2nd Oceania Youth Gathering

On 3rd & 4th July, the “2nd Oceania Youth Gathering” was splendidly held, inviting youths including mainly senior high school and university students in the diocese. This gathering was held in succession to the one in January, with a hope to provide such young people in the region who used to participate many times in Children’s Sleepovers sponsored by the Centre with an opportunity to learn the teachings of Oyasama and to follow this faith in their future. 13 youths, including 10 boys and 3 girls, gathered from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and shared a precious time with each other. Especially this time, inviting Mr. Daisuke Sugano, Tenrikyo Students Association (TSA)’s chairman, who directly explained the TSA activities in Japan, the participants were given a great opportunity to know how important and how wonderful the TSA activities are from the same standpoint as students.

In the opening that started from 1:00 p.m., Rev. Adachi and Mr. Sugano made opening remarks respectively. After that, the par-ticipants introduced themselves and enjoyed a warming-up session, through which they opened up to each other within moments. In the lecture which followed, Rev. Adachi, asking a question to each participant, talked mainly about the Joyous Life in an easy manner under the theme of “What is Tenrikyo?” In the workshop after the lecture, each participant drew his/her image of “a joyous life” taught in the lecture, and then discussed it in each group. Then the service practice was conducted at the sanctuary. Listening to the important points in performing the service explained by Rev. Adachi, the participants sincerely practiced the hand movements for the “Seated Service” and “Yorozuyo” in a joyful way.

After the evening service and dinner, the participants listened to Mr. Sugano who explained the TSA activities in Japan, which made them realise the importance of the TSA activities in our region. Afterwards, eating pizzas presented by Rev. Nishiura, Chairman of Tenrikyo Students Advisory Committee, they reflected upon Day One together.

Day Two started by doing various hino-kishin in the refreshing early morning air. After the morning service and breakfast, they went out to engage in hinokishin by picking up rubbish on the streets around the Centre. Then they enjoyed a group exercise of exchanging information based on the HARP program in which they learned how important and how difficult the group work is.

In closing, both Rev. Adachi and Mr. Sugano gave closing remarks by which all the participants renewed their awareness of how important to continue such TSA activities and to take action on their motive, not being forced to do so by someone else. In the very end, all of them in a circle sang heartily together one of the TSA songs called “Akari–A light of faith–” that had been translated into English by some volunteers among the members, showing strong ties as peers of the path, a feeling of satisfaction and a sense of expectation toward the future in their faces.

Having completed the 2nd Oceania Youth Gathering without mishap, we strongly realise how important and necessary it is to nurture the youths including the students of the Path in the Oceania region, and therefore, we would like to support their continuous activities on their motive in anticipation of the kick-off of the TSA in our region in the near future.