The first Easter in Poston will always remain a day of
cherished memories in the lives of the member of our Christian Church.....
This desert land provided the setting for
this memorable day with beauty all its own. It was begun with the almost necessary function of Easter, the sunrise
service in the sandhills.Here we viewed
a glorious desert sunrise as our Pastor brought us a stirring message which
renewed our faith in the resurrected and living Christ.
Breakfast was served in the sands to the
crowd of two hundred immediately following the service. The menu of sandwiches and cocoa was prepared
by some ambitious early risers of the group at 4:00 a.m.
We were very fortunate in having with us on that day, Dr.
Frank Herron Smith, who brought to us at the morning worship service
challenging message, “Under Fire with the Living Christ….”
At 3:00 p.m. on the
bank of the Colorado River, a baptismal service was held at which time nineteen
members of the church were immersed in the waters of Baptism.
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| Lloyd Wake |
Among them was Lloyd Wake, Easter Day, a la
Poston, will always loom up as one of the highlights of our desert sojourn.
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| Rev. Paul Nagano |
Rev. Paul Nagano administered the baptismal rites, and Dave Arata was
chairman for the service.One hundred
people witnessed the service.
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| Maryknoll Catholic Church children |
For the Catholic Easter Service, Maryknoll Chapel was packed with three
hundred people, attending the Easter High Mass. The beautiful chant from the tradition of the Catholics was sung by the Maryknoll
mixed choir. Father Lavery, the superior
of Maryknoll, officiated. The chapel altar was bedecked with Easter lilies grown and also handmade
in Poston.
Source: Ministry in the Relocation Centers by Lester
Suzuki
