Returning to Brazil for the first time in three years, Paulo went alone to the church he had attended since childhood on Sunday.
Paulo's family doesn't go to church, so he thought, "My mom and dad must have gone jogging at Ibirapuera Park and my sisters must still be asleep."
It had been a long time since I'd seen a church with its arched doors and stained glass windows, and it brought back memories. I went inside, said hello to my grandmother, who had arrived earlier, and sat down next to her.
The service started and it was time for hymns. I looked closely and saw that it was my sister Karen playing the organ! What's more, my father, mother, and sister Erica were also participating in the chorus of about 20 people.
Surprised, he looked across and saw the old woman smile at Paul and listened again to the beautiful sound of the hymn.
"I'm so glad to hear that," his father said while sharing a meal with church members after the service.
"It is all thanks to God that Paulo was able to spend three years safely in Japan and that my family is healthy and strong. I am truly grateful. Now, serving God as a family is my greatest joy."
"I see. So this is the 'big news' Karen was talking about. Thank you, God," Paulo said gratefully.
Paulo dropped out of seminary and went to Japan to work, but he decided to start studying theology again. He also actively participated in church volunteer activities. Schools and Japanese American associations asked him to talk about his experiences in Japan. Paulo was surprised by how many people wanted to work and study in Japan.
In April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world, and restrictions were put in place to prevent the spread of infection. Although work at the printing company decreased, my parents worked with the church to make masks to donate to hospitals and medical facilities.
Paulo and his sisters helped the elderly, and Paulo even started a support group for elementary and middle school students who didn't have computers at home and couldn't take remote classes.
The following year, Paulo graduated from seminary and was assigned to a church in Presidente Prudente, São Paulo state, where he was particularly involved in evangelism among Japanese people.
The important mission was to provide support in Japanese to first-generation Brazilian elderly people who were unable to attend school properly in Brazil and did not understand Portuguese well.
At this time, Paulo was 27 years old and engaged to Noemi, a junior at seminary whom he had been dating for two years.
At the beginning of 2023, Paulo was appointed as the pastor of a Brazilian church in Japan. Many of the dekasegi who left their home countries and came to faraway Japan felt lonely and needed spiritual comfort. Paulo was one of them in Japan, so he gladly accepted his new assignment and began preparing to go to Japan again.
Paulo planned to marry Noemi in March, just before leaving for Japan, and start a new life together here.
When the grandmother found out about this, she decided to accompany them when they went to Japan. While helping them prepare for their new life, she also made plans for them to visit relatives in Hokkaido, whom they had never met before.
The parents also decided to take their daughters to visit Paulo during their summer vacation. It was their first trip to Japan. Karen, who is scheduled to graduate from college in the summer, hopes to get a job in graphic design in Japan or look for temporary work depending on the conditions.
Although their lifelong dream of buying a house in Brazil did not come to fruition, the family was hopeful for the days to come.
During Paul's second stay in Japan, he had a strong desire to serve God with special feelings.
© 2023 Laura Honda-Hasegawa
