Did you know that on Spring Break you could be in Japan serving with Baylor Missions? The Japan Urban Food Trip is an exciting opportunity for any Baylor student to engage with and learn from another culture! Yoshiko Gaines, the trip leader, answered a few questions about the trip to give us a better insight before the application deadline, next Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018. Apply here: Japan Urban Food 

1. What students are allowed to go on the Japan Urban Food Trip?  Any majors!  Anyone who is willing to experience a totally different culture (food, lifestyle etc.)
2. Do I need to know Japanese to go on this trip?  No Japanese language is required although it will be very helpful.  You can start learning useful phrases through Duolingo and Rosetta Stone!

   
   

3. Where will this trip take students?  Tokyo and Fukuoka.  In Tokyo, we will be working with local organizations in Koenji and Arakawa to serve underserved children and students at kids diners.  We will also serve in the local kids diners and care facilities in Fukuoka.  We will also visit an elementary school for cultural exchange in the Asakura area that was devastated by the flooding of 2017.

4. What do you think students will learn from this trip?  Students will gain insight in how Japan is attacking the poverty issue at the local, grassroots level.  Students will also learn to work collaboratively with peers and Japanese peers and through planning and serving with those who have different perspectives on this global issue.

5. What is the goal of this trip?  For students to broaden their perspectives on the issue of poverty and develop collaboration skills beyond the language and cultural differences.

   
   
   

6. Describe the ideal team member for this trip.  Someone who is willing to observe and try, even when they don’t speak the language, willing to try something new and different, likes children and students, and likes to come up with creative ideas and execute.
7. What excites you about this trip?  The opportunity to work collaboratively with Japanese college students who want to help children and students in need and the opportunity to make those in need feel special.

   

   If you have any questions about the Japan Urban Foods trip or any other Baylor Missions trip, email me, kathleen_post1@baylor.edu. I’d love to help you get connected!

   Kathleen Post is the Ministry Assistant for Global Missions and a student at Truett Seminary.