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Encounters with People
By Peter Christopher Shuhei IMADA (Japanese Youth Group, Altar Server Japanese Group)
This place is not Japan! It was my first time to go abroad. When I arrived at Yogyakarta, I felt that the smell was different, I felt that I had arrived abroad. My mind was anxious about the language. I learned English in middle school and high school, but I never used it much. I studied English a little before going to Indonesia, but I was still anxious. But I was communicating by gestures.
Everyone that I met in Indonesia, including my host family, patiently listened to my poor English but somehow they understood me. And they even talked slowly and politely. When we were not able to communicate alone, two or more people helped one another and shared together.
There were a lot of wonderful events that I cannot write about in this article from this Asian Y outh Day . But I'm sure that this experience of encountering people is the best gift from God to me. All Japanese members, host families and Indonesian people are my treasure.
It is no doubt that the people of St. Ignatius Church who supported me made it possible for me to have such encounters. I thank you sincerely from the bottom of my heart.
Photo: Shuhei Imada with Indonesian children
