Japan Special Convention 2013: Day 7 - Bethel in Ebina, Japan

We boarded buses at 8:00 a.m. to leave for Ebina Bethel, an hours' ride from the Yokohama Sheraton. More opportunity to visit with the other friends from the states. We met friends from New Jersey, South Carolina, Texas, and Nevada.

Upon arriving at Bethel and exiting the bus, we were again met with lines of brothers welcoming us and escorting us in. The first photo below of the sisters in kimonos is inside the lobby at Bethel. Both sides of the lobby had the same view as this. It was very beautiful. Inside the lobby, there was a line of brothers that we followed all the way to the auditorium. Entertainment was the first thing planned. Everyone greeted us as we went. As we entered the auditorium, which was half full of Japanese brothers, there was continued applause until everyone came in and sat down. Very moving and emotional.

A show was planned of singing and a traditional fan dance. The most interesting to us was a father and son who professionally play a three-stringed guitar called the Shimasen. Would you like to hear what it sounds like? Watch this short Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrD8MUDrfUE

Following this we walked outside past the Bethel garages and into the dining hall. We were scheduled for an early lunch as the brothers would then have to feed all the Bethelites afterwards. We sat at a table with two couples from Golden Valley, Arizona, an area that is two hours from the Grand Canyon. We enjoyed our association very much. Lunch was an omelet served over rice (eggs are used a lot in Japan, and sometimes raw).

After lunch we were given a tour. We were in the lobby for a while waiting our turn and so had the opportunity to visit the museum there which displayed the history of this branch. On the tour, we got to stop and greet a few brothers who are in the sign language department and see one of their videos and learn a few Japanese signs. Many departments made displays to welcome us such as the Mt. Fuji made out of Watchtower pages - see below.

Later that afternoon, we board the buses again to head back to Yokohama. We knew this was our last arranged event with the brothers, and it was hard to go. Some of the young people leaned out of windows to wave us off and some were in the parking lot waving us off. They were so warm and loving.

Our bus guides, Shu (Shuichi Otomoroi) and Masa (Masaki Fuse) were very lively and fun hosts. On the way back to Yokohama, they both made a really heartfelt comment to our bus group. Masa mentioned that he was very grateful for the brothers in the U.S. because, if it weren't for the U.S. sending missionaries to Japan, they would have never learned about Jehovah. Shu said that he feels they learned something from us because, while the Japanese brothers are reserved and don't show a lot of emotion, we all hug.