In this short article, I will try to recount the very beginning of my existence and how I emerged to become a member of KCIC.
There is no doubt it was God who brought me to become part of our growing community, the KCIC. I've been working here in Japan for 3 years then when I started to join KCIC. In that span of 3 years, there were 3 instances that I moved from one apartment to another. In my first year, I used to live in Takadanobaba, Tokyo. My apartment was just walking distance from our office and it was just approximately 5 minutes by bicycle. Shinjuku is not far away from Takadanobaba and I used to stroll around Shinjuku almost every weekend when I had the time. Going to Yotsuya to attend mass was also possible because Yotsuya is not far from Shinjuku and I could go there with my bicycle. Since then I'd been attending mass at Yotsuya.
After a year, my company decided to let me experience life away from Tokyo for reasons that it would be more economical although the travel time would not be as comfortable as living in Tokyo. I didn't had a choice anyway so my second year in Japan was spent living in Iriso, Sayama-shi. Iriso is almost an hour away from my working place in Tokyo. I was already accustomed to attend mass in Yotsuya that I still continued to attend mass there. I was aware that there was a Catholic Church in Kawagoe but still I decided to attend mass at Yotsuya.
A year passed and that time our company had expanded its work force that a significant number of fresh graduates were hired. From these newly hired employees, most of them were not originally from Tokyo and that made our company decided to rent a dormitory enough to accomodate everyone who wished to avail the shelter the company was providing. Thinking it would be good for me to join the other Japanese in the dormitory for reasons that I could have enough time to mingle with them and in the process would improve my Japanese skills, I was made to move again for the third time.
Apparently, the dormitory which my company had rented was just blocks away from the Kamifukuoka Catholic Church. Despite the church was just "below my nose", I was not aware of its existense. Still my wife and I went to attend mass every Sunday at Yotsuya for quite several weeks until the "good news" arrived. While we were on our way to the station to catch our ride for Yotsuya, we met a Filipina along the way who happened to attend the Japanese mass and was on her way home heading towards the station. As it is always our nature to be friendly to anyone especially to our fellow kabayans, we greeted that Filipina and made the casual conversations. It was that very moment that the existence of KamifukuokaChurch was brought to our attention. But knowing the existence of the church was just the beginning. From that very moment, we decided to attend the 6pm mass at Kamifukuoka and did not pursue in going to Yotsuya.
Like any new comer, we were so hesitant that we decided to sit on the last row at the back. Observant as we were, there were so many things that impressed us. Aside from the friendly environment that was so natural within the church filled with other "kabayans", the choir and the commentator really got my attention. As I had been actively participating in a choir when I was in the Philippines, the Kamifukuoka Choir was a subject of my curiosity. The commentator also did a good job that I could even compare him to be as good as those native English commentators in Yotsuya. But all of those impressions were just "icing on the cake" and it was that very kind-hearted act that really got me. On that same first mass that we attended, after the communion, someone made an announcement in front of the altar urging everyone to contribute any donation for the victims of the flash floods somewhere in the Philippines. I was made to have an impression at that very instant that this church organization was really special. After the final blessing and the recessional song, when we headed our way towards the exit, suddenly 2 friendly guys claiming they were from a certain "ministry" in-charge of dealing and welcoming new comers, introduced themselves and warmly entertained and accepted us despite we were already welcomed by the whole community in the acknowledgment part of the mass. Those 2 guys also gave us their calling cards bearing the name "KCIC" with the pleasant invitation to come to mass regularly from then on. Well, I cannot totally recall the minor details of my encounter with the first two people from KCIC whom I speak with but it really ended the final mark into my impression lists on that day.
Since then, we started to sit a bit closer to the altar and we sitted behind the choir. From then on, someone also let us read the prayers of the faithful and the liturgical readings, invited us to join choir practice and recollections, invited us to join social celebrations and gatherings, and among other things. It worked like a snap without us realizing that we became part of an outstanding Catholic Community.
Before I haven't known the existence of KCIC, my life in Japan seemed like I was a blind man groping in the dark wandering "where should I begin". Now that I am part of KCIC's existence, that blind man have been healed and have been made to believe that this should never end and should continue forever.
If i remember it correctly the first filipina who teach us the direction of the church was ate leah and her sister.
and when we were inside the churc h, kuya mario was serving together with AJ and i t hought at that time that they are a "father an d son tandem" serving as sacristan and i said to myself wow ! what a great tandem
Then at e joy approach us and request us to read the praye rs of the faithfull - and erwin and i were a littl e bit hesitant to do it because we thought that we are going to read it in front good thing that he is not the first to read it.
and finally when w e are about to go out, the 2 "friendly" gu ys who approach us was gong and fritz- at first i was kind of scared to mingle and interact with the m because of the bad rumors that i have heard agai nst filipinos and filipinas in kami fukouka-hehe ( sorry guys i guess ur first impression on me also was snob and arrogant right?-hehe).
Th en the r est as what they say is history, KCIC as what i fo ndly refer to as my 2nd family in japan, more than just a community but a sweet haven to all of us g aijins in this strange land.
im ending this long comment saying thank you to eveyone and see all o f you soon.
