I have had the privileged these last few weeks to attend a church in Mito.
It has been so wonderful to be with other believers around the world. Unfortunately my Japanese is still not very good, so it is difficult to communicate all of the time, but those who know English have wonderfully been helping me and even those who do not speak English have been very warm and welcoming.
The first time I walked to church I thought that I would have a difficult time finding it because it seemed to be tucked away, but the signs were very clear and the church steeple was noticeable, even from the main street. Like the beacon of hope that Christ is, the cross on the steeple guided me to the right place.
One of my favorite parts of the service is when we get to sing together out of the hymn book.
I may not understand all that we are singing, but I understand the gist of it, and I like raising our voices together in psalms.
My absolute favorite part is the meal that the church shares afterwards. Communication often includes plenty of hand gestures, but I get to know them more, which is lovely. This meal is one of the biggest times in my week when I get to practice Japanese a lot, and I am beginning to see how people can live for months and even years in a foreign country without ever really learning the language.
One of the hardest parts of the service is keeping track of which Bible verse we are reading. I'll understand the verse numbers, but find it difficult to hear and understand the book names!
But, once again, they have been so kind to me and the man in the pew next to me helps whenever I am lost.
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