二十八回 アドナイ・エレ修養会

This weekend was the 28th Annual Texas and Oklahoma Japanese Christian Retreat.  That's not the official name, but it's a good description, if a tad long.  This year it was at Latham Springs, near Aquilla, TX, which is around the corner from Waco.  

To be honest, I wasn't really looking forward to a nearly four hour drive to the middle of Texas, especially after driving to Amarillo and back last month (twenty hours).  Also, when my friend invited me, I wasn't all that keen to go considering how poor my Japanese is and that other glaring fact that I'm not Japanese.  And I would only know like two people there.  (Unfortunately, of the forty-some Japanese Christians I know of in Houston, only four of us made it out there to represent.  Actually, three, if you don't count me.)

Still, I figured it might be a good chance to get to meet some Japanese who were fellow Texans as well as brothers and sisters in Christ.  I also would find out that this would probably be Pastor Takarada's last time since he plans to move on from Japanese Baptist Church of North Texas.

 

Brrr.  Pretty chilly and overcast.

I stayed in a dorm room with eight other guys, but no one was in this place at the end
of the road to tell me to get off the deck.

I didn't make the Friday evening part since my friend advised against trying to find the place along back country roads in the dark, so I drove up early Saturday morning.  Like 3:30 a.m.  When I poked my head out of the car around sunrise, I was shocked to find that a cold front had come in and it was a good thirty degrees cooler than it had been in Houston.  Needless to say, I didn't anticipate the need to pack a hoodie or jacket or Japanese カイロ hand-warmers.  (Late Saturday night, some of the folks made a camp fire with s'mores, but I turned in before that.  Must be getting old.)

The fellowship was wonderful.  There was a cozy level of familiarity even among strangers.  Of course, there were fun times like finding out we knew people in common or had visited someone's hometown before in Japan.  It's just a shame most of them live so far away - sweet, dear people that I would begin to miss as soon as we had cleared away the tables and chairs from lunch on Sunday and packed up to go.

 

The trails skirting the retreat ground were pretty nice and came near to touching the Brazos River at a few points.  I also saw some turkeys a couple times, but never could get a clear picture before they scuttled off.

There was plenty of singing, teaching messages, testimonies, small group prayer, and even a talent show including everything from a juggler to comedy to a skit of Joshua and the Battle of Jericho to an obaachan-style Jewish dance.  One of my favorite moments would have to be when Pastor Kroeger's wife, who is nearly blind, was gently led up to the stage and, in the most heavenly voice, sang songs like "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus." 

Marching around with the Ark (omikoshi?)

Rather spry and にぎやか

 

So a taste of Japan, some new friends, and a bit of nature to boot.  All in all, a memorable weekend.  Next year will be hosted in San Antonio.  If I'm Stateside then, I hope to see you there too.  Gotta start planning for what we'll do for the talent show.  I'm thinking manzai.