Stories: News from Abashiri
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My favorite part of my trip was a trip to Abashiri, where I dendo'd 1988, Feb-Nov. I went on the limited express which makes it to Kitami from Sapporo in about 4.5 hours (but is too pricy for a missionaries pocketbook) and took a rent-a-car from Kitami to Abashiri after visiting the new (to me at least) Kitami building. My wife and I stayed at the Abashiri Viewpark Resort and had an awesome view of the ocean, shiretoko peninsula and Abashiriko all at the same time. Abashiri truly is one of the most beautiful places created by God.
Saturday night the Branch Pres. Ujie hunted me down and invited us over with many of the old branch members and we all remembered each other. It was interesting to see how many of the old missionaries they remembered and I gave them yoroshiku from those of you who contacted me. I was especially happy to see Tomita shimai, whom I had taught along with her husband and two boys the whole time I was there, and after I left, had all gotten baptized. Tomita Kyodai was down in Tokyo working for the winter. Takahashi Shimai was there, as was Watanabe kyodai, Satake shimai and the elders, a Barnum choro and another one with a name that was too much of a mouthful to remember, who had just arrived in Hokkaido that tues. and looked very bewildered and jetlagged. Hopefully I was able to comfort him a little bit and encourage him in this trying time for him. The members were all very kind and didn't look like they had aged much at all from 16 years ago. Shimada shibucho (16 years ago) had become the Chihobucho and was in Kushiro for some meetings and I regret not having been able to meet him. He was a big help to the missionaries in my jidai in spite of being so very busy. We stayed up until 10:30pm talking about old times and I learned a few items of sadness also. Morikoshi kyodai was no longer coming to church, over the last 10 years it appears. It sounded like Sasamori shimai and her sister Sugawara shimai had moved to Kitami and had both become less active also. Kudo Hitomi shimai, I forget her married name, moved to Engaru, which is an hour and a half commute to Kitami branch and had become less active it seems. The other Kudo's, still faithfully come to church, but the husband, who was transiently active 16 years ago, is less active again. Takahashi Eriko shimai had moved to Asahikawa and is not active in the church, to her mother's dismay. The Takeda's, whom I didn't know 16 years ago, were excited to talk to us since my mother-in-law was instrumental in her mother's baptism earlier this year. Abashiri shibu was greatly boosted to have a young shimai who's name I have forgotten, get baptized and go on a mission a year later, to Washington DC. It was apparently quite a thrill to receive letters from her. She has since also moved on to bigger and better things in Asahikawa.
The next day I watched Conference with the branch and was glad to see that they now have more members coming out, upwards of 50 people, with Kobayashi Kyodai and shimai (Mako chan, who grew up with my wife in Atsubetsu) and their child having just moved in that week to Shari, just 40 minutes from Abashiri, and having had other reinforcements move in lately. Apparently, this fall they get to pick out land for a building to be built, but they need to continue to increase their numbers if they are to actually have the building built. The Sisters in Atsubetsu said they thought that 70 members attending Sacrament a week would do it. I didn't know why they need so many, when places like Kitami only have 30 or so members out each week and still have a building built for them. I forgot to mention that they are now using the 2nd and 3rd floors of the old building and that there is no longer a music store beneath them so that we don't have to be bothered by Madonna wafting thru the floorboards any more while we are partaking of the sacrament. In any case, I was very inspired to see the level of dedication present among the members there, so separated from the rest of the members in Hokkaido, with none of the study resources that I enjoy here in San Diego, no temple within driving distance, with only their testimony, scriptures, and the tightness of the branch support to keep them encouraged in the gospel. It's very humbling to see what they do with so little and contrast that with how we here in the land of plenty can squander so much.
The missionary apartment had changed since the Dai Machi apato on that cliff overlooking the ocean, but I was able to find the old one.
There was a baptism of Chie chan's boyfriend done just a month ago (they do their baptisms in Kitami now), and apparently he is quite a source of contention in the Ujie household. It appears that he holds some promise for going on a mission and has expressed his desire to go, but is slow in translating that into action. We'll give him a little time since he's brand new.
I reluctantly end this letter since it is getting long and there is not much more to tell. I feel like ending this letter also ends the journey that brought me such great joy. Truly my patriarchal blessing was prophetic when the patriarch said that the experiences on my mission will bring me more joy than I can comprehend at the time of their occurence. I'm beginning to comprehend that now. |
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