Hand in Hand Global Mission Support Blog Digest

The Rev. Nathan and Sharonette Bowman are ELCA missionaries in Kumamoto, Japan, serving in parish and social service ministries. To support the Bowmans, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Nathan and Sharonette Bowman

Dear friends,

Merry Christmas. As we are preparing to honor God for his compassionate love for us, let us take time to reflect on the fact that it pleased and delighted God’s heart to give Himself, the greatest gift of all, to us.

As Christmas quickly approaches, in the midst of the many Christmas services, we are again challenged to remember the 830 children in children’s homes throughout Kumamoto Prefecture. This year marks the 25^th Annual Christmas Toy Drive. By this time next week,we will need to have purchased gifts for these children, most of who are taken from their homes because of relentless abuse. Others are developmentally disabled and cannot be managed by their parents. Sometimes the parent is developmentally disabled. A few have no parents, having disappeared, died or abandoned their children anonymously. (Kumamoto still has the nation’s only “baby shelter.”) The presents that we look for are those that have a connecting function, where the child will need to play with another child to enjoy the gift to its maximum value.

As we were also planning for next year, we came across some amazing toy patterns from some wonderful people at Toymaker Press (toymakerpress.com). Nathan hopes to build some of these for the children in any spare time he may have next year.

Looking back on this year, together with the rest of the nation, we were stunned by an earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in northern Japan, for which many of you gave generously. The relief work continues among those who have been devastated.

We had the joy and honor of being able to visit with some of you this last summer. Our next scheduled Home Assignment is in the summer of 2013. As soon as we returned to Japan, it was like we had never left. The opportunities for ministry are vast, and we try to be faithful to our Lord, Jesus Christ, as we serve on behalf of you. Thank you for your partnership in the gospel this year, for your prayers, support and encouragement.

May you find delight, joy, strength and the love of God in the gift of Jesus Christ.

Nathan & Sharonette Bowman

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Jim and Carol Sack are ELCA missionaries in Tokyo, Japan. To support the Sacks, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Kaya Evelyn Sack , born Oct. 21, 2011, in Tokyo.

We are doing pretty well these days in Tokyo, though with the contrasting reports of the nuclear situation we do live with unseen and unknown anxieties. We can’t help being a bit concerned about what it means to have Jon’s wife, Miho, 10 weeks pregnant when the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster took place, and also what it means to have a wee little one come into life in this city at this time. Please see the picture of our new granddaughter, Kaya Evelyn, who was born on Oct.  21.

We hear conflicting reports about Tokyo’s safety. And we can’t fathom what it all means for tens of thousands displaced from their entire existences up north. However, on the surface things seem to be pretty much back to “business as usual.”

We do keep in mind the fact that the earthen plates under our feet have shifted in epic proportions. So the thought of the possibility of a big quake in Tokyo is never too far from our minds.

We went up to Sendai again in August, and we were surprised at how much had been cleaned up since we were there in April. There are still mountains of mangled things like cars, but at least much of the debris had been put into piles. Before, it had been scattered over miles of land. We were actually amazed at how much had been accomplished.

Needless to say, the scars in the hearts cannot be so clearly put into piles and cleaned up. Lost memories, lost communities, lost jobs, lost meaning, lost hopes and lost family members may take years or lifetimes — and indeed may never be restored. Only through loving care can the losses even hope to be transformed into new depth of purpose. We cannot lose faith that this is possible even in the seemingly worst of scenarios. That is the power of the Cross.  March 11 was one of the worst scenarios anyone could imagine.  But we choose to hold onto blessing!

May the grace of Christ accompany you each day this Advent.

Jim and Carol Sack
Tokyo, Japan

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Patrick and Jacqueline Bencke serve at Kyushu Lutheran College, a college of the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kumamoto, Japan. To support the Benckes or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Emilie Bencke at last year’s annual potato dig.

Our 9-year-old, Emilie, came home from school today with quite an amazing story of witness. She was chatting with a couple of friends about Christmas, saying “Well, you know it’s not all about presents and Santa Claus, right?”  Her friends looked at her with astonishment, and asked in their local dialect, “Eh? No way! Well then, what is it?”

She and a little boy who attends the Catholic church in town proceeded to tell the story of Jesus’ birth and how He was a gift from God, which is why we exchange presents at Christmas time — to remember the greatest gift of love from God.  The two of them then went on to tell the three other kids about how, first of all, there aren’t various “levels” of hell (apparently many kids believe very fervently that there are various “levels” of hell, perhaps influenced by anime and video games?) and also how the gate to heaven is narrow but that all people are invited. Emilie said they tried to explain that God is so big that He holds the world in His hand and that He loved humans so much even though we do bad things that He sent Jesus to Earth to help us and that Jesus died but he rose from the dead, and that’s why we can go to heaven.

I asked her how the kids she was talking to responded, and she said that they were surprised, quiet and listening hard, since they had never heard of Jesus or the real Christmas story or any of that stuff about getting in to heaven by loving God. Besides the fact that they couldn’t get over the fact that there weren’t multiple levels of hell, she said they just seemed to take it all in. I asked if it was hard, and she said it wasn’t, since all the kids were her age. But she said, “If they had been adults, then it would’ve been weird!”

Later, after school, the girl Emilie walks home with apparently asked her a lot of questions about the Christian faith and what Emilie believes.

Emilie and this other little boy are the only two Christians in their class. I imagine it was quite something for them to tell these stories to kids who had never even heard the name of Jesus before. It was one of those moments where I thought — God can get the message out, even if it needs to be through the words of a couple of fourth-grade kids.

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Christine Eige is an ELCA teaching missionary in Japan. As part of her work in Tokyo, she periodically presents chapel speeches in simple English to junior high and senior high school students as a translator delivers them in Japanese. She says most of the students are not Christian and that it is an opportunity to explain basic Christian ideas on subjects the youths can relate to. Here is one message she recently delivered. To support Christine, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Christine Eige

What is your dream for the future?  What do you want to be when you grow up?

Recently, I read a story about an amazing Japanese Christian named Shimeta Niishima.  He was born in 1843, and he was the son of a samurai.  He studied hard to become a good samurai and a good scholar. When he was 16, his dream was to learn about the world. He wanted to be a scholar-warrior so he could help Japan trade with other countries and understand ideas from all over the world.

Niishima secretly read books from other countries and studied the Bible.  At that time, signs said, “Reward for the capture of Christians!  Death to the followers of Jesus.”  Niishima knew it was dangerous, but he believed in God and became a Christian.

It was also illegal at that time to leave Japan, but Niishima wanted to learn more.  He secretly got on a ship and went to America.  In America, he studied very hard.  He went to a preparatory school, college, and then seminary to become a pastor. Niishima’s new dream was to start a Christian university in Japan.

After 10 years, Niishima returned to Japan.  In 1875, he built Doshisha Academy in Kyoto. He was only 32, but he had already accomplished many things. Niishima wanted Doshisha to become a university to make Christian leaders for Japan: lawyers, professors, ministers, businessmen and statesmen.  He devoted his life to making his dream come true.

In 1890, Niishima showed his strong faith as he said his last words, “Peace, joy, heaven!”  After he died, other people carried on this work.

Today, Doshisha is a university with over 25,000 students.  It is a symbol of Niishima’s faith, hard work, and dreams. I hope that all of us can follow Niishima’s example and achieve great things in the future.

Let us pray.
Dear Lord,
Thank you for the chance to learn.  Help us to do our best and to work hard as we study.  Please guide us as we try to achieve our dreams.  In Your name we pray, amen.

Peace and prayers,
Christine Eige

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Patrick and Jacqueline Bencke serve at Kyushu Lutheran College, a college of the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kumamoto, Japan. Patrick teaches English and Jacqueline works in the music program. In their recent newsletter, they offer some thoughts on respect for the elderly. To support the Benckes or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Mr. Taniguchi, senior, gave a testimony at a recent outreach concert where Patrick and I performed. As a youth he experienced the typical raw anger toward Americans during World War II, but after receiving Christ and the gift of baptism, he has become a rock of faith in the Kumamoto community.

September is the month when Japan observes Respect for the Aged Day. Elderly people are respected for their wisdom and experience, and this holiday (yes, it’s a national holiday, so there’s no mail service) is usually celebrated on a small scale within the family, with kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids coming together to honor the more mature members of their families. Often, the traditional Japanese foods are served for meals instead of relying on the more recent additions of fast foods and more highly processed foods.

At our church’s observance this year all the members of the congregation who are 75  or older were recognized and given a small gift at the end of the service. Interestingly, I was shocked to learn that some of the women who were honored were 75 or older – not just because they have a good hair-coloring jobs but because they are so healthy and active!

One thing I appreciate about Japan is how every day is sort of Respect for the Aged Day. This is evidenced by the polite language used to address older people and how so often students or young adults will give up their seats on the bus for folks who are a little older. It is heartening to see this, despite the ever changing society that seems to be drifting from its traditional values. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have such a holiday in the U.S.?

Patrick and Jacqueline Bencke

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Christine Eige is an ELCA missionary in Japan serving as a ESL teacher. To support Christine, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Christine Eige

Recently someone, from the church I attend in Kumamoto, asked me to write a self-introduction for the church newsletter.  After I got over the shock of needing to write such a long paper in Japanese, I got to work.  A special thanks goes out to Fukuoka Sensei for helping me do all of the editing.  I am still learning Japanese, so forgive the very simplified vocabulary and sentence structures.  Now, after much effort and editing, I am proud to present you with a bilingual experience.  Enjoy!

(Here are the just the opening sentences of Christine’s self-introduction with the English translation.)

神水教会　Ｎｅｗｓｌｅｔｔｅｒ

みなさん、こんにちは。　クリスティ―ン・アイグ　と　申します(もう)。　私(わたし)は　Ｊ３

として　アメリカ　の　アイオワ　州(しゅう)　から　来ました(　き)。　私(わたし)の　家族(かぞく)は　五人(ごにん)　です。　私(わたし)の　両親(りょうしん)は　小学校(しょうがっこう)　の　教師(きょうし)　です。　　私(わたし)の　父(ちち)は　年(ねん)に　小学校(しょうがっこう)　を　退職(たいしょく)しました。現在(げんざい)、学校(がっこう)関係(かんけい)の仕事(しごと)をしています。　また、　父(ちち)は　教会(きょうかい)の　会長(かいちょう)も　しています。　私(わたし)の　母(はは)も　毎週(まいしゅう)　教会(きょうかい)で　オルガン　を　ひいています。　そして、兄(あに)　が　二人(ふたり)　います。　二人(ふたり)とも　結婚(けっこん)しています。　一番上(いちばんうえ)　の　兄(あに)には　娘(むすめ)　と　息子(むすこ)　が　一人(ひとり)　ずついます。　ニ番目(にばんめ)の兄(あに)には　息子(むすこ)　が　二人(ふたり)います。　私(わたし)は　家族(かぞく)　と

ともに　すごす　時間(じかん)　が　なに　よりも　大好き(だいす)です。

Hello, I’m Christine Eige.  I work as a J3.  I’m from the state of Iowa in America.  There are five people in my family.  My parents are elementary teachers.  My father retired, but he still works part time for the school district.  My father is also the church president.  My mom plays the organ at church each week.  I have two older brothers.  They are both married.  My oldest brother has a daughter and a son.  My other brother has two sons.  I love spending time with my family.

To read Chrstine’s entire introduction in Japanese, go to “Musings of a Dawn Trader.”

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John Hoyle is as an instructor of English as a foreign language in Japan. To support John or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

John and Haruko Hoyle

My first semester as an English conversation instructor at Hongo Student Center has flown by, lending credence to the old adage about the correlation between the rapid passage of time and enjoyment! Indeed, with the warm welcome I received from the center’s staff and students, it would have been impossible to feel anything other than a sense of pleasure. As the Psalmist writes: How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1

Hongo Student Center excels in making the newcomer feel welcome.  In the few short months I have been there, I have not only been blessed to be on the receiving end of their warm and caring outreach to the stranger in their midst but also have been privileged to be a part of the center’s mission of  outreach and fellowship.

The Hongo Student Center Fellowship Retreat took place in June in Nagano Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo.  Nagano Prefecture is known for the beauty of its mountains, called “the Japanese Alps,” and was host to the 1998 Winter Olympics. Students, teachers and staff enjoyed walks in the woods, a visit to a nearby hot springs and a cook-out. There was also time for reflection, Bible study and worship. I came away from the weekend with my spiritual, emotional and physical batteries recharged!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

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Dana Dutcher is an ELCA missionary stationed in Tokyo. She teaches conversational English and works with several ministries of two congregations, Koishikawa Lutheran Church and Hongo Lutheran Church. To support Dana, or another of the ELCA’s nearly 250 missionaries, go to www.elca.org/missionarysponsorship.

Dana Dutcher compares getting to know people in Japan to cracking coconuts.

One biggest hindrances to developing the Christian church in Japan is the sense of “community.”

Japanese people tend to be like coconuts, hard on the outside, layer upon layer of hard exterior, taking forever to crack into. And I have cracked a coconut before — trust me, it’s hard. But once you finally get through all the exterior hardness there is a soft fruit and milk on the inside where a friendship can form.

Americans on the other hand tend to be like peaches. Soft and easy to penetrate on the outside, but once you get into the core, we get harder to crack. Americans easily open up their group and accept you in, instant friends. I have met people on airplanes and heard their life stories before takeoff. But Japanese people on the other hand , it takes years to really get to know someone. They are guarded and careful with what they share. This characteristic can make it difficult when trying to integrate people into new groups, as in bringing people into the church.

Many of you reading this have been Christians your whole life. We’ve been surrounded by Christianity our whole life, so for us being a Christian is easy. I didn’t lose anything by being a Christian. My family didn’t disown me; my friends didn’t leave me. I didn’t bring shame upon my ancestors. But for a Japanese person who converts, these are some of the issues that they face. Turning your back on hundreds of years of tradition to become a Christian isn’t easy. Leaving the community of your old friends and family to join a new community of Christians is not something that happens over night here. It can take years, even decades, before someone feels their ties are strong enough to a new group to commit themselves. This is where the challenges for the church in Japan arise.

You can read more from Dana at her blog, The Land of the Rising Son.

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John Hoyle, an ELCA missionary in Japan, is an instructor of English as a foreign language at Luther Junior and Senior High School (Luther Gakuin) in Kumamoto and assists with a Lutheran congregation in Kumamoto.

John and Haruko Hoyle

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your many messages of concern and support following the Great East Japan Earthquake. Unlike many hundreds of thousands of families, Haruko and I were completely untouched by the disaster. Your continuing prayers for strength for those affected, as well as your generous support through ELCA Disaster Response has been heartening.

I have new missionary duties at the Hongo Student Center. I lead eight adult classes of English conversation and five children’s classes at the Center. Students in my adult classes range from high school students to senior citizens. I have beginner, pre-intermediate, intermediate and advanced classes. The children’s classes are divided by age group: 3-, 4- and 5-year olds. Besides teaching English, I also lead a weekly beginner Bible class at the Center. The students’ questions really keep me on my toes! At Hongo Lutheran Church, I am in charge of an English Bible-study class on Sunday mornings and preside at the evening English service. It all makes for a very enjoyable and fulfilling week. I am deeply thankful that I have been able to continue my missionary service with my life partner, Haruko, by my side!

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

John Hoyle

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