Global Ministries

In the late Edo period, the founder of Doshisha, Joseph Hardy Neesima (1843-1890) left Japan for the US at the age of 21, defying an overseas travel ban in the process. For Neesima, who was intolerant of restraints on freedom in the stifling feudal society in which he grew up, it was an adventurous quest to seek a land where greater equality, freedom and human rights were the norm.

Jeffrey Mensendiek - Japan It was a very impressive moment to be in the presence of people from such diverse backgrounds, and to be brought together around one theme; PEACE. The Inter-Religious Conference on Article Nine of the Japanese Peace Constitution, organized by NCCJ in November 2007, brought together over two hundred people from various religious and national settings. My sister Martha and I were there as simultaneous interpreters. Present also were Cally Rogers-Witte and David Vargas, co-executives of our Common Global Ministries. What brought us together? And why now? These are some of the questions that I want to address in this letter. I arrived in the interpreter's booth thirty minutes before the session started, and received an explanation of how to use the equipment. I was nervous because I had never interpreted for such an event before, and I knew that my role was vital for the cross-cultural exchanges that were about to begin. But I also felt deeply honored to be there, to serve for furthering the spirit of Article Nine. Down below I could see participants filing into the auditorium. There were faces I could recognize from the minority Christian community in Japan. Takako Doi, a long standing member of parliament, a Christian woman, gave one of the opening speeches. There were Indian faces, Korean and Chinese people, Americans and other Westerners. Each speech brought us closer to understanding what was at stake; Article Nine and its meaning for today. Article Nine was born in those post war years when the Japanese people had suffered greatly from the devastation of war. Part of the problem had been the unrestricted power placed in the hands of the leaders of State, which had victimized its own population by going to war. "War brings death both to the body of the victim and the soul of the perpetrator." This phrase captures the nihilistic momentum of war itself. The first realization I had during the conference came to me visually, as I could see with my own eyes that Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Hindus could together affirm their common commitment to protecting life; and this out of their deep commitment to a religious tradition. It was a community that came together to declare, "No More War!" Article Nine of the Japanese Constitution renounces war as a means of solving international disputes and prohibits the maintenance of armed forces. Japan is one of two nations in the world which possess such a constitution. This Constitution was written for the Japanese people themselves; to protect them from a belligerent State. The irony is that US interests in the far-east are evolving such that with strong US backing, the Japanese government is taking steps to revise its own constitution, and to do away with Article Nine. Today in Japan there is an internal struggle between powerful nationalist political forces that want to militarize Japan, and other grassroots people's movements which want to renounce war once and forever. The constitution is scheduled to be reviewed in 2010. The people will eventually cast their vote. When I speak to the grassroots citizen's groups I often tell them that citizens of the world are watching Japan. Article Nine is a treasure not only for Japan, but also for a world of people who want to see a world without war. Some see Article Nine as a major impediment for stability in Asia. Japan has not made efforts to build bridges of reconciliation between its Asian neighbors. A Korean Buddhist priest and a Muslim Malaysian professor both said, that "a militarized Japan would send shivers up our spines." A Japanese pastor from Okinawa shared with us his struggle to prohibit the construction of yet another US airstrip on their beautiful island. "We the Okinawan people suffered greatly during Vietnam and during the first and second Gulf wars by providing a base of operations for the US military. We know the destructiveness of war. We are both victim and victimizer. How

Our focus is still on the "Comfort Women" issue in which women were used by the Japanese military in the 1930's and 40's. In the present day, prostitution near military bases and trafficking of women and children has become an issue. Pray for: The various agencies and organizations that are dealing with comfort women. Renewed faith that the Christian minority can be a prophetic voice in this increasingly secular society. Mission Personnel Luzares, Casilda English Literature Professor at Doshisha University JeffreyMensendiek Director, Gakusei (Student) Center, Sendai Martha Mensendiek Teacher of Social Welfare at Doshisha University Partners Doshisha University Japan North American Cooperative Mission Kobe College Korean Christian Church in Japan Miyagi Gakuin WomenΓÇÖs University National Christian Council of Japan Tohoku Gakuin University Tokyo Women's Christian University United Church of Christ in Japan

Asian Rural Institute (ARI) is a training center for rural community leaders set on a 6 hectare farm in Northern Japan. The focus of the training program is to create an educational environment in which these leaders can discover within themselves and within their people a more desirable image of community. They learn how to observe situations, identify local resources, and discover ways to use and enhance those resources. At the heart of the program is the concept of 'foodlife' - holding significant value in human life and the food that sustains life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greetings from ARI. This morning I woke up to snow all across the grounds of ARI - the first snow we've had this year. In a few weeks we will begin planting our seedlings in the greenhouses. The weather is still too cold for this, but we will keep them warm by planting them in beds on top of composting leaves. The natural heat of the rotting leaves makes a perfect environment for them to germinate. We are also busily preparing for our class of 2008. We have invited 28 women and men from 14 countries and are working and praying that all will be granted visas have safe and eventless travel. Attached is a report of our 2007 Training Program. Just a reminder that in addition to the OGHS donation of $4,000 that was put toward the scholarship of Gede Suarna of the Protestant Church in Bali, Global Ministries also provided ARI with an institutional grant of $5,000. We are very grateful for this steady support for ARI that you have been providing on a yearly basis. This report is response to the Institutional Grant that was put toward the 2007 ARI Rural Leaders Training Program. We thank you greatly and hope that you find this report satisfactory. 2007 ARI Training Report Steven Cutting Ecumenical Relations The Asian Rural Institute Japan Email: ecu@ari-edu.orgThis email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Web: www.ari-edu.org

Esperanza y sanidad

Cuando entren en un pueblo y los reciban, coman lo que les sirvan.  Sanen a los enfermos que encuentren allí y díganles: "El reino de Dios ya está cerca de ustedes." Lucas 10:8-9

Jeffrey Mensendiek - Japan

"Wherever in all the world the Gospel is proclaimed, what she has done will be told in memory of her."   Mark 14:9

She died in a car accident in north India in March of this year. Tomoko, age 40, was a Christian, and mother of two children. In her college days she had joined a study tour of north India, sponsored by the Sendai Student Center where I now work. This exposure trip to India had changed her life. She had fallen in love with the people of India, and her encounters had given her a sense of direction in life. After college she became a high school teacher. Her students loved her for her frankness, openness and inquisitive spirit. She had also been a leader among Christian youth in Sendai, active in finding ways to encourage young people in the faith. Her death was a great shock not only for her family, but for all of us that had known her. Why Tomoko? Why now?

Martha Mensendiek - Japan

We have been having a particularly hot and humid summer this year in Japan. One friend described being out in the hot rays of the sun as actually being painful!

Memorandum of Understanding, Japan-North America Mission Forum

In response to the commitment made to one another at the final meeting of JNAC in January 2005, we, the representatives of churches in Japan and North America, held the Japan-North America Mission Forum under the theme of "Mission in Japan - Perspectives on Cooperation in Mission," from March 27 to 29, 2007 at Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, Japan.

Joining the representatives from the United Church of Christ in Japan, the Korean Christian Church in Japan, the Presbyterian Church in Canada, the United Church of Canada, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ (USA) and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the USA and Canada, and the Reformed Church in America were several resource persons and ecumenical guests, for a total of 56 persons.

Since 1992, the Women's Committee of the National Christian Council Japan, along with other women groups in Japan and other victimized countries, has continued to look for a solution to the "Comfort Women" (women forced to serve as prostitutes for the Imperial Japanese Army during WWII issue. During this time we have had many opportunities to meet with these victims and have become convinced that their testimony is true. We, therefore, support their appeal for redress, an official apology and legal compensation by the Japanese government.

Fold Paper Cranes for Peace