August Sycamore Tree

When I first arrived I Sendai I remember that one of the first things that one student said to me was that I wasn't what they expected. When they heard that a missionary was coming from America they had immediately envisioned an older white male. Since I am none of those things I guess I hadn't quite lived up to that student's image of what an American looks like. As I've been here longer I sometimes feel like a disappointment in other ways, I look Japanese but don't speak like a native, or that I speak Japanese 'too well' for a foreigner. Recently, a student told me that I speak Japanese 'too well' and they would have to find somebody else to practice their English on.

In time I've also come to realize that perhaps this experience in Japan hasn't looked exactly the way that I had pictured it over a year and a half ago either.So then maybe it isn't that I haven't lived up to expectations but rather that, on both sides, we had to break out of preconceived ideas.

In this same spirit, a few students and I have talked about arranging a trip to Sycamore for the bazaar. After hearing me talk about Sycamore so often they've realized how different my image of the U.S. is from their version of America and are curious to see it for themselves. Probably the next time you see me I will be acting as a tour guide, so I hope that you will help me show these students what our little part of the U.S. looks like.

In regards to last month's article, I always welcome questions/comments/suggestions. Thanks for the e-mails I have received, I'll work on compiling those into future article.

SKLT
Global Missions Intern (GMI) and
Assistant to the Director
Sendai Student/Youth Center in Sendai, Japan