Central California Conference
Japanese Camp Meeting Held at Camp Wawona
O
n April 17-19, more than 200 attendees enjoyed spending time with old and new friends from all over California at the Japanese camp meeting amidst the majestic nature-scapes of Yosemite National Park at Camp Wawona. It had been six years since the last Japanese camp meeting was held in either Central or Northern California Conference. Japanese camp meeting has an extensive history in the United States. “The first Seventhday Adventist Japanese camp meeting was held in 1948,” explains Phil Hiroshima, a participant from Northern California. “Every other year, we have a combined Japanese camp meeting, reuniting Adventist Japanese churches mainly in California,” continues Naofumi Nozawa, senior pastor at the Mountain View Japanese church. Because there is not a large percentage of Japanese or JapaneseAmerican Adventists, this camp meeting is quite unique. It allows Japanese Adventists to unite together and address topics that are specifically needed in the Japanese community. Two services were held during the camp meeting. Cesar DeLeon, ministerial director for
More than 200 gather for the Japanese camp meeting.
24
pacificunionrecorder.com
Japanese camp meeting attendees spend time near Yosemite.
Central California Conference, along with his wife, Carolann, spoke for the English service. Their theme, “Family in Jesus” was particularly
practical and relevant for the young people who attended, organizers said. The guest speaker for the Japanese service was Tsutomu Inada, who serves as chaplain at Hiroshima Saniku Gakuin High School, an Adventist school in Japan. His presentations were based on the topic, “As An Adventist.” He emphasized the need for believers to have love in their hearts, and to act on it as well. Attendees came from the Adventist community of faith and beyond, including several people who had never participated in a churchbased event. Andrew Watanabe, a CROSStrainer at the San Francisco Japanese church, was able to invite several people through a language community club in downtown San Francisco. One of them came and was able to learn a significant amount about what Adventists believe. After breakfast on Sunday, participants embraced and prayed for each other, recommitting to their faith in Jesus as they departed Camp Wawona.
Andrew Watanabe