Our fellowship recently added a Japanese service to their already growing list of services on Sundays. We had been meaning to visit for some time, but could not manage to find a Sunday when the timing worked out.
The service is at an awkward time during the day, so it was challenging to go as a family. Sometimes the boys would still be napping, or we would have to prep for something later in the evening. Suffice to say, we started to think that we would never make it there.
We finally made a commitment to visit one Sunday (we refer to it as marathon Sunday because we attended three services that day), and were able to gain a little bit of insight into what a Japanese service entails.
Something that initially confused me was the group of attendees. I couldn’t tell who was actually Japanese or who was simply Japanese-speaking. A majority of the people who attended were locals who either studied abroad or who had an interest in the language. It also took a while for my brain to adjust. I’m somewhat accustomed to switching between languages now, but try throwing a third language into the mix!
The longer I live here, and the more people I meet, the more impressed I am with the cross-cultural community here. A lot of people I meet here speak at least two languages, if not three. I wish more and more that I had the capacity to learn and speak more languages so that I could communicate with people better. It’s amazing the connection you can make with someone just by being familiar with their culture, especially in a foreign place.
One of the sisters I spoke with started speaking to me in Chinese, and as I was deciding which language to use to respond, she switched to Japanese. I have a feeling my poor brain is going to lead me astray when it comes to language. I often have to stop mid-conversation just to process what I’m trying to say in the correct language. She had shared her testimony during the service, and I was really encouraged. I’m thankful that I still know enough Japanese to understand a majority of what took place during the service, although my knowledge of spiritual language is still lacking. Although we do not have any formal commitments to this ministry, I’m hoping that I can be involved in some capacity. If anything, I just want to meet new people and build relationships.
It just so happens that my last language teacher, and my current language teacher both have an interest in Japanese. My former language teacher was studying Japanese in hopes of moving to Japan. My current teacher majored in Japanese in college, but confesses that her language level is still low. I’m not sure why God orchestrated this situation, but I want to make sure that I’m taking full advantage of the opportunities He has afforded me.
My mom will be visiting Japan in the fall, and asked if I would meet her there. I know that she is eager to see us, and that she would feel a lot more comfortable staying in her hometown than in a foreign place. I’m still not sure if it will be possible for us to go, but it’s something that I’m praying about.
In the meantime, I’m trying to bulk up my language studies. I don’t know if it’s mommy-brain, or just my normal aging brain, but language study is a lot more challenging than it used to be. I still enjoy it, but I’m finding it more difficult to retain all of the information. To help my poor brain in organizing this mish-mash of languages, I’m hoping to devote certain days of the week to a specific language. I’m also hoping to introduce Japanese more formally to the boys. As much as we want them to assimilate to the life and culture here, we also want them to be able to retain some of their earthly heritage. If we happen to speak with you in some form of Japachingorean, please bear with us!
If only: