Thanksgiving Day

Today was another holiday in Japan, Culture Day. The Sagamihara church, pastored by Abe Sensei, had a Thanksgiving Day lunch and concert at the church. It is an outreach event to invite people to come to church and experience an American style meal and tradition. So of course they wanted me to attend and it was a really relaxed and enjoyable time--at least for me it was after I got myself lost on the way there as I rode the bike Abe Sensei let me borrow. It's been a long time since I've ridden a bicycle, and even though everyone rides bikes here--even the elderly--to get around I still felt like I was going back to childhood days.

To the left is a picture of the Sagamihara Grace church and it is also where the Abe's live. So if you haven't gotten the idea yet, Thanksgiving Day is not celebrated in Japan. This was my change to take part in the real holiday I'll be missing while you will all (Lord willing) in a few weeks be enjoying true Thanksgiving Day foods and football games with your families and loved ones. For a little switch up, why not try eating Turkey with chopsticks or sitting Japanese style on the floor this year?

Well, anyway, Tom (the Abe's son-in-law) did an amazing job on the turkey and there was even cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. I did miss my mom's yams though...As you can see there were quite a few people there, families with small children especially. Everyone had a nice time.


After the meal, there was a Christian couple who came to give a concert. They played the guitar and pianica (piano + harmonica), which I had never heard before, and some other instruments. It was nice chill music to get a little sleepy by after such good eating.

Pray a blessing for the Abe's, their family, and the church. Their vision is to grow so that they can buy and build a new church on the lawn beside the current church building/house. Right now they already don't have much room to hold everyone for Sunday morning services. To be out of room, what good problem to have!