Volunteers make Christmas very merry, internationally

  • Published
  • By Simon Bernard
  • Guest Contributor
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  Christmas came early to the Misawa area last week. Base volunteers held three separate Christmas parties for more than 130 local Japanese kids and their American counterparts.

Members of the Airmen Leadership School Class headed out the gate Dec. 1 to the Oirase North Community Center. As if being guided to the destination, Jupiter, Venus and the crescent moon shone brightly together -- a phenomenon will not happen again for another 50 years. It was an omen of good things to come.

Forty local Japanese kids walked into the main hall gasping with "ohhhs and ahhhs" as the group, led by Senior Airman Paul Stonestreet, 301st Intelligence Squadron, transformed the center into a holiday party atmosphere with lights, decorations and the aroma of pizza, cookies and other treats.

After two hours filled with fun, games, food, singing and laughter, everyone left with smiles and an extended vocabulary of new words and phrases in both languages.

Thirty members of the Misawa First Four, servicemembers in the grade of E-1 to E-4 and their spouses, hosted its first Japanese Christmas Exchange Party at the Oirase East Community Center, Dec. 4.

These two groups are no strangers; the Misawa First Four has sponsored the children's on-base cultural exchange every March for the last four years, but this was the first time they took the spirit of Christmas for an "outside-the-gate" adventure.

The kids had already been visited by the group led by Airman 1st Class Victoria Hobbs and Airman 1st Class Danielle Denny, both from the 35th Logistics Readiness Squadron, so it was more of a "family" get-together. The kids helped decorate a tree, and had a question-and-answer period during snack time. Presents, games and singing Christmas songs in English and Japanese were some of the highlights of the night.

Holiday celebration brings communities together

More than 60 sixth-grade children from Oirase Town and their counterparts from Sollars and Cummings Elementary Schools came to the 16th annual Oirase and Misawa Air Base sixth-grade Children's Christmas Cultural Exchange Party, Dec. 6.

The annual event took place at the Sollars gym and cafeteria and was staffed with volunteers from the Single Sailor's and Airman's Ministry Center and the base chapel.

As soon as the children arrived, they were divided into three mixed groups for games and activities. While one group made a Christmas decoration, another played games in the gym, and the third went to the international cultural corner.

Through interactive games, they learned each others' names and got a chance to ask questions of the other culture, such as "do you like sushi," "can you ice skate," and "what is your favorite (Japanese or American) food?"

After 25-minute sessions, the children rotated to the next area, after which volunteers passed out pizzas and drinks. While eating, the children tried to communicate with gestures and other expressions.

Fueled for more activity, they returned to the gym where the Japanese children taught everyone an original Christmas song in English and Japanese. Then, each child paired up with another and presented their new friend with a Christmas present.

As the children's event came to a close, there were lots of "jaa-nee" (see you) and "Ome-de-tou Me-ri Ku-ri-su-ma-su" (Merry Christmas) with smiles and waves as they departed.

The Children's Christmas Cultural Exchange would not have been possible without the volunteers, as well as the Air Force Sergeants Association and Focus 5/6, who provided funding to make this annual event a success.