Just for Fun

Miyako, the Asian elephant of the now-famous poop?

For those who have, on occasion, lovingly suggested that I lighten up, today I’m writing just for fun. Even I have realized that recently I’ve shared random thoughts on a number of quite serious topics, so maybe I can balance it a bit today, even as I pick up my last topic related to entrance examinations and carry it further (in fun, of course).

Monday and Tuesday, February 2 and 3, Tamagawa Seigakuin will conduct entrance examinations for approximately 750 current sixth grade girls who will begin their junior high school careers in April. (80 percent of those registered for Monday are also registered for the second day.) About 50 percent of them will pass the exam. Of these, Tama Sei expects to welcome 168 new first year junior high girls. (Many students take exams at several schools and, if they succeed in more than one, will enter their first choice.)

This weekend will be a time of great pressure in many homes as Monday and Tuesday approach. Actually, the stress has been building for some time. Some of these girls have been studying intensely for months in preparation (we hope)—if not by their own choice, then by the will of their parents. One father of a sixth grader who will take Monday’s exam told me late last fall that he and his wife had lowered the boom: no more special events and outings on weekends from then until exam time. “Weekends have become your study time,” they announced to their daughter who apparently hadn’t been taking her studying very seriously. They also were threatening to take her cell phone away, if necessary, in order to keep her on track. This would be, according to the daughter, the worst possible thing they could do--a fate nearly worse than death.

So where’s the fun in this blog? In case you’re wondering, I offer another solution to the entrance examination dilemma in Japan—a “mucky charm.” I read about these special amulets for passing school entrance or employment examinations in the Daily Yoimuri newspaper. Handmade from the dung of an Asian elephant named Miyako, the charms are an opportunity to attract luck (un in Japanese) and are a pun on the word unchi, which means feces. I was happy to hear that the staff of Utsunomiya Zoo, in Tochigi Prefecture, first sterilizes the poop before dealing with it. Then they boil it to produce fibers that can make paper. This paper is then stamped with some words of good luck and slipped into clear plastic pouches for free distribution during the examination season, December to March.

So there you have it: elephant poop charms, the latest is new products in Japan. Which reminds me of another new product I read about in the paper this month—brassieres for men. While the vast majority of Japanese men are not built like sumo wrestlers who possibly could benefit from a bra, the developer says that wearing these will help men get in touch with their feminine side to enable them to respond to the world more kindly and gently. Even though this blog is just for fun, I promise you I’m not kidding! What will they think of next?

Why Do They Do It?

Atop the chapel at Tamagawa Seigakuin

“Why do they do it?” I thought to myself as I read a Daily Yoimuri article earlier this week (January 20). The headline, “Parents rush to submit kids’ entrance exams” and the photo of a long queue of parents (mostly mothers) waiting to turn in admission applications for a private elementary school in Tokyo grabbed my attention because Bernie had gotten up early that very morning in order to be at Tamagawa Seigakuin before 6 o’clock. His eagerness to get to school so early was because the school staff would begin accepting applications for the upcoming junior high entrance examinations from 6 o’clock that morning. (Later, I was surprised to learn that the first parent had arrived at 4:30 a.m., besting both the staff and Bernie.)

I could understand why Bernie wanted to show appreciation and encourage the school office staff in their sometimes thankless work, but I was confused about why parents would brave the cold and dark morning (and not just at Tamagawa Seigakuin, but all over Tokyo—indeed, all over Japan) to turn in applications that are, mind you, only to take entrance exams.

“Aren’t all applications accepted that are submitted within the specified application days?” I asked Bernie, to which he responded affirmatively. “And do they affect their test scores at all? Like, the first so many parents get extra points added to their daughters’ scores so they have a better chance of getting into the school?” I queried further.

“Not at all. There’s no lottery and the order applications are submitted means nothing at all,” he assured me.

“So why do they do it?” I was back to my original question.

“Standing in line means absolutely nothing,” he answered, then paused and added, “Unless it shows a child her parents’ love and support.”

In fact, that’s exactly what the newspaper reporter had concluded after interviewing several principals. They, like Bernie, had declared that there is no advantage for a parent to stand in line and that application order has no effect whatsoever on the results of entrance exams. “Parents form such lines at schools … because they are indicative of the love they feel for their children …” the reporter wrote, wrapping up the article.

As a mother, I certainly made many mistakes as I helped raise our two children (and I’m not immune from mistakes today). But as often as possible I did whatever I could to show my love to Benjamin and Stephanie and to encourage them. Looking in from the outside, someone might have concluded on occasion that my attempts were foolish and meaningless. But I’d rather be guilty of such silliness than of even once allowing my children to doubt my love.

So now I know why these parents do it—for love. And I say, go ahead and stand in those lines. Just be sure to bundle up, please.

On Doing Good

A small shrine in the snowy mountains of Gunma Prefecture

Our family celebrating Christmas together

Taking every opportunity
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10, NIV).

Paul encouraged the Galatian Christians to take every opportunity to do good—and not just to some people, but to all. But let’s be honest. Sometimes this is downright difficult to obey, especially when it seems that no matter what you do, nothing ever changes. The overwhelming challenges and needs seem to defy any efforts to encourage change and promote forward momentum, no matter how earnestly you try. At times, it seems easier just to give up. That’s the weariness Paul was referring to. But he was determined not to give in to this weariness. Instead, he said we should believe that the harvest will come eventually, because IT WILL. So take every opportunity and expect God to do his part because HE WILL.

The above verses have been a life jacket for us during our nearly 30 years of ministry in Japan. As such, it was easy for Bernie to speak from this text on January 8 during opening ceremonies for the third trimester at Tamagawa Seigakuin. He wanted to remind students that even one person CAN make a difference for good in the world. It was a good reminder for us, too, as it is sometimes easier to believe what we see (small, weak churches that struggle for survival, new leadership, and vision) than to believe what God promises. Please pray for us and the nearly 1,100 junior and senior high school girls that they will be inspired by Christian faculty and staff to make our world a better place.

Rejoicing in the harvest
Needless to say, it is encouraging when we do see some harvest for faithful labors. One example is Keiko Hanawa, a woman baptized on November 30 at Hagiyama Church in Tokyo. Seventeen years ago, she was working in a boutique where Mrs. Namerikawa enjoyed shopping. As they became acquainted, Namerikawa-san invited her to attend the monthly evangelistic outreach held in her own home. Curious, Hanawa-san soon became a regular participant. Still, it was many years after that before she accepted the invitation to join in worship services at Hagiyama Church. What if Namerikawa-san had given up and stopped expecting a harvest?

As is the custom in Japan, new Christians share a testimony with the congregation just prior to following the Lord in baptism. Typically, these tell the journey of the young Christian from first learning of Christ to finally being able to be baptized. Often years pass between the two, which was the case with Hanawa-san. Now in her 70s, she first learned of Christ as a Sunday school child! In fact, her testimony was to sing a song she had learned years before in Sunday school. What if faithful Sunday school teachers had given up on praying for the children in their care when they didn’t see any response from their efforts? As Paul said, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Praise the Lord!

Reporting on prayer requests
Thanks for your prayers for Bernie as he spoke on Christmas Day at a small church in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture. Attendance exceeded expectations and included a number of first timers, and reports are that many people were blessed by the message. We will not likely see this harvest since we are not nearby, but we believe that God as at work, and we are grateful. (And, for those who prayed, we had a great visit with our family as well as a WHITE Christmas night. In fact, we had almost a blizzard of snow on December 26. It was Little Ben’s first snow and we all enjoyed playing in it together. It seems Little Ben, who turns one on January 30, especially loves eating it!)

With regard to the “Immediate and Continuing Prayer Concerns,” dated November 2008 (but not posted on this blog), please pray especially for P in his studies in the Philippines. Apparently his English isn’t advancing as quickly as he’d hoped. Please pray that the Lord will bless him with language ability and keep him from becoming discouraged in this time of preparation for eventual ministry among Tibetan Buddhists.

We were happy to visit Tarumi Church in Kobe in early December after an absence of nearly six months. It is obvious that the Sakatas are a very loving pastoral couple and that a good relationship between pastor and people is being built. However, attendance continues to be very low—the result of five years without pastoral leadership. Please pray that the Sakatas and Tarumi Church can remember the truths of Galatians 6:9-10.

Finally, please pray for Cheryl as she tries to make up for lost time to meet two book deadlines. Pray also that Into All the World: A Century of Church of God Missions and Rivers of Delight will glorify God and encourage missions efforts around the world.

Home for Christmas

Look who's coming home for Christmas!

Talk about excited! Our son Benjamin arrives tonight from Guam and our daughter Stephanie and her family will be here tomorrow from China. That means, of course, our ten-month-old grandson, too. I ought to be cleaning the house to get ready, though I realize things will be completely disorganized moments after everyone arrives. At least there would be some satisfaction in knowing that everything was in its right place at the start. But I’m just too thrilled to clean. I’d rather dance. Our family is going to be home for Christmas!

But not everyone. As excited as I am, I cannot forget our four daughters in India, as well as our daughter in Myanmar. These children ranging in age from eight to the mid-thirties are not blood family, but they are family anyhow. Let me explain.

When our son was born in 1979, we quickly fell into a common trap for many first-time parents. Nothing was too good or too much for our son. After all, he was our beautiful gift from God and we wanted to treat him as the treasure he was. Suddenly he had almost more clothes than we did and so many toys, books, and paraphernalia that they threatened to push out the walls of the little four-room house in which we lived.

I don’t remember what triggered it, but I will forever be grateful that one day we came to our senses. As happy as we were to have Benjamin, was our little boy any more valuable in God’s sight than children the world over who were starving to death for want of the very basics of life? The answer was obvious: No. Further, we realized we had a responsibility for other children in the world, not just those of blood relation to us.

That was the day Dipali became our daughter. And when Stephanie was born nearly three years later, Surekha joined our family. Both she and Dipali lived in The Shelter, an orphanage for destitute girls in Cuttack, Orissa, India. As our daughters left The Shelter for marriage and the work place, we added two others in their places—Namita, now 16, and Halima, now 13. And when Stephanie gave birth to Little Ben in January 2008, we honored him by adding another girl to our family—this one eight-year-old Myint in Myanmar. We have supported all these children through Children of Promise, a worthy child sponsorship organization that currently provides for the physical, educational, and spiritual needs of more than 3,450 children in 22 countries around the world (http://www.echildrenofpromise.org/).

Considering the brutal and violent persecution of Christians in Orissa that has escalated since August, we are particularly concerned about our family there. Namita, Halima, and their 60 “sisters” are safe within the walls of The Shelter. In fact, the orphanage has become shelter for another 50 individuals—Christians who homes have been destroyed or are in danger for their lives should they return to their rural villages in Orissa, where heinous crimes are being committed against Christians. But what about Dipali and Surekha? Adults now and with families of their own, we have not had contact with them for some time. Nevertheless, daughters they became and daughters they remain.

We are rejoicing that we can celebrate Christmas with Benjamin, Stephanie, Donald, and Little Ben. But our hearts will also reach out to India and to Myanmar, site of a devastating cyclone in May 2008 that may have claimed as many as 100,000 lives. (A true accounting will never be known.) After all, we have family in those countries, and they won’t be home for Christmas.

A Hand and a Cup

After a week of productive writing, I feel dried up today for more of the same, even though my deadline is too close for comfort. On top of that, because of all the extra hours spent at my computer, I’ve not done much grocery shopping. This means there’s little to eat in the house right now besides raw ingredients like flour and sugar—but who wants to bake? There’s also dried seaweed that someone brought back to us from Korea. (Healthy, I know, but . . . .) Searching through our cabinets, I also discover numerous packages of somen noodles received during the last summer gift-giving season. But who wants noodles that are always served cold when they’re wrapped up in an afghan and keeping their feet warm in an electric slipper? Not I.

So here I am feeling antsy, unmotivated, and generally just blah. Surely this accounts for the fact that its 3:30 p.m. and I’m still in my pajamas! I should be embarrassed, and I am. But here I sit anyway. Maybe I’ll raid the magazine basket and look for some inspiration among the hundreds of unread pages there.

My eyes fall on the cover of one magazine whose banner announces, “Hunger Isn’t History.” I see a handled tin cup turned face down on the packed earth pavement. Next to it, a wrinkled, black hand, palm down, extends from underneath a tarp. Did she die and so no longer needs her cup? The words of a stark question printed underneath nearly blind my eyes with their intensity: “The world produces more food than ever. So why do nearly a billion people still not have enough to eat?”

Do I dare read further? Wasn’t I just complaining about the food we don’t have? But I take the risk and venture inside anyway. Statistics like, “. . . worldwide, 25,000 people die each year of hunger-related illnesses” jump off the pages at me. I read it again and realize my mistake. That’s each day, not each year. At this rate, Bernie’s entire hometown would disappear—starve to death—in only sixteen hours.

Reading further, I learn of 35 nations around the world that are most affected by this severe food scarcity. Twenty-one of these are in Africa, a long ways from Japan—except for the fact that our small group members represent, among other countries, Kenya and Zimbabwe, two locations specifically mentioned. I learn that in Nairobi more than one million people are routinely hungry, while over five million of Zimbabwe’s 12 million people are expected to be starving next year.

I guess this gloomy blog characterizes my strange mood today. While I’m not sure how to lift my spirits, I appreciate that I cannot succumb to popular thinking which says, “The problem is too big for me to do anything that would matter.” Sometimes these people cluck their tongues, shake their heads about the world situation, and then bite into their Big Macs. But isn’t something—anything—better than doing nothing at all? Although I have never known hunger, do I bear no responsibility at all for the millions all around for whom hunger is their only reality of life. Surely this is what Jesus meant when he said, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Luke 12:48, NIV).

If you’re reading this blog, I suspect that you are also one of the fortunate, really blessed people in the world, even if you have to budget carefully and occasionally—even often—have to choose not to buy something you’d really like. Just that you have access to a computer says much. So I want to challenge you today to make a positive difference in another person’s life. You may not be able to save the world from hunger, but you can do something.

Without advocating any one over another, here are some organizations that will assist you in knowing how to help the world’s starving millions: Bread for the World (bread.org), Feed the Children (feedthechildren.org), Food for the Hungry (fh.org), Food for the Poor (foodforthe poor.org), Salvation Army (salvationarmyusa.org), World Relief (wr.org), and World Vision (worldvision.org).

It was Mother Teresa who said about making an impact on the world, “Do the thing in front of you.” The woman’s hand is in front of me. I will not turn away.