JLMM News Letter MISSION

Vol.147 issued on 31 May, 2012

2012-05-31T10:00:00Z

Contents

◆The first activity report by new missionaries・・・・・・・Ms. Harumi MACHIDA
Ms. Risa MATSUMOTO

◆Know more about MDGs Goal 7: "Ensure environmental sustainability"
Kompong Luong Floating Village, Cambodia・・・Mr. Masashi SHINODA

◆The Great East Japan Earthquake Report on the activities in Fukushima
・・・・・・・・・・・Management

Vol.146 issued on 31 March, 2012

2012-03-31T10:00:00Z

Contents

◆Know more about MDGs Goal 6: "Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases"
AFMET (The Alliance of Friends for Medical care in East Timor),
East Timor・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Satoko WATANABE

◆Letter from Cambodia ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Mr. Takeshi ONO

◆Letter from Cambodia ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Sakiko ISHIDA

◆2011 new Lay missionaries leaving for Mongolia・・・・・・・・・Management

Vol.145 issued on 29th February, 2012

2012-02-29T11:00:00Z

Contents

◆Mission completed (Cambodia)・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Mr. Masaya TAKAHASHI

◆Mission completed (Cambodia)・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Mari HAMADA

◆JLMM Gospel charity concert・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Management

Mission completed (Cambodia)

2012-02-29T10:00:00Z

Mr. Masaya Takahashi was sent to Kompong Luong, Cambodia in 2006 and completed his five years' mission in July 2011. He has a lot of memories about the people he met during his stay.

By Mr. Masaya Takahashi (Yonezawa Church, Niigata Diocese)

Having completed my mission in Cambodia and come back to Japan three months have passed. Sometimes I recall the days in Cambodia, but when I am busy in my daily life in Japan, I feel my Cambodia time as an illusion.
I relaxed in my home for a while and conducted some debriefing sessions. After that I got a new job and started to work. I am on the way to the next stage of my life. Prior to that, I like to close my Cambodian days. This is my last "Letter from Cambodia".

Farewell to everyone
When I was going to terminate my Cambodia mission, I was imagining the scene of leaving the people in the floating village. "What will they say to me?" "Maybe they are not so sentimental...." After all I did not know what would happen. All I knew was that I would cry for sure.
When the last day was approaching the village people said something here and there. The words in the brackets are my thoughts.
A: "Masaya is leaving us. He will not come back, won't he?" (I am leaving not because I no longer like you.)
B: "Is he leaving this month? Why not apply for the extension for one year?" (At this last moment? I have already bought the air ticket.)
C: We will feel sad and lonely after he leaves. So we should have a bad term with him now so that we wont' miss him. Shall we hate him now?" (Oh, very unique idea.)
D: "Are you going somewhere? Please buy some medicine for me at Phnom Penh on your way back here. (He does not understand that I go back to Japan for good. I won't be back. What a shame!)
The church leader Mrs. Panam whom I contacted, talked, called, argued, consulted with, worried about and was deceived by the most in my Cambodia life said to me, "You really go back, don't you? I will hit you. I mean to hit you hard. Then you'll have a pain. The pain will make you to remember me, won't it?" "-----" I felt shy. (She is good at talking.)
The very day came. I went to Phnom Penh to receive my father. He came to Cambodia for the first time just before my last day of Cambodia, and next day I brought him to Kompong Luong Floating Village.
From the city we went to the dock through the rough road which I had gone up and down more than thousand times and boarded the boat. It is our school boat which was made by the support and donation from Japan. (It broke down many times and costs so much for repair...) Though the scene of the floating villages is too familiar to me, it gives me different feelings and discoveries every time. The scene often changes because the village people often change their house boat, which is unique.When we arrived at the church, the children were waiting for me lining up. I thought I was a guest this time. I used to get children to line up to welcome our guests but this time they welcomed me. They were all familiar to me. They were studying in the literacy class in the church or had completed the class and were studying at the public school or dropped out of the class or were from poor families and had never entered to school or children of the church people. When I saw their singing, I recalled memories of each child. I share the memories with everyone. I patted them on the heads and sometimes butt. (I wondered whether they would remember me.)
Some selected children sang a song with choreography which they had practiced so hard. The song was familiar to me but had the different words meaning "Thank you, Masaya, for having let us to go to school. We'll never forget you." They danced singing the filksong. I found the literacy teacher Ms. Roata who was usually shy was dancing with them this time. (They are aperforming very hard for me.)
In return my father played a guitar and sang. (Why my father?!) It was my father's hobbyhorse, "Baraga saita (Roses bloomed)" which was not a piece for children at all. Before singing he was requested to translate the words. The children appreciated the song very much and my father had overwhelming requests for encore. He felt good and sang "Hitorino chiisana te (A small hand)". It was appreciated again!!
He was fully satisfied and distributed sweets to the children with smile. (Who is the leading?)

]]> Fr. Sobar of Floating Church brought many youths from Battambang, a big town located at about two hours by car from the floating village. I know most of them for long time. They came all the way to attend the farewell Mass for me. They sent me off and welcomed the successor Mr. Shoji Shinoda. At the end of the Mass I received the appreciative words and presents from the church leader, the foster children whom I had supported and the school teachers. In return I made a speech. I made it short so as not to start crying.
We took a wonderful dinner after the Mass. Dog meat was ready only on my table as they knew that I like dog meat. I was happy for the dinner and beer. Young people were dancing beside me. My father and I joined the dance and enjoyed ourselves.
After breakfast in the next morning the serious meeting was waiting for me. The Father, church leaders, Mr. Shinoda and I discussed about the future activities in Kompong Loung. We had a plan to open a kindergarten. We talked about how to carry out the project, how to get the fund, how much JLMM could support and so on.
Our meeting lasted for long time and I could not enjoy my last day in the floating village. I had to hurry to board the boat. (I wanted to take time to say good-bye to everyone....)
Then Mrs. Bathu approached me. She was a caretaker of the water-cleaning system. I have a lot of memories of her. When I met her for the first time, she was homeless and stayed in the church. When we built a water-cleaning system, we got her to work as a caretaker and she started to live at the system. As she stayed beside the church, I asked her to cook my lunch everyday. Though I paid her very little for the ingredients, she cooked wonderful dishes every time. One day when I was sleeping in the land house, she came to wake me up. She said, "My son got traffic accident. Please send us to the hospital." I took them to the hospital taking one hour in the darkness. After all, her son passed away and she became alone. After that she treated me as her son. As she was selling nice coffee, I made a signboard "Café Bathu" for her. I quarreled with her many times but I still like her. People called her "No-tooth Bathu" as she had lost all her upper teeth. Her lower teeth were also getting cavities at that time.
She approached me and handed me some money saying, "Masaya, now I have fully paid you back." She had borrowed money from me to go to Vietnam and paid me back the entire amount in a year. It is amazing of her. I asked her smiling, "Why at this very moment?" She started crying. Teacher Mrs. Rekana, a daughter of Mrs. Panam, was there and crying, too.
A few years ago she had a difficult childbirth and I was waiting till the baby was delivered outside the hospital. She already had two children. She often said nasty things and quarreled with me. Though I had told her to be punctual, she was still late for the class and conducted classes without preparation. I gave up supervising her and left the floating village one time. The relation, however, changed when I dismissed the staff Mr. Rah. As Mr. Rah and I used to criticize her, she did not talk to me. But after he had gone, she talked to me and encouraged me when I felt depressed. I told her what had happened and she said smiling, "You had a hard time. I will help you since he's gone." Then I realized her merits. I realized that she was late for the class and taught without preparation as she was doing house work and looking after her children. I had never imagined her situation. She always bore keeping quiet when I scolded her. She was really a good teacher. She all the time appeared to be strong but this time she was crying.
It is endless to write the memories about everyone as I had been there for five years. Mrs. Bathu and others started crying. The cooks Mrs. Patim and Mrs. Patam came, too. At last Mrs. Panam came. She was very human, a person of moods, calculating and good at talking. She came from Vietnam, learned Cambodian, started a business and reached the floating village. She lived a life full of ups and downs and was very sturdy. She worked hard not only for herself but also for others. She was warm-hearted. She walked down and punched me. She said, "Don't forget me while having pain." I started crying.
I will not forget the floating village even when I get old. I will not forget any one of them. The time when I lived in the floating village is like jewelry which can never be taken away.
I will come back one day and want you to wait for me till then.

For reconciliation
We arrived at the land and went to Siam Reap by car. I had one thing to do before showing Angkor Wat to my father and take a plane.
I had to settle with Mr. Rah, the local staff whom I had dismissed. He embezzled JLMM's money. I broke off with him after the dismissal. I thought I could not forgive him at all. At the last minute, however, I felt like reconciling him as I might regret if I would go back to Japan with such a feeling.
I also had a breakup with my previous landlord but our reconciliation was realized by inviting him to the farewell party in the floating village. I thought after all we could forget the bad memory by laughing over the dinner.
In Mr. Rah's case, however, I got hurt so seriously that I could not decide to contact him till the last minute.
Finally I made up my mind to call him on my way to Siam Reap. As I had never called him more than one year, he could not recognize my voice. When I said, "This is Masaya," he responded, "Oh! How are you?" I asked him with my heart pounding, "I want to come down to see you now, is it ok?" "All right," he said.
He came by car. I thought, "He did not have a car. Maybe he used the money of ...." I tried to negate the idea and started talking with him.
"I go back to Japan." "Oh! When?" "I'll leave tomorrow by plane." "Oh! Really?!" H looked surprised. I asked him, "How are you getting on? How is your business?" He said, "I'm thinking of starting new business," and we were talking about the status of each other. Finally I said, "I have to go now. Take care!" We took photos and parted.
I could not see his eyes when I talked with him. I did not talk about what had happened to us or say, "Things happened but I want to reconcile with you. Shake hands!" You may say that after all you did not reconcile with each other but without the words I could come to a compromise and felt like forgiving him. So I could settle the past relation with him and started to reconcile him.
After I had come back to Japan, he sent me a message through my facebook. He wrote, "Masaya, I all the time feel bad. I regret what I did in JLMM. I'm sorry."
In fact I could not find his sincerity and was angry because he behaved provocatively and turned defiant after I had dismissed him.
He seemed to have suffered for what he had done and wanted to apologize. I thought his message was not a mere show but a message from his true self, which is the God's message filled with love and warmth.
I replied to him, "That's OK. Never mind. I wish you happiness. See you!" It was the most I could write. I hope I can bridge the gap between us, meet him again in Cambodia one day and drink with him.

My mission in Cambodia for five years and eight month was over. It was really long!
This time I ask myself, "Have I accomplished the mission with JLMM spirit 'to live with people' as a lay missionary?" and "Did I share joys and sorrows with people in Cambodia and extend the God's love to them?"
I want to say "Yes!"
Six years ago I worried, "Maybe I am not qualified as I have no certificate or special skill and cannot do anything for people overseas." The director of JLMM Mr. Urushibara told me, "All you do is to offer yourself, Masaya.
I understand his words now. You do your best and Gods will do the rest. I could not do much for people in Cambodia but I offered myself including dirty feelings and pitiful deeds and was fully involved with people. Seeds I planted may produce fruits somewhere. That was my mission.
I thank those who have read my "Letters from Cambodia" till now. I wrote the letters to share my awareness and learning with Japanese people and they are the records of my growth. Writing letters was important task for me and it was my prayer. Some of the readers not only read my letters but also recommended them to others. Thank you very much.
It will take me a long time to digest my experiences in Cambodia. I will value my everyday life in Japan and live my reverse mission here. I will remember the people in floating village when I feel happy, sad, painful, excited and all the time.
Hoping to contact you again through some "letters".

Mission completed (Cambodia)

2012-02-29T09:00:00Z

Ms. Mari Hamada was sent to Cambodia in 2009 and has been working at the women's shelter in Siam Reap. She returned to Japan upon completion of her two and half years' mission. She looks back on her experiences in Cambodia.

By Ms. Mari HAMADA (Matsubara Church, Tokyo Archdiocese)

I came back to Japan in July, 2011. I, as a lay missionary in Cambodia, completed my activities. I live very relaxing day which are different from the days when I temporally stayed in Japan last year.

Honestly speaking, I have not fully looked back on my Cambodian mission yet. Many things happened during two and half years. It was precious time with a lot of meetings and awareness and more than worth having left my daily life in Japan. I thank all the people who sent me to Cambodia and accepted me there and whom I met there.

I realized that a man cannot live alone. I all the time felt being with people. When Cambodians meet you, they ask you where you are going as a greeting. They also ask you whether you have taken your lunch. Especially my landlord and friends asked me about private matters, about Japan and all sorts of things till I got almost fed up. They brought me to events whenever available. They listened to me when I was in trouble or struggling. Always many people were with me.

]]> So were the people in my mission place. Children came after me, client women came to tell me what had happened and staffs talked to me about troubles with their boyfriends/girlfriends. I also told them my problems. In my mission I valued being with the women who got hurt and I realized that people were also with me to support and I could live comfortably with a sense of security. It was indeed a happy and precious time for me.

I had lots of problems as well as pleasant experiences. But all the time Sisters, staffs, clients and local people were with me.

When the term of my mission was going to terminate, I got a strange feeling. "I don't want to go back. I want to be here." The local people said to me, "How many days are left? Why do you go back to Japan? I want you to stay in Cambodia more." They ware heartwarming words. I realized that local people had considered me as a staff living in Cambodia and I had been in their hearts.

It happened in the afternoon on my very last day. My clients dressed up and put on their makeup. Staffs who had off day were also there and smiling. They held a surprise party for me. According to a Sister those who had no initiative and always waited for instructions were furtively talking with people with initiative. A poor client saved money by the sideline (making rosaries) and bought me a present. Another client who was not able to read got someone to write for her and gave me a warm message. Each staff gave me a present. They said, "Today I want to work overnight and sleep together on the straw mat" and hid my bag so that I could not go home. Everyone had a hard time yet gave me a present and it was a precious memorable day.

I was very happy because they considered me as a friend in the shelter, not a volunteer from Japan. I felt all right being here.

What I did here is very small, not visible and with no physical figure. I did not do it by myself. Sometimes I could not find a word listening to my clients' sad past, I learned Cambodia's severe and shame reality, I got yelled in public and I became reluctant about my activities. In such situations I was supported by local people and could be with them. I grieved and struggled with them. I lived with people. Otherwise I would have surrendered alone. I am grateful for having lived and worked together with people.

I am sure that the shelter has an air of freshness with new staffs. I always pray for them and support in Japan. I especially pray for women and children in need and for those who are helping them.

Thank you very much.

Vol.144 issued on 25th December, 2011

2011-12-25T11:00:00Z

Contents

◆2011 Missionaries-Sending Ceremony・・・・・・・・・・・2011 Lay Missionaries

◆Know more about MDGs Goal 5:
　 "Improve maternal health" Kampong Luong Floating Village,
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Cambodia・・・・Mr. Masashi SHINODA

◆Letter from Cambodia ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Miyuki ASANO

◆Letter from East Timor・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Yui FUKAHORI

◆Information・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Management

"Know more about MDGs" Vol.5

2011-12-25T10:00:00Z

Know more about MDGs (Please refer to Vol.139 "What is MDGs?")
Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Kampong Luong Floating Village, Cambodia
By Mr. Masashi Shinoda (Karasaki Church, Kyoto Diocese)

This time I introduce Mother and child health care program operated in Kampong Luong Floating Village. In the floating village we have everything that is available on the land.
There is also a hospital and it is called "health center". Seventy percent of the people in the village are Vietnamese but very few of them use the center. It is because the staffs are only Khmer and the Vietnamese have the barrier of language and in dry season the water level becomes lower and the center is far on the land which the village people do not have an easy access by transportation. As a result many Vietnamese do not know what the health center is for. In order to let the people know what the center is operating and how necessary it is, we hired a doctor from the center and started the program to set up the free clinic a year ago.
Our intention was to contact all the patients but this time we targeted pregnant women and infants and hired a gynecologist. It was because the infants' lives were lost in the floating village due to the unbelievable causes.

]]> Most of the women in the village give birth in their own boats. They risk their lives to have babies. Even in the cases of premature babies they are born at home, while they receive special treatments immediately in Japan. Not only the baby but also the mother may die by a minor accident. The life on the boat gives pregnant women big physical and mental burdens.
Besides, wrong ideas and inappropriate healthcare of mothers cause their children diarrhea, dehydration and preventable diseases. As it is life-threatening for children, we started Mother and child health care program to protect the children's lives.
On Saturdays and Sundays we rented a classroom for the literacy education in the health center for two hours as it is closed during weekends. The program was with interpretation. We provided the same services as given by the health center to pregnant women and infants such as medical check-up and distributing maternity health record books and supplements of irons and vitamin. In addition we organized the vaccination and workshop once a month. The vaccination service had been available only in Cambodian resident areas before but now also in Vietnamese and those who had not known about the vaccination became to be able to receive the service. As the diseases which are preventable by vaccination are normally serious ones, I think that many lives were saved by the service.
We held workshop with as many topics as possible. The lake water is used for toilet and kitchen in the floating village. People live in an obviously unsanitary environment and it is their daily lives. They had had some wrong ideas about their environment but through the workshop they understood. Though some diseases are minor in Japan, they get serious here sometimes. It is very important to have the knowledge about disease prevention.
Many people received the services of the free clinic through a year. The doctor treated each pregnant woman carefully. She even rowed the boat to the patients' house when needed. During the fishing season, however, only few women came to the clinic. The fishing was priority for them to live.
As they used the free clinic this time, they understood the operation of the health center and when to use it. According to the health center, more Vietnamese use it now. I think they realized the importance of the health through our program.
However, as the program was limited to one year, it was closed in September. Though they still have problems of language and transportation, I hope they continue to focus on their health.

2011 Missionaries-Sending Ceremony

2011-12-25T09:00:00Z

The Missionary-Sending Ceremony was held at Chofu Congregation de Notre Dame and the Mass was conducted by Archbishop Ikenaga (Advisor Archbishop of JLMM) on 12th November, 2011. Two new Lay missionaries were blessed and encouraged by many people. We could hold a wonderful ceremony with the help of Sisters from Chofu Congregation, church people and many others. Two of them will be sent to Mongolia. Mongolia is a new mission area of JLMM. Mission started in the country only twenty years ago. JLMM missionaries will start the mission "live together" in young communities there with other Lay missionaries from many countries. The midwinter is starting soon in Mongolia and they will go there in April, 2012. We wish two JLMM Lay missionaries will live together with people in their mission areas. Your prayers and support are appreciated.

]]> To Mongolia
Ms.Harumi Machida (Tachikawa Church, Tokyo Archdiocese)

The seven months' training was over. Though it sounds long, I felt it short. Each of us left the center for new place but I do not have the actual feeling yet.
I had a lot of time to face God and myself in the various types of training. In the extracurricular study I learned the problems which foreigners faced in Japan, discriminations of the tribe and leprosy patients and everything was fresh and valuable experience. I carried on the training without stop to review but now I realize that everything was connected to each other.
I was attracted by the words "live together", I thought of the meaning and wished to live together but I despaired of my small-mindedness and ugly heart many times and I am not perfect yet. The life of four of us together meant the most to me. Living together with people of not only different characters but also different standard of customs and manners brought me surprises and wonders. In my brain I understood that we were different from each other but it was difficult to understand mentally.
At this stage I cannot simply say it was "nice" to have lived with them these seven months but I feel it necessary for my forthcoming life. I hope one day I will be able to realize it valuable and irreplaceable time and at the same time I am satisfied hoping so.
There were love to each other and the function of God when we understood the differences though we could not accept and when we could help each other though we hurt many times.
I appreciate the Missionaries-sending ceremony held for us. I would like to express my gratitude to Fathers who conducted Mass, the attendees and those who prayed for us. So many people attended the ceremony and I feel very grateful for it.
I think that the ceremony was not just a formality but the ceremony for me to remember that I am supported and prayed by many people and to return to the original stance when I get depressed during my mission in the future.
I do not know what kind of life is waiting for me in the new place but I believe God's plan and want to walk along it. I appreciate your prayers for us.

To Mongolia
Ms. Risa Matsumoto (Kogakura Church, Nagasaki Diocese)

I enjoyed these seven months.
I sometimes felt lazy to attend the training and move by train in the morning and struggled to address the challenge given by one of the Fathers.
The trainees met each other everyday. We had conflicts in minor affairs like taking out the garbage, cooking and cleaning due to our different mentalities.
Everyday was valuable. Though we could not get a certificate or earn money in these seven months, this period was a time for me to value something which looked vain. People might think that I spent a relaxing time but I took this opportunity to learn to live slowly. I lived "slowly and carefully" as my motto. It was not easy to speed down my turbine which had spun full speed in my work but I have more or less moderated the rhythm of life.
Now I believe that God certainly gives me what I want.
During the first half of my training I did not find the answer why I was going abroad now while people were suffering after the big disaster. I got impatient and consulted with the Sister in charge every week. When I started to worry about another problem, my overseas training began. Honestly speaking I could not concentrate on the training. However, after I had reached Philippines I could not help but try my best to cope with the life there with no telephone and no Japanese language. Especially when I was alone in Mindoro, I decided to focus on the reality and lived every moment carefully forgetting my worries. On the last day of twenty days there I suddenly felt that I lived my mission and almost cried for joy. God certainly responded to me.
I experienced this feeing over and over again and deepened my faith in God. Though I still have worries, I am sure to get rid of them one day. I will accept whatever I encounter now on and value the reality of my life.
I spent the great time. I really appreciate the supports of many people.

Letter from Cambodia

2011-12-25T08:00:00Z

There was a big flood which occurs only once in a decade in Cambodia. Particularly the water level of Tonle Sap Lake rose and the houses at the riverside had big damages. There was no damage in Phnom Penh but in countryside the roads flooded, the houses were covered with water and the paddies got a huge damage just before the harvest season. TV showed the people sending the aids to the isolated villages. The water level is getting lower now but I worry about the people who lost the income source.

By Miyuki Asano (Kikuna Church, Yokohama Diocese)

The business of sweet roti food stall is getting better as the children came back to school in October after the long school holiday in Cambodia. Mrs. Siwon (33) has joined the business. Her husband left her and four children to go to another woman last year and she has been working in a factory to raise the children. As she could not afford to pay the rent and to make a living, she borrowed money from many people to buy food. She used to moan to Mrs. Suleimau who lived in the same apartment about her problems. She got tired of listening to her story and introduced the food stall business to her. Then she started the business. Her eldest son is twelve years old and always came to "Children's house" to study with his youngest sister, two years old, as no one could look after her. She often cried and sulked during the lesson. Teachers said, "She is hungry because the family is poor and cannot afford to give her enough food since her father left home." Every time she cried they gave her the school lunch at the rear seat before lunch time. Her brother took very good care of her feeding her with the food and water, washing her pants which she had wetted and so on. In the evening he cooked rice and waited for his mother's coming back. I heard that he had come to ask the teachers for the rice support. The family was so poor that three children could not go to primary school during that time. In October they entered the public primary school and the eldest son could join the second year class.

]]> Mrs. Ben experienced DV, Mrs. Suleimau decided to divorce and Mrs. Siwon was left by her husband. Three of them are good friends and consult each other. They can drink, too. They say exciting, "We don't need men! We'll enjoy freely. Why not save money to play." But when a handsome guy passes by, they say, "He is nice!" I do not know their true idea. When I see the women who had hard time because their husbands drank and played all the time are now making effort to live firmly by themselves, I feel them very reassuring.
They could not finish even primary school due to the long lasting civil war. I am very glad to see that the food stall business is their first step to live their own lives. I appreciate your support.

Letter from East Timor

2011-12-25T07:00:00Z

There is no word to mean "Thank you" or "Sorry" in East Timor! Ms. Fukahori who is working in Alliance of Friends for Medical care in East Timor (AFMET) has, through her activities, realized the meaning of "gratitude" and "forgiveness".

Ms.Yui Fukahori (Yuigahama Church, Yokohama Diocese)

I asked the vocational center (CDE) to hold a marketing seminar for FINI, the representatives of "Mutual aid for health and life" (CG), the other day. The CDE trainer Mr. Aires is very cooperative and always listens to the CG members very attentively. He has already organized the training for FINI a few times and is used to it. His training has a good tempo and he tries to include all kind of things such as games and group discussions. So I enjoyed it very much.
There are four elements to do business, which are goods, prices, sales locations and promotions. The goods are sold to customers only when the four elements are appropriate. If there are problems in each element, they must be solved. When the good explanations are given to the trainees, they can understand well. They often do not understand what the trainers says even it sounds easy to understand.

]]> We have to prepare sweets for the teatime and lunch every time when the training is conducted. The trainees are treated very well being provided with sweets, lunch and transportation. What do you think of it? I have to wake up earlier than usual to boil water for teatime, go to buy sweets, place order of lunch and so on for training. The FINI members, however, do not say to us, "Thank you, AFMET staff".
At the end of the first day of the training we were evaluating the training. The participants' comments had nothing to do with the contents of the training but things like "the sweets tasted lousy", "dishes were not enough", "there was no chili with rice", etc. but no "Thank you." I wonder why they mention like that and I think about the value of the word "Thank you". Timorese say to me, "Japanese say thank you too often." They speak Fataluku and it does not have a word meaning "Thank you". I asked them how they expressed their gratitude and they said that they did not say "Thank you" to those who were closed to them. When someone says "Thank you" to me I become happy even when I am very angry. Is it ego to expect others to say "Thank you" to me? Maybe Timorese are not used to say "Thank you" and "Sorry".
A staff came late for work the other day. Though she was only ten minutes late, I was in problem because of it but she said, "Because I had toothache," "The road was bad" and the kind of things. Not excuses but only one word "Sorry" would be fine.... I wondered why she could not accept her fault.
A word of the day by Mother Theresa was "If you wish to love, you must know how to forgive a person." (I read a book "The daily word by Mother Theresa" and pray everyday.) However it is not forgiveness to ignore someone's being late. It is difficult for me to forgive the person who does not say "Sorry". How to understand each other is my challenge now. My thought branched off from the training but I will be happy if this training is a fruitful one for them.

Vol.143 issued on 25th October, 2011

2011-10-25T08:00:00Z

Contents

◆Know more about MDGs Goal 4: "Reduce child mortality"
Kampong Luong Floating Village, Cambodia・・・・Mr. Masaya TAKAHASHI

◆Letter from Cambodia ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Sakiko ISHIDA

◆Letter from East Timor・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Yui FUKAHORI

◆Information・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Management

"Know more about MDGs" Vol.4

2011-10-25T07:00:00Z

Know more about MDGs (Please refer to Vol.139 "What is MDGs?")
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Kampong Luong Floating Village, Cambodia
By Mr. Masaya Takahashi (Yonezawa Church, Niigata Diocese)

Kampong Luong Floating Village is floating on Tonle Sap Lake which is the biggest lake in South East Asia and located at the center of Cambodia. The people live in the boat houses there. Excrement of human and animals, waste and oil are mixed with the lake water and the people use it for the domestic water. Many infants die in the unsanitary environment as their immunity is weak.
Most of the women give birth in their boats being assisted by midwives. As they are not educated midwives but traditional ones who have experiences of only childbirth assistance, the mother and child sometimes face the risk of their lives. According to 2009 UNICEF statistic, sixty eight babies out of one thousand died under one year old. (Ref. http://www.unicef.or.jp/library/toukei_2011/m_dat01.pdf) As there is a gap between city area and countryside, it is suspected that one baby out of ten dies in Floating Village. For comparison, the mortality rate of babies under one year old is two-one thousandth in Japan.
The situation of environment is very serious for infants in Floating Village. They die very easily here.
Under the said circumstance the mother and child health program was started in June, 2009. The obstetrician and gynecologist come to the classroom of literacy education in the morning every Saturday and Sunday and conduct medical check up for infants and pregnant women. All together 278 pregnant women and 431 infants (monthly average is 11 and 18 respectively) have come to the clinic in these two years.
We hold the monthly workshop, too. Mothers gather at the workshop and the staffs from Village Health Center give talk under the topic of mother and child health such as health control before and after childbirth, sign of dangerous disease during maternity period, how to keep power milk and contraception. They also vaccinate the infants and mothers (against tetanus and measles), distribute iron supplement and vitamin A and so on. The health education is provided to the mothers. Having appropriate knowledge protects infants from risks and saves their lives.
The mother and child health program is partially supported by the Global Citizen Foundation（HP http://www.gcf.or.jp/）.

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There is a powder milk support in the mother and child health program. However, we support it only in special cases as the powder milk is dangerous with high risk to kill infants and it is even called "baby-killer". The risk is so serious that it has been taken up in UN. Why is the powder milk dangerous while it is commonly sold in Japan?
In poor areas in Asia the powder milk is used by many people. It is the effect of the CM of TV and free sample distribution by makers. It is natural for parents to want to give good stuff to their children. If they see the CM "Rich in nutrition" and "It helps babies' growth and helps them growing healthy and bright," they surely get eager to buy it. If a mother sees others' babies fed with powder milk growing faster and bigger than her baby, she normally gets envious.
BUT! Different from the breast milk, the powder milk needs a bottle. Many people cannot keep the bottles clean. Germs in dirty bottles sometimes kill babies. So does the water used for the powder milk. Rain water and river water cannot be fed directly. For sterilization, water and bottles must be boiled. Many uneducated mothers, however, do not care as it is troublesome or the water looks clean. Moreover some families are so poor that they cannot afford to buy firewood to boil the water. In many cases the poor families live in unsanitary environment and it is impossible for them to clean germs.
As a conclusion, it is better not to use powder milk. Ms. Chender from our clinic says, "Every mother has breast milk and can make more by massaging if not enough. Babies must be grown only by breast milk." She has been working in the village health center as a midwife for many years and involved with childbirth and child-raising in the floating village. From her experience of seeing many mothers losing their babies, she asserts "No!" to powder milk.
Basically human have been raising children by breast milk since ancient time. The breast milk contains ingredients to strengthen the immunity. The modern material civilization created the demand of powder milk but its benefits are granted to only few people who can afford to buy it continuously, read the direction stated on the milk tin, keep bottles clean and live in the place where the clean water is available. These conditions do not apply to the people in the floating village. Therefore, the village people should not use powder milk in principle.
We support powder milk only to babies without mother or to mothers who do not have breast milk or cannot feed their babies on breast milk due to diseases. I discuss with Ms. Chender who is anti-powder-milk to decide which mother to provide powder milk to. When we distribute powder milk, Ms. Chender hands the powder milk directly to mothers or guardians and gives them instructions. At the same time we monitor the growth of their babies. We are very cautious about supporting powder milk.
The other day a lady member of sick people support group in the church told us, "I want you to support powder milk to my neighbor, a young mother." I asked her the reason and she said, "She is very poor and her three children died. She has just given birth. Please support powder milk to her." As I could not understand the reason, being poor, I asked her "Why did her children die? Doesn't she have breast milk?" She did not know about it and I decided to visit the mother with Ms. Chender.
I entered her small house and saw a very small baby sleeping. It was one month old. I asked the young mother sitting beside the baby, "Do you want powder milk?" She answered, "Yes. I have no money to buy powder milk." I asked her, "Don't you have breast milk?" She murmured, "Well, a little." Ms. Chender immediately told her, "Show me whether you have breast milk or not. Squeeze your breast!" The young mother obeyed her. The breast milk rushed out. "Since you have breast milk, raise your baby by it. Yours is enough," said Ms. Chender. The mother thought that her milk was not nutritious enough and wanted to use powder milk as well. But her family was too poor to do it. It is impossible for a family with monthly income of less than fifty Dollars to buy powder milk which costs ten Dollars a month.
We also worried about the fact that she is twenty three years old having born already five babies and three of them died. Ms. Chender and I suspected that the cause was the powder milk given to the babies in the unsanitary situation. We thought it was partially due to the mother's ignorance and Ms. Chender explained to her that the powder milk was dangerous if it was handled wrongly. In addition, she has been pregnant many times with no interval since marriage, which is the great burden for her body and the delivery will be risky. Ms. Chender explained it to her with some case examples familiar to her. The mother listened to her with attention. So far no body had taught her such things. As she had never been to the village health center, she did not know about vaccination and distribution of iron tablets at all. We explained to her about the workshop and vaccination to be operated on the next day and got her to attend.
"By the way, do you have the certificate of poverty?" I asked her. She answered, "What is it? I don't have it." "Oh! You can get it since you are so poor." I told her about the certificate. Medical treatments for those with the certificate are free in Cambodia (except for some private hospitals). There are only once in two years to obtain the certificate. I immediately introduced her to a staff of the village administration and made arrangements to get the cert for her and fortunately she was granted at that time. She was very grateful for our help.
I was very happy to see that our mother and child health program was a bridge between the public administration and residents.

[Mr. Masaya Takahashi was sent to Cambodia in November, 2005 and has completed his mission for five and half years on 28th July this year. We would like to express our gratitude to those who supported him.]

We will present "Goal 5: Improve maternal health" in the next issue. The articles will be on Cambodia and East Timor.

Letter from Cambodia

2011-10-25T03:00:00Z

This is the report by Ms. Sakiko Ishida who was sent to Cambodia in January, 2011.
She completed her six months' language course and started her mission in July. She wrote about an incident.

By Ms. Sakiko Ishida (Seijo Church, Tokyo Archdiocese)

I had completed my language course and enjoyable home stay and was about to go to Siam Reap. I suddenly got high fever of 39 degree before my departure date. I had a fever and my whole body ached and had itch for a couple of days. I was afraid that I had got an unknown disease. I was diagnosed as dengue fever on the forth day. It is transmitted by mosquitoes like malaria. There is no silver bullet and I took rest and intravenous nutrition because I had no appetite. My platelet decreased tremendously and I was immediately admitted to International Hospital in Thailand. I took airplane and taxi to the hospital. A Japanese interpreter attended me and my room was a high-class private room like a hotel room. From the window of eleventh floor I could see a lot of sky high buildings which I could not believe in the country just next to Cambodia. I could recover from dengue fever and was discharged on the sixth day.
The medical expense was covered by Japanese insurance and the insurance fee is paid by the donation of the supporters. I appreciate it very much. At the same time I felt it is the difference from the lives of many poor people in Cambodia that I have money to pay when necessary. It is often said that they can live their ordinary daily life but have to borrow money when they get sick or have wedding or send their children to high school or university.
When I was attending the language course, the principal's father caused a stroke. I happened to be there and checked his blood pressure. He certainly became paralyzed and needed to be hospitalized. The principal had money to bring him to the hospital but did not trust the medical treatment in Cambodia. (They say that some diseases are cured in Thailand and Vietnam but not in Cambodia.) As the father was very old and we thought it not really good to bring him to the hospital, we discussed with a health nurse and gave him a massage. But he did not get well and we decided to take him to the hospital. We had a long discussion with the principal about the medical treatment. In Cambodia a person with money the most in the family makes decision about the medical treatment. His family members considered the father's will and brought him back to his home and got him to continue the rehabilitation. His family has enough money to choose the place and method of his father's medical treatment. But people are sometimes asked at the hospital reception whether they have money or not as well as about their disease. There is a severe reality for people who cannot afford to receive the medical treatment. I had been working in ICU in Japan and this time I saw many cases during my hospital stay.

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I came back from Thailand to Cambodia. The rough roads, noise of motorbikes and riding a car with Khmer love songs brought back memories. I have come back home. This is the home for me. I felt nostalgic for a while. I contacted other missionaries in Cambodia and I appreciated having them. However, my short rest finished. The next day I moved to Siam Reap and the day after my busy life started. I was taking over the work from Ms. Aiko Hayashi who had been sent here two years ago and we visited some church centers together with the guests. The guests are from Taiwan, Singapore and Australia. I did not feel at ease with English but had no choice but to speak. I am trying hard but Khmer and English are mixed up in my brain and I speak a strange language. I really appreciate those who listen to me by all means.
Ms. Aiko Hayashi is from Tomigaoka Church in Nara. The term of her mission of two years was terminated in July and it was extended for half a year. I am learning the work from her and at the same time we talk together about a lot of things. After two years she may have got aware of many things which I have never come across. I listen to her telling about her experiences and relationship with local people with interest. We wish to share the do and thoughts with each other and carry out our mission for half a year now on.
At the end of July Mr. Masaya Takahashi has completed his five years' mission and Ms. Mari Hamada two years and they came back to Japan. Since my training in Japan I had heard about the activities from them during their temporally return. Here in Cambodia I could also have a lot of opportunities to share our thoughts. Each JLMM missionary has his/her own mission and every one of us can learn from each other. I appreciate the meeting through JLMM and wish the accomplishment of their reverse mission in Japan.
Through the meeting with people in Siam Reap Church I was impressed by the words said by Betty from Singapore. "Work as God wishes, not as you wish. Do help Fathers." I thought the words valuable as I was seeking how to carry out my mission in Siam Reap Church.

Make known to me your ways, LOAD; teach me your paths. (Psalm 25-4)

Letter from East Timor

2011-10-25T02:00:00Z

Ms. Yui Fukahori who was sent to East Timor in December, 2010 wrote to us. She worked on the activities by herself for the first time and learned many things.

Ms.Yui Fukahori (Yuigahama Church, Yokohama Diocese)

Japanese media was in East Timor for coverage at that time and Ms. Satoko Watanabe left Los Palos to attend to them for interpretation. The local representative Mr. Jubensio was also out of Los Palos and working on the project as a coordinator in Liquica (I live in Los Palos in Lautem.) As a result I had to be in charge of Los Palos. Maybe I should have more strictly supervised the people older than me by ten years or more....
In Los Palos there are two Japanese staffs (Ms. Satoko and I) and nine local (local representative, his assistant, three field officers, pharmacist, PHC* organizer, driver and helper). (*Health volunteer) All of them are older than me and even the youngest one is ten years older than I. We support CG (corporative group called FINI), a group making soap and I am the accountant. I check their salary and hand to them. I am in a position to hire people. Timorese men seem to feel very uncomfortable to obey a younger person especially a woman. I do understand it after having been in Timorese culture for seven month.
Anyway since Ms. Satoko and Mr. Jubensio were not around, I had no choice but to get the staffs to work under me. When they knew that Ms. Satoko and Mr. Jubensio were out of town, they geared down their work. I knew that they did not respect me but I did not know what to do about it. Some of them played a PC game (He even asked me how to shut down the game.) and others slept in the pharmacy or boarded a car to go home twenty minutes before the closing time. To work should be more serious.

]]> It was my own wish to come to East Timor to live with local people. To work here, I have to give up my common sense to follow their life style. Our common sense is not common sense to them and our small matters are not small for them. When I left Japan, I said, "I will do my best and try as far as possible."
I felt my age as a wall and saw the limit of my talent and ability. On the other hand, as I was here all by myself, I could find what the local staff thought of me and people of the community thought. After all it is important what I will do and work on.
When I did not what to do, I called my mother. She said to me, "Be right. The Japanese letter of right is written as 'one stop'. You must make a stop and look at yourself coolly, then start moving." In fact she had learned the words from my brother's teacher before and taught to me this time. This is now and I am I whatever others say of me or however see me and whomever I am compared to. I cannot be more or less than that. I feel a little comfortable and look at myself with different points of view. I will try in various ways.
Sometimes I could not see things and became to dislike Timorese this month. Even in that time a Timorese family listened to my complaint. I feel better when I talk to someone in a hard time. The family cried with me and let me stay overnight with them. They told me to come to them when I was alone.
Things to feel sad and things happy sometimes happen at the same time. I tend to remember the painful events but I hope to make joyful events food for tomorrow.

Vol.142 issued on 25th August, 2011

2011-08-25T03:00:00Z

Contents

◆Know more about MDGs Goal 3: "Promote gender equality and empower women"　Women's Independence Center, Cambodia・・・・・・・・Ms. Mari HAMADA

◆Letter from East Timor・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Satoko WATANABE

◆Letter from Cambodia ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Ms. Aiko HAYASHI

◆Long-term training in Philippine for 2011 candidates of Lay missionaries・・・・・・・・・・・・・・Management

◆Buy local products and support Tohoku "Shopping Supporters" ・・・Management