Sakura (cherry blossoms)

"Have you seen the Sakura in Fukushima yet?" For the last two weeks it's all my Japanese students have been talking about.  Japanese people wait all year for this very small season when the Sakura trees are in full bloom.  Radio and television stations (as well as newspapers) continually offer updated information as to when the Sakura trees will be in full bloom in each region of Japan. 

Sakura (cherry blossom) trees don't actually produce cherries.  Their flowers are incredibly beautiful, though.  And, while the Japanese will wait all year to see these blossoms, the actual flower only stays on the tree for a matter of days.  Some of my students travel to different regions during this time of year just to enjoy the beauty of the Sakura for a more extended period of time.

It just so happened that I had some free time the last Saturday in April, when the Sakura trees in Fukushima City were in full bloom, so I took a few pictures.  Enjoy!

Easter Greetings from the Selle Family

Dear Friends and Family:  We would like to send you our greetings on this blessed Easter morning: 

We love you.

Eric and Haidee

Song at the Empty Tomb

Now you leave us trembling and weak,
no more the sureness of death,
no more the world that I knew,
life that is new with each breath. . . .

. . . .Here beyond the shadow of death,
here where the day breaks anew,
there is no future but faith,
there is no promise but You.

Song at the Empty Tomb

by Marty Haugen

(A musical setting of the Resurrection according to Mark 16:1-8.)

Kids Camp (number 2)

On March 27th and 28th we led a second Kids Camp at a retreat center in Aizu - higher up in the mountains behind Fukushima City.  (Click here to read more information about the Kids Camps in our earlier blog post).  This camp was by far the most ambitious event to date, as we all spent the night together up at the retreat center, and planned a lot of English games and songs for the kids.  We also planned the retreat to have an Easter theme:  sharing the story of Jesus' death and resurrection, and participating in an Easter egg hunt.

Everyone hauling their luggage into the retreat center.

"Bento" lunches (pack your own) upon arrival.

A very cute snow outfit!

Thankfully there was still some snow left on the slopes!

We had a lot of fun sledding.

Playing in the snow.

The girls (with Olga's help) made a snowman.

Eric unsuccessfully sledding down the hill (can you see the sled?)

Haidee was a little more successful.

Back indoors we led some kid's songs. . .

. . . and played some games.

Pastor Nomura is a kid at heart!

That night we had an indoor "candle-fire" in the assembly room.

 

More songs around the fire.

The next morning Pamela, with Olga translating, tells the Easter story.

Then the kids went outdoors to hunt for Easter eggs.

Back indoors for craft time.

The leaders gather after the event.  Do we look tired?

(Left to Right: Pastor Nomura, Pamela, Haidee, Eric, Olga, Mariko)

Please continue to pray for wise and successful leadership of these events, and for families living in Fukushima to be blessed by this ministry.