BASEBALL IN IWAKI

One Saturday morning, Gary and I got up early and drove 2 1/2 hours to Iwaki to watch Aron and Elijah Igari play baseball with their Jr High Team.   They are the sons of the counselor in the Iwaki Branch Presidency.

The team bowing to the spectators after the game. (before this picture was taken, the two teams lined up and bowed to each other.  Then to the umpires.)

The team bowed to their coach and stayed gathered around him while he talked to them after the game.  Notice their hats are off and they are very respectfully listening to him.

Sister Igari talking to Gary.

The Igaris have a good relationship with the other parents and seemed  proud to introduce us to them. They seem to talk openly about the church with others.  The other parents were all so nice to us.  This mom's son plays on the team and goes to Seminary once a week with Aron Igari.  (Note:  She is obviously afraid of being in the sun.  The Japanese women don't want to have dark skin from the sun.  They prefer light skin.  I see bleaching agent in face creams here.)

After the game was over, the team was asked to line up and greet us as we were introduced to them.

Aron (far right), the team pitcher and captain of the team. 
He is a good kid and a great leader!

Bro Igari and his two boys.  The job of the younger boy was to rake the field after the game.  His age group is sort of an apprentice to the main team.

We enjoyed our day with the Igari family watching the game and were very impressed by many things we saw.  However, we came to understand better the very big influence the schools have on this young generation.  It became apparent that the school are raising the children in Japan.  The really sad thing is that many of the parents, in and out of the church, like it that way.  These boys go to school every morning for a 7:30 start time.  They finish class work at 3PM and then they go to their after school activity (all the children are required to be involved in a club or sport, etc) and get home about 7PM.  They eat dinner, do a little homework, take a shower and go to bed.  Saturdays, students are at school all day.  They are involved in their clubs or sport.  The day we were in Iwaki was a Saturday and they boys had come to the school to practice at 7AM for a 9 AM game and an 11 AM game.  After the games were finished, the team would stay at the school and continue to practice until 5:30 PM.  Sunday was another day of games.  These two young boys can never go to church because they are obligated to their teams.  Our Missionaries tell us the same story about themselves so we can see this is happening everywhere in Japan.  How do we teach "Keep the Sabbath Day Holy"?  How can families have FHE?  How can parents teach their values to their children?  Somehow, someone needs to stand up and say to the schools, "enough is enough."  We want our children back ~ but who?