July 11,2007

Greetings from rainy Nagasaki, where the clouds obscure the hills and even hide the bay bridge! This morning the streetlights were still on two hours after sunrise.

Thank you for your continued support through prayers and gifts of encouragement for God’s work in various places. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) could not serve around the world without you.

In Japan there are four seasons, as students of English are happy to point out, but the transitions are marked by weeks of rain, especially as spring gives way to summer. In an area not far from Nagasaki, more than 20 inches of rain fell in two days last week (making a total of more than 36 inches in about a week), leaving many households cut off and needing to take refuge in schools. Where I live, we rarely get that much rain, although 25 years ago (the summer before I arrived as a missionary) there was a deadly flood, as trees and landslides filled streams, which then knocked out bridges near the shopping area in the center of downtown Nagasaki. The stores were seriously damaged there and about 300 people, including relatives of some Nagasaki Church members, lost their homes and even their lives. Since then, the river has been provided with overflow safety channels and the bridges rebuilt more securely.

Rainy season lasts from early June to late July, and usually the middle part is no worse than living in a sauna, with humidity over 85% and night-time temperatures above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. When true summer arrives, the humidity will decrease slightly, balanced by a rise in daytime temperatures to the low 90s. For environmental reasons, Japan practices “Cool Biz [business],” which means that men are not required to wear neckties to work, and air-conditioning is not supposed to be set below 82 (F). Perhaps needless to say, students and teachers find it difficult to concentrate on ideas under these conditions, but first semester classes at Kwassui Women’s College continue from April to the end of July, with examinations in early August. We always hope that typhoons do not disrupt the schedule, as heavy rains can delay some local trains for up to two hours.

In this season I have recently joined colleagues in attending regional parent-teacher meetings in two areas of northern Kyushu (two to four hours away by school bus). Few parents actually attend these any more, but the ones who do attend are concerned that their daughters graduate on schedule and be able to find employment; some are also interested in safe programs for study in English-speaking countries. All our students who want to obtain a teaching license must arrange for practice teaching in the junior or senior high school where they were enrolled. I travelled about an hour and a half by local bus to one of Nagasaki’s outer peninsulas—to which local Catholics had fled for refuge from persecution about 350 years ago—to observe one such teaching situation. The supervising teacher is a Christian graduate from Kwassui’s Department of English fifteen years ago. We are grateful that Kwassui’s Christian influence continues in the community.

The Rev. Cho Sa-ok and some of the seminary students who visited Kwassui from Korea. They believe God is calling them to mission work with Japanese people. Photo by Yamada Kiichiro.

Last week, Kwassui Women’s College had visitors from a Methodist seminary in Korea. The students who came feel called to evangelism with Japanese people either in Japan or in other parts of the world where there has been some progress in inviting Japanese people to join with Korean congregations. Uplifting encounters such as this make clear that God is at work in the world even when the climate feels oppressive. Our attention is caught by little surprises that encourage us. One such surprise was the delivery at 8:30 last Saturday morning of a frozen smoked salmon from the northern island of Hokkaido, courtesy of a textbook publisher that still practices the traditional Japanese custom of mid-summer gift-giving. I am teaching English to the first-year students in the Department of Nutrition using one of this publisher’s books called The Wonderful World of Food, so maybe they thought this was more appropriate than the pens and other small items that are usually sent.

Thank you again for all the gifts that God has given that you are sharing to make God’s mission a reality in this world.

Yours in Christ Jesus our Savior,

Barbara

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 249