Tokyo Anabaptist Centre a hub of activity
The Tokyo Anabaptist Centre has been a busy—and sometimes dusty—place this year, reports Gerald Neufeld, Canadian church worker in Japan. Neufeld and his wife, Rie, who serve as relationship catalysts with Mennonite Church Canada, hosted workdays with volunteers at the end of December as part of a renovation of the Centre. While only partially moved in,…
Connections, cleanup and construction in Japan
Gerald and Rie Neufeld, who left Canada for Japan last year, are taking an active part in the life of Japanese churches while still relating to their Surrey, B.C., congregation, where Gerald previously pastored. In a recent report, he writes: “As of the beginning of April, we have finally officially begun working with…
Everyday Epics
More stories of the past at Kumomoto. Stories that complex-ify. Japan not as a cohesive, evil, military power all seeking destruction of neighbouring nations, but as a land of people in various societies with each their own different story of life and love and suffering, dominance and loss. There was a civil war as recent…
Stories of Salvation
Blame. Hatred. Lament. Ignorance. Shame. Defense. It might just seem like stories of the past, but the struggle for history brings out deep feelings, as I discovered in our visit last year to Kyoto. I had heard the Korean narratives of suffering under numerous invasions and finally occupation from Japan. The Korean story is our…
Seek the Peace of the City
The view was breathtaking. On a clear day, from the 52nd floor, they said we should be able to see Mount Fuji. It was too hazy that day, though. All we could see were the blocks and blocks of concrete, towering buildings, and grids of traffic. Ah. I miss the city. While I love connecting…
A Tale of Two Farms
We were on the island! The train had risen about the surface of the water out of the underwater tunnel that had taken us a half hour to traverse. We looked at the rural villages, the mountains, the fields. This was Hokkaido. On our trip to this northern island of Japan, we enjoyed the food,…
At the Table
Pastor Ishiya met us at Fudoin station and we drove the ten minutes up the hills, through the back streets, until we arrived at a traditional Japanese house – Hiroshima Mennonite Church. Although only 9:15am, the sun was hot and bright on our necks, and with relief we stepped inside the cool building. Fans blew…
Tied to One Another
We sat in a large circle in the lounge, some sitting straight with legs crossed, others stretched out on the carpeted floor. One by one we passed the “talking piece” and we invited to say a few words about the experience of the last few weeks. I think the organizers of the evening from NARPI…
Creating a Space for Peace
Looking back, it was one of the most energizing and renewing courses that I’ve taught so far. The combination of my co-facilitator, the participants, and the content was great, but more than that was the space that we created together. Theory and Practice of Peace Education took place in the second session of the Northeast…
Legacies of Hiroshima
It’s hard to hear the stories. The images are sickening. My imagination cannot grasp the kind of suffering the people of Hiroshima endured and even survived. My faith in humanity shakes when thinking of what humans did to each other and to creation. I heard these stories first 10 years ago with a visit to…
