I’m Adam and I’ve been based in Hirosaki in rural Japan for nearly three years. Alongside language learning I fulfil many other roles in Japan including various church ministries, assisting theological education, and member care.

Sometimes I think that if I were not single, I simply wouldn’t have the flexibility to have taken on such a diverse set of responsibilities.  Being single gives me a lot of freedom to use my time as I think best and the flexibility to serve when and where I am needed.

Japanese church culture has quite clear ideas about how men and women should and should not relate to each other socially.  These expectations are different to my experience in the UK where many of my friends were women and I wouldn’t really think twice about something like accepting a lift from someone of the opposite sex. These cultural differences mean I can often feel quite isolated. There are not many men in the church, and even fewer single men, so making friends outside my OMF team has been challenging. 

I would encourage anyone who feels called by God to a particular country to consider the cultural differences between that country and their own as part of their preparation. I’m always very thankful for my UK church friends who I regularly keep in touch with through online chat groups and I’m glad I took the time to foster regular chatting in those groups before coming to Japan.

Adam Young

OMF Japan