Planes, Memories, & New beginnings

In about 4 hours I will be boarding a plane US bound. I can hardly believe that this time has come. While I am very excited to go home I am also ridiculously sad to leave this community. I have met so many wonderful people and have so many great stories to share. The past month has been filled with goodbyes. I always feel that goodbyes should be easier to say after so many times but it’s not. Luckily for this community it is not a goodbye forever. For those of you that don’t know I will be coming back to Japan for another year but in a different place and different position.

Starting in October I will be working in Sendai with the Anglican Church of Japan’s project to help victims of last year’s tsunami and earthquake, “Let’s Walk Together.” Back in March I visited this project and it was an incredible experience. An opportunity came up to work with this project over the next coming year. I went back and forth on the subject weighing all of my options. In the end I decided that it is something I want to do. My main job will be with the project’s program that helps foreigners. These foreigners originally came to Japan to provide for their families. Most have lost their jobs along with their houses in the tsunami. They are searching for the next step in their lives. What is best for them and their families? The project’s focus is now on providing for their future through job trainings such as English teachers and care givers. They also provide counseling in their native language. They give tutoring for children whose parents cannot help due to language barriers. These are just a few of the things the project is involved in. Please view their website (http://www.nskk.org/walk/?page_id=52) to see all that they do. This project is something that I truly believe in and cannot wait to work with it.

So here I am about to board a plane home bound. I will be in the states for about 5 fun filled weeks of weddings, reunions and updating at churches. At the beginning of October I will come back to Japan but to Sendai, where I will continue to work under the Episcopal Church’s Young Adult Service Corp. I am nervous and excited about what this next year will hold.  

With all of that being said I want to again ask for your help. I cannot do this job without your prayers and financial support. I want to ask you to come along with me in my mission work any way you can. Soon I will post more information about how to help. Thank you for all the support you have given me this year. It has been a great experience and I can’t wait to share all that I have learned. I can’t wait to tell you, in person, about the wonderful children and amazing people I have had the privilege to work with. For now I will leave you with some pictures.

Again thank you for everything,

Katie Young