As a highly organized person, 艾米丽·克罗斯比 ’18, an 英语专业的学生, had her life planned out — until she participated in an exchange program between 欧文康考迪亚大学 and Urawa Lutheran School in Japan. She fell in love with the Land of the Rising Sun and recounted her journey of moving there in a top-prize-winning entry in 欧文康考迪亚大学’s 大使命展示.
“I had never visited Asia or given much thought to traveling there,” Crosby recalls.
She grew up in a family of six in Sacramento, and was homeschooled before coming to 欧文康考迪亚大学.
She competed on 欧文康考迪亚大学’s nationally-ranked 演讲小组 and earned several speaker awards and recognitions. She also enjoyed serving as a campus tour guide, “meeting prospective families and encouraging students as they faced the massive decision of what to do after high school,她说。.
Attending Concordia gave me the opportunity to develop my skills as a writer and to have profound conversations with some of the most brilliant men and women I have met.
“Attending Concordia gave me the opportunity to develop my skills as a writer and to have profound conversations with some of the most brilliant men and women I have met,克罗斯比说. “For me, school was typically a grand adventure.”
But her plan to go straight into teaching English was interrupted by 欧文康考迪亚大学’s exchange program and her immersive, 2017年对日本进行为期15天的访问. The trip put her into close contact with teachers and students at Urawa, with whom 欧文康考迪亚大学 has a long and fruitful relationship, allowing Crosby to see the people’s deep humanity and the “terrible spiritual darkness that shrouds Japan,” as she later wrote in her Showcase entry.
She observed that ancient culture “prevents the Japanese from pursuing a way of life that differs from their own, for a change in religion means an entirely different life,她写道。. “祖先崇拜, 家庭活动, table manners—nearly every aspect of their lives is connected to their religion and the fulfillment of its requirements. Abandoning their gods means abandoning their identity, including their often-tight-knit family.”
Visiting a new culture can impact someone deeply, and requires thoughtful examination.
Gripped by the spiritual need and opportunity in Japan, Crosby felt her heart pulled toward the Far East. She recounted her deeply-felt Urawa experience in the 大使命展示 as a way to process it and share with others. 她的参赛作品的标题是, “From Land of the Rising Sun to Land of the Risen Son: Ministry and Service in Japan.”
“Visiting a new culture can impact someone deeply, and requires thoughtful examination,她说。 of her reason for participating.
The Showcase is open to all Christian undergraduate students who have participated in a university-sponsored mission project or short-term mission trip. Crosby worked with a faculty mentor and wrote a substantial reflection-and-research paper including cultural and economic factors about the field, 预期的挑战, and deeper examination of her own faith. 她也参加了, 所有进入者都是如此, 在海报环节, and as a finalist she gave a ten-minute oral presentation before judges.
作为展示的赢家, 克罗斯比获得了1美元的现金奖励,并悬赏1美元,000 for the non-profit ministry of her choosing, 也就是浦和.
I had a solid five-year plan until I was called back to Japan.
Today, Crosby lives in Japan and teaches at Urawa. 当被问及她的职业目标时, she laughs “because I had a solid five-year plan until I was called back to Japan,她说。. She sees herself teaching English in the U.S. sometime down the road and applying for graduate school to study literature after finishing her commitment at Urawa.
For now, “I absolutely love living in Japan,” she writes from across the Pacific. “The most wonderful thing so far is the orderliness. 这个城市很干净, drivers are respectful and protective of cyclists [like Crosby], there are specific sidewalks for pedestrians vs. 自行车, and the streets are laid out in an orderly fashion that is easy even for a foreigner to follow. 当然，它很漂亮. Even the biggest city is rife with cherry trees and incredible architecture. I never get bored of looking around.”