Christmas season in Japan is a busy time for shoppers and sellers. A time when big discounts and offers are great and fantastic. A time when the people are roaming around, spending time for liesure and out of town tour just like what we did.

          The OTP community decided to go to Nagasaki, western part of Japan. This place has rich in history both people and religion. It is the place where Christianity spread and considered as a Japan's historical site where one of the Atomic bomb exploded. A quiet place rich in culture and history, a place where many martyrs were killed including our very own saint, St. Lorenzo Ruiz.

          

          On December 23, 2007, eight ( persons from the OTP community including our director took the ANA flight at 7:25 p.m. from Nagoya airport to Nagasaki for our Christmas tour. Since we don't have our own family here in Japan, we decided to spend our Christmas visiting some religious and historical sites in Nagasaki as part of our culture training.

          As part of the tour, on the 24th, we visited first the Cathedral where some of the remains of the August 9, 1945 atomic bombing were laid. then, we went to the Peace Park, took some pictures then to the Museum where the history of Nagasaki and the details of the Atomic bombing were recorded and posted chronologically.

                   

more pictures: click the link;

Christmas in Nagasaki

to be continued...

 

I wonder if you experience or have experienced a life led by God. Not merely a situation or an event that let you conclude, it's by God's hands that made me succeed. Let me share to you a very recent experience of surrendering and letting God show the way for me. An experience that undoubtedly changed my way of praying and trusting and believing.

First and foremost, allow me to share with you my experiences while I am here in Japan. It seems life in Japan as we thought of being a first world country is a beautiful place to live in. Yeah! Definitely it's true. We expect that living in the countries such like the first world countries are easy and relax. But the truth is the other way around. Let me take out the word “religious” and consider to be an ordinary immigrant or migrant worker in a foreign land. Well, to be honest, in order to live and earn, one has to double his/her effort to work in order to earn as much as the family needs. Others are illegally recruited or others are forced to marry a national just to secure a legal documents in order to stay otherwise if they don't have legal documents, they might be caught and be deported. This is just a background of what is happening today.

Now, let me share with you religiously as what I am doing here now as part of my OTP experiences. The most difficult but challenging here is the language. Japanese language is absolutely difficult. But you have to make it a challenge in your life. Challenge makes life more meaningful and colorful. Adventures in life will also help one's determination to pursue on the challenge even the hardest part of it. One has to be motivated, a real motivation to learn the language and not anything else. Strong and firm will will really support in pursuing one's goal in life.

For almost a year that I have been here, OTP program focuses on language study because this is one of the major component before a seminarian is developed into experiencing other trainings like home stay and pastoral exposure. Of course, the OTP program also develop a person to be more aware in an international community and be sensitive of each other. Here, one's spirituality is definitely challenged by certain factors like spiritual dryness, homesickness, cultural differences and I have experienced all these especially that I am the only Filipino here in the OTP house. Being alone is also a situation that makes life a bit difficult because I do not have somebody to rely to, to talk to, and to share some of moments of emptiness during the period of stay except seeing a priest for spiritual guidance. This situation makes loneliness fills in an empty glass that leads to search for the same colors, the Filipinos.

However, what makes me persevering is my relationship with God. During difficult times, I don't have anybody to turn to except talking to Him in silence and in my prayers. I tell you, everything was enlightened and so vivid that He answers all my prayers in due time. It made me a complete turn around by doing what I can do with all my skills and abilities. Language barriers, cultural differences, make me suffer for a time until I completely surrender and trust the Lord and believe that He loves me so much and that this love keep me strong and convinced that this is the life He chose me to be. He lead my life where He want me to be. I believe that this is it even in my unworthiness to be His servant.

Lastly, my experiences allowed me to be fallen down. Yet, by the hands of God, He let me picked the pieces of my broken self and form into a new dimension of being. He has led my life and and is leading me now. OTP regenerates and reaffirms one's contention of being a real missionary developing not just emotional, intellectual, spiritual but most of all in its entirety as a person of God willing to sacrifice for the love of His people.

COME ON! WHILE STILL YOUNG AND ALIVE, EXPLORE THE WORLD AND BE GOD'S MESSENGER!

My OTP, how then…?

 

 

              Last April 7, was my third month of experiencing Japanese way of life, culture, language among others. I do not believe the term “lucky seven” but eventually it falls on me. As I remember, the very first time I arrived here in Japan was filled with a party. It was two in a row when there was a welcome party to the new members of the SSpS and SVD community the next day. One month after, there was also a gathering together with the seminarians, and it was on the seventh day of February. It was a small gathering after our meeting. On March 7, there was also a gathering since we had a rite of acceptance for the novitiate. And on the 7th of April, my third month, we had the so-called “hanami”, a party in the park with the whole community. And I have just realized that I am very blessed with events starting my first arrival. It is really a lucky number for me.

              Spring season has just begun here in Japan since March was still experiencing winter tail. Now, there is a gradual change of temperature and its becoming warm now. The weather is absolutely good. I like it so much, and the surroundings are so beautiful with the blooming “sakuras” in white and pink. The trees also are getting more leaves now.

 

OTP Life

             

Language Study

              Since I arrived last January, I have completed twenty-three (23) days of learning the Japanese language which is the ME-1 (or Elementary Japanese course) at YWCA (Young Women Christian Association Language Center). Its last session was on March 30 with a course ending test. It looked like “final exam” or shall I say, placement test or evaluation test whether the learner is capable of taking another level of Japanese studies. Here’s what happened. I took the test twice because I failed the first one. I took it in the morning and when the result was released together with an interview, I found it out that I was not able to reach the minimum grade, meaning I could not go to another level. That time I was afraid and a bit ashamed. However, I was still lucky on that day because the teacher gave me another chance to take the exam one more time. It was really a blessing for me. I immediately nod my head affirming for the second try. So the was schedule of the test was in the afternoon after my lunch. Because I was free in the afternoon (actually always free), I grabbed the opportunity to take the test after my lunch once again. (It was the fruit of persisting to continue to the next level that the teacher paved the way for me.) So while eating my lunch, I was reviewing all the mistakes I had and made the necessary corrections. I was not aware that for the second time, the passing grade increased up to 10 points. It was only revealed when they handed the test paper to me. Thus, I have to reach that score or even higher for me to qualify to the next level of study. And thanks God, I made it. I was jubilant to see the result afterwards with 20 more points from the minimum grade. I was relieved and joy filled in my heart. After the interview, the teacher advised me to practice, read, memorize and review the lessons we had because according to her, the next level is more difficult and more vocabularies to memorize. So far, I can now understand the conversation and I can speak a little. The only thing is that, if they speak the language fast, I could not get the exact point. But, there is a little development in my studies.

 

Community, etc.  

              Right now we are eight here in the OTP community including the OTP director. Two priests came towards the end of March, one is the first Russian SVD who transferred to the seminary a week later, and the other one is from Congo. We do have our own activities here in the house. As usual, morning prayers, daily masses, house cleaning every Saturday and outing. Aside from our own activities, we have also some joint activities, celebrations, meals in the seminary since the OTP is part of the seminary community.　 CLICK THIS FOR AN EXPERIENCE　

              Activities; well, the OTP house gives more emphasis on language study which means, it has priority tag. Of course, there is also a space that provides one to explore and get acquainted to the place without the support of the other OTP-ier. For me, I think it is part of experiencing the Japanese culture and learning to speak the language. I find this stuff real good and effective. I could ask somebody the location or direction of a certain place which I do not know.

 

Personal Assessment  

              The first few weeks, FIRST TIME EXPERIENCES　I was completely ignorant and a stranger (I even applied for an alien registration card which is the protocol). Even using tools or machines is really strange to me (of course they are written in Japanese). They are quite technologically advanced. Language barrier is the most difficult one and the most annoying thing (of course I haven’t started my Japanese course yet). Reading Japanese characters especially “Kanji” makes my life harder here. You can just imagine how would I deal with someone especially in the stores. If both of us, the salesman/lady and me, cannot understand each other, we would simply look at each others’ eyes, closed our mouth and nod our head. But later on, slowly I learned how to ask and count the way they count numbers especially their money. Culture and weather adjustments are not really a problem especially the food because I like Japanese food and it is precisely yummy (kana na lang na word). 

 

Prayer Life and Ministry

              Generally speaking, my prayer life nowadays is moving like a seesaw. I found it so difficult to understand the entire Japanese Eucharistic celebrations and prayer (knowing that I have been only here for three months). The only way that I could understand is the priests’ actions during the consecration and other some elements of the mass. The rest, “wakarimasen”! It means “I don’t understand.”

              But I got the energy and strength here for the past two months because I felt like I had my second novitiate. It’s very quiet and so peaceful because the other OTP-iers spent their home stay program for two months. That is why only the OTP director and myself in the OTP house. So I had a lot of times for reflection and prayer. Sometimes I felt dry and wanted to go back home. I miss everything there in Tagaytay the way we celebrate our prayers, holy hours, adorations, and religious related activities. I also miss my apostolate because we do not have an apostolate here.

              Thanks to Father Brendan, he introduced me to play the guitar in the masses of Nanzan Internarional Community.　 REMEMBERING THE PAST　It is an English mass and it’s a kind of apostolate now for me (the OTP director told me not to attend the English mass oftentimes). But the thing is, every once in a while, I feel something different and I really need a Spiritual guidance here. Please pray for us!

              It’s my first holy week here and I felt like not. It seems an ordinary day here except for some activities. I really did not know what to do. Honestly, I did not feel the holy week as it was in the Philippines.

 

              To conclude, as far as I am concerned, I am doing well here. Of course, there are no exceptions like failures, disappointments, and humiliations. I also received some affirmations which is helping a lot to boost my energy and encourages moving on. Independence is a strong tendency for me here since I am the only Filipino seminarian here. I really need support and more prayers.

              I realized life is not easy here. Missionary life calls for its real mission and it needs more dedicated missionaries too. My presence here as a young missionary somewhat contributed an impact to the Christian community. Whether they feel it or not, my simple way of reaching out to the people means so much to me. It gives me courage and strength to go on despite the challenges and barriers I have/will encounter here. No matter what, life goes on and the sailing won’t stop. Here I may find god’s ways for me.

 

 

Lastly, regards to everybody! Thank you very much! Please continue to pray for all of us, for our perseverance and guidance of the Holy Spirit. And most of all, we continue to pray to each one so that the Love of God be in our hearts and in the hearts of all.

 

ありがとうございました。

 

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