December 2007

Dear Friends,

Greetings of peace, joy, and the love of Jesus Christ from HELP, the Asian Women's Shelter in Japan.

Volunteers from Goldman Sachs with ex-residents (children) begin to paint the mural in the children's corner of the dining room.

From all the staff at HELP, we send a heartfelt “thank you” for your continued support, which has enabled us to continue our work in 2007.

Last year in November, we had to move to another building on the same compound owned by our mother organization (the Japan Christian Women’s Organization, or Kyofukai) due to the inadequate earthquake resistance of our old place. The new place, once a single woman’s dormitory, is not adequately equipped for use as an emergency shelter. In order to make the new place fit for use as a shelter and safe and comfortable enough for residents, a fund-raising project for renovations was added to the already busy staff’s work. We are happy to report that a few small-scale renovations have been done, but most of the major renovations are still to be made.

The finished mural painted by the Goldman-Sachs volunteers and the children.

We publish a newsletter twice a year. I would like to share with you the native-language support we have at HELP through one of the articles of the this May’s issue. The original newsletter is written in Japanese, which is translated into English by a wonderful volunteer, an American who lives in England.

A Thai staff member writes

An important role for the interpreter at HELP is to lay out for new residents in detail how life is organized at the shelter. At HELP, individuals with many different nationalities and troubles are all staying together, which makes this role of clearly explaining and establishing understanding so essential. Incoming residents who have suffered painful experiences (most commonly, human trafficking in the sex industry) may have a great deal of emotional insecurity and in some cases may not be able to trust us staff members. To help residents open their hearts, I approach with courtesy and speak from my heart. For a newly admitted resident, simply to be able to speak in her native language is a great relief. Whether chatting or in an interview situation, the words alone bring peace of mind and make it possible to relax.

A Filipina staff member writes

The majority of new residents who I work with are Filipina women who have suffered violence at the hands of Japanese husbands and run away with their children. When they arrive at HELP, these women are dealing with a great deal of worry and anxiety. Compounding these problems, they also face the huge impediment of the language barrier.

It’s essential for them to be able to communicate in Tagalog about the issues they face with regard to the future, and for us to explain carefully about welfare support, divorce proceedings, welfare housing for mother and child, finding an apartment, etc. To give an example, M faced the physical violence of her husband and the verbal abuse of his immediate family, and she came to HELP with a great deal of anxiety. Having experienced this kind of violence from the Japanese people around her had made her afraid to communicate with Japanese people, extremely nervous and insecure, with a sense of being tormented by everyone. When she was able to speak in Tagalog, though, she could listen to advice and little by little her feelings softened. After that, her smile became visible for the first time, she began to get along well with the Japanese residents and gradually adjusted to life at HELP.

When non-Japanese women and children come to HELP, in most cases their faces express anxiety, as if wondering “What kind of place have I been brought to?” Adjusting to the communal life of the shelter can be difficult for anyone. In the midst of language and cultural differences, this difficulty is multiplied. At HELP, the extremely sensitive, supportive interaction of Thai and Filipina staff builds a bridge between these residents and the Japanese-speaking staff members. By supporting them in their daily activities, the various strengths of each new resident can be discovered, and as these are strengthened, a trusting relationship is established. In time, the women can bring themselves to talk about the harsh realities of their experience, which they may never have described to anyone before. The languages offered at HELP are still limited, but we keep working to assure people that HELP will provide an environment of safety for anyone who comes to us.

We can accommodate a maximum of 15 people. Unfortunately, some or all of the rooms are always occupied by survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, or homelessness. Our director compared HELP to the inn in the parable of the good Samaritan. Your support has provided us encouragement, both material and spiritual, which enable us to continue our work to make this inn a safer and more comfortable place for women and children in need.

May God fill your hearts with Christ’s love, joy, and peace at this Christmas. Happy New Year!

Yukiko Altman
Tokyo, Japan

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 252