Thrift Shop

Thrift shop is like a large garage sale.  Families from the CAJ community can bring their wares and sell them at Thrift Shop.  It is a great opportunity to "get rid of" items if you plan to move soon.  The PTA from CAJ organizes this event two times a year, April and October.  Besides the large garage sale, there is also food sole, students sell snacks to help raise money for their Senior Thailand trip, and it is a great opportunity for the grade 12 students to sell wares related to their Senior Comprehensive project.  
Thrift Shop is one event held at CAJ that a number of people look forward to visiting.  Some look forward to it because they can downsize on material items.  Others look forward to Thrift Shop so they can find good deals.  Many love the food that is served on campus, Korean BBQ, curry, hot dogs, pies of all kinds and occasionally there are specialty foods such as Nepalese curry sold by one of the grade 12 students this year.  Still others just love the atmosphere Thrift Shop brings on the CAJ campus.  I'm sure there are many other reasons as well. 
It takes an army to set up, run and take down, many, many volunteers.  Here are a couple of pictures taken of the garage sale in CAJ's gym.  

This is a fish eye picture.  I thought this and the next two pictures looked kind of cool.

Left side of the gym

Right side of the gym

 Friday, Thrift Shop is open for the CAJ community.  You are supposed to wear a CAJ name tag, which is issued for each parent and staff from CAJ.  The above pictures were taken before the sale began for CAJ community on Friday. 
Saturday is the day that we open Thrift Shop for people from the community.  Interestingly, they begin lining up at least an hour before the door opens.  This year it was beautiful weather, so waiting wasn't a hardship, really. 
I had the privilege of volunteering on Saturday.  I was be at one of the registers and pack the bought goods into bags for the customer.  We would also put in a Japanese tract and seal the bags with blue tape. 

Getting ready for the crowds on Saturday. The tables are where the purchasing and bagging happens. 

Each person that enters gets a 70 L bag where they can put their things in and bring to the register. 

Since I was bagging at the register, these pictures were taken from my view at the register.

Lots of people getting things. 

 As busy is a day like this can be, it is another way for CAJ to impact Japan for Christ.  It helps to be visible to the community.  We pray that somehow through this contact, relationships may be forged or interest in Christianity may be piqued.