This blog wouldn't be complete without mention of the Tajima family.Nobumasa ("Nobby") Tajima is the missionary pastor of Koriyama Baptist Church, and his wife Beverly (a pastor's daughter) is his "better half". Whereas he is full of motivation, she finds consideration more natural; whereas Nobby is the visionary and workaholic, Beverly readily adapts...I have rarely seen two people so suited to each other and balanced in their ministries as the Tajima couple. It has been a real encouragement to me, especially since Beverly is American and her husband Japanese, like me and Kinya.
pic: You think missionaries are serious all the time? Think again! Nobby and Beverly are demonstrating here...how well they work together(?).
I think Nobby Tajima is the most humble man I know. And Beverly is so easy to talk to, I don't know why or how, but I end up telling her everything--talking with her has never been like conscious counseling, more like talking to myself.
Since coming to Koriyama 20 years ago, the Tajimas have stuck with me, counseled me, prayed with me, seen me through thick and thin--they are my heroes, and I thank God for putting them here in Koriyama.
pics: Beverly with Anne, one of their three grandchildren; Ken-Ken, their oldest grandchild, on church organ...Ken-Ken, be careful, or you'll bite your tongue off!, and 5 "Tajima" girls: Sarah w/Leah, Stephanie, Christine (mother of Kent & Anne), Beverly
Since I come from a family of three girls, I see similarities in these three sisters too. Christine, the oldest, everyone seems to like. I like and admire a lot of things about her. I don't know anybody that doesn't like Christine. I think she is most like my sister Joyce.Sarah, the second girl, is only 10 months older than my daughter; so they grew up together; as a result, I feel I know her the best of the three girls and would want her as a friend, were I...say, 30 years younger? Sarah is the doer of the family. I still remember when she was young enough to ride the tricycle, she disappeared one Sunday afternoon, and the church folk frantically looked all over for her. She showed up on her tricycle far across the street--showed her spunk and adventuring spirit even then. My sister Janice was the active one of the three girls in our family, and Sarah is probably most like her.
Stephanie is the reflective feeler of the three--she's probably the most like me at 14. Life seemed like a puzzle, a reason for consternation, back then. But Stephanie, I've learned to like puzzles! You can make mistakes, go back and erase them, write in new words. God is the only One who doesn't ever make mistakes, never has to go back and erase them. And He doesn't "oops" when writing in the crossword puzzles of our lives.
But that's "neither here nor there". Oh well, someday I'll have to write a post about my Japanese crossword puzzles.
It completely slipped my mind: the Tajima family has three boys too--but they've all moved away! Their oldest son Adam is in the U.S.; the second son Jesse is a medical doctor in southern Japan; the third son Daniel just graduated from college! Sorry, fellas; didn't mean to ignore you!
