Good morning everyone.

Thank you for coming to our Sunday Dharma school service this morning.

First, I have an important announcement. Some of you may know that my working permission visa will be expired on July of 2008. The Visa I now here will allow me to stay in this country for up to 5 years. And next August, it will be 5 years! When the visa expires, Michi and I have to leave this country. So, for the past 2 years, we have been working with an immigration attorney to apply for permanent residency status. We had to prepare 100’s of documentation and do quite a lot of paper works. A few weeks ago, we finally received a letter from the department of Immigration and Naturalization regarding our request for permanent residency. The letter says…

“Our office is ready to begin FINAL processing of your immigrant visa. We have scheduled an appointment for your immigration interview on May 29^th at the American Embassy in Tokyo”. This is very good news..

So, Michi and I have to go to Tokyo at the end of this month. Because, this interview and the immigration process will take at least 1 week for our case, I will stay in Japan for about 2 weeks. We are looking forward to receiving permanent residency but, of course there is no guarantee.

But, if they permit us to have permanent residency status, we will officially become 1 sei immigrants.

Michi will be going to Japan on May 21^st and she will stay until July 1^st to enjoy with her family and eating her favorite foods as much as she can. I will go to Japan from May 23^rd to June 9^th. Hopefully, I will come back just before the Dharma school End of term picnic with the permission to have permanent residency.

“Hi, Rev. Kaz. How are you?”

“Oh, Sakura. I am fine and you?”

“I don’t feel so good.”

“Oh, what’s wrong with you?”

“Tomorrow, I am scheduled to take a vaccination at the hospital.”

“Oh, ya? That is good for you.”

“What? What did you say? You said it’s good for me??”

“Yes, vaccinations are very important. They help to protect you from many infections and diseases.”

“But, it is very, very painful and some of my friends even cried when they had to take their shots.”

“I understand that feeling. Last week, I took 3 shots at one time. They were required, so we can be considered for immigration.”

“Did you take 3 shots at once? No thank you. That’s not for me…”

“At the hospital, a nurse gave me a tetanus Td shot on my left arm and a Hepatitis B on my right arm here… and then a TB shot on my right forearm.”

“Oh, no. I don’t want to think about that… woo…”

“But, as I told you, vaccinations are very important.”

“But, but, but… I don’t like getting shots.”

“Well… Most often, when people are healthy, they take their health for granted. But, once they become sick, they really want to recover and regain their health. And we never know when we might get a disease.”

“Oh, I do not want to get a disease. But also I don’t want take a shot.”

“Well, I am not a doctor but if we think about it, a vaccination that takes only 3-4 seconds can often save you from becoming sick for a long-time….

…Since last month, measles has become prevalent in Tokyo. Some high schools and colleges had to close and the schools disinfected school for 1 month. There are many people who have no antibody for measles. Here in the United States, people have to take measles vaccination, but in Japan, it is optional. But, if the measles patients had taken shots before, then, now the measles would not be spreading all over Japan… If people had taken this shot, the disease would not spread so badly. If you don’t take the shot, you may become a sick. But also… you will become a carrier, spreading the disease and hurting others.”

“Oh… I see… I don’t want to spread disease and harm others…”

“We are required to take most vaccinations only once in our lifetime. So you do not have to take many of shots. I have to take 2 more shots and that’s it.”

“Ok, ok…

…I will take my shot to help prevent future illness and to protect others from infection.”

“Good boy Sakura. Don’t cry!”

“Sure! I won’t cry”

In Gassho.

We know that we always need the help and support of others to sustain and protect our life. Nobody wants to get a shot, but for our health, these vaccinations help us to sustain our life much more comfortably.