Misawa Japanese LDS Branch

Today was the Misawa Air Base Air Show.  The base was open to the entire community and it was packed on the flight line with Japanese civilians.  It did not feel like a typical Sunday as Josh had to work during the day. Since our Misawa Military LDS ward is all military affiliated, they actually had a sacrament meeting at 5:30pm tonight as all the military members would be working through our normal church time.  It is hard to hold church with half of the congregation missing.  The kids and I went to the air show for a while because Bear was selling cakes with her Junior Girl Scout troop.

We are sitting in some sort of Japanese military vehicle.  It was cool to see all the military members from Navy, Air Force, and Japanese Air Defense Force out in full uniform.

I was asked by one of the LDS missionaries to sing in a quartet for the Japanese LDS Branch.  I took the kids along because Josh was working and because I thought it was cool to attend a meeting held in Japanese.  The people were few in numbers, about 15, and they were so friendly.  Many of them shook our hands and greeted us.  We picked out a few words but mostly did not know anything that was being said.  The spirit of the Sacrament meeting was the same though and I loved singing in Japanese.  Any time I am able to interact with the Japanese people, I think of my father, and I can tell how it was easy for him to grow to love them and serve them.  I wish he could have helped me with my pronunciation, but I feel grateful that I know a little of the language that became second nature to him.  I hope that my kids will come to appreciate that our church is the same all around the world, only that the language changes.