationship with the people that I met never seemed to go beyond this one conversation.
I think that one of the strengths in American culture is the space for informal expression of ideas and opinions once that initial introduction is over. As a student, public speaking made me extremely nervous and I would avoid it whenever possible. Even introducing myself in front of a class or club meeting would make me tense and so I would rush through it as quickly as possible. Because my self-introduction was done so quickly, the others in the room wouldn’t hear me and so it made it a lot harder participate in the discussion later. Once I learned how to get over my fears and to get to know the people around me it was much easier to express my ideas. Companies like Google and Pixar have been extremely successful because their employees are given a lot of creative freedom in their work.
Recently, the staff members at the student center have been discussing how to create a more informal environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves openly because we feel that our relationship often ends once they’ve introduced themselves. I suppose that’s something to learn from both cultures, how to make that initial introduction to get things started and how to continue that relationship in order to share ideas.
SKLT
Assistant Director of the Sendai Student/Youth Center
Global Missions Intern
http://www.globalministries.org/eap/countries/japan
One of the conversations I had this winter regarding my experience living in Japan was about the importance of aisatsu (挨拶 = あいさつ) in Japanese culture. Basically, aisatsu is a greeting when you meet someone or a short speech made at an event. If you look up aisatsu in a Japanese-English dictionary it will give you various greetings you might use when you pay aisatsu to someone (i.e. Good Morning! / おはようございます/ Ohayo Gozaimasu!). But, the literal meaning is closer to the act of being present or making an appearance in social situations. I feel like the importance of aisatsu has taken an especially long time to register with me since this ethos is not as strong in the U.S.
Aisatsu is about showing respect and humbling yourself before others. When you first arrive as a guest, for example, it’s extremely important to say a few words to your host. There are standard words of greeting and thanks but what you say isn’t nearly as important as the fact that you have shown respect to someone who has helped you. When I first arrived in Japan because students and pastors in Sendai would come up to me and introduce themselves, present me with their business card (名刺 / meishi), and ask me very formally to help them and the student center during my time here. I was surprised by the formality of this exchange and sometimes frustrated because my relationship with the people that I met never seemed to go beyond this one conversation.
I think that one of the strengths in American culture is the space for informal expression of ideas and opinions once that initial introduction is over. As a student, public speaking made me extremely nervous and I would avoid it whenever possible. Even introducing myself in front of a class or club meeting would make me tense and so I would rush through it as quickly as possible. Because my self-introduction was done so quickly, the others in the room wouldn’t hear me and so it made it a lot harder participate in the discussion later. Once I learned how to get over my fears and to get to know the people around me it was much easier to express my ideas. Companies like Google and Pixar have been extremely successful because their employees are given a lot of creative freedom in their work.
Recently, the staff members at the student center have been discussing how to create a more informal environment where students feel comfortable expressing themselves openly because we feel that our relationship often ends once they’ve introduced themselves. I suppose that’s something to learn from both cultures, how to make that initial introduction to get things started and how to continue that relationship in order to share ideas.
SKLT
Assistant Director of the Sendai Student/Youth Center
Global Missions Intern
http://www.globalministries.org/eap/countries/japan
Saturday, January 31, 2009
January SHARE
Last weekend, I attended a women’s missionary retreat in Shizuoka Prefecture. The conference was started in 1957 as a Christian-themed gathering of the wives of missionaries living in Japan. Now, it’s grown to include any woman living in Japan who would like to attend. I enjoyed meeting other woman living in Japan and hearing all their stories about how they came to live here.
The speaker at this year’s retreat was Megan McKenna, a woman who’s taught at various universities around the world and specializes in story telling and traditional folk stories. One of the stories she told was a Chinese folktale in which a young girl is granted the gift of a magic brush. Anything she draws with this brush will become real. The girl is poor, living on the street with barely enough food to eat. However, she uses this power to help others who are suffering around her. One day, a very rich and powerful governor discovers her and orders her to draw him riches. At first, she refuses but eventually finds a way to trick and humble him using her magic brush. When we were asked to discuss this story amongst ourselves the general response was to think about all the things we would love to do if we had a magic brush of our own.
In the U.S., our newly sworn in President Obama called a national day of service on the federal holiday for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. First Lady, Michelle Obama, spent the day handing out care packages to U.S. soldiers. President Obama and Vice-President Biden also joined in these activities with their families. This call-to-service came at a time when the economy is in poor condition and many families in the U.S. have lost their homes. President Obama reminded Americans that even though we may be going through difficulties ourselves, we always have something valuable to contribute to others through our time and compassion for the difficulties of others. In this sense, volunteerism is not about giving away or serving others but finding a common struggle to fight together.
- SKLT
今月、伊豆で開かれた女性のためのレトリートに参加しました。基調講演をしてくれたメガン・マケナさんは語り部でした。話してくれたお話しの一つに中国のおとぎ話がありました。一人の少女が魔法の筆をもらい、その筆で書いた物が現実のものとなるのです。少女は大変貧しく、路上で生活しながら食べるにやっとの生活を送っています。しかし、彼女は自分の周りで困っている人のためにその筆を使うのです。ある日、大金持ちの政治家が少女のことを知り、自分のために財宝を沢山書かせます。最初、少女は政治家の要求を断りますが、最後は機転を利かして政治家のもくろみを防ぎ、不正を思い知らせます。レトリートに参加をした私たちはその後、もし魔法の筆をもらったら何を書くかについてそれぞれに話し合いました。
今年、アメリカに新しい大統領が誕生しました。オバマ氏はキング牧師の誕生日（1/19）を「奉仕の日」と制定し、ボランティア活動を呼びかけました。ミッシェル大統領夫人は海外で働く米兵たちを支えるケアー・パッケージ（援助物資）を詰めたり、オバマ大統領もバイデン副大統領も家族そろってボランティア活動に参加しました。アメリカは深刻な不況の中にあり多くの人が家を失っています。この「奉仕の日」への呼びかけを通してオバマ氏は国民に呼びかけてました。自分たち自身が大変な状況にあったとしても、人のために時間やエネルギーを使うことには大きな意味があります。このように、ボランティアイズムは人に物を配ったり、自分の時間を捧げたりすることばかりではなく、困っている人同士が共通の課題を見つけて共闘することにあるのです。
The speaker at this year’s retreat was Megan McKenna, a woman who’s taught at various universities around the world and specializes in story telling and traditional folk stories. One of the stories she told was a Chinese folktale in which a young girl is granted the gift of a magic brush. Anything she draws with this brush will become real. The girl is poor, living on the street with barely enough food to eat. However, she uses this power to help others who are suffering around her. One day, a very rich and powerful governor discovers her and orders her to draw him riches. At first, she refuses but eventually finds a way to trick and humble him using her magic brush. When we were asked to discuss this story amongst ourselves the general response was to think about all the things we would love to do if we had a magic brush of our own.
In the U.S., our newly sworn in President Obama called a national day of service on the federal holiday for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. First Lady, Michelle Obama, spent the day handing out care packages to U.S. soldiers. President Obama and Vice-President Biden also joined in these activities with their families. This call-to-service came at a time when the economy is in poor condition and many families in the U.S. have lost their homes. President Obama reminded Americans that even though we may be going through difficulties ourselves, we always have something valuable to contribute to others through our time and compassion for the difficulties of others. In this sense, volunteerism is not about giving away or serving others but finding a common struggle to fight together.
- SKLT
今月、伊豆で開かれた女性のためのレトリートに参加しました。基調講演をしてくれたメガン・マケナさんは語り部でした。話してくれたお話しの一つに中国のおとぎ話がありました。一人の少女が魔法の筆をもらい、その筆で書いた物が現実のものとなるのです。少女は大変貧しく、路上で生活しながら食べるにやっとの生活を送っています。しかし、彼女は自分の周りで困っている人のためにその筆を使うのです。ある日、大金持ちの政治家が少女のことを知り、自分のために財宝を沢山書かせます。最初、少女は政治家の要求を断りますが、最後は機転を利かして政治家のもくろみを防ぎ、不正を思い知らせます。レトリートに参加をした私たちはその後、もし魔法の筆をもらったら何を書くかについてそれぞれに話し合いました。
今年、アメリカに新しい大統領が誕生しました。オバマ氏はキング牧師の誕生日（1/19）を「奉仕の日」と制定し、ボランティア活動を呼びかけました。ミッシェル大統領夫人は海外で働く米兵たちを支えるケアー・パッケージ（援助物資）を詰めたり、オバマ大統領もバイデン副大統領も家族そろってボランティア活動に参加しました。アメリカは深刻な不況の中にあり多くの人が家を失っています。この「奉仕の日」への呼びかけを通してオバマ氏は国民に呼びかけてました。自分たち自身が大変な状況にあったとしても、人のために時間やエネルギーを使うことには大きな意味があります。このように、ボランティアイズムは人に物を配ったり、自分の時間を捧げたりすることばかりではなく、困っている人同士が共通の課題を見つけて共闘することにあるのです。
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Emmaus Worship Introduction
Part of the vision for the Tohoku Church District Emmaus Center was that it could be a shared space for all of the churches in the Tohoku Church District. So, we hold a worship service every 2nd Sunday in the evening which is open to the public but mainly attended by pastors and church members who attend worship services or preach at their own churches in the mornings.
It's an ecumenical service open to all sorts of varieties of Christian. We've had guests from the First Presbytarian Church of Hollywood among others from outside Japan. There have also been Baptist and Catholic pastors that have come from churches outside of our denomination within Japan. However, this worship service is usually rotated between the pastors of the Tohoku District of the United Church of Christ-Japan (Nihon Kirisuto Kyodon / 日本キリスト教団). Twice there have been guests from the Asian Rural Institute that talked about their work at ARI (http://www.ari-edu.org/).
As a staff member at the Emmaus Center, I knew that I would be asked to present a message at some point during my time in Sendai. I decided to break the message into 2 parts in order to make it easier to read.
The passage I chose to read was the story of the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus after they discover the empty tomb and the message was entitled, '誰と共に歩んでいる?' or 'Who is walking beside you?'
It's an ecumenical service open to all sorts of varieties of Christian. We've had guests from the First Presbytarian Church of Hollywood among others from outside Japan. There have also been Baptist and Catholic pastors that have come from churches outside of our denomination within Japan. However, this worship service is usually rotated between the pastors of the Tohoku District of the United Church of Christ-Japan (Nihon Kirisuto Kyodon / 日本キリスト教団). Twice there have been guests from the Asian Rural Institute that talked about their work at ARI (http://www.ari-edu.org/).
As a staff member at the Emmaus Center, I knew that I would be asked to present a message at some point during my time in Sendai. I decided to break the message into 2 parts in order to make it easier to read.
The passage I chose to read was the story of the 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus after they discover the empty tomb and the message was entitled, '誰と共に歩んでいる?' or 'Who is walking beside you?'
Luke 24:13-16
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jeruselem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
Emmaus Worship Part I
I am fully aware that I don't look like the typical stereotypical missionary. When students in Sendai first heard that there was a missionary coming to work at the student center for a year they immediately pictured an older, white male. Since I am neither old nor white and I am 22-years-old I like to think I was an unexpected surprise.
As I've been here now for over a year students have started to feel comfortable enough to ask the question that's been burning in their minds since I arrived, "Why did you want to become a missionary in Japan?"
To be honest, when Pastor Sharon came up to me after service and asked me if I would be interested in such an opportunity I didn't say yes right away. I had and still have serious reservations about evengelical work in international settings because if done forcefully it can close the hearts of many people unless the missionary has a good understanding of the culture in which they minister. It meant a lot that Pastor Sharon had asked me personally. Also, I realized that this would be a great way to be useful to Sycamore Church as the first missionary to go to Japan after we've received so many ministers and Pre-School teachers from Japan in our 100-year history. But, I had absolutely no concept of how I could be useful without theological training and only basic conversational Japanese.
I needed more information before I could make that decision. So, I spoke to pastors from Japan and to people in the national church body of the U.S. about the kinds of work that United Church of Christ missionaries do. But, what convinced me was an e-mail from Jeffrey (director of the Sendai Student Center). It described Sendai and the student center activities but in the first paragraph it said, "I too believe that it is our role as Christians to walk alongside people who are in need...Evangelism is not about converting, but about enabling people to discover a source within themselves which gives them true life. True Life is what I call God. And I believe that our center has enabled many young people to be enlivened as they pass through on life's journey."
We are now standing in the Emmaus Center. I imagine that the people who were a part of creating this building were inspired by the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. In the process of sharing life and conversation with one another we can learn to see the presence of God in our midst even if we already have faith and belief in that presence.
As a young person, I realized that I could contribute to this community simply by being present, sharing meals and walking alongside those in need of comfort in their lives. All of my life I feel as if I've been searching for a way to be useful, a way to serve. This chance to work among you here in Sendai provided me that chance and I am extremely grateful that you've accepted me and walked alongside me for this past year.
As I've been here now for over a year students have started to feel comfortable enough to ask the question that's been burning in their minds since I arrived, "Why did you want to become a missionary in Japan?"
To be honest, when Pastor Sharon came up to me after service and asked me if I would be interested in such an opportunity I didn't say yes right away. I had and still have serious reservations about evengelical work in international settings because if done forcefully it can close the hearts of many people unless the missionary has a good understanding of the culture in which they minister. It meant a lot that Pastor Sharon had asked me personally. Also, I realized that this would be a great way to be useful to Sycamore Church as the first missionary to go to Japan after we've received so many ministers and Pre-School teachers from Japan in our 100-year history. But, I had absolutely no concept of how I could be useful without theological training and only basic conversational Japanese.
I needed more information before I could make that decision. So, I spoke to pastors from Japan and to people in the national church body of the U.S. about the kinds of work that United Church of Christ missionaries do. But, what convinced me was an e-mail from Jeffrey (director of the Sendai Student Center). It described Sendai and the student center activities but in the first paragraph it said, "I too believe that it is our role as Christians to walk alongside people who are in need...Evangelism is not about converting, but about enabling people to discover a source within themselves which gives them true life. True Life is what I call God. And I believe that our center has enabled many young people to be enlivened as they pass through on life's journey."
We are now standing in the Emmaus Center. I imagine that the people who were a part of creating this building were inspired by the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus. In the process of sharing life and conversation with one another we can learn to see the presence of God in our midst even if we already have faith and belief in that presence.
As a young person, I realized that I could contribute to this community simply by being present, sharing meals and walking alongside those in need of comfort in their lives. All of my life I feel as if I've been searching for a way to be useful, a way to serve. This chance to work among you here in Sendai provided me that chance and I am extremely grateful that you've accepted me and walked alongside me for this past year.
Emmaus Worship Part II
I wanted to share with you a story from the meeting of the Pacific Islander and Asian American Ministries (PAAM -- http://www.paamncnc.com/) conference that I attended in Hawaii this August. I participated in the youth program of this conference which included youth from various churches around the U.S. One of the workshops focused on Identity among Asian American or minority youths. Since Asian Americans are such a small ethnic group in the U.S. and there are many even smaller groups within that main group, young people often begin to question their identity when they have trouble relating to both their ethnic heritage and mainstream culture.
This workshop focused on who Jesus was as a historical figure and how he would have been perceived by his contemporaries. We were asked to think about the human Jesus who was born into a Jewish family and grew up in Galilee. Since we recently celebrated Christmas, maybe you remember that Joseph and Mary were returning to their hometown for a census when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. We may also remember that after Jesus was born they fled into Egypt in order to escape Herod's orders to kill all the first born sons.
We were then asked to think about what language Jesus might have spoken in his time. Since his parents were Jewish we might guess that Jesus spoke Aramaic or Hebrew when he spoke to them or other Jews. But, in Galilee the dominate language in business and daily life would have been Greek since the Roman empire was so powerful. Also, the first formative years of the boy Jesus's life were spent in Egypt away from both Mary and Joseph's hometowns and this also probably had a profound effect on the way that Jesus saw himself and the people around him.
As the workshop went on we were asked to think about what color his hair might have been and what his voice might have sounded like. As we thought about the reality of this life as an ethnic minority, students participating in the workshop explored their own lives and the way that they perceive themselves and the way they may be perceived by their non-Asian American peers.
At this point one of the students in the workshop wondered aloud, "I wonder if Jesus spoke with an accent like me?" and yet another student wondered if Jesus was ever teased by other kids in school for looking or speaking differently.
The disciples on their way to Emmaus has spent a considerable amount of time learning from and sharing meals with Jesus while He was living among them and yet even they failed to recognize Him when He appeared to them on their journey. What about His contemporaries in Galilee? Even they may have found it difficult to believe that this strange looking foreigner with an accent was in fact the Savior prophets had predicted for many generations. Yet, they came to accept Him in their lives as they shared life and bread with this Son of Man.
This workshop focused on who Jesus was as a historical figure and how he would have been perceived by his contemporaries. We were asked to think about the human Jesus who was born into a Jewish family and grew up in Galilee. Since we recently celebrated Christmas, maybe you remember that Joseph and Mary were returning to their hometown for a census when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. We may also remember that after Jesus was born they fled into Egypt in order to escape Herod's orders to kill all the first born sons.
We were then asked to think about what language Jesus might have spoken in his time. Since his parents were Jewish we might guess that Jesus spoke Aramaic or Hebrew when he spoke to them or other Jews. But, in Galilee the dominate language in business and daily life would have been Greek since the Roman empire was so powerful. Also, the first formative years of the boy Jesus's life were spent in Egypt away from both Mary and Joseph's hometowns and this also probably had a profound effect on the way that Jesus saw himself and the people around him.
As the workshop went on we were asked to think about what color his hair might have been and what his voice might have sounded like. As we thought about the reality of this life as an ethnic minority, students participating in the workshop explored their own lives and the way that they perceive themselves and the way they may be perceived by their non-Asian American peers.
At this point one of the students in the workshop wondered aloud, "I wonder if Jesus spoke with an accent like me?" and yet another student wondered if Jesus was ever teased by other kids in school for looking or speaking differently.
The disciples on their way to Emmaus has spent a considerable amount of time learning from and sharing meals with Jesus while He was living among them and yet even they failed to recognize Him when He appeared to them on their journey. What about His contemporaries in Galilee? Even they may have found it difficult to believe that this strange looking foreigner with an accent was in fact the Savior prophets had predicted for many generations. Yet, they came to accept Him in their lives as they shared life and bread with this Son of Man.
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