エッカート博士のお孫さんであり、ランドマーク・ポスト・クラブのアメリカン・パートナーでもある、Nicole Phinneyさんが11月7日（現地時間） NCAA（全米大学体育協会）女子バレーボール・ディビジョン�V決勝トーナメントに出場。見事決勝戦を制して優勝しました！彼女は大学においては成績優秀につき、授業料は免除されていますが、恵まれた家庭にも関わらず食費や下宿代などは全てローンを組み、アルバイトで支払っています。学業・スポーツ・生活と、全て自分の事は自分でする。これがアメリカの学生の本来の姿であり、日本の大学生にはぜひ見習って欲しいと思います。 （左下の写真・１番左がニコールさん）ケーブルTVでは全米に中継されました！




情報誌カンパニータンクで紹介されました！

Oct. 01, 2009

「カンパニータンク」（国際情報マネジメント社・定価1575円）に、ランドマーク・ポスト・クラブが紹介されました。10月1日発売です！全国の書店やアマゾンでも取り扱っていますので、ぜひご覧下さい。また、大学の図書館にも置いているそうなので、学生の皆さんはそちらでもどうぞ。少しでも弊社の思いが伝われば嬉しいです。若い人に私たちのクラブが知ってもらえると嬉しいです。

この本はどういう本なのか、カンパニータンクのホームページからひろってみますと、『カンパニータンクは、さまざまな業種における経営者の生の声を届ける、経営者のための雑誌です。「人」が織り成すストーリーこそが、企業形成の根底にあるという思いでインタビューを行っています。さまざまな経営者が歩んできた道のりと、「今」をつくったターニングポイントなど、ときには喜びの、そしてときには苦悩の声も活写しながら、経営者の思いを届けます。』と、書かれています。





















カンパニータンク　2009年10月号（国際情報マネジメント有限会社　発行）より

タレントの森下千里さんと、記者の土居さんとの対談が掲載されています。少しでも多くの方に「ランドマーク・ポスト」を知って頂けたら嬉しいですね。「ランドマーク・ポスト」は、英語の専門家からの評価が意外と高く、注目されています。当社としては実際に入会して下さる一般の方から、評価・注目されたいと考えます。



アメリカ人、ローラのボランティアをご紹介

Aug 14, 2009

ローラからメールが来ました。そうエッカート博士の娘さんです。彼女はキリス教について教会で講義を持ったり、昔は幼稚園を経営したこともある敬けんなクリスチャンです。 その彼女が先週８月７日〜９日まで、どんなボランティアを行って来たかを知ることは、アメリカ人のボランティアについての１面を知るのに、とてもいい機会だと思います。彼女の行き先は「刑務所」でした。 またこの記事は、私に来た彼女からのプライベートメールです。彼女の許可を得て掲載しました。これを読めば、私は彼女とはメールと国際電話で友情をはぐくんで来ましたが、アメリカ人と文化の壁を越えて友人になることの、片鱗を理解して頂けたらと思います。 文化が違う、言葉が違うと言っても、大切なのは「ハート」です。宗教が違っても関係ありません。長文ですが、ぜひ読んでみて下さい。

Hi Kouji,

Well, it's Monday and I'm out on parole!!!!! (big laugh)

Now I have so much to tell you. Faith, Grace and Love - prison was an amzing experience. It was my first time, but God was with me and the prisoners said I was the best! LOL Laura is funny and they trusted me because I never tried to hide my innocence and lack of experience. Everyone was scared of "Benji". He is a member of the worldwide gang called the LATIN KINGS - also known as "The Nation." They are considered the deadliest gang in the world and are known for executing people. You can read about them on the internet. Guess who got Benji at their table for the weekend. - Yes. ME.

Before we left yesterday, Benji told the group he wanted to get up and speak in front of everyone. This really surprised everyone. Benji didn't talk with people and never wanted to share his feelings. He said that we had all changed his heart forever. He said that, Now Laura is my new stepmother. He wrote me a note in spanish. It said, "You have opened my mind and my heart. I am no longer afraid." - You know me Kouji, usually Laura does not cry. My eyes filled with tears, as I broke the rules and leaned over and gave this young 20 year old kid, already in prison for murder, a big warm hug. What happened next made all 35 people in the room silent. This tough kid who never showed emotion, was always "fine" and "tough" buried his head and cried his heart out. (In front of everyone, inclusing 4 other members of his gang!) MIRACLE.

Rey, another prisoner, and Benji sat at our table together. They were ASSIGNED to our table. They had no choice, We found out later in the weekend from Rey that they were each memebers in competing gangs that often fought each other - viciously. At first, they didn't know how they were going to do the Christian weekend together. They weren't allowed to even speak by gang rules. In the end, they hugged, again, in front of members from both their gangs. Rey told me he would keep an eye on Benji for me. On the way into church, Rey grabbed my arm and whispered, "You are a miracle. I can't believe what you did with Benji. No one could have done what you did."

I told Rey, this was not little Laura, this was GOD. Your God too - and he loves ALL his little children - you, me, Benji and all these people, all the gang members, in a way we cannot love each other. God uses the least of his creatures to do great things. This weekend, I witnessed a great thing. I know I was a part of it; the little part. I am HUMBLED and GREATFUL that God allowed me to love through his work!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rey smiled at me and said, "You are amazing." And again, I responded, "He is an AMAZING GOD! It's Him. Now, you take over His work. Please watch over Benji. Rey said he absolutely would do that and they will be go to the prison church together every Sunday.

I have a surprise for Benji and Rey, and John (an older prisoner that was with us too). I spent the whole weekend breaking little rules for my inmates. They were crying when I left. We were all crying. I broke the rules and went back to my table where both Rey and Benji were crying. I leaned over and whispered, "I will return soon. I will come to your church for Mass." Benji cried even harder, Rey whispered back, "They won't let you." (My partner, Mark and I had already found a way to get back into the prison to do this.) However, I want them to continue to go to church, so I didn't tell them I knew I could. I didn't want them to know what Sunday, so they would go each Sunday to look for me. (smile) I whispered back, "When have I ever let little rules stop me from doing God's work? Are you kidding me? You still don't believe? (the last line had double meaning - can you understand?) - Today, I received permmision from the leader of the Ministry Program and the Deacon who runs the church inside the prison - I can return!!!!!! YES!!!!

Now is time for my family. The next few weeks I will give to John and my children. We go to the boat and this summer has been very short because we have had so much rain. I cannot give up more family time now. This would be wrong, so I asked the Leader if I could go back in Sept or Oct. He said yes - it will keep Rey and Benji in church for weeks! LOL!!!!!!! - God is good! There were so many other things I want to tell you, but I have NO time today.

I will tell you one other thing. The inmates at my table became very protective of me. Because of the rules of the prison I was not allowed to bring in anything. I was not allowed to bring water. I was not allowed to bring any food. This was a real problem for me, as I have that disease, which I think you know about. I can eat no preservatives, I can only eat pears and blueberries, no other friut. I can't eat things with sauces unless I make them - no vinegar, no tomaoes, etc, etc. It is very diffcult for me to eat OUTSIDE a prison, it was impossible for me to eat IN one.

The prison served us the same food they fed the prisoners. It was very bad. I never care about good or bad food. I always ate everything. However, because of my disease I could eat NO food. The only thing I could eat was bread and one time, some green beans. There was another problem. The prison only serves milk and orange juice. I could drink the milk, but 13 hours with only milk is very hard. After the first day I realized this was a big problem. In the re-cycled air, with nothing but milk, I was starting to dehydrate. I told the Deacon who runs the prison ministry I needed help. He told me it was difficult, but he would try. (Difficult to get drinking water - this is crazy.) By this time, my inmates had become very protective of me. Two of them went to the Deacon and told him that he needed to get me water. They said that Laura has given up enough. No food. No boat with her family. No sunny days for 3 days, Now WATER! - Finally, the Deacon argued with the guards and got me water! LOL

The next day, Rey came to me with a green apple. He told me they were very good and that they did not often get good fresh fruit in prison. Fresh fruit was unusual for them. He said he was very happy to get this apple and he couldn't wait to eat it. But then, he said, "I thought of you. I thought, if Laura can eat this apple, then at least she could have one good thing to eat tomorrow. One good thing to eat in 13 hours, other than a piece of bread. So, as much as Rey wanted to eat that apple, he saved it and brought it to me the next day. Of course, I told him that it was his lucky day! LOL I cannot eat apples, only pears and blueberries. He was happy to eat the apple, but he said he was sad because I cannot eat all day and night long. He would have been happier to watch me eat the apple.

You know, Kouji, how often do we get treated with so much thoughtfulness OUTSIDE of prison? How often do people make sacrifices for others out here in the world? I just looked at him and smiled and shook my head and said thank you. I told him that I was amazed at the kindness I was shown by him; a prisoner, inside a prison. He responded that he felt badly that I had to make so many sacrifices to do the 3 day ministry weekend for them. He said I had to make even more sacrifices than the others.

BUT, let me tell you something, Kouji. It's Monday and I WANT TO GO BACK TO PRISON. All the sacrifices were nothing - absolutely NOTHING compared to the experience of Christ's love that whole weekend. I will do it again, and I can't wait!!!!!

I started this email this morning. I wrote a little throughout the day. It is now 7:30 pm and John (Laura's husband) and I can finally leave work. It was a very hard day. After prison I was very emotionally drained and my body was very exhausted. I had to write letters to my inmates every night. I stayed up until 1 in the morning and I had to get up at 5:30 each morning to go back to prison each day. Of course, everyone knows I had very little to eat the whole time, and.... Laugh I am already little.

Please read this to your wife Y****. I needed to spend this time writing to you. I had so much in my heart I wanted to tell the two of you. You are my spiritual brother and sister. You are my brother and sister in Christ. My heart screamed to share my story with the two of you.

Y****'s words stayed with me all weekend. So many people told me I was stupid to do prison spiritual work. They said that prisoners do not deserve it. - Who says so? Jesus TOLD US to visit those in prison. The world instructs us in bad things. God instructs us in the good. Of course, I never listen to the world - laugh, but Y**** said I was full of grace for going to prison.

I thought of Y****, and her words as I walked through the big prison doors that first morning ( a little scared). I thought of Y****'s words while I was with my prisoners. I told my prisoners about you and Y****. I told them that they had a beautiful little Japanese woman praying for them IN JAPAN! The LOVED THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - smile. Japan is very exotic to them. They were so surprised. Later, I told my team players Y****'s words. I did not tell them WHY, but my team trusts me, and I told them that Y**** was very close to Jesus. Y****, Y****, Y**** - my sister, you were in my heart all weekend, you went to prison with me. Your name was present to me every second of each day. You gave me strength when the world told me that what I was doing was stupid. They were only a few words, but I am so thankful that Kouji remembered to tell them to me. Thank you, my sister. I love you. - Y**** - please pray for little Benji, for Rey and for John when you pray for me. They live in a dangerous world in prison. We need to pray for their safety and their hearts! Please pray for them to continue to follow the way of Jesus.

My love to both of you!
In Christ's love with PRAYERS, L


「クラブニュース一覧」へ

<このページの先頭へ>