The Sweet Honey Pancake Party

+++++++++++++++++

Meet Kozue and Kaz Seza.  They were married in the Tokyo temple just before Christmas, just a few days after we arrived in Tsuruoka.  Kozue was a member of this branch- really the heart and soul of the branch.  She worked tirelessly in service and love and everyone loves her.  She met Kaz (who lost his wife to cancer a few years ago) and they fell in love.  They decided to marry, but that meant Koz would be leaving the branch for Sendai.  She said she prayed us here.  About the time she got engaged, we got our mission call to Japan- Tsuruoka.

We fell in love with her immediately.  Everyone does. 

The branch was so excited about their wedding and about the reception they were going to put on for her.  Right from the start we were involved in making banners and decorations and planning. I think it was the first time we met her, she asked us to take five minutes at the reception and do whatever we wanted.  Ken immediately said we would teach the Hokey Pokey.  What?  I thought he was crazy at the time, but it turned out to be the perfect thing.  But I'll tell about that in a minute.  She also asked me to play the piano for the affair.  These were the hymns she wanted.

This good man, Brother Sugawara was the head of the reception committee.  Every little detail was planned.

This was at FHE one night.  He drew out the decorating plan.

After church and every activity at the church, we would stay after and make decorations- banners to hang.

Even the elders helped make banners

The party was planned for Monday, January 11th, 1:00pm-3:00pm.  That is because that is a national holiday (when they honor all of the young men and women turning 20 that year as they become adults.)  Most people would have the day off from work.

We got to the church at 9:00am to help prepare and decorate.

I helped the bride arrange the flowers.

Many people came.  Both of them have a lot of friends.  Most of the people there were not members of our church.  Koz and Kaz had a goal that became evident throughout the party: help all of those people feel the joy of the gospel and eternal marriage.

The guest book in the foyer.

Some of the food.  There was much more.

The bride's parents

The party started with the bride and groom walking in to the reception in their wedding finery while I played, "Where Love Is."

The song I played while they walked in.

The program began with a hymn and a prayer. 

A video was shown of their courtship and marriage.

The stake president came from Sendai- 3 1/2 hours away.  He was THE funniest stake president I've ever seen.  After I post this, I'll post a couple of videos of him performing.  He is awesome!

With the bride's parents.

The sweet honey pancake cooks.  These ladies are wonderful and cook at all of the family home evenings: Sister Sugawara, Sister Nomura (we went to her home for New Years) and Sister Imi Sato. Love, love these ladies!

This is one of my favorite pictures from the event because this is a sister I haven't been able to connect with much yet(I don't think she speaks any English at all.) When I motioned I would like to take her picture, she smiled and waved.  It makes me happy.

Some of the sisters from the branch.

Sweet Honey Pancakes

After part of the program, the bride and groom left and changed into casual clothes, then came back in.

There weren't many chairs.  Everyone just sat on the floor.  Japanese people are used to that.

Somewhere in there, Ken and I led the whole group in the Hokey Pokey.  It was so fun.  Everyone really had fun doing it.
This was the best part of the event:   Koz explained why she wanted it to be a sweet honey pancake party.  The sisters made her a stack of little pancakes.(It was kind of like the cake cutting ceremony.)  As she told about how sweet her husband is, she would add something sweet to the stack: syrup, honey, whipped cream, fruit.  Ken interpreted for me: He always opens the door for me, he always compliments me on the food I cook, he tells me he loves me every day, etc. (these things all go against cultural norms.)  Then she really broke tradition: she kissed him on the lips.  PDA is not part of the culture at all and for a woman to initiate a kiss, well that took courage.  Courage that makes me tear up as I think about it.  Everyone could feel the joy of eternal marriage.

Brother Seza was cute.  I think he found that sweet honey pancake to be very sweet!

The stake president could be serious, too and gave a beautiful tribute (at least I think that is what he did!)

But then he put on show, breaking boards with his bare hands.  Each board had kanji on it representing a bad thing that needs to be eliminated in marriage, like sin, contention, etc.  Again, I will post a short video.

It is traditional for the bride's father to sing a certain Japanese song at weddings.  With the help of this brother, he did it.

They then showed a video from the church on eternal marriage.  It was translated into Japanese, so I couldn't understand, and yet I could.  The spirit in that room was so strong.  There is no way anyone there couldn't feel it.  Ken and I (as usual) were crying.  Afterward the bride spoke and broke another cultural norm and got emotional.  Then the groom spoke, paying tribute to his wife's parents.  Then there was a closing hymn:"Families Can Be Together Forever" and closing prayer.  As soon as the prayer was said, the sisters jumped into action.  They pulled apart the flower bouquets and made small bouquets and wrapped them in these papers.  Every guest went home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates.

Our Bouquet

I tell you, it was the best wedding reception ever!  We were so glad to be a part of it!  May the Lord bless this eternal marriage!


I've been trying to post the videos, but can't get them to work.  I'll keep trying.