Where in Japan are Bob & Chris ?

Learning Japanese at Lutheran Language Institute

After spending hours of time to study the lessons from language class of the previous day including trying to write and memorize the beginnings of the 107 letters and combinations that make up the Hiragana symbols Chris and Bob are right back the next morning at Lutheran Language Institute each day about one hour from their apartment by bus and trains. You might be asking yourself why? Why try in three weeks to cram language and why try to add to the effort by actually learning 107 symbols of Hiragana? The short answer is to do something about the very real fact that in this culture Chris and Bob are illiterate. Degrees and certificates and all the rest from the United States mean nothing when you are not able to speak or read and write! So even though they will have translation help they are trying to become as literate as possible. Perhaps a true story of one American pastor will illustrate..

Pastor Phil from the St. Paul International Lutheran Church here in Tokyo told this story while visiting with Bob & Chris after their very first day of language training. As the story goes, an American pastor who had been in Japan for some time and was very proud that he was beginning to really get the Japanese language down was excited in worship one Sunday. On that Sunday he announced to his Japanese congregation his joy that this Sunday during worship they would have a baptism in the congregation. While his language ability may have been improving he still needed some work. Inflexions are important in Japanese. His was just a bit off.

When the pastor announced that this Sunday during worship there would be a baptism in the congregation his inflexion actually announced something quite different. He actually said in rather loud Japanese for all the members to hear and with great joy, “During worship this Sunday there will be nude bathing in the congregation.” Inflexions are important! Literacy is important in any language. According to Pastor Phil the pastor who made this mistake never knew of it. When the major "oops" left the pastor’s lips his congregation did not react. Maybe a slight smile here or there; but they remained quiet and their pastor therefore did not even realize that he had made an embarrassing mistake. Such is the respect of the Japanese for another's dignity. Such was their respect that day for their pastor. According to Pastor Phil the congregation made no mention of the error and most likely he speculated, simply prayed that their pastor's Japanese would improve; especially his inflexions!

Keep on praying,Zen Ben