11 February 2012

By Raymond Billy | ResonateNews.com

Kathryn Sue is eager to enter Japan to assist the disaster relief efforts there in the wake of last year's earthquakes and tsunami. But she and her husband, Burton, hope to restore damaged souls and psyches, rather than damaged buildings.

The Sues have launched The Butterfly Project. The strategy is to use creative arts such as music, dance, and painting in the healing process for Japanese citizens still reeling the disaster — which also led to a nuclear crisis and the deaths of at least 15,000 people. The Sues' vision is supported by four Christian organizations — Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope, The Evangelical Alliance Mission, Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society, or JEMS and San Diego Japanese Christian Church.

Sue said she's confident the arts can provide emotional sustenance to the people of Japan. She said adding a Gospel component will make The Butterfly Project that much more successful.

“Using the creative arts is a proven technique often used by some of the best hospitals in the world. However, using this as a 'ministry' will no doubt have an even greater impact on those it reaches” said Sue, 32, of San Diego.

The Sues — who moved to Japan in January — will help implement a variety of creative arts workshops, such as hula, music, art, photography, and even drama at the temporary housing communities where thousands of Japanese remain 10 months after one of the worst natural disasters in the country's history.

Burton Sue studied at Art Center College of Design in Pasedena, Calif., where he honed his skills as an illustrator. He started Hula Friends — which creates Hawaii-themed illustrated prints and t-shirts under his artistic direction for a family-oriented clientele — in 2004. Kathryn Sue specializes in “gospel hula,” a version of the native Hawaiian dance, she said, intended to honor Jesus Christ. She has been performing for 14 years, including on missions trips with JEMS. Sue said the pantomime has proven a popular social tool.

“I believe in the effectiveness of gospel hula because is brings women together,” Sue said. She said that togetherness, centered around an activity geared toward celebrating the life of Jesus Christ, is key to generating hope in a country where isolation and despair were prevalent before its recent spate of natural disasters.

Although it remains one of the wealthiest nations in the world, Japan's economy has been stagnant for 30 years. Societal expectations of rising prosperity that emerged after World War II have been replaced by a culture of cynicism among Japanese younger than 50. Sue said the Gospel has the power to give people hope despite the disappointments of careerism.

“When material possessions or things of this world have been destroyed, where can they turn?” Sue said. “Jesus is a comforter in times of need and that hope can be found through a relationship with God.”

Sue said she hopes The Butterfly Project will be just one of many long-term missions that help spiritually revitalize Japan.

“As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of God. I think a humanitarian response is critical immediately but I also think that long after repairs have been made or buildings have been rebuilt, there is a deep spiritual void that needs to be filled,” Sue said.

---