4th Oceania Youth Gathering

On 4th & 5th July, the “4th Oceania Youth Gathering” was splendidly held in Sydney for the first time, inviting youths including senior high school and university students in the diocese. This gathering is held twice a year on a regular basis since January last year, with the 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. 11 youths, including 10 participants: eight boys and two girls, and one female trainer, gathered from Sydney as well as Brisbane, sharing a wonderful time with each other. Especially this time, we held the gathering in Sydney for the first time hoping that as many youths as possible who live in Sydney could participate in the event, in which six students flew to take part from Brisbane.

In the opening that started from 1:00 p.m. at the Tono Sydney Fellowship, Rev. Suzuki made an opening remark right after worshipping God the Parent and Oyasama. Introducing themselves, the participants enjoyed ice-breaking games through which they opened up to each other within moments. Then the first group exercise followed, where all participants enjoyed themselves, divided into two groups. After that, the musical instrument practice was conducted. This time they learned and practiced the flute and small drum for the men’s instruments as well as the Koto and Kokyu for the women’s instruments. After practicing them respectively, all the particpants joined to perform the “Yorozuyo” together by playing these instruments along with the other instruments added in high spirits, which impressed us very much.

Then they moved by train to an apartment-type hotel where they stayed together on that night. Upon checking-in, they started to prepare curry and rice for dinner by shopping and cooking. Because the electrical heating of the cooking stove was very slow, it unexpectedly took almost three hours to be ready to eat, but they fully enjoyed the curry and rice cooked by uniting their minds as one. After dinner, they discussed and shared with others their good experience being Tenrikyo.

Day Two started by getting up at 6 o’clock, followed by tidy-up and breakfast. After check-out, they returned by train once again to the fellowship where they spiritedly performed the morning service. Then they went out to engage in hinokishin by picking up rubbish on the streets and park around the fellowship under the fine blue sky. Afterwards, they enjoyed another group exercise and each participant wrote a letter to him/herself under the title of “To Myself Six Months Away”. Rev. Suzuki gave closing remarks, and then all the participants sang heartily together one of the TSA songs called “Akari–a light of faith–” . At the very end, each participant was presented with a missanga embroidered with “OTSA” which had been handmade by Miss Yuri Adachi living in Brisbane who could not participate in the gathering this time. This made each participant feel strong ties as peers of the path and pledge to each other to get more involved in their activities in the future. Then they fully enjoyed a superb BBQ lunch which was prepared by the fellowship, which completed the gathering in Sydney. The following day, however, they got together once again to go sightseeing in Sydney. In this way, all the participants fully enjoyed the Oceania Youth Gathering in Sydney.

Having completed the 4th Oceania Youth Gathering without mishap, we deeply realise how important and necessary it is to nurture the youths including the students of the Path in our region, and therefore we would like to support their continuous activities on their motive.

Finally, we would like to take this oppor-tunity to thank Rev. and Mrs. Suzuki who not only kindly provided us with the fellowship as the venue for the gathering this time, but also warmly took good care of the participants.We highly appreciate their sincere dedication.