Meet Japan: The MilkmanKatie Cornick - 13 Mar 2012

Part 2 of the Meet Japan blog trilogy.

Matsuri didn’t have a particularly strong bond with his father. He grew up on a traditional Japanese farm, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. A full house, but not full enough considering all the work that needed to be done. Matsuri’s dad had many rice fields to tend. When he wasn’t harvesting he was looking after the cows, working in the orchard and running a successful business. In the little town Matsuri grew up in, his father had a great reputation. On the day of his funeral over 800 people came to give pay their respects.  They gathered in mid-August and grieved the death of a dear elder. Less than 6 months after the March 11th earthquake shook the town’s foundations and split their roads, Matsuri’s heart underwent a parallel devastation. After the disaster that spring, Matsuri and his father struck up a friendship like they never had. While others tried to cope with the painful loss of family members and belongings, Matsuri and his father were getting to know one another. Their hearts were drawn to each other and a deep mutual respect grew from the soil of the trials they’d undergone.

They had 6 short months together before illness claimed his father’s life. Matsuri had no time to learn the family business. This will be the first spring he’ll attempt to plant the rice and care for the rows upon rows of clementine trees.  He may have missed his opportunity to learn the family trade, but he held onto the family name and is known and loved by the entire community just as his father was. When I met Matsuri he was in his slippers, shuffling quickly to the door with a couple quarts of fresh milk. It’s just one way that he’s able to help the relief efforts. From donating last years rice crop to a base of volunteers nearby to getting their internet set up and fixing their pipes, Matsuri has been more than helpful. He smiled a full-face smile the morning we met, one of those smiles that makes you feel special, as if you’ve just been seen. I’m sure it’s the same smile everyone receives when they come to his front door.  When we walked away, our host, Emiko, pointed to the characters on the mantle of the roof. His family name had been carved into the posts on either side, as was common on traditional Japanese homes. Emiko visits Matsuri regularly and shares the gospel with him again and again. She prays faithfully that this man of peace who holds a key of respect to the rest of the town, who will one day know Jesus.

Here in a little corner of Tohoku we came across a young man, probably still a boy in so many ways. A son who’s lost his father. A respected and hard-working citizen trying to take care of his family, spared by the tragedy of March 11th, but still recovering from the personal loss. His nickname, Matsuri, means festival. It’s clear that the Lord has purposed to bring joy into his life. He will be a bringer of peace and compassion, a carrier of the gladnness to his town. The respect that he has, the name that his father passed down, will be synonymous with the good news. He started with milk and oranges, with rice and electrical support. One day Matsuri will bring hope to his people. Instead of milk he’ll have living water to share and instead of rice he’ll hand out the bread of life...

Tomorrow our 'Meet Japan' blog trilogy concludes with Wendy and Katie's visit to the Filling Station Family

Blog thumbnail is a derivative of the image 'japan love flag' by JoyLove7 and is used by permission in accordance with commons copyright license terms.