TOC 39th Children’s Sleepover

Blessed with the refreshing winter weather, the 39th Children’s Sleepover was suc-cessfully conducted during 26th and 27th of June, making use of the first weekend during the winter school holidays. This time we held a tremendous sleepover with 30 people in total involved: 16 children including 7 new-comers, 5 senior staff and 9 general staff. With the blessing of fine weather on both days, all of them were able to go through the whole period in good health without any troubles in spite of chilly early morning.

The main schedule is as follows:

Jun. 26th

• Assembly & opening ceremony
• Video, Orientation & self-introduction
• Ice-breaking games
• Service practice
• Dodge-ball
• Small talk on Tenrikyo, Evening service
• Dinner
• The Ultimate Games
• Good-night assembly & Shower
• Lights-ou

27th

• Wake-up & Morning assembly
• Small talk on Tenrikyo, Morning service
• Breakfast
• Clean-up hinokishin
• Workshop (making a photo-stand)
• Sports Festival
• Lunch
• Reflection
• Closing ceremony & Disband

The registration started at 1:30 p.m. The children carrying hand baggage for two days gathered for the event showing expectation as well as uneasiness in their faces. At the opening ceremony that started from 2 p.m. the participants listened to Rev Adachi, head of the Centre, who explained the “Three Promises” in an easy manner, and pledged together to make an effort to live joyously during the event. Then they enjoyed ice-breaking games including new games that entertained both repeaters and newcomers very much.

In the service practice session, divided into two parts, they alternately practiced the musical instruments for Yorozuyo and the hand movements for the seated service. All of the children, including those who participated in the event for the first time, earnestly practiced in unity of mind, which gave a vivid impression to the staff. Then followed the dodge-ball games outside which they fully enjoyed, playing with pleasant sweating.

In the briefing on Tenrikyo before the evening service, the participants learned the “Providence of Fire” by listening to a talk using the “Panel Board”. Then at the evening service, the children earnestly performed the hand movements and the musical instruments that they had learned during the daytime.

Dinner was a rich “TOC special dinner set for children”. All of them fully enjoyed the meal. After dinner, the “Ultimate Games” was held as the main event of the day. After fully enjoying the old-fashioned games such as “Drop the Handkerchief” and “Fruits Basket”, they challenged “Palmanism” as a group using the A4-sized cards that had been specially made for this event, which made all of them pleased and satisfied to a great extent.

Day Two started with “Achikochi Exercise” led by our super-excited staff, followed by a small talk on Tenrikyo before the morning service. The participants listened earnestly to a talk about “Offering with a Sincere Heart” from the Anecdotes of Oyasama, explained using the “Panel Board”.

After the morning service and breakfast, the children were challenged to make their original photo-stand in the workshop session. They all fully enjoyed painting their preferred colours and designs to the wood-framed stand. Then they went out and did clean-up hinokishin eagerly around the Centre, although it looked a bit difficult for some of them to handle big tongs. After hinokishin the Sports Festival followed, which was held as the main event of the second day. Under the clear blue sky, all the participants enjoyed themselves to their heart’s content using their bodies that are lent by God. At lunch, they filled their mouth with their favorite curry and rice, which made us staff feel very happy and satisfied.

In the sleepover this time, the new faces were prominent and over 90% of all the participants were children of non-Tenrikyo followers, which made us staff realise what an important opportunity for sprinkling the fragrance of the teachings this event was. At the same time, seeing with our own eyes that each and every participant grew by learning many important things and by helping each other through this sleepover, we staff would also like to make continued efforts to create a more substantial sleepover. We humbly ask for your further support and cooperation.