Baika Gakuen, in Osaka, is a private girl's junior and senior high school with a kindergarten, junior college, and 4 year women's college attached to it. It is one of the oldest girl's schools in the Kansai area and in 1998 will celebrate its 120th anniversary. There are about 1800 students in the junior and senior high school.
Baika's founder, Paul Sawayama, became a Christian in America. He came back to Japan with the vision of starting a Christian girl's school in the city of Osaka. Christians from two churches in Osaka worked together to begin Baika and the name Baika, which means "Plum Blossom", is made up of two Chinese characters taken from the names of these two churches. Paul Sawayama died of TB when he was thirty-six. One of the pictures that is included in publicity about Baika is of Paul Sawayama's prayer cards. He wrote the names of students on these cards and prayed for each girl while he was ill.
Baika was built on a firm spiritual foundation, but through the years it has become weaker as more non-Christian faculty and staff have been hired. Please pray that these early seeds and Paul Sawayama's prayers will bear fruit.
Baika has a chapel service every morning and students are encouraged to attend churches near their home. There are also special activities during the year sponsored by the Religious Activities Committee. Some of these include: Flower Week, the Christmas Pageant, Religious Emphasis Week and a Volunteer Summer Camp.
Beth Robinson is a Missionary Associate at Baika Gakuen teaching English in the junior and senior high school. Beth came to Japan in 1971 from Slateville Presbyterian Church, Donegal Presbytery, as a Volunteer in Mission on a one year contract. She expected to stay in Japan for only one year, but the Lord had other plans. This year in January at the school's Founder's Day service Beth was given a certificate and a watch to commemorate twenty-five years of teaching at Baika.
Besides her teaching responsibilities, Beth also plays the organ for chapel services and gives three or four chapel talks each term. She sings in the Christmas pageant and leads students and teachers in Christmas Caroling. She also serves on several other school committees.
Beth is an Associate Member of the Osaka International Church where she serves as organist and music coordinator. She is also a member of the Church Council. Beth's real joy is encouraging others in praise and worship. She often visits other churches and schools to share her ministry in music.
Another privilege has been the joy of sharing in prayer support and encouragement with other Presbyterian missionaries in Japan. Beth has been blessed to accompany Lardner Moore on the piano and sometimes to sing with him as he shares his music ministry. It was wonderful encouragement for Beth to attend the dedication services of the Nara Church where Vincent and Jane Stubbs minister and the Suzuka Church where Harriet Johnson ministers. There are signs of life in Japan. Please continue to pray for the Christian workers and Japanese Christians in this country.
