After dodging it for more than six years, last Thursday (May 14), I tested positive for COVID-19 (or is it COVID-26 now?). For three days, I barely left my bed. The fever, the exhaustion, the chills, the heaviness settled into every part of my body. Even the smallest movements felt like I was slogging through mud. As I write this, I am slowly recovering. One day at a time.

Being sick has made me realize a couple of things. First, I have been with many of you in your seasons of illness and other health challenges. All of a sudden, I was the one with the illness and health challenge. I was the one who had to ask for help, the person who was dependent on others. I was the one who needed the prayers and comfort. I am grateful for the opportunity to gain some measure of humility, and I have come to realize once again – I cannot do life all by myself.

I also realized something about my mindset around my work schedule. In my three days of stillness, I had time to think (albeit through a foggy brain) and one realization that came to me was that I rarely stop. I live my life at a fairly unrelenting pace. There is always something more to do, someone else to call, another meeting to prepare for, another email to respond to, another need to be meet. I never ever just sit and breathe. I am always trying to achieve something. In ministry I can convince myself that the work cannot wait, that I am indispensable, that rest is something that I will get on my vacation. But then something like a virus stops me and makes the decision for me. COVID has caused me to stop and be still, at least for three days.

The Psalmist writes, "He makes me lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23:2). I used to read that verse as pure comfort. Lying in bed these past days, I saw it in another way. Being “made to lie down” is not just comfort, it is a grace. Being made to lay down was Gods way of saying to me, “You are not the engine that keeps this going. I am. John, lay down in these green pastures and rest.”

And so, I have been resting. And lo and behold the church has not stopped while I was in bed. The ministries continue. Sunday Worship happened, beautifully I might add – thank you to Geronimo Desumala for your wonderful sermon on May 17. You all checked in on one another. You all carried on in faithfulness. The kingdom of God, it turns out, does not depend on me being upright and productive.

As I mentioned above, I am on the mend, day by day. Thank you all for being the kind of community that shows up for one another - in sickness and in health, in strength and in weakness. Until I am fully back on my feet and can see you in person, I will carry you all in my heart and in my prayers.

With gratitude and resting in God’s grace,
Rev. John

Rev. John walked with the San Jose Japantown community leaders in the SJ Taiko Stroll.

Nikkei Matsuri Foundation Board members including Kelli Martines (right) and Kellie Nunokawa (second from left)

The Wesley Ukulele Band performed on the Aloha Stage.Hula dancers from left: Lani, Betsy Crandall, Natalie,  May Serrano, and Margaret Hironaka

The Keiki also performed!

Hula Dancers Mika Yamatake and Natalie

The Wesley Jazz Ensemble performed to a full house in spite of the sprinkles with Dave Land servicing as emcee, with Peter Horikoshi and Ryan Miyahara seen and band members below thrilling the crowd with their unique sound and musical variety.

Wesley members came out to eat and show their support of our jazz band with from left, Rod and Grace Wada, Joanne and Derek Miyahara, and Jim Tengan.

The Blues Brothers were a crowd pleaser with Blues men Dave Land and Mark Teagle strutting their stuff and getting the crowd involved with dancing and clapping.

Showing off our Wesley Church’s new vision statement and selling United Women of Faith cook books were, from left: Ann Cowels, Bobbie Ueunten and Cynthia Fukuda.

The youth did an amazing job behind the scenes in making both the crowd-pleasing unique Asian favored hot dogs.

Sato and Hideo, prep the hot dog buns at the Suno and Teri booth.

Venessa Perry-Mar, staff Youth Director, was delighted at selling over 1,000 hot dogs in this fundraising effort. In fact they sold out.

Thank you and Congratulations to our Nikkei Dogs Chairs, Hatty Lin and Helen Lee, and Teppan Tacos Chair, Richard Poczulp! Proceeds will benefit our Wesley Youth Camp Funds.

Walking the wok to the Teppan Taco booth is Wayne Kuwada and Byran Longmire.

It’s Teppan Taco Time as Kenton Kuwada waits for his order to come up.

On the right we have Keith Nakashima and Scott Haneta stir frying all that cut up and marinated pork.

Misao Kusuda is intent on ensuring warm tortillas in the taco-making process.

Taking orders were Ning Bao and Keith Nakashima with a hearty work crew behind.

Warming the tortillas on this chilly drizzly day were Bev Acuna and Karen Maeda. What a success! They were all sold out by 3 in the afternoon.

It takes a village for our church to prepare for Nikkei Matsuri and the evening’s work in the Fellowship Hall was just one tiny portion of all the work needed. In this instance, the work crew was doing the prep work for the Teppan Taco food booth. The work included slicing and dicing pounds and pounds of pork butt as seen here with Byran Longmire, Karen and Tom Maeda. I know for a fact, all three are very handy with a knife. Below, Lori Longmire is ensuring that each bag is the correct proportion for the marinade.

Several tables of pork cutters included clockwise from left: Jim Mar, Its Yokota, Ichiro and Tyler Bakoshi, Hector Acuna, and Judie Kanemoto.

Doing up some of the coriander going for the taco topping were Jeffrey Oldham and Carl Miya.

Peeling and chopping garlic and ginger were, clockwise from left: Rob Hikido, Marcus, Catherine Huang, Helen Lee, and Natasha Odama.

Yes, many hands make short work and would you believe, this is only the first of two shifts. Vanessa Perry-Mar with Elaine Hikido and Luz Gonzalez.

Making the yummy secret sauce for the tacos were: Sarah Holt, Shelley Nakashima and Bev Acuna.

I love a man in an apron…Jeffrey Oldham helping Brenda Gee do the dishes. No dish pan hands here. We wear gloves!!!

5月16日のアンブレラミニストリーでは、お茶のモンストレーションをさせて頂きました。茶道と禅の関係はよく知られていますが、実はキリスト教も茶道に大きな影響を与えています。

日本の茶道の父と言われる千利休は、1522年に堺で産まれました。日本にキリスト教が伝来したのが1549年、当時日本の中心であった京都に近く、貿易が盛んであった堺は、日本におけるキリスト教伝道の足場となっていました。利休もミサにあずかったことがあり、後に利休の妻も娘もキリスト教に改宗しています。そのミサでの神父の所作や教義が、茶の湯の形成に少なからず影響を与えました。

例えば、棗や茶杓を清める際の袱紗のさばき方は、まるで十字架をきっているようです。またお濃茶で一つの茶碗から客が回し飲みするのは、聖餐式におけるぶどう酒の回し飲みからヒントを得たと言われていますし、その時の茶碗の清め方はミサにおける聖杯の清め方に酷似しています。

茶室に入る際には「にじり口」と言われる小さな入口を通ります。侍ですら、刀を外に置いて身をかがめて通らなければなりませんでした。身に付けたすべてを捨てて世俗を離れた世界に入っていくという精神は、聖書の「狭き門」の教えを体現していると言われています。

また茶道の心構えを説いた言葉である「和敬清寂」、その 和（Harmony）、敬（Respect）、清（Purity）、寂（Tranquility）にもキリスト教の精神が表れているように思えます。

一方、布教する側からは織田信長、豊臣秀吉といった当時の権力者たちが親しんでいた茶の湯を教会に取り入れることは、日本での宣教活動に欠かせませんでした。これはバチカンから宣教師に宛てた手紙に、日本に着くとまず利休に会うように、教会には必ず茶室を作り、茶人を置くように、という指示があったことからも伺えます。

利休の高弟には高山右近をはじめクリスチャン大名が多く居ました。その一人である古田織部は茶道具の作家でもありましたが、中でも織部灯籠が有名です。地下に埋める部分にマリア像と思われる彫刻があり、その一基がサラトガの箱根ガーデンズに寄贈されています。秀吉によってキリスト教が禁止されてからも、庭に配したこの灯籠に向かって茶室で秘密の祈祷会を持っていた、と伝えられています。

茶の湯と聞くと、つい禅仏教を思い浮かべますが、こうしたキリスト教の教えが隠れたところで大きな影響を与えていたことは、とても興味深いことであると思います。

塚本三枝子

At the Umbrella Ministry on May 16, we had the opportunity to demonstrate the tea ceremony. While the connection between the tea ceremony and Zen Buddhism is well known, Christianity has actually had a significant influence on the tea ceremony as well.

Sen-no Rikyū, often referred to as the father of the Japanese tea ceremony, was born in the city of Sakai in 1522. Christianity was introduced to Japan in 1549. Sakai, located near Kyoto—the center of Japan at the time—and a hub of trade, served as a base for Christian missionary work in Japan. Rikyu himself attended Mass, and later, both his wife and daughter converted to Christianity. The priest’s rituals and the doctrines taught during Mass had a significant influence on the development of the tea ceremony.

For example, the way the fukusa (silk cloth) is handled when purifying the natsume (tea caddy) and chashaku (tea scoop) resembles the making of a sign of the cross. Furthermore, the practice of guests passing a single bowl of thick tea among themselves is said to have been inspired by the passing of wine during the Eucharist, and the method of purifying the bowl at that time closely resembles the purification of the chalice during Mass.

When entering a tea room, one passes through a small entrance known as the “nijiriguchi.” Even samurai were required to leave their swords outside and crouch to pass through. The spirit of shedding all worldly possessions to enter a realm detached from the secular world is said to embody the biblical teaching of the “narrow gate.”

Furthermore, the four principles of the tea ceremony—“Wa-Kei-Sei-Jaku” (Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility)—also seem to reflect the spirit of Christianity.
On the other hand, from the perspective of those engaged in missionary work, incorporating the tea ceremony—which was favored by powerful figures of the time such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi—into the church was essential for missionary activities in Japan. This is evident from a letter sent by the Vatican to missionaries instructing them to meet Rikyu upon arriving in Japan, to ensure that every church had a tea room, and to appoint a tea master.

Among Rikyu’s leading disciples were many Christian daimyo, including Takayama Ukon. One of them, Furuta Oribe, was also a craftsman of tea utensils, and his Oribe-style lanterns are particularly famous. The base of these lanterns, which is buried underground, features a carving believed to depict the Virgin Mary, and one such lantern has been donated to the Saratoga Hakone Gardens. It is said that even after Hideyoshi banned Christianity, secret prayer meetings were held in the tea room facing this lantern placed in the garden.

When one hears the term “tea ceremony,” Zen Buddhism naturally comes to mind, but I find it fascinating that Christian teachings exerted such a significant influence behind the scenes.

Mieko Tsukamoto

Genesis 20:11. NIV
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so.

On Sunday, 4/19/26, your United Women in Faith hosted Tea Time while also celebrating Earth Day with a Plant Give Away.

This was truly a time of fellowship and a time of pure joy while selecting a perfect plant that was full of promise to beautify your garden while purifying our air. It’s a win-win!  

What joy to witness our Wesley congregation enjoying fresh coffee and tea paired with an amazing variety of tasty snacks. It was a leisurely time to peruse the assortment of plants at the Plant Give Away table. There was a full assortment of plants colorfully decorated with small origami cranes and Earth Day cut outs, all generously donated by so many plant enthusiasts. The impressive Earth Day sign caught your attention as did the informative Eco Resource hand outs. The atmosphere invited conversations of discovery and healthy plant care hints accompanied with joyful smiles and laughs.

Thank you to all that participated with donations of snacks and plants. Thank you to all that worked energically and efficiently before, during and after this special event.  
Think Green! Green! Think!

The  plant give-away was a hit as the UWF put together an awesome event in which members donated over 100 succulents and a variety of house plants in support of Earth Day.  It was a labor of love for all these dedicated women some of whom are represented here with (from left): Mary Horio, UWF President; Marilyn Murata; Bev Acuna, Secretary; Teri Koike; Joanne Kumano,  Shizuko Adachi, Barbara Hiura: Cynthia Fukuda; and Mary Chafey.

The UWF members, Terri Koike and Cynthia Fukuda, served as liturgists for Sunday Service.

Hosting and supervising the giveaway were Marilyn Murata, Cynthia Fukuda, Mary Horio, and Bobbie Ueunten as Karen Maeda, Lindy Lim and Lyn Haberstock decide which plant they are going to take home.

Saturday, May 9 marked the biggest Open Mic Nite so far with 29 people attending and a great group of performances. Ukulele, guitar, singers, game show, poetry, and more were featured. The next Open Mic Nite is scheduled for June 13 at 7:30 pm in the Chapel.

Helping to make Sunday, May 10 a very special Mother's Day were the hostesses and kitchen crew from left: Brenda Gee, Bob Yasukawa, Luz Gonzales (host of the meal with Rev. John and lead Hostess), Jeffrey Oldham, Warren Hayashi and Wayne Kuwada (Dish washer king). Photo taken by Mr. Steve Tabuchi.

Would’ya look at that spread!!! Wesley cooks did themselves proud with all these tasty sides and delicious array of desserts. Our thanks to Rev. John  and Luz for hosting this Mother's Day sharing.  He even wore an apron and yes, did massive clean up work.

Ok, really? Ernie in an apron? With Jeffrey and Rev. John too. Hats off to all the guys honoring mother’s today.

Isn’t this a gorgeous arrangement? Katherine Huang and her family, Ning Bao and Jeffrey brought these altar flowers to church in honor of mother’s.

Below is our church coming together sharing a meal with each other. And this my friends, is what church is all about under God’s purview. Hats off to all our mothers who shared this morning with all of us. It was a joy and honor.

From left, clockwise: Rev. John, Marilyn Murata, David and Liz Yokota, Barbara Mulford, Jeanne Katsuro, Terri Koike, and Cynthia Fukuda.

Clockwise from left: Shizuko Adachi, Mimune Tsukamoto, Kevin Collins, Tom Maeda, Michiko Collins, Reiko Tsukamoto, Mayumi Miyakawa and Kazuko Hughes.

So nice to see Rev. Bobbie out and about with Rev. Dick, with Art Black, Dave Land, Lilian with her hubby, Robert doing much better health wise too. Praise God!

Clockwise from left: Steve Tabuchi, Paul Ueunten, Denny Kinoshita, Its Yokota, Warren Hayashi, photo bomber Marilyn, Laura Kinoshita, and  Bob Yasukawa.

Can’t leave without this parting shot...Wayne Kuwada cleaning pans and dishes.

On May 2, Wesley Church was honored to host the Midori Kai Trailblazers Award event for the very first time. Founded in 1996, Midori Kai is a non-profit organization comprised of Japanese American professional women leaders committed to community involvement, mentoring young women, supporting local charities, and celebrating their Japanese American heritage.
The afternoon brought together warm conversation, a beautifully catered lunch, and a heartfelt spirit of remembrance as three pioneering women were honored: Yuri Kochiyama, Mitsuye Endo, and Aiko Herzig-Yoshinaga. These are women whose names deserve to be far better known. They are unsung heroes, women of courage whose years of dedication, advocacy, and trailblazing work shaped history in ways many people have never learned about.
Wesley Church was proud to host this meaningful gathering, and we look forward to welcoming Midori Kai back again.

The biggest lesson I learned from travel is that it is more than a checklist—it is a feeling, it is about people, it is food, it is communicating without words, it is about being uncomfortable, and it is about being open.

So, as my husband Jeffery and I prepared to set off for yet another trip to the continent of Africa, we did not really know what to expect. We've been to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia before, but this trip would include a new country-Namibia.

Many months earlier, I had reached out to a wonderful woman on a Facebook group page who was requesting school supplies for the school where her sister worked. As we have delivered what must easily be hundreds of pounds of school supplies over the years, this was a simple, very easy request for me to fulfill. After many chats back and forth on Facebook, we decided to communicate via WhatsApp to help make things more straightforward. After several conversations, there was a bag full of school supplies ready for delivery.

Thirty-four hours plus of international flights later, we arrived in Windhoek, Namibia. We were finally able to meet with Miss V the next morning, and she had arranged for us to visit the Golden Hills School where her sister worked to deliver the school supplies. As with many cities in Africa, there is a huge disparity between those who are doing even moderately  well and those who are marginalized. As we left the main part of the city of Windhoek and headed towards the outskirts of the city, the township begins. Initially, it looks more like sad, tired buildings that have long outlived their usefulness, but it quickly becomes a series of miles and miles of corrugated tin buildings with all types of rubbish strewn everywhere, and cattle, donkeys, and dogs walking in the middle of the road. What was once a paved roadway eventually gives way to a gravel roadway and eventually to just a dirt pathway. I began to question if Miss V’s small, little Toyota car  would be able to continue down the rutted, dirt pathway through the township. It did.

Finally, as we came over a small rise in the road with baboons running across it, there, on the outskirts of the township, was now a tent-city. No running water. No electricity. Just tents. Lots, and lots of tents lining the hillside. Then, there on the side of the road was the “school” with a wire fence surrounding it and a few of the tent township parents sitting at the entrance. As we exited the car, Miss V was instantly recognized, and we were welcomed with wide smiles. This had to be perhaps one of the most marginalized schools that we had ever visited. Every single classroom was being held in a tent with no electricity, in every kind of weather.  Volunteers were making a large pot of maize porridge for the one a meal day the kids would have. It was difficult to see so many children with so little.  I held my breath and put my “big girl” pants on and graciously met the teachers and the principal. We went to her “office” which was a converted shipping container. The only reason that her office  had electricity was because of a small solar panel on the roof. After chatting for a few minutes about what the school needs were, I felt that the school supplies that Jeffery and I had brought would be woefully inadequate. The school’s needs were, and are, enormous, far more than we could assist with during this short visit. However, the principal was ever so grateful for what we brought and could not thank us enough for taking the time to visit and meet with her. It was a very contemplative drive back to our hotel. All I could think about was an Anthony Bourdain quote:  “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”  

This journey certainly changed me.

The Annual Bay Area CROP Walk to end world hunger held May 17 showed how a faithful group walking in solidarity that hunger is wrong. Rev. Mariellen of Growing Hope United Methodist (formerly Almaden Hills U.M.C.) kicked off the event asking for God's blessing for walkers and supporters whose efforts would save thousands of lives from hunger and suffering around the world.
The preliminary results from Wesley were the highest ever.  It is with much gratitude and humility that these funds will go to Church World Service (75%).  Second Harvest Food Bank, Sacred Heart Community Services, and Martha's Kitchen will share in the remaining 25%.  Goal for the event was $30,000 with six churches participating:

Wesley on-line giving        $1,413.00    Clarissa was coordinator
Wesley checks                     2,300.00
Wesley cash                         400.00
Missions Committee            1,000.00
Total                                     $4,113.00

Wesley was represented by thirteen walkers many of whom toughed out three miles around Almaden Lake: Brian Hamilton, Elaine and Rob Hikido, Clarissa-Johnston and Aton Abril, Patsy Utsumi and Brayden Nunokawa, Judie Kanemoto,  Michiko Collins, Misako Kocal, Ed Gibo, Doris Tabuchi, and John Tanaka,  All walkers were treated to root beer floats and that great feeling that your life saved one.  Special thank you to Judy Yasutake for providing Vietnamese sandwiches and bananas for the walkers.

CATS, Contemporary Asian Theater Scene, presented a staged reading of a new play by Min Kahng on May 2 in the Wesley Sanctuary. The play featured Kahng on keyboard and singing along with actor Will Dao. Lisa Marie Rollins directed. Kahng shared his spiritual journey of growing up in the church but struggling with his identity as a gay man in a conservative space. He used art to make sense of it all. This production marks the third CATS performance held at Wesley.

God’s Garden: Thank you!

We are almost to the last class of Sunday School for this school year. Thank you to all the parents for getting your children to church on Sundays (I know it’s not always easy), being part of the Christmas pageant, practicing songs for Palm Sunday and Christmas, being a part of our Easter Egg Hunt and so much more! We appreciate all the effort and support of our God’s Garden families!! There wouldn’t be a God’s Garden without all of the Wesley families!
Also, we have such a wonderful group of God’s Garden teachers who have put in many hours and love into nurturing our Wesley children on their faith journey. God’s Garden thrives because of this caring community. Thank you to all our Sunday School teachers: Mary Asano, Lisa Bantilan, Karen Chou, Mari Fujii, Rob Hikido, Leighton Horio, Clarissa Johnston-Abril, Jim Mar, Christine Ozawa, Kiyomi Yanai, Mika Visitacion and Jayne Williams.

Geronimo Desumala, Director of Christian Service at Bellarmine College Prep, gave the message, “Pop, I prayed for you” with warmth and heartfelt emotion. He has been attending Wesley with his husband, Neal Gutierrez and their two sons, Ezra and Daniel, and felt immediately a welcome they’ve not experienced elsewhere.

Derek Miyahara "l, was called in late Saturday evening, and very last minute to lead the Sunday service on May 17, due to staff illness to Mark Teagle and Rev. John Oda" and did an excellent job welcoming and leading the pastoral prayer.

Neal served as liturgist, and one of their sons, Ezra.

Ivan Vielma not only lead the praise band and sang a beautiful duet with Jahzara Jones, “Thank you Jesus, For The Blood,” but came in as a last minute replacement to lead the chancel choir  in singing "May the Mind of Christ My Savior".

The Iceman Cometh
No…Not Santa! We were blessed to have Rev. Dick Corson give the Christmas message on Sunday, Dec. 24 AKA “The Iceman” because of his dedicated and caring work every Tuesday during our church’ outreach Food Distribution program, where he spends his morning packaging frozen food our of the freezer for our Grant families. Today he continued the four part discussion on community.
And of course, the warm-up act, was brought forward by Rev. Bobbie Corson who poignantly brought forward the Virgin Mary story from the Scripture reading taken from Luke 1:26-38.

Daniella Polar and Jonatan Schumacher and their children lit the third Advent candle of JOY on Dec. 17. “We light these candles, the candle of joyous hope, of proclaimed peace, and of deep and everlasting joy, as a sign that we are those who walk with a skip in our step because we can see the destination and it is pure joy. We are ascending to God’s promise."

The fourth Advent Candle of love was lit by the Kellie and Brent Nunokawa family.

Around mid-April, Kaleo Johnson, one of the scouts from Wesley's Troop 201, completed his Eagle Scout project.  It was a beautifully constructed raised garden bed in the backyard of the Mineta House. Kaleo built it with careful planning, with a great deal of hard work, and lots of help from his fellow scouts and from a few dedicated parents. On behalf of all of us at Wesley, thank you, Kaleo and your team of helpers – which includes DeeDee Azuma who coordinated all of the scheduling.
And this week, I am going to plant some vegetables in it to transform the empty planter bed into a (hopefully) lush garden. Planting is not simply dropping a seed into the ground and hoping for the best. It is a process and as I laid out the tools to plant the garden in the raised bed, I realized that gardening is a process much like our the ministries here at Wesley!
Let me explain, planting a garden begins with choosing the right spot for the right plant. Not every vegetable thrives under the same conditions. One of the veggies I'll be planting this year is a Japanese cucumber. They need full sun and something to climb as they grow. The strawberries I will also be planting, thrive when there is good drainage and room to send out their runners. You cannot simply put any plant anywhere and expect it to do well. You have to know the plant. You have to observe the light, consider the space and think about what each variety truly needs to flourish. There is deep spiritual wisdom in this process. How often do we place people, or ourselves, into roles, into expectations, into boxes, without ever stopping to ask what conditions they/we actually need to thrive? When it comes to the ministries at Wesley, my hope is that everyone will get involved in one or several of the ministries but only where you believe you will grow!
Then comes preparing the soil. This is my favorite part. Before a single plant goes in, you need to work the dirt, loosening it, mixing in compost, making sure it is neither too compact nor too loose, that it holds moisture without drowning roots. You are essentially creating a welcome for the plants. You are saying to whatever you are about to plant: "Hey, this ground has been made ready for you!" Wesley Church, at its best, does exactly that. Before new people arrive, before new ideas take root, before transformation can happen, someone has been quietly preparing the space, getting things ready to welcome new people, new ideas so the church can continue to transform!
And then there is the ongoing work of tending the garden. Planting is really just the beginning. A garden does not grow on good intentions alone.  It asks you to return, day after day, to water, to watch, to notice what is flourishing and what might need a little extra care. Some plants surprise you with how vigorously they take off. Others need more coaxing, more patience, more time in the right conditions before they find their footing. The gardener's job is not to force the harvest but to stay present to the process and to trust that growth is happening even when you cannot yet see it above the soil. This is, I think, one of the most spiritually rich lessons a garden can teach us. We live in a world that rewards speed and visible results. But the garden insists on its own timeline, and it asks us to slow down, pay attention, and trust the steady, quiet work that God is doing even when we cannot see it.
All of this, I think, is what the Wesley Church community looks like. We are, each of us, gardeners. We tend one another. We prepare the ground for those who have not yet arrived. We pay attention to what each person needs to truly grow. And we consistently show up for each other with love and caring.
Kaleo built a raised bed at the Mineta House, on ground where the Mineta family had once called their home. The land had already known good people doing good work, and now there is something new being planted to transform the yard. You are welcome to come by and see it sometime. Better yet, come by and help.
With dirt on my hands and love in my heart,

Looking for something that is family or group oriented, great exercise, and saves lives?  Did I forget fun and root beer floats?  Please consider joining your neighbors at the annual Bay Area CROP Walk sponsored by Church World Service on Sunday, May 17 at 1:00.  

Hope Grows UMC (formerly Almaden Hills UMC) will again host The Walk. Former Wesley pastor, Rev. Mariellen Sawada, will kick off The Walk that takes us to and around beautiful Almaden Lake about a mile from Oakridge Mall.

How you can help:
1.  Sign up as a walker, jogger, or stroller and stop any time you wish.
2.  Sign up as a sponsor/supporter of any amount.
     Make checks to Church World Service/CROP Walk or CWS/CROP
3.  Sign up as both OR organize your own mini-walk any time, any place, any donation.
Where does your money go?
CWS (75%) is a non-denominational international relief organization services areas stricken by war, disease, famine, and poverty. Locally, Second Harvest Food Bank, Sacred Heart Community Services, and Martha's Kitchen share in the remaining 25%
.
Sign up tables will be available after service May 3 and May 17. For additional information, contact a Missions Committee member. Thank you. Ed Gibo, John Tanaka, Doris Tabuchi, Judy Yasutake, or Judie Kanemoto
"Go take a Walk and put your best foot forward".  You will feel better.

3月27日（金）はサフラン会の例会でした。この日は友愛会のケースマネージャーの星野美智代さんによる講演会、そしてテーマは『豊かな老後を過ごすために～知っておくべき5つのポイント～』でした。そろそろ老後を考える年頃の方が増えてきたサフラン会、25名の参加者で賑わいました。

日本とアメリカでは社会制度などを含めて老後を単純に比べることは出来ませんが、それぞれのライフステージに従って今から準備出来ることは共通しています。その準備のための5つのアプローチを分かりやすく説明してくださいました。


40枚近いスライドを基に幅広く詳細にまとめられた、非常に中身の濃いお話しでした。ここでは概要しかお伝え出来ませんが、更に詳しく知りたい方、また質問等ある方は、是非友愛会にお問い合わせください。友愛会のソーシャルサービスはいつでも地域のシニアコミュニティをサポートする体制を整えておられます。

講演の後はポットラックで親睦の時を持ちました。和洋折衷メインからデザートまでバラエティに富んだ会食に加えて、有志による春らしい花柄のカップとソーサーの提供もあり、賑やかで華やかな時間となりました。こうした集まりに参加して定期的にコミュニティと交流することは、今回の5つのポイントの中で最も重要であると教えて頂いた『人間関係・社会参加』にとても良いそうです。

Saffron-Kai was started in 1979 by Rev Frank Ohtomo and several Nichigo volunteers as a support group for the wives of new expatriates from Japan, and to this day, it continues to meet monthly. Its most recent gathering was on Friday, March 27.

The event featured a lecture by Michiyo Hoshino, a case manager at the Yu-Ai Kai, on the theme “For a Fulfilling Retirement: 5 Key Points You Should Know.” With an increasing number of members reaching the age where retirement planning becomes a concern, this gathering was bustling with 25 participants.

The lecture focused on the common steps we can take now to prepare for the golden age;
After the lecture, we enjoyed a potluck lunch, and great time was had by all. Participating in gatherings like this and regularly interacting with the community is said to be excellent for “Relationships and Social Participation”—the most important of the five points discussed in this session.

Some of our members and those interested in membership attended a workshop with Emily Allen from our conference, which addressed the structure of our church polity and who we are as Wesley Methodist.

Interested church members attended: Dave Land, Virginia Bailey, Bev Lovaas, and Elizabeth Chien-Hale.