yoshidamayuko On April 7, we received a request from a Ukrainian woman living in Kamakura to help bring her parents to Japan. With the cooperation of Yumi Yoshida, a friend of Arrupe who provides humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in Poland, and the Holy Spirit Society, a congregation with a monastery in the area, we were able to welcome the couple the following week on April 16. Their speedy arrival in Japan was made possible through cooperative efforts in transportation, lodging, visas, entry assistance, and other areas.
The morning after her arrival to Japan, Natalia was on the balcony looking out over the greenery surrounding the Arrupe and shedding tears. She was filled with unspeakable grief and sorrow, thinking of the forests of her hometown and the friends she had lost. That evening, after the rain, a large double rainbow appeared in the sky. It was a rainbow that seemed to heal wounded souls and broken hearts and pour hope into the divided land.
Alexei and Natalia have obtained residency status and have begun their lives as citizens of Kamakura. They have become accustomed to life at Arrupe and have started learning Japanese. Natalia, who honed her skills as a chef in Ukraine, sometimes serves us borscht, piroshki, brinchki (crepes), etc. We communicate with her using gestures and a translation app while living together.
We have been greatly encouraged by the growing circle of people who have learned about Arrupe for the first time through our support for Ukraine and have joined our network. At the same time, however, it is very complicated to think about the feelings of the residents from Asia and Africa who have been waiting for a long time to obtain residency status, during which time they are unable to work, their freedom of movement is restricted, and they have no access to health insurance. We strongly hope that the same treatment as the Ukrainian displaced persons will be applied to refugees and displaced persons fleeing from the rest of the world so that all can walk in dignity. May the rainbow of hope reach all!
