Taking a lower place: language learning and discipleship

For centuries, missionaries have gone out from their homes to places near and far, taking the Gospel to those who have not yet heard and encouraging those who have received Christ. Since every missionary is human, every missionary has made mistakes, making humility and the ability to admit fault necessary in every field. This is especially clear in the area of language learning. Often painfully slow and discouraging, learning a new language is not for the faint of heart at any age, and many missionaries may chomp at the bit, longing to make it through the prelude so they can “begin their real ministry.” But language learning can open doors for ministry from day one by putting the missionary in a position to ask for help. This is part of God’s good design.

If God wants us to be quick to hear and slow to speak (James 1:19), then in his mercy it is a good gift to have to learn a new language! As those of us who study Japanese read the Bible, the catechism, and other sources to learn how to talk about God’s kingdom, we have two important opportunities: to increase our understanding of how Japanese receive and understand the Gospel, and to examine how we ourselves view God and the Gospel. And since God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6), we can eagerly expect his grace to be poured out on us as we faithfully labor in learning.

At times, operating in a second language can be frustrating and embarrassing. I have to communicate like a child and read children’s books. I need help to do the simplest thing over and over until I finally learn to do it for myself (like a bank transfer at the ATM). Sometimes people give up on conversation with me because they aren’t willing to put in the effort, and sometimes I make mistakes that cause inconvenience to others or myself. But this is a beautiful thing if I use this place of weakness and humility to ask for help, receive it, and express gratitude, all with the mind of Christ in me. He taught the lawyers and Pharisees that when they are invited to a feast, they should take a humble place at the table so that their host has the opportunity to show them honor by inviting them to move higher (Luke 14:7–11). He set the example of humbly counting others more significant than ourselves (Phil. 2:3). And he can give us the strength to take the humble position of learner, allowing his grace to turn even our failures and mistakes into opportunities for the Gospel to shine.

As my family nears the end of our first term in Tokyo with MTW, I have been taking stock of my language learning journey and reflecting on the opportunities God has given me to watch Him work in the lives of those around me. Some of the most precious relationships I have built with Japanese believers have been with my language teachers and helpers. By taking the humble position of student and asking for help, I have been able to enter into partnerships that resulted not only in language learning but also in mutual encouragement and building up in the Lord. In my experience, most Japanese people are happy to be asked for help, especially in a way that shows respect for and desire to understand their language and culture. In fact, in situations where my failure to understand could cause problems or be perceived as meiwaku (annoyance), humbling myself and asking for help is often disarming and smooths over conflict. Perhaps this is one of the ways that “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Pet. 4:8). Hierarchy and knowing one’s proper place is very important in Japanese culture, and taking a lower place or asking for help can allow missionaries to show honor to their neighbors and invite them into a relationship.

When we arrived in Japan, my husband was a true beginner who did not even read hiragana yet, so we had to prioritize his learning by getting him into full-time language study as soon as possible. We were encouraged to do our best to find a way to get me into a similar full-time program and coordinate our schedules so that we could both study and trade off time with our children, but despite our best efforts, we could not find a way to do so. I began searching for alternatives to the traditional language school route that would fit our family’s unique needs. I started part-time courses at a school not far from our home, but the pandemic and my chronic health problems presented challenges to that plan as well. As a result, most of my progress has been the result of one-on-one engagement with teachers and coaches.

One of my first consistent language helpers was Mana^*, a married lady with no children several years older than myself. She had become a Christian while living in the United States for her husband’s work, and her pastor introduced her to me by email as a returnee who had a desire to help missionaries learn Japanese. She lives about an hour and a half away from me in a neighboring prefecture, so we connected via Zoom. As a new Christian, she was enthusiastic about being of help to our family in any way she could, patiently talking with me and with my children to help us practice conversational Japanese. As I improved, I began to take up challenges like reading through the catechism in Japanese, which I brought to our lessons. The catechism itself was a new concept for her and prompted good conversation about church history and tradition as well as Scripture. We went on to talk about holidays, hymns, sermons, and mercy ministry together. She asked important questions and I did my best to answer, all the while learning from (and often laughing at) my mistakes. Over the years, our friendship has blossomed into one of mutual encouragement. She finds my passion for the Japanese language inspiring, and I love her curiosity and delight in knowing God more deeply.

As my health improved and pandemic life gradually began to find a “new normal,” I was connected to two new language helpers: Ai, a long-time professional Japanese teacher, and Yukiko, a Christian lady who is gifted in translating poetry and hymns into Japanese. Both have been Christians for a long time and have extensive knowledge of the Bible. Ai focused our lessons on textbook learning geared toward the JLPT but spent at least half of most lessons engaging me in conversation, often about church events, denominational meetings, and my opinions on church issues. These conversations were a terrific challenge both to my language skills and my cultural understanding. Our conversations often ended in the exchange of prayer requests. Yukiko, who agreed to coach me in hymn translation and songwriting, became as much a prayer partner to me as a teacher. Inspired by my enthusiastic attempts at setting Psalms to music, she began writing her own songs for the first time in a while.

When my family’s schedule could no longer accommodate my lessons with Ai, God provided a new language helper through our local church. A young couple with a baby close in age with my youngest had begun attending. They had met while working at a language school, and as a new mom, Akane was now seeking to build a business as a private language tutor. She is young in the faith and a truly excellent teacher, and we begin lessons by reading Scripture together to work on my Biblical vocabulary. I requested that we study our church’s liturgy for communion together, and when she and her husband decided to join the church and have their infant son baptized, we also studied through the liturgy and vows that would be used. She is excited to find Bible words that are as new to her as they are to me and thankful that her job as a teacher provides extra motivation and opportunities for her to read the Bible, both on her own and with fellow Christians.

Wherever you are in your language learning journey, my prayer for you is that you never stop learning. I view my study of the Japanese language as a life-long pursuit, and I never plan to be “finished.” I pray that God will fill you with wonder at the language and communication of the people you serve, and that you will be flooded with his grace as you walk humbly with him. He opens doors and sends forth his Word in ways we could never expect.

* Names of teachers in this article have been changed to protect their privacy.