TRUFUS MAGNETS

It was an adorable "I'm Sorry" magnetic bookmark. "What can I say?" the puppy said; "I didn't mean to. Really." He'd been caught in some act of mischief; chewing up his master's slipper, maybe. Aww; so cute. Only a cold-hearted owner could hold anything against him after this!

But I realized too often, I do the same thing. If, unfortunately, an offense I committed comes to light, I shift responsibility from my need to repent to the victim's unwillingness to understand me.

I found another magnet: a pump organ, the kind found in old churches. Tragic but true--those who line the pews of those places--I am one of them--tend to want to be seen as "not meaning to do anything wrong", as good persons.

It's taking me a lifetime to begin to see what the Bible has been saying forever.

The truth of the matter is, God is crazy in love with me just as I am, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT I AM, BUT BECAUSE OF WHO HE IS.

So I changed the words on the bookmark to read: I DID mean to. Really. I'm a dirty rotten rascal. But can you find it in your heart to forgive me anyway?"

We'll All Look Different ONE DAY

I'd called him "My Funny Bird on Tengan River" and a few minutes ago found out he's called a black crowned night heron. Heron? But he's the size of a duck, and his legs are about 6 inches long. His beaks look sharp and pointy like a heron, but nothing else would've let me guess he's part of that bird family!

It was on the river that ran on the side of our new home in Okinawa I saw the bird. This week, I finally found out what he was. Mon, my sister Joyce drove me down that river towards the capital of Okinawa to apply for my passport renewal. The picture of myself ten years ago looks so different, I thought.

On the way back, she was kind enough to take the time to drive around the neighborhood where we'd grown up, and lots of old memories revived.

 

The way we found the place was because our home used to be behind a huge tomb. As we drove, we could see a little ways from the road--unkempt now because the custodian himself probably had need for a tomb himself--was a large stone structure.

"Joycie--the TOMB!" We turned up the narrow path and looked at the completely changed appearance of the place, the area around it. The only thing that looked the same was that you could look all the way down the hill and see the ocean.

So...we used to live...here?

When we got home, I saw a snail on the wall and almost said to it, "One Day, we're ALL going to look completely different.

You probably won't need to be lugging your house around on your back either."

I get in these moods.

WHO'S WHO、誰でしょう

10枚の古い写真を見つけました。誰が誰か分かりますか？みんな変わったね～。

Here are 10 pics--can you identify anyone in the pictures? What do you mean, that's not fair, they're all wearing masks in the first one? 

最初の写真は、みんなマスクされてる,顔が見えないって？せめて姉の里子と西野たかし先生ぐらいは、分かるでしょう？

この2番目の写真撮影の時、先生は何歳だったのかな？

My parents and the Starins (with Baptist World Missions): parents and four children are all in there too.

Daddy used his own "Birthday Banquet" as a large outreach--many folk who normally have nothing to do with church, of course came to honor Daddy. このハイランダーの食事会と女声特別賛美、覚えていますか？

The next 2 photos only GBC church members--those who've been here a while--would be able to identify. この若いお母さんたち、誰？そして、この子供たちはだれ？なつかしい・・・

Can you find Kiyo in one of the earliest pictures taken at this church? She's in blue with the ribbon down the front.

The 4 elderly ladies on the left chose my name from scripture when I was born.

そう、そう、あの具志川バプテスト教会にあったイエス様のことば：「わたしが道であり心理であり命である」。４５年前の平川教会時代でも、５０年前の古堅伝道所でも、現在の具志川教会・天願住まいでも、イエス様は、変わらないのね。

You can see by the first picture in this blog, Joycie is known as our musician. But all 3 of us were given piano lessons growing up, so Janice and I do a little piano too. Janice, in fact, is a piano teacher, and the pupil you see her instructing here has grown up to disciple others in hymnplaying in their churches.

Unexpected Hope Beyond the Grave

I don't know Yoko well, just know she is the mother of the little boy at a meal gathering--we'd had the traditional Okinawan pig intestine soup then--it may sound strange but is a special dish in that home. Here is the collage I drew, in black and white, of my Feb. '24 visit's last few days, not knowing I'd be back later that year to live on the island!

Nobody was aware that in March of 2025, we'd receive notice Yoko's mother had died. Janice was already back in the U.S. so unable to attend the funeral or convey condolences to Yoko. (Here's a crop in the sketched colors.) But along with the news of her passing was another bit of surprising information.

We found out her mother had made intermittent visits to a church on the other side of the island, a place she had gone to as a little girl. Of course, we have no idea if Yoko's mother received the salvation message for herself. But we had never heard Yoko's mother had any interest in things of God; it was a ray of light, especially for brother and sister Masaki and Sachie, mentioned earlier in this blog (Feb. 5, 2024 - this is their picture, posted here in black and white).

When my sister Janice befriended Masaki and Sachie, they were children and the only Christians in their family. Their parents found the Lord--their father just before he passed away. This is the sketch that was blogged Feb. 17, 2024, posted here in black and white. Now the siblings are in their 30's. and are hearing a brother's mother-in-law may've received Christ too!

We just continue to obey as we plant seeds of hope, turn the sod, sprinkle the water, and weed out varmints. The way God then chooses to bring us fruit is, well, up to Him.

コケシ人形と潮汐表

バプテスマを受ける人が準備をする時、知り合い・親戚を誘ったり、服をそろえたり、質問に答えられるように、聖書をきちんと読んだり、心の準備のために祈っておいたりするけれど、

潮汐表を調べる人は、いない。。。よ、ね？

少なくとも、ジュンちゃんは、自分のバプテスマ式のために、そんなことをしなかったと思う。いままで導いてくれた神様のことを考えて、感謝でいっぱいになっていたに違いない。９日（日曜）のバプテスマ式が終わった後、

ジュンちゃんは、このことを証してくれた。その後、教会員と受け入れられ、皆から、特別なこけし人形が渡された。体は巻物の色紙だった。これからは埼玉に行くことになっているので、「沖縄の教会から離れても、主から目を離さないように頑張ってください」などと、励ましいっぱいこもった贈り物でバプテスマ式が終わった。

*   *   *

あ、あの潮汐表？自分と姉妹のバプテスマ式は、沖縄の宇堅ビーチでされて、そのときは、ちょうど引き潮だったので、スゴク遠くまで歩かないと、水は腰まで来なかった。だけど、そこでバプテスマを授けられても、岸に立っている人の顔は見えないので、全然証にならないので、浅いところで、ひざまづいてバプテスマを受けることにした。

あの時のバプテスマ式の写真は、一枚もない。しかし、同じ宇堅ビーチでされた、別な日のバプテスマ式の写真が見つかった。この写真では、私たちは２，３，４歳かな。ちなみに、一番左にたっているのが、１００歳で亡くなった川端トミ姉。母に抱っこされているのは、妹。私は永田おじいちゃんの前に立っていて、写真の左、母の前に立っているのが、姉の里子。

THE CREATOR SEES ME TOO

I don't know if you remember a picture taken when Janice was still here, with 3 little kids in the front with their mother and grandmother. They come to GBC from time to time--happy to see them again, I hurried to the kids' room in the back where the children met during the worship sermon.

Sunday morning's children's lesson was on Creation, and Mami used the Japanese flashcards to tell the story. How good it is to know that the great, big God who rules the universe cares enough for little ole me that He would want to take a week to make an entire world for me to live in! 

After the Bible story, the kids could use the playpen or play games...Mami brought out the Jenga blocks this week!

The little 4-year-old wasn't interested in Jenga or the playpen and wanted his mother's attention--who, unfortunately, had her hands full with baby sister! But the God Who put the stars in space saw this little feller too, seemed to know he would have an affinity to the camera. He simply watched as buttons, toggles, dials were used; then learned to focus, zoom, even flip the finder to take selfies!

Mami's husband had preached a few weeks ago about how God had to come Down to humans who were building a Tower of Babel Up to Heaven. I had to smile at Mami who tenderly looked down at our junior cameraman's older brother who was building up the Jenga Tower, wonder if she even remembered that sermon.

Perhaps not. But no matter. The kids had made one promise at very beginning: not to touch the foodstuff on the table, because that was going to be put out after the baptism. That 4-yr-old had no problem keeping his hands off because he was busy photographing it! And a few minutes later, Mr. Kina cracked open the door, saying they were starting baptism; did we want to watch? Oh--that will be a latter post. 

WHO'S SMILING NOW？

What's in a name? I know my sister Joyce completely fits hers. The characteristic  every Christian needs to have, she often says, is JOY. You can know a lot about God and the Bible, be able to talk about truth and even be able to be a real practical help to people you're with...but if your life isn't radiating happiness, it's all pretty worthless. I think Joyce was born--over 60 years ago--smiling.

By the time I got to Bethel Baptist Church up in mainland Japan, where she worked for 16 years with co-workers Joe and Noney Mita, the believers there knew her for her "Joyce Smile". I found a photo of her last Dec too, down here in Okinawa last year, when we went to a nearby park in the evening for a light show, and I called to her for a candid shot. She quickly turned around, waved, and yes...she was smiling.

Yesterday was Joyce's birthday, supposed to be the nicest day of the year, but although she won't make a fuss, she wasn't feeling well. Instead of birthday cake and fizzy pop, I took her milk toast and soup on a tray with a "Happy Birthday Joycie" sign.

Some 60-year-old engines wheeze at night and the body tends to rust and not run as smoothly as before. (This photo was taken when we went out on a day she was feeling better!)

But I couldn't help marveling at my sister's way of living: she offered me no-caffeine tea, knowing I was looking for something that would not aggravate my restless leg problem. She wanted ME to smile; wasn't even thinking of herself!

How many people do you know who want others to be happy on their birthdays? Jesus was born because he wanted us to know eternal joy.

TO THE CLINIC

Cold weather had been forecasted, so I was going to put off my doctor’s visit for another day, but I opened the door Fri. afternoon and saw how nice it was out. Kinya and I found ourselves donning windbreakers and taking off for the clinic.

Apparently, we weren't the only ones who'd decided to go out today. I stopped in my tracks and got a picture, when I saw, down in the river we were crossing, a...Cormorant! I'd NEVER seen one there in the almost 10 years I've come here to visit!

The Common Coot nearby, I've seen before so didn't get excited about. This is the bumpy-toed bird that doesn't know it's not supposed to be able to swim well because it doesn't have webbing. His red-masked cousin, the Morehouse Hen, is the other non-webbed duck I've seen in this Tengan River. I told Kinya about the swimming birds. 

"Look! There goes the Kawasemi!" He motioned to a shiny blue dot flying across the water. I saw it as it was flying but lost it when it stopped. 

"Where?" I asked.

"There, in that brown area!"

I pointed my camera in that direction and pushed the shutter blindly. Later, when I checked the closeup, look: it was there!

I think Kinya and I work together well, don't you?

He goes to the clinic with me, spots the flying sapphire for me, and I get a nice picture. Okay; so he does all the work, and I get the happy results just by instantly turning the camera in the direction he said.

Isn't that the way it is with Grace?

医院からの帰り

そう、昨日は、定期的に医院に行ってきて、いつもの薬をもらってきたの。帰りは、また遠回りして、あの橋で渡ることにした。水鳥たち、いるかな。

あ、白鷺、いた！そしてバン（白い額版）とオオバン（赤い額版）が近くで泳いでいたし、今回は鴨もいた。そして、初めて見る模様の、スズメ大のヒナ（アイの子？）がちょっと離れたところをくるくる回っていた。車ではないけれど、このようなヒナをハイブリッドというらしい。ハイブリッドちゃん、頑張ってね。

家の方に向くと、自由に飛び回ったあと、雀鷹（ハト大）が電信柱の上にとまったのに気がついた。やっぱり大好きな沖縄は変わっていないと、思った。国際結婚がいっぱいあるし（だから愛の子もいっぱいいる）、ほとんどの人は小さくても、「ゴーイング・マイ・ウエイ」（我が道を行く）と、いまでも力強く生きている。沖縄に戻れるように斎藤家を導いてくれてありがとうと、神様に感謝するしかなかった。

みんなが神様に心を向けるように、用いられたいなと、思いながら家に帰ることにした。あまり暗くなる前に、そしてこれから寒くなりそう。

THINGS TO TALK ABOUT

Now that I'm in Okinawa, I can talk about what I saw. The Iwatsuki Park is 1000 miles away.

I didn't tell everybody when I saw the Kawasemi mostly because I didn't want cameramen to come running to take its picture and scare the bird away.

But snakes, I dared not tell anybody, because I knew as soon as I did, people would just hunt them down to kill them.

So, when the beautiful albino snake DIAN showed up at the Irrigation Ditch; or I got to be good friends with LEGOLAS on the hill behind Quasi Pond, I said nothing.

Even when the large Ao DAIsho let me sketch her on the front park; I tried not to utter sound of it for a while, at least until she'd had time to slink away or be hidden in her shrub, where she'd be safe.

I mean, she was nonvenomous and completely harmless, but huge so could be kinda unnerving.

I just remembered something else I needed to talk about.

In my book about Mommy and Daddy, Parts I-III had Japanese subtitles which were excerpts from a sign on Daddy's headboard (roughly translated: "Living in the Lord's Memory").

When Jesus walked the earth, His memory was of a time He was perfectly one with the Father in heaven, and He died for us so that we could live like this someday. How thrilling it is to think we are privileged to have fond Father-child thoughts with the King of Heaven!

Yes, He could've created us to be clouds, rocks, or even snakes (this is Legolas)--but He chose to have us born as human beings that we could have relationship with Him. Are we fortunate, or what?

We really need to be nice to these less fortunate slithering critters, don't you think?