“Feliz Navidad.” Brothers and sisters in the Lord, I bring you midsummer Christmas greetings from Paraguay! Paraguay is in the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are exactly the opposite of Japan so Christmas is in the height of summer, and Easter is in the Fall. We made the advent wreath while sweating in the heat of summer last November. I keenly sense that the seasons of the Bible are those of the Northern Hemisphere.
The year 2020 was one of ordeals. The believers from the Colonia Yguazu and Colonia Fram immigrant areas came together for Christmas worship in 2019, welcoming 2020 with joy. From January through February, I returned to Japan temporarily, holding first-year work-report meetings in churches here and there, with many people hearing about the mission work in Paraguay. I returned, enveloped in great joy, and reported on the work in Japan to the people in Pirapo Church, and we had just reopened worship services when all meetings, including missionary work, were prohibited from the middle of March to control the spread of the corona virus.
As a general rule, people were not permitted to go out, and I heard that anyone doing so unnecessarily and non-essentially would be given a large fine, so I went out for nothing other than food shopping. Online live services were out of question as there were some who didn’t have smartphones. I could not take anything to the believers or go to meet them, and we were completely unable to engage in church activities. I was confined only to the church, and two weeks after worship services were suspended, I began to confirm the current condition to believers on Saturday by phone and via the SNS (Social Networking Service) and also announce the weekly Bible passage. I have continued to communicate this way every week to the believers living far away from Pilas even after worship services reconvened.
From the middle of June, regulations for going out were revised; mission work involving under 50 persons became possible; and worship services reconvened. That was the one-year anniversary of the church building’s dedication, and we sensed God’s deep compassion. During the worship service, the windows and doors were left open and we used fans, but at times during the winter months of July and August, we were cold. The restrictions about elderly people going out still continues, and to prevent infection within families, those who have an elderly in the family couldn’t come to church neither. On the first Lord’s Day in November, the few who had been unable to attend services came to their first worship service in a year and were able to share Communion together.
It is said that the increase in the rate of infection has slowed down somewhat, but the situation does not allow for predictions. From Oct. 20, the International Airport was reopened, and regular airlines have begun to fly; but returning to Japan is a concern because many infected people may be in the area where passengers change planes.
The corona virus infection still continues, and during the summer there is also a rise in the danger of Dengue Fever. I am confined within the church, and gazing up at the sky everyday, I have come to realize deep within my heart that there is only One upon Whom I can depend.
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18: 2) “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.’ (Psalm 121:1-2)
Christmas teaches me to depend only on the Lord. I am praying for a great blessing for all of you. (Tr. RT)
by Ehara Yukiko, Kyodan missionary
Pirapo city, Paraguay
主に在る兄弟姉妹の皆様 ¡Feliz Nividad! 盛夏のパラグアイから、クリスマスのご挨拶を申し上げます。パラグアイは南半球にありますので、季節が日本と逆になり、クリスマスは夏の盛り、イースターは秋になります。昨年は11月に汗を流しながらアドベントクランツを作りました。聖書の季節が北半球のものであることをしみじみと感じます。
2020年は試練の年でした。2019年のクリスマスは、イグアス移住地やフラム移住地の信徒の方々も集って共に礼拝を守り、喜びのうちに2020年を迎えました。1～2月には一時帰国してあちこちの教会で1年目の報告会を開催し、たくさんの方々がパラグアイの宣教報告を聞いてくださいました。大きな喜びに包まれて戻り、ピラポ教会の方々に日本での活動報告をし、礼拝を再開した矢先、コロナウイルス対策で、3月半ばから宗教活動を含む全ての集会が禁止されました。
外出も原則禁止となり、不要不急の外出とみなされると高額な罰金を課されると聞き、買い物以外は全く外出しませんでした。信徒の中にはスマホを持たない人も複数おり、オンライン礼拝は考えられませんでした。また、信徒の方々に何かを届けたり会いに行ったりすることもできず、教会の活動が全くできなくなりました。ただ教会に閉じこもって過ごしましたが、礼拝が中止となってから２週間後、土曜日に電話とSNSで現状を確認してその週の聖書個所を伝え始めました。礼拝を再開してからも、ピラポから遠くに住む信徒の方々に毎週連絡し続けています。
6月半ばから外出規制が緩和されて50人以下の宗教行事が可能になり、礼拝を再開しました。その日は献堂式から一年目の記念日で、神様の深い憐れみを感じたことでした。礼拝中は窓もドアも開け放って扇風機を回しますが、7，8月は冬のために寒いこともありました。高齢者の外出は依然制限されており、家族が感染を懸念することもあって、数人が礼拝に出席できないでいましたが、11月最初の主日に1年ぶりに来会し、共に聖餐に与ることができました。
今も、感染者の増加速度がやや鈍ったと言われますが、予断を許さない状況です。10月20日から国際空港が再開して定期航空便が飛び始めましたが、日本に帰るためには、感染者が多い地区での乗り換えが必要になるため、帰国するのも心配です。
コロナウイルスの感染は続き、夏にはデング熱の危険も高まります。教会に閉じこもって天を仰ぐ毎日ですが、このような大きな困難の時こそ、頼る方はただお一人であることを心の底から思い知らされています。
「主はわたしの岩、砦、逃れ場／わたしの神、大岩、避けどころ／わたしの盾、救いの角、砦の塔。（詩編18編）」「目を上げて、わたしは山々を仰ぐ。わたしの助けはどこから来るのか。わたしの助けは来る／天地を造られた主のもとから。（詩編121編）」
ただ主に頼ることを教えられるクリスマスです。皆様に大いなる祝福を祈ります。
