While we were tracting in the hour or two right before the rally here in Hachioji, we had a bit of trouble with the mall security (for the building where the rally was held). They didn't want a group of foreigners dressed in bright shirts clogging up pedestrian traffic right in front of the mall. At another location, though, someone actually called the police while the team was tracting near schools in the morning. The police in turn called four schools near where the team was tracting, to "warn" them, and in turn the teachers of the schools warned the students. One of them was a HiBA regular. She felt so strongly about her teacher speaking poorly about HiBA, that she later confronted him. This was amazing in itself for Japanese culture, that a female student would confront a male in an authority position. Even more amazing, though, was that he actually apologized!
Fortunately, problems like these with the police are very uncommon.
Here's the view from an overpass near the train station in Hajiochi.
Normally when you're in a different culture, it's best to blend in and follow the example of the locals around you. No one wants to be the Ugly American. When you're tracting, though, anything goes. If climbing on someone's shoulders attracts attention and gets more people to take the tracts, then go for it!
This rally was held in a small room near the top of this shopping mall. Since the room was so tight, I joined a few other team members in walking around the outside of the building, praying for the rally that was happening inside.
I drop by the room to get a couple pictures, though. Here's one during the small group time at the end of the rally. Though there were only 5 newcomers, apart from the HiBA regulars, they all seemed to have a great time!
Paul Suzuki, who ran the Gospel Team program, showed up at our rally in Hachioji.
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