You may view previous editions of the bulletin from the listing to the right.
July is here and it is too hot already! I am planning to stay inside until Ohigan. Thank you to everyone for all your time and hard work to make Japan Nite so well received once again. Many positive comments have come in, and people were quick to point out how well organized it was and how smoothly things seemed to run. I cannot help but think that this is because everyone goes above and beyond to work together and to welcome our guests. Every corner of the temple had a different set of people and a different focus of effort, but the harmony of the Three Treasures was evident for all to see. Thank you and NAMANDAB.
Up next is our annual Obon/Hatsubon Service coming up July 11th at 11AM. Many temples hold their Obon Service and Odori on consecutive days, or even on the same day. They go hand-in-hand to raise our awareness of the spiritual meaning of Obon. Death and loss lead us through a profoundly significant process where we can emerge with a deeper and more complete awareness of the preciousness of our time here and of the time we share. Moving through pain and loss, we AWAKEN to a life that is deeper and more complete. With each loss, we AWAKEN to more … more depth … more clarity … more awareness … of the nature and the value of life.
The Hatsubon Service is the first Obon service for the families who have lost someone since the previous Obon. This year we will recognize a dozen families who have lost a loved one during the past twelve months. This time period has been a transitional journey for these families as they have had to come to terms with life without a key member. Our Shin Buddhist tradition and our temple provides this wonderful opportunity to acknowledge this year of loss with the Hatsubon Service. Families are welcomed and encouraged to once again recognize their loss and to participate in such an occasion that allows the remaining family and friends to support one another. Those enduring this loss are our fellow Sangha and community members. Please come and extend your own encouragement and support by sharing this Obon/Hatsubon Service with them. See you at the temple.
This month we will also be having our annual cemetery visitations from LaGrande to Boise. Check our temple calendar in this bulletin to see the scheduled times and the list of cemeteries. Cemetery visitations will take place July 13-15.
Gassho,
Rev. Dennis
Whew, we just finished another Japan Nite Obon Festival. Everyone works so hard and even though we didn't have the crowd this year, everything went well.
Now on to another project...HAPPY BOWL!!! We will have a meeting on Tuesday, July 6th, at 7:00 PM to get organized and discuss the weeks work. It is right after the 4th of July, but we need to get things under control. The Happy Bowl will serve lunch to the Chamber of Commerce on Monday, August 2nd. Then the fair officially starts on August 3rd through August 7th. We need all the help we can get, so please come help us out. Elynn Mizuta is in charge of scheduling the work group in the booth and Roy Hasebe is in charge of scheduling the cooks, so let them know when you can help.
Dharma School will start on September 12th, the week after labor day. Hope to see you there!! Have a great summer.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life on Friday, June 11th and Saturday, June 12th. The weather was windy and cool, but no rain. This year's theme was Celebrating More Birthdays.
The Survivor's ceremony was really nice and very meaningful as we watched them receive their medal of Hope and then walk the first lap to begin the Relay for Life. We had 5 from our team, Hideo Harada, Joan Suyematsu, Mary Nakamura and Elynn Mizuta. This year they did something new - Survivor Stop. Our team participated - thank you to Mary Ann Shimojima for making the Chex Party Mix and Sachi Sakoi for the cookies. We gave each survivor who came by our campsite their choice, but some took both.
We turned in donations in the amount of $1597!!! We had some of the nicest decorated luminaries for the Relay. We had lots of canned goods that were donated too. Thank you!!!
The Luminaria ceremony was very special as we all had many friends and family that were honored and remembered. Didn't you think the lighted luminarias were beautiful?
I hope everyone that came out enjoyed themselves - Please "pat yourself on the back" for doing a good job! The camaraderie was awesome. We saw friends that we hadn't seen for a while. We were all tehre for a great cause - to celebrate, remember and fight back.
A big thank you to Marc, Ashley, Matthew and Gerry Suyematsu for hauling the 10X20 awning/tent, tables and benches to the track for our campsite. They carried those cemented poles from tennis courts across the football field to the stadium!! It was so nice to have the awning to sit under between laps.
Another big thank you to the ABA, Buddhist Women's Association (Fujinkai) and Dharma School for contributing towards our team entry fee so that we could participate.
If there is interest to do it again next year, I'll be happy to go to the meetings and get the information.
Thank you to Mary Nakamura, Bob, Elynn, Hannah and Keegan Mizuta for staying the night to keep me company throughout the night so that we could have a team member on the track at all times. I really appreciated it!
If I have omitted anyone from the list below, please let me know - it was unintentional.
Participants: Rev. Dennis and Sharmon Fujimoto, Mary Nakamura, Joan Suyematsu, Marc, Pam, Ashley and Matthew Suyematsu, Mary Ann Shimojima, Hideo and Ruth Harada, Elynn, Alia, Hannah and Keegan Mizuta, Midge Teramura and Sandy Belknap
Thank you again,
Sandy Belknap
July 13 - Vale 10 AM, Payette 6 PM. Weiser 7 PM.
July 14 - Nyssa 9 AM, Parma 9:30 AM, Wilder 10:30 AM, Marsing 12:00 N, Emmett 2:00 PM, New Plymouth 2:30 Ontario 7:00 PM.
July 15 - La Grande 9:30 AM PST, Baker 11:00 AM PST, Boise 6:00 PM, Nampa 7:30, Hillcrest 8:00, Caldwell 8:30.
Archie Atagi, Bertha Atagi, Larry Fujii, Glen Fujinaga,Tom Hiramatsu, Joe Kino, Henry Kondo, Cora Morinaka, Mitsuko Murakami, Helen Taniguchi, Kay Teramura, Teddy Yamada.
Mary Nakamura, Karen Hata, Delores Wood and Hideo Harada and Ruth Harada
Designated Memorial Service Years for 2010. To schedule a family memorial service, please contact Reverend Fujimoto. 1 Year = 2009, 3 year = 2008, 7 year = 2004, 13 year = 1998, 17 year = 1994, 25 year = 1986, 33 year = 1978 and 50 year = 1961.
Idaho Oregon Buddhist Temple
286 SE 4th Directions
PO Box 397 (mailing address)
Ontario, Oregon 97914
541-889-8562 (office)
541-889-8662 (fax)
10:00 am - IOBT Choir Practice
10:30 am - Adult Study
10:30 am - Dharma School Service
11:00 am - Adult Service
11:00 am - Dharma School Class
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