Heather: Day in Asakusa

Hi Everyone:

I just wanted to add to Kelly's thoughts about our day in Asakusa. It was a very sobering experience to see Asakusa and the Sensoji Buddhist temple through Richard Nakamura's eyes. Asakusa is an old area of Tokyo that has become a tourist destination, mainly due to the location of the Sensoji temple there. Many shops and restaurants line the walkway to the temple, and the gardens and ponds lend themselves to many great photo opportunities.

But Richard had us take a closer look at the people and observe their faces as they worshipped and appealed to the God's for healing and blessing. I saw many old, disabled and sad looking people, slowly making their way along the path to the temple. They would buy incense and burn it in front of the temple, wafting the smoke on themselves and their children for blessing. There was also a place where they could dip into a basin of water and do the same.

Inside the temple people would throw money onto an altar or buy fortunes and hang them there for blessing. There was also an area where they could rub a statue of Buddha on the places of his body where they needed healing. The look of intensity on some of their faces made you realize the seriousness of their pain.

We spent time in the temple and around the grounds praying that the people would find Jesus, the true hope for their hurt and pain. As parents brought their children to the altar, we realized these children would follow the same path unless something changed. I look forward to our VBS as an opportunity to touch these children and parents with a new message of hope and love...

Thanks for your ongoing prayers and support :)
Heather