I’m a student at Yale Divinity School / Berkeley Divinity School at Yale. I am taking part in “Extended Internship” which provides additional opportunities to any interested student to participate in second Internship opportunity anywhere in the world.
When I learned about this opportunity, the first place I thought of was, Japan! I wanted to learn more about the Anglican Communion in Japan into which my mother was born and grew (and where I also spent my childhood), and to seriously look at what is similar and different about the two Anglican communions – Nippon Sei Ko Kai and Episcopal Church, U.S.A.
What I learn in Japan can perhaps be applied in the U.S. and vice versa – I might be able to bring new ideas here from the U.S.
I was told to look at the Diocese of Kobe by a long time resident of Japan and I believe a Deacon (who returned to the states after retirement). I understand that my request for internship in Japan was brought up in one of the Bishop’s meeting in Japan, and at that meeting they agreed that I should go to the Diocese of Kobe!
My task is to learn about the churches in Kobe as well as what life of a clergy in Kobe is like. Diocese of Kobe is extensive – from the City of Kobe to the Sea of Japan and down to Yamaguchi prefecture at the far end of Honshu – the main Island as well as the Island of Shikoku and all the small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. Every Sunday I will be visiting a different parish.
I hope to be able to chronicle every day of my visit here, and since this is my first blog, I will be challenged with learning how to use the tools that are available to me. I will try to improve as I go along, so please bear with me!
May God’s presence be in my words, and may those who read be inspired, perhaps to understand how ripe and plentiful the harvest can be in Japan, but also how few the workers are!
kobeintern 