A Lifetime in Kochi

I will remember Kochi as the place where God allowed me to experience many of life’s major milestones – married life, baby, death of a parent, and this coming March, graduation. I came here in autumn of 2006 to pursue my PhD at Kochi University, but by God’s sovereignty, more things unfolded, and three years, in a way, became a lifetime of experience. Looking back, I could not be more glad and grateful for this place.

It was in Kochi where I experienced the wonder and pains of childbirth. And the efficient care of the Nankoku city health center and my Japanese doctor, and the utmost kindness of a Japanese friend helped us greatly. My son who is now two years old will soon probably find it weird to be writing Nankoku city as his birthplace, yet it will forever remind us of God’s goodness and grace while we were here in Kochi. After all, Kochi is a sister province of Benguet province in the Philippines where I was born and raised.

I remember the kindness and prayers of the Japanese brethren at Kochi Yorokobi Kristo Kyoukai in Asakura. They painstakingly stuck and prayed with me when I got married, when I was pregnant, when I gave birth, while I was doing my research, and writing my dissertation, when I heard the news of my father’s death, when I was having my oral presentation and final examinations all in a span of more than three years. Their faith in Christ, and love encouraged me a lot.

So as I prepare to return to my beloved country, the resilient pearl in the orient, I will remember with joy and thanksgiving the wonders and lessons of this lifetime in Kochi. I thank God for his all-time grace and intelligent design. I thank the Japanese government for granting me a scholarship. I thank my professors at Kochi University who supervised my research. I thank the Japanese volunteers for foreign students at Kochi city and Nankoku city for their many help. And I thank the people in Kochi for maintaining such a laid-back but efficient place that was my home for more than three years.

(This is an account of my stay in Kochi which I wrote for the Kochi-Benguet Newsletter produced by the Kochi International Association [KIA]. I should add that I did not know about this Benguet-Kochi sisterhood relationship when I went there to study. -che)