The cherry blossom – or Sakura- is Japan’s unofficial national flower.
It has been celebrated for centuries as one of the most beautiful and delicate parts of the Japanese culture.
Sakura blossoms bloom for only a few days during the warmer months of spring. And so, every March and April millions of Japanese take the time to gather in parks, castles, along riverbanks and where ever the sakura grow for the past time of ‘hanami’ or flower viewing.
But why is this? What is it about these small pink flowers that draws people’s hearts and minds?
We asked one of our missionary-kids what life is like growing up in Japan, and here is her answer.
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A Wind of Grace is Blowing in Yoshino!
Yoshino church is located in the southern part of Nara Prefecture, and was planted by WEC International 55 years ago. At present, Pastor Ushiroyama and his family are working in Yoshino church. Our missionaries Richard and Candy Yim who are a Singaporean and Hong Kong couple moved to Yoshino 2 years ago and have been working together with this Japanese couple.
Rakusei church is one of the most inspiring ones I’ve seen in Japan. It has young, middle-aged and older members, and lots of new Christians. I spent four months with them in 2008, as part of my orientation period as a new WEC Japan missionary, to see first-hand how a Japanese church operates. I enjoyed spending time with the 10 children and 30 adults in the church, and learning about their ways of being family together and their outreach methods.
ChungKyu & UnMee Lee, with their children Seung Min (4 yrs) & Seung Yeon (7 mths), joined WEC Japan this summer. Here they tell their story of being ‘sent out’.
We have two supporting churches back in South Korea. It is a very interesting story how they together came to send us here to Japan.