Missionary Fail

I got this.

When your ministry is with a small congregation in a country that does not experience rapid church growth, you are always looking for ways to invite and attract people to your church. I had been toying with an idea for months, actually. It is something that I had seen done by some of our sister congregations in Japan.

You see, the Japanese have a holiday in November. It is called Shichi-go-san or 7-5-3. When girls turn 3 or 7 and boys turn 3 or 5 they are dressed in elaborate kimonos or fancy western clothes and taken to visit a shrine. This is usually one of the times that formal portraits are made of the children.

So we decided to have a special service/celebration. We would combine the idea of a fall festival with a service of blessing for children. Our church members thought this sounded like a good idea. Our plan was to have fall festival games for the kids during Sunday School time. Our service would be kid friendly with easier songs and a more interactive message. During the service the children would be called up, blessed by the pastor (me) and given a small gift. After the service, the kids would make commemorative hand prints in a traditional Japanese style. Then everyone would enjoy a potluck lunch. A big event for our church, but nothing I couldn't handle. I got this.

We prepared posters and flyers to hang at the preschool and to give to English classes. The preschool was very supportive about helping us advertise. The weeks before the event found some of our regular members absent. No problem, people were stepping-up. One member donated the special cards for the handprints. Another member took them home and beautifully wrote the church name and date. Our translator would be back for the big service. We found out our worship leader and piano player would not be there, but we adapted.

It was all coming together. The projector was arranged, the message was done (ahead of schedule even). The perfect gifts were found, small Bible story picture books. The cupcakes for the Sunday School party were baked. I was feeling good about the whole thing. I got this.

At nine o'clock pm the night before I got a call from a church member. “Are we starting an hour early,” she asked? “No,” I said. “Why would we?” That was when we discovered our error. Somehow we totally messed up the time on the posters and flyers. We had the event starting an hour early and, perhaps even worse, we had the worship scheduled for an hour and a half. Now for some of you an hour and a half of worship every Sunday morning might be a part of your normal routine, but keep in mind that these are people who have probably never attended a service before, and they are expected to sit through it with their children.

I was so frustrated. I felt like such a failure as a missionary and a pastor. I didn't have this at all. What would we do? We barely make it in time for Sunday School as it is. We were going to be gone all day for various events. Now we had to get there an hour earlier and plan to fill an extra hour in case someone came at 9:00. We couldn't just start the event earlier because our church families would not be there until the regular time. Then I was frustrated because I was sure all the extra work I did would see no results. The church would be frustrated and not willing to try something like this again. I so did not have this. I was frustrated with myself because I knew I hadn't put much prayer into my event planning.

After my moment of panic, peace set in. I remembered I serve a great and mighty God who can do great things in spite of my inadequacies. Yes, I was frustrated with myself, but now I was excited. I knew that whatever good came from that day would be all God. I didn't have it, because at that moment I gave it away. I should have given it to God from the beginning. How thankful I am for God's grace.

So what happened? No one came at 9:00am. A girl in our Sunday School came at 9:30 with a guest who had visited before. Then, close to ten another church family came with two friends who had never been to church before. Then, in walked a boy who has been a few times, and both of his parents were with him. Usually just one brings him. We had plenty of activities to keep the kids busy. We ended up with twelve kids, a good biblical number. The service was about 40 minutes and all the kids participated. All the church members helped in many ways. Lunch was delicious and there was plenty of it. The very best part was when I got to put my hands on the heads of twelve precious children of God and bless them. Especially the little boy, who giggled and giggled the whole time.

Things We See

"When you go out into the world it is best to hold hands and stick together." - Robert Fulghum - All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

In an effort to be more active on our blog, we are going to try to post a new picture more often.

This picture was taken just after Xavier's school entrance ceremony in April. I love this picture because when we told them to get ready for the picture they instinctively held hands. The two girls are Christy's former students, the only two from their preschool going to this elementary school.  The two boys are Xavier and his new buddy, whom he just met that day, but discovered they are the only English speakers in their class (possibly the school).

Rajio Taiso (Radio Exercies)

Willem and Tai are back in school this week, but Xavier is still on summer holidays until the beginning of September.  But one thing I am discovering about the Japanese schools system is just because you are on summer break doesn't mean you don't go to school.

We didn't sign him up for summer school (which appears to put him in a minority.  Most kids go to summer classes at school), but his school did provide times when they could come and swim in the pool, which he did participate in.

And now, for the past three mornings, Xavier and I have rushed the 200 yards to his school to join other parents and kids in the traditional Japanese experience of rajio taiso, or radio exercises. This was not a required event from the school, so when I saw that it started at 7:00 am I wondered just how many people would be there.  It was less difficult for me because I was already up getting Willem and Tai ready to go to school.  I don't know if I would have crawled out of bed for it if they were still on their summer break. But sure enough, as Xavier and I arrived a minute or two after 7 (fashionably late?) there were already about 150 kids and parents spread out on the field in front of a raised platform and PA system. I guess the fact that everyone from the school lives within walking distance of the school probably was a factor in how many people came.

The familiar tinkling piano music that everyone in Japan knows as the rajio taiso music was just starting and one of the teachers was up on the platform leading everyone in the stretches and jumping.  After that song came the Shioryama taiso - (Shiroyama is the name of the elementary school).  This was the school's special taiso music and stretching routine. As an added bonus on the second day they had a special sports mascot visit and lead the kids in exercises, too.

As soon as the music was done all the kids rushed for the tables to the left of the platform.  There, parent volunteers were handing out stamp cards that the kids could bring each day to be stamped.  They also got a little gift each day, a piece of candy, some stickers or a pencil.

As the children and parents drifted off the field to their homes it was clear that everyone had enjoyed themselves, and now that everyone and done their exercises they were full of energy and ready for whatever they day would bring.

The Importance of Business Cards

In Japan, business cards are a big deal. There is a special protocol for giving and receiving business card. Business cards are treated with great respect. For example, always take the card with both hands. Never just put a card in your pocket. Examine the card carefully when it is given and try to ask a question about it. These are just a few of the etiquette rules.

Xavier, our youngest son, is attending first grade at the neighborhood elementary school. He enjoys it a lot but it has been an adjustment for Terence and me. Many parents complain about all the papers their kids bring home from school. It becomes even more challenging when you can't read 85% of what comes home. Another challenge is adjusting to the differences in education styles. One example is school on Saturday. Our neighborhood is lucky in that the kids only go to school on one Saturday a month.  Sometimes school on Saturday is for special events like sports day, but other times it is a regular teaching day. Parents are invited, well encouraged, OK actually expected to come and observe. There is an attendance sheet for parents to mark outside the class door.

I went to watch on one of the first Saturday school days. I was thankful to see what went on in the classroom and to see how Xavier was adjusting. I was surprised when the kids got out their business cards and did an activity where they walked around the room giving out their cards. They had made these huge, notebook paper sized cards the day before. The cards had their names and their school address (grade and class number).

At first I was a little dismissive. Why was it important for my six year old to learn business card etiquette? This was probably fuelled by my irritation that Xavier had to attend school on Saturday and my annoyance at having to attend school on Saturday as well. Then I realized it was actually a good way to use a social tradition to give the kids practice writing their names and meeting their new classmates.

In the last few weeks I have been thankful for my business cards. We made up cards that have my name and address and contact numbers on one side and information about the church on the other. It includes worship times and a map from the nearest train station. Due to city layout and the dependence on public transportation, maps are vital. Recently, I have met three people out in our area and had the opportunity to invite them to church. Two of them were new to the area and looking for a place to worship. Without the business cards it would have been hard to explain all the details to them. In a society where business cards are so important in daily life, it is good to be able to use that tool in evangelism.

Because of his practice writing his name at school, Xavier was able to write his name on this card he painted.

Serving, Elementary School Style

I have no doubt that as Xavier continues attending Japanese elementary school we will come across many things that are different from what we are used to in the North American school system.  One of those differences occurred during the second week of classes.

I volunteered to help oversee the kids in Xavier's class as they learned  how to be lunch otouban, or lunch leaders.  This is not the line leaders most people think of when they think of first grade in North America.  The children are served lunch in their rooms, and it is the job of the otouban to serve the food to the rest of the class.  When I arrived, each of the otouban put on their white jackets, cap, and face mask.  Meanwhile, a long, low table was brought to the front of the room.  On it were set plates, bowls, and large containers of the lunch food.  The day I went it was rice, simmered vegetables and chicken, and mabodofu (spicy tofu and vegetable stew).  There also was some grapefruit for desert and a crate full of milk cartons.

Each of the otouban stationed themselves behind the table with the helping parents behind them to help where needed.  As the rest of the kids lined up with trays, the otouban would take a plate or a bowl, dish up a serving of food and then place it on the tray.  The last otouban was tasked with passing out milk.  The kids did a very good job of estimating what a good sized serving was, although at the end they almost ran out of rice and vegetables (this would not have been good since the teacher was the last to be served).

One thing I had worried about was that there would not be enough food for the otouban, but what I hadn't realized was that one student from the group where the otouban sat went up a second time to get the food for the otouban.  All in all, the kids did a great job of serving up the food for their classmates.

Serving lunch for your classmates is a daily job for the kids in Japanese school.  The students take turns being the otouban for one week (and at the end of the week they bring the hat and jacket home to be washed and brought in the next week for some other child).  I think it probably couldn't hurt for kids in North American schools to learn how to serve lunch to their classmates like this too. For Americans it seems unusual, but here in Japan it is a normal part of school life.

Nyugaku - Starting School

     This week, Xavier began Japanese elementary school. I think Christy and I were more nervous about him doing this than he was. Several months ago he wavered somewhat about whether he wanted to go to Japanese school or Christian Academy in Japan where his brothers go, but for the last month or two he has been quite excited about going to the local Japanese school. We decided to send him to Japanese school because CAJ is about a 1 hour commute each way, which would make for a very long day. The local elementary school is very close to our apartment. A typical day for the brothers at CAJ involves leaving home at 7:15 am and getting back around 4:45 pm. A typical day at Japanese elementary school has him leaving home around 8:15 am and returning around 2:45. Much easier on him.
      As the day approached, he watched his pile of equipment for school grow. His randoseru - the hard leather backpack all students use through elementary school; his pencil case full of writing equipment; his sportswear; his bosaizukin - the silver, padded head covering that hangs from the back of every student's desk in case of an earthquake, and so much more.
      April 8 was the entrance ceremony. This is a big event for families in Japan, so Christy, Xavier and I all dressed up neatly and headed over to the school. The first blessing for us came as we walked into the school. We were handed a sheet with the list of children in his class and were surprised to see that there was another child who was not Japanese. We soon met his parents. His father is an American from California and his mother is Japanese. The boy, J, speaks both English and Japanese, and Xavier and J hit it off almost immediately. Meeting J's parents was a blessing for us as well because one of our greatest worries is the amount of paperwork and announcements that will be coming from the school. Usually we need to bring our papers to one of the preschools to have them translate them. Now we have someone who is in Xavier's class who is willing to tell us of any important announcements that come from the school.
      The kids were all taken to their room to meet their teacher and prepare for the ceremony and we made our way into the auditorium for the ceremony. Soon the classes entered to auditorium each boy hand in hand with a girl. They entered with great pomp and ceremony. Once they were all settled into their seats the speeches began. Not just one speech, but many speeches by various important people from the school and from the district. Interspersed were various introductions of teachers and other dignitaries as well. Near the end the second grade students came in to greet the new students and perform some songs they had learned in music class last year. The whole ceremony was a few minutes shy of an hour long.

 
     Once the ceremony was over, it naturally was time for pictures. Each class came and were arranged with their parents for the obligatory group picture. Xavier ended up sitting front and center, right next to the principal. After the first picture was taken, we were somewhat alarmed to see one of the teachers on the side lines run up to Xavier and repeatedly say in English "Open your eyes! Open your eyes!" Xavier never did give us a satisfactory answers as to why he had his eyes closed during the photo session.
      Next it was time to return to Xavier's classroom. Each of the students were already sitting in their desks. The teacher called out attendance. Then she proceeded to explain some of the procedures for the class. She also had a large stack of papers for the parents to deal with at home. Each student also had a box full of supplies and a stack of books as well. At the end of the class, which lasted about 30 minutes, we piled all of the supplies into the large bag we had brought with us and hauled it home. Every item, right down to each individual pencil and eraser needed to be labeled with the student's name, grade and class. It took a while to finish, but we did manage to get everything labeled.
      The next day, Xavier didn't want me to come with him to the school He wanted to walk there by himself. I walked with him as far as the sidewalk to the school, but that was as far as he would let me take him. From there on he was on his own. He walked by himself all the way to school on his own (all 200 yards). And each day, after school, a teacher from the school walks groups of kids from the same apartment complex back to their homes.
      It has been a couple of days now that Xavier has been going to school. At the moment he is only going for a couple of hours at a time, but slowly they are making the days longer and longer. By the Beginning of the third week he will be up to the full length day from 8:30 to 2:30. But for now the short days are giving him a chance to get into the swing of things at a Japanese school while still giving him ample time to play with his friends from our apartment complex that he is making while he is at school.
      We plan on having Xavier go here for at least first grade before switching to CAJ, but already he is asking if he can go to the the school for second and third grade as well.

Near Perfect Sunday

　　Whenever we go to church on Sunday we take the train.  First we walk down our hill which takes about 15 minutes, and then we take a train for about 10 minutes.  The church is just a minute or two from the station.  Even when we get a ride home with someone from church it always seems like such a long distance to go.  It never occurred to us to try biking to church.  Willem recently did the biking merit badge with the boy scouts, so we decided we would give biking to church a try. When we checked the map on the internet we discovered it was only about 7 or 8 miles.

　　We first tried the ride about a month ago and were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was.  We live near the Tama river, which has a paved path for joggers and bikers along it.  Probably 3/4 of the ride to church follows this path.

　　Yesterday was a beautiful spring morning, so we decided to make the ride again. One thing we like about riding is that it is much less stressful.  Often we are rushing in the morning to catch our train to get to church on time.  We know we have to leave earlier when we bike, so we are all prepared to get up and get going in the morning.  The boys also are a little more cooperative in the morning when they know they get to ride their bikes.
　　The first time we went, Xavier made it about 2/3 of the way before we needed to lock his bike up at a park and put him in the seat behind Terence.  This time, however, he made the whole trip on his own.  We were very proud of him.
　　At church we had Sunday school followed by our regular service.  During the prayer time one of the prayer requests was for Mr. H.  He is a man who has recently joined our church.  He has been sick and the last we had seen him was at the end of last year. We knew he would be gone for a few weeks, but everyone was getting worried.  One of the people in our church had been trying for several weeks to get a hold of him and finally managed to call him this week.  He reported that indeed, Mr. H. had been sick.  Getting in touch with him was an answer to prayer, but an even greater one happened a few minutes later when Mr. H. walked through the door and joined us for the service.  We all were very happy to see him again.
　　After church we stayed with some others from the church to stuff Easter eggs with candy and make other preparations for Easter. For lunch we ran to a Pizza Hut near the church to pick up a pizza.  We don't have a Pizza Hut near our apartment, and when we told Willem we were having Pizza Hut he was ecstatic.  I think that really made his day.
　　When we finished at the church we made our way back home at a leisurely pace, stopping here and there to get a drink or check out a new store along the way.  We ended up coming home later than we planned, but the time spent together as a family was well worth it.