Treasures New and Old

Whenever Boomers discuss hidebound traditionalists, etc., I get left behind really fast! Sometimes I feel like my life has been nothing but change. This sentence from a recent email my father sent might best serve to illustrate my point: "My memory roamed back over the 160 different cars I have experienced."

What do you think the chances of this man choosing a hide-bound church were?!

A Favorite Hirosaki Scene

"On the opposite pole of trying too hard to appeal to the masses and consequently losing the substance of faith is the idolatry of traditionalism...

This idolatry is not well combatted by throwing everything out, however, for there is a great need for continuity in the human psyche..."

Marva Dawn, "Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down" "

People looking on at us from the outside may see missionaries who have spent 22 years in the same place - but what we do now is not very often much like what we were doing 22 years ago!

Marva Dawn speaks a lot of the need for a dialectic - a balance between old and new, change and tradition. Or as Jesus put it, "...every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."

As my husband so often points out, the key word is "treasures" - not "new" or "old!

I wish I were a cat

My husband is always joking about being a cat and lying by the fire.



I can kind of get to that sentiment today.... Its cold and cloudy with intermittent rain. And the cats certainly do look comfortable!

But actually, I am happy with my life. Dijir keeps asking me - its his question for everyone this week! And yes, I am.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. "

1 Timothy 6:8

Ginger Jam

This was supposed to be a photo of Dijir and me - because I like the ginger jam almost as much as he does - and the lettering on the jar should be prominently visible. But as my husband says, "If you are going to be so fussy, do it yourself!"

Dijir with his Ginger Jam

So what started out as a promotion of ginger jam has turned into a reflection on the nature of delegation.... I do think that a delegator should be able to give a few directions and expect them to be considered. On the other hand, I've seen how the micro-managing tactics of some leaders are really counter-productive in the end. (Control freak that I am, though, I almost envy them. How do they ever get people to do what they want?! )

The Best Korean Restaurant in Mutsu

Last week I drove up to Mutsu to pick up Daughter #1. Typically, although she was here a week, I neglected to take a single photo of my own daughter! I did, however, manage to take a few photos of Grace for her grandfather before driving home from Mutsu on Thursday.

Grace

I met Yuko, Grace and Anna at Charan Poran - a Korean Restaurant that Luke and Yuko frequent. The food is good and the kimchi is all you can eat. For those of you lacking stronger attractions (i.e. family!) this place is definitely worth the trip to Mutsu. (Luke has made a map if you need directions.)

Mrs. Keiran Nakanishi (formerly Kim) with Grace

How Will Our Children Remember Us?

I've been thinking for several weeks now...

It started with reading Edith Schaeffer's "The Tapestry". At first there was so much I wished to emulate. But as the pace picked up I began to feel a little uneasy... Does God really mean us to live at such a frantic pace?

And then I got curious about their son, Frank Schaeffer... I'd seen one of his books in my brother's church and that had been niggling me a long time. So I looked him up. He is NOT being kind to his parents. Rather venomous actually.

Edith and Francis Schaeffer

I've been thinking deeply ever since about parents and children and faith and passing it on. I won't share all my thoughts just now but I do agree with the person who commented on Frank Schaeffer's blog:

"Having read this and the previous post I find them sad. Sad in the sense that there seems to be such a difficulty in stepping back and seeing the wonder and mystery of people such as parents who, despite being deeply flawed, were still capable of making (I assume) positive contributions. Will our children remember us with the same degree of judgment and bitterness? "

First Daffodils of Spring

When the snow first began to melt Mary and I couldn't resist ... we bought a potted daffodil. But now, though I don't have a photo yet, the banks along the road are showing spots of yellow.

Our early taste of spring

Today I saw that the cherry blossom trees in Hirosaki Park are budding... But I think I love the wild daffodils the best.

The Easter Weekend

I finally downloaded the photos from Easter Weekend... and as usual we seem to have been thinking more of our guests than the camera!

On Good Friday we had a supper to which we invited our friends. It wasn't a fullblown Passover supper with Matso Ball Soup, etc. But we did have the basics - bitter herb sandwiches, lamb, etc.

We were joined by new friends...

And old friends...

And of course we had a rooster cake!

Easter Breakfast

We don't have a sunrise service in Ajigasawa but every year the Sunday School Department fries fish for breakfast to remind us of Jesus giving his disciples breakfast on the beach. We haven't braved the beach in many years, but this year the weather was so nice that we did have breakfast outside on the picnic table.

The Lamb Cake - AM in Ajigasawa

This year Goshogawara Church joined us for the morning worship service and lunch together. But, of course, I didn't take any photos of the event. John did manage to snap the cake.

The Lamb Cake - PM in Hirosaki

John wasn't there for the evening service in Hirosaki - he was filling pulpits for absent missionaries in Kanagi and Itayanagi - so the only photo I have from the English Fellowship is this one my friend snapped on her cell phone! Again it was too exciting for me to remember the camera. For once I counted - 20 adults and 6 children. But what excited me was the number of countries involved... Japan, America, Canada, Nepal, Brazil, France, Thailand, ... and the testimonies/response of the young people.

Children Who Watch A Lot of Television...

One of the books I ordered came today - and I'm already hooked!

"My concern for the Church to reach out without "dumbing down" faith had its origins in Jane Healey's weighty book, Endangered Minds. A trainer of educators, Healey wondered why teachers kept asking if they were less capable or if kids were actually dumber than they had been in the past. Their questions led to her massive research, which uncovered several shocking facts - the most notable of which is that children who watch a lot of television actually have smaller brains (pp. 47-55, 195-234). Considering multiple factors in home and society, she cites overwhelming evidence to convince us that, indeed, many children in contemporary society actually are less intelligent and less capable of learning than their forebears."

- Marva Dawn, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down

I wonder if anyone I know has read Jane Healey's book? I think that's the next one I'm ordering!

Where is Angela?

Everyone keeps asking me whether Angela arrived in Germany safely. I think so. But her village doesn't have good internet access so the last time we actually heard from her was when she emailed from Tokyo that she had made all her connections.

March 25th - Angela's Last Sunday in Ajigasawa

Angela always did prefer the phone. Perhaps I should phone.

Marvelous Grace

Yuko just mailed me from the (airport?) bus. Luke and Yuko are just back from Canada where they introduced Grace to all the Elliots and some (my brother Samuel, wife and 6 kids and my mother) of the Mannhardts .

Great-Grandma Elliot watching Grace

My husband's sister sent us photos and these 2 were my favorites!

Marvelous Grace

This week at the Sunday afternoon English Fellowship in Hirosaki we sang "Marvelous Grace". I wonder if I'm ever going to sing that song again without thinking of my grand daughter?!

Palm Sunday Reflections

Palm Sunday we always have a hen cake on the front table during the service. It reminds us of Jesus' words as he looked over Jerusalem:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, `Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' " (Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34)

Palm Sunday - Hen Cake

This year Mary put the hen on a nest which really brought the words home to me because it reminded me of my son Luke's hen (long ago) with the little chicks peeping out from under her wings.

I thought of Jesus' words again yesterday as first one young man and later another talked to me about Gandhi - such a great man - but as both young men pointed out in their own way, a man who wanted to trust in his own righteousness.

The pathos of those words, "but you were not willing."

God's Happy Surprises

Yesterday Ajigasawa Sunday School FINALLY went on our long planned trip to Hakodate for 教会巡り. In other words, we went to Moto Machi and visited the churches that everyone visits. The original plan included staying over night at Mary's place - since we first planned this when she was still in University - and going up to Nanae to take in the Youth Night.

In front of the Catholic Church

In the end, however, we only did a day trip (7 am to 9:30 pm), took in just 4 churches and only sang in one of the churches - Mary's church, which is, incidentally, the 3rd oldest in Japan. When we did the trip to Hirosaki we sang in EVERY church.

Lunch at Morie - our top favorite (Russian) Tea Shop

Naturally, we had lunch at Morie where the Elliots have spent so many memorable occasions - making decisions and celebrating. (The proprietor's wife gave Mary and me each a bear hug when we went in - she remembered us!) We ate piroshiki and drank Russian tea. And then God gave me a special treat!

Johnny's 2 friends, Johnny, me, Hironari, Dijir, Ayaka

Shion, Mary, Rieko, Junko

In walked a young man just like Johnny Fong who stayed with us in the summer of 2004. In fact, it WAS Johnny Fong - come to see the famous Foreigner's Cemetary with two of his colleagues. It was a special moment for me... one of God's happy surprises.