Bye LA! Final Reflections

My “vacation” time in LA is finally coming to an end. While I am sad to leave my friends (especially graduating seniors and Stalcup!) I know that I have a whole new adventure ahead of me in Japan. As I am packing up my stuff from Lorena and Gaby’s room, I cannot help but think back to the things that I was able to experience this past semester. I am grateful for my family and friends for allowing me to be here during this limbo time. It was hard for me at first to figure out what exactly I was doing here and to even accept help when my pride told me I didn’t need it (sorry Regina!).

Thank you everyone who has provided me with something, whether it was food, shelter, friendship, prayer, fun times… the list goes on. I had a blast here and I am excited to return again in the fall.

Study Abroad Background

I’m sorry I was not able to really share this at the surprise on Saturday. But I think that it would be nice to share with everyone that is supporting me. Coming into college I thought that I would never study abroad. The idea did not appeal to me. One of my main goals, though, was to take Japanese language classes because over my high school years I became more and more interested in my culture. As I studied more and more Japanese, the thought of studying abroad crept into my head. I played with the idea and started to consider if it was actually something for me after all.

During the summer after my freshman year at USC I worked as a day camp counselor in San Mateo and through that met a Japanese girl, Juri, who was doing a homestay in the US. Although her English was not perfect and my Japanese was equivalent to a 4-year-old, we became good friends. My last day of work was difficult mainly because it was our last time to hang out together. We were able to exchange mail addresses and I told her that I was considering studying in Japan in a few years. Her eyes lit up and I became determined to find her in Japan one day. Since then I have sent her letters but have never gotten a reply. She is still on my heart and I am planning on going to visit her home during my time in Japan.

Sophmore year I decided to declare a second major in East Asian Languages in Cultures. This was mostly for motivation to continue courses in Japanese, although it is also small major and aligns perfectly with studying in Japan. By this point, I was pretty convinced that I wanted to study abroad. Everything about it fit nicely and it was one of those things that just made sense to me. That is, until I brought God into the picture. Being involved in InterVarsity TCF, I knew how it felt when people invest time, energy, and love into and then move away. Conflict within me did not arise until it was the season of discernment for leadership decisions with TCF. Study abroad was the biggest concern and block I had in saying either a “yes” or “no” to leadership. Both paths had their pros and cons, but I was so torn that I actually avoided talking to Steve about my final decision and ran off to spring break without a word. Spring break was torturous because leadership and study abroad were on my mind, and I was afraid that God wanted to take study abroad away from me. Through many conversations and time with God, I finally (on the night of our first meeting) decided to step into leadership not knowing what the implications would be for my plans for Japan.

By the time Summer Conference for TCF rolled around, it was time to start discerning whether I should study abroad or not. I really expected God to make it clearly obvious to me, like with some crazy laser light or persistent Bible passage. But that never happened. In fact, I was still very confused. Some people were extremely for me going and some people were extremely against it. After many conversations, I remember getting some wisdom from Elizabeth Isenberg. She told me that I was not a kid anymore, and that God treat adults like adults. There are times when God puts a calling on our hearts and there are also times where God lets us choose the path we want to take. While I was looking to God for a clear GO or STAY, God was telling me to choose and reminded me that He would be with me in whatever decision I made. That piece of wisdom put me at much peace and I decided to follow the desire of my heart and applied for the program.

Now, this desire was not just a “I want to go to Japan because it’s fuuuuuuun and there’s a lot of yummy food and cute J-pop boys!” desire. Since freshmen year I just felt that I wanted to go even though I didn’t really want to, and after meeting Juri that feeling increased. I think this was God placing Japan on my heart, and after watching the sneak peak of Jaeson Ma’s “1040” documentary about Christianity in Asia, and going to Urbana to learn about God’s mission in the world, I was convinced that this was what God wanted me to be doing this semester.

I feel super encouraged by having friends that are going to the same program as me as well as the support and encouragement of my Christian community. The point where I am now – leaving LA to go home and then shortly departing for Japan – has not been a breeze to get to but I know God is going to take care of what I am leaving behind in the US. I still have my own insecurities about going, one of them being my identity as a 4th/5th generation Japanese American and having to endure some racial bias, but I know that God has made me exactly as I am and will be with me wherever I go. Thank you everyone for all of your encouragement along the way.

Final Thoughts

So… for some practicals, I am leaving LA to go back to Northern California tomorrow afternoon (Tues 3/9). I am leaving for Japan March 22 and will be coming back August 5. The school I will be studying at is Sophia University (上智大学 Jyouchi Daigaku) in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. I will be staying with a host family but I will not find out where that is until I arrive. Studying… I will be taking a Japanese language class as well as some Japanese culture classes. They will translate to 16 units for my EALC major and… well… don’t get mad but they are all pass/no pass. I also hope to check out OMF (Overseas Missionary Fellowship) in Japan and maybe getting involved there in some way.

I would love to write to you during my stay, so be sure to tell me your address if you want a letter! I will also be updating this blog with pictures and thoughts during my travels. Thanks all and congratulations to all of you who are graduating!