The young probationary pastor preached today. I can almost sing the Gloria Patri in Japanese! Practice practice practice!
After worship today the women invited me to their meeting. I have been with them often enough now that they treat me like I am a regular member - no big fuss because I am a visitor. After singing a hymn and a short Bible study (they have read their way through the New Testament and are now reading through the Old Testament - today was Exodus 26) the business meeting began. Most of the discussion centered on the evaluation of their spring fund raising Bazaar. Prices too low? Prices to high? Weather too cold!! (It was held outside the first day of May) Much of the funds are put away for the time years from now when they will build a new church building.
Before the cookie walk days we sold chili at our bazaar in Langley. The women at Murusakino church sold sushi and pickles!
The men of the church had fixed a very nice lunch on Mother's Day so the women had quite a long discussion about what to fix for the men for Father's Day. They finally decided to have a table set up with many things on it and the men could choose and make their own sandwiches. I told them we would call that a Sandwich Bar. They all thought that sounded like a wonderful name - foreign, therefore fancier. So "Special Men's Sandwich Bar" will be a surprise for the men in June.
It is a beautiful sunny day today. After we had come home the Pastor's wife and two other women bicycled to our house to invite us to lunch next Friday. It is fun to get to know them better each time we come and lunch with a smaller group is great for conversation.
