Going to where the children are

When we moved to Sendai in 2013, I discovered when jogging one day that children walked to school at the same time each morning (see my Summer 2016 Japan Harvest article, “Running as a Ministry”). By consistently running in the area for eight years, I met many children.

In 2019, we moved to another section of Sendai, and I kept up the practice of jogging by the local schools. One of the local mothers I knew encouraged me to run on the grounds of the local middle school where her children attended. The principal approached me, and when I told him my connection to the area, he invited me to run with the students who were practicing for an ekiden (long-distance relay race) over the summer break.

Then COVID came to that location, and we were unable to have gatherings. But I still met many children on my jogs. I began to write postcards to the schools to let them know I was praying for them and to thank them for their greetings. Some of the students and staff I met on my jogs thanked me for the encouraging letters. On one occasion, a group of mentally challenged girls I often met when they were walking from their dorm to their high school stopped me, and one of the girls handed me several letters thanking me for greeting them and sending them postcards. I also introduced myself to the crossing guards on the route then greeted them by name each morning. During my last week in that area, I let them know that I would be preaching at the local church one last time. One of the crossing guards came to the worship service with a bag of gifts from the principal of the school to thank me for greeting the children and sending them encouraging letters.

Getting involved in Obanazawa

Now my wife and I are in Obanazawa in Yamagata Prefecture. There is no church building here. Again, I run by the local elementary school and middle school. On snowy or rainy days, I walk to the school and stand by the front door to greet the children as they arrive to school. The first week of running there, I carried meishi (business cards)and introduced myself to the principals and other staff who might be standing in front of the school. My coworker and I also introduced ourselves to the local police, who stopped to question us on our first week running. Now the police sometimes call out a greeting on their patrol car speakers when they see me.

My wife and I have been invited to school events such as undōkai (sports days), cross-country ski races, and imonikai (an outdoor gathering common in the fall in Tohoku to make and eat a meat and vegetable hotpot). At the middle school undōkai, my friend and I were invited to sit with the local VIPs. I was also asked to be a referee of sorts for one of the games.

Being present in daily life

We often see children with their parents at the grocery store or other places. The children introduce us to their parents. (Usually, the children whisper to the parents who we are, and then the parents greet us.)

We live across the street from a park. When children are there, we sometimes go to the park to chat with the children. Often, they ask us to play games with them—tag and dodgeball are most common. There are signs that say the children can’t play soccer or baseball because of the fairly busy street on the other side of the park. My wife introduced the children to the game of S-P-U-D, a game we played growing up. She renamed it S-T-O-P, and now children will actually come to our door and ask if we can come out and play with them. It really is funny when a child comes to the door and asks, “Can Sue-chan or John-san come out to play?” My wife also leaves some balls in the outer genkan for children to borrow whenever they want.

Getting creative with connections

We have intentionally been moving slowly to gain trust in this new town. However, last November, our Fall 2023 D House interns (see Japan Harvest Summer 2022 article about D House) who were either jogging or walking to the local schools to greet the children started a simple 30-minute children’s English time at our house. In the four weeks they did it, they had 13 different children come. More recently, my wife started an English cooking class at our house. Several mothers come and bring their children. I think this will evolve very quickly into a children’s outreach ministry, and because of lack of space, we’ll probably have to move to a community center.

Before Christmas, I asked the elementary school principal if my wife, coworker, and I would be helpful or distracting if we dressed as Christmas characters before their New Year’s break. The principal said the children would love it and that Christmas morning would be best since it was the last day of school before the break. The reaction of the children and staff and parents was remarkable when they saw Santa, Mrs. Claus, and an elf standing by their school to greet them. One little boy ran into my arms to give me (Santa) a hug. From the school, we went to the city office in costume; the reaction among the office workers there was equally as enthusiastic, and we were even taken to the mayor’s office.

In February, some of our coworkers in Tokyo came to see us and our ministry in Obanazawa. Just for fun, we went to Tokura Lake Snow Land, a place to sled and play in the snow. A yōchien (preschool) class happened to be there. We sledded down the hill with them. One boy right away wanted to sled with one of the young missionaries. They shared a sled several times down the hill. As the group of children was about to board the bus to return to the yōchien, the principal had them thank us in synchronized Japanese style. Then I exchanged meishi with him, and he invited us to come play at the yōchien.

Intergenerational outreach

In all three locations we’ve lived in Tohoku, we’ve volunteered at the local after-school program (called jidōkan in Sendai and gakudō here in Obanazawa). Sometimes the children will almost fight with each other to be able to be with one of us. Where we live now, one of the gakudō teachers is a Christian. We’ve not only been able to serve by occasionally being there but also by providing various craft supplies (this is something my wife is very good at).

One of the desires of the church we cooperate with is that we reach out to the young people. As the church is primarily made up of people in their sixties and older, they didn’t have natural connections to children. However, I had worked with high school students in hi-b.a. for many years, and my wife had been an elementary school and preschool teacher. Through the connections we’re making and through the involvement of church members in some of our activities like the English cooking class, the Japanese believers are connecting with the children.

There are many ways to get children to come to where believers are, to come to the local church. We’re planning more of those even now. Additionally, I also think there are numerous opportunities for us to go where children are to initiate relationships, build trust within their community (school, family, etc.), and then create opportunities for more direct communication of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Photos submitted by author