My Orthodox Journey

             Easter means so much to me.  Tears come to my eyes right away for joyous memories.

             I never expected to have chance to meet Jesus Christ in front of my face.  (I became a Christian in 1954 Easter at Ginza Methodist Church in Tokyo.  My Group of Catechumens had seven peoples so we called ourselves "The Big Dipper."  I had been in the choir since 1948 right after I arrived in Tokyo.  My whole family move to Ibaragi Prefecture in 1946 from Taiwan.  My music teacher in Tokyo asked me to sing in the Ginza Church Choir.  He was director of the Choir.  In early 1954 a bright light came over my face, suddenly get into my heart and stayed there during the Sunday Church Service.)

 Then, 1956, one of my friend said, "Oh! Tonight Don Cossocks will attend Easter mid-night service and sing at the Nicholai-do Cathedral."  I was so happy that I would have the chance to hear them because I couldn't get a ticket of their concert in Tokyo.  Even thought it was going to be a midnight service I wanted to attend.

 That evening I arrived at Church one hour early; it was already full of people.  This was the first time I had a chance to light a candle in the Orthodox Church.  Everything was a new experience to me.  All of a sudden it became very quiet.  Don Cossacks singers silently entered the church and every one moved aside to let them in.  A beautiful harmonized Echo, revealed a blessing of Solemn sound down on the earth and up to the heaven, going around fill of melody and reached such a high domed ceiling.  I saw many many little angels with wings open and closed flying with melody in the air up and down, following the conductor's baton.  I have never forgotten such solemnities of melody ever since I heard the Holy Friday Midnight Service in 1956.

 I followed the peoples' line towards the Epitaphio.  I lay down three times as people were doing, and blessed Jesus Christ.  Then, I heard a very majestic voice say, "You will come to this church soon."  I don't remember how I got home that early in the morning with a colorful egg in my hand.  I just told my Mother about the voice; nobody else.

 (My mother is one who told me about the almighty God.  She never knew the name of Jesus Christ.  But she said, God is living in this world and he will listen to you.  God knows everything about you.  If you think or do bad things then you go to hell when you die.  But if you do good things, then you will go to heaven.  I saw the picture of this when I was a child.  Even though you think nobody know what you're doing, God knows everything.  My Mother passed away so suddenly by a heart attack Dec. 1956, with a beautiful smile with one dimple.  Dr. said it was a beautiful and peaceful away from this world.)

 In end of 1959, my section chief at work introduce to me a new officer.  I shook his hand over my desk, because I was half way typing some document.  All of the sudden I felt electrical current to my body through his hand.  I wonder what happened to me and looked at him.  He looked at me with so sincere a face.

 A month later I noticed that he was a member of Nicholai-do Russian Orthodox Cathedral.  He wanted to meet my Church's Rev. and told him that I shall change Church to Nicholai-do.  The Rev.  said congratulations to us.  He felt right away that we were going to marry.  My fellow Choir members and Choir director and Rev. attended my wedding ceremony in September 1960 at the Nicholia-do.

I wish I can sing the word of God unceasingly all my life.