Editor's letter

I love coincidences, because I know god is behind them. On Dec. 16, 2015, my Facebook page reminded me that six years ago, I posted this: “Steph and I had tea with a man who had been in a Japanese internment camp in Arizona.” turns out, both of them showed up years later in this issue of The Bridge.

In 2009, I had interviewed Clarence Sakimura at his Grantham home for Messiah’s Centennial. A pre-teen in the 1940s when World War II began, he — along with his parents and siblings — had to leave their home and floral shop in California. Despite being U.S. citizens, they were forced into an Arizona internment camp with other Japanese-Americans.

After the war, then-President C.N. Hostetter Jr. invited the Sakimuras to Grantham and hired Clarence’s father Harvey, as the College’s groundskeeper. The three Sakimura children—Clarence, Ivan, and Alice—attended Messiah Academy.

A graphic designer in our office at the time, Stephanie (Fenton) Perry ’99 had accompanied me to take photos that day. We were in a hurry, but Clarence and his wife Herta Sakimura invited us for tea. So, we stayed, of course. It remains one of my favorite interviews and one of my favorite afternoons.

How do Sakimura and Perry fit into this issue? The feature “Pieces of our Past” highlights the Messiah College Archives. In her "From the President" letter, President Phipps says an archival photo of — you guessed it — the Sakimuras remains a favorite of hers, because it embodies Messiah’s constant commitment to reconciliation and hospitality.

In our second feature, “Leaps of Faith," we profile Perry who switched from graphic designer to successful café owner. Funny how things come together. Coincidence?

- Anna Seip