Meeting New Students!

We are here today with two of the new students who have just joined us in the English – Track. Let’s get to know ‘Matt’ and ‘Sharon’ better and lend them and their fellow new students a helping hand so that they can have a wonderful time here at TCU!

Let’s start by meeting ‘Matt’

Matthew Fernandez is a second-year transfer student in the E-Track, from Michigan in the USA. 

What do you like to do in your free time/ what are your hobbies?

Matt has loved reading fiction ever since he was a child, which eventually turned into liking Manga and Anime which also fueled his desire and interest in learning about Japanese culture and the language. He shares that he likes to watch Japanese anime and dramas in his free time partly for education and partly for entertainment!

As he came to Christ, his love for reading, slowly transitioned into a love for reading about God. He had started reading theological books at the end of his high school and continues to read even now. 

“I feel like TCU was a really good option for me because I like to study theology in my free time!”

He also enjoys reading theological literature and old sermons, since it helps him learn more about God, and this has been his goal, ever since coming to Christ at the end of his high school. 

How did you get to know about TCU?

Matt had been interested in doing Japanese missions since 2019, and so had started doing Japanese outreach in his home state of Michigan. He shared that he had been interested in Coming to Japan, but did not yet know what the Lord’s plan for him was. 

“In 2023, I went to a Japanese Christian conference in California, and there were representatives from TCU, and they spoke about the school.”

Matt said that it was perfect timing that he heard about TCU, since the Lord was already preparing and providing for him to come to Japan. And since he had the desire to serve in Japan, TCU checked all the boxes that would help him achieve his goal of serving God in Japan.

“I applied to TCU in the beginning of this year, and I got accepted in, so I saw that as a way of God opening a door for me to come to Japan.”

What made you choose to come to Japan?

Matt had been interested in Japan pop culture -music, anime, etc. – since he was in high school, which had initially given him the interest to learn more about Japan as well as Japanese.

“But, when I became a Christian at the end of high school, I wanted to do something practical with my language ability, and that was when I started doing Japanese outreach in my home state.”

Since then, Matt also started reaching out to come to Japan to fulfill his aim of doing missions in Japan. He has lad mission trips to Japan twice and hopes to continue to work with the churches he served in Kobe.

What is different in Japan compared to your hometown?

Matt admires the respect and politeness that the Japanese people treat each other with. He observes that in Japan, most people are very nice and treat others with respect to allow life to go smoothly.

“And, in TCU, since it is a Christian community, we have a unity in the Spirt here with love and peace. So, it seems like the people here are more genuine and their feelings go deeper than simply being nice, they are kind and welcoming.”

He feels that he is also able to have deep conversations with the Japanese students and interact with them freely! 

Even though you have just joined TCU, is there anything that has piqued your interest here?

One of the main things that Matt looks forward too, is improving his Japanese Christian vocabulary, through TCU, and interacting with TCU students.

“Even though I learned Japanese outside of school and am able to function and make conversation in Japanese. But, when I served in the mission trip, I realized that my Christian vocabulary was lacking, and I was not able to have spiritual or theological discussions in Japanese. But this is my favorite thing to do in English, so being able to frequently listen to Japanese Christian words, through fellowship, listening to testimonies etc., is something that I am looking forward too.”

Thank you, Matt, for sharing so much about yourself with us! We hope you continue to have a positive experience in TCU!!

And next, we will also be meeting ‘Sharon’

“Greetings, dear reader. I’m Sharon Anil. I’m from South India precisely, but my folks and I are currently based in North India for mission purposes.”

What do you like to do in your free time?

Listening to music and missionary podcasts has been a favorite pastime of hers, as it brings her closer to God and allows her to have a moment of calm and peace in a chaotic world. She feels that this is the best use of her free time since she can feel closer to God and learn more about Him. Listening to worship music has been her spiritual discipline for many years, and she has been able to build a deeper relationship with God through fellowship with Him in this way. 

When asked if she had any recommended artists for others to also enjoy, she shared her favorite group “City Alight.” She says that the music by this group is Biblically accurate and is a form of encouragement to her. 

“It helps me to anchor myself in the Word of God and use the few moments of break during the day to edify and nourish myself spiritually.”

What is your favorite food?

Her favorite food is called ‘Parotta,’ a type of flaky, Indian flatbread, which is eaten with many diverse types of curries. Sharon’s favorite is Parotta with Butter Chicken curry. Although she misses the blend of spices and flavors of Indian food, she has been able to visit Indian restaurants here in Japan to get a piece of home!

Even though she is still adjusting to Japanese food, she is excited to continue trying different Japanese foods and grow to like them even more!

“I have been able to adjust to Japanese food, and even though it is very different from Indian food, I feel that I am able to eat more healthily through Japanese food.”

How did you get to know about TCU?

Sharon had the opportunity to learn a lot about TCU, since her mentors happened to be past graduates of TCU. 

“I was told by my mentors about the wonderful community and studies that were possible in TCU.”

Through the words of her mentors, she was able to gain more information about TCU, and eventually came and found it for herself!!

What led you to join TCU?

Interestingly, TCU was not her first option in her list of potential universities, but because of her mentors, she learnt about TCU and the kind of place that it is. 

“God led me here through the people around me, and He had always kept the door to TCU open for me.”

She had felt God leading her in every step of the process of choosing to come to TCU. She even compares herself to Jonah, when she tried to run away from the plan that God had for her. But, in the end, God guided her back to TCU through His love and care. 

“I was hesitant about the idea of coming to Japan. But it just so happened that the other doors that were open would always close whenever I tried to go down those paths. But TCU had always been an open door. And I could feel God slowly leading me to the place He wanted me to be.”

God was with her every moment of her deciding to come to Japan and TCU, down to even providing her with the VISA just a few days before her departure from India!!

Even though you’ve just joined TCU, is there anything that has piqued your interest here?

Since coming to TCU, Sharon has been wanting to interact and fellowship with the other Japanese students. Her new goal after starting her life in TCU has been to do her best to build relationships with others in this community. 

“I want to be able to effectively communicate and socialize with the Japanese side of TCU.”

She has also been enjoying her ‘Intercultural Communications’ class since she is able to learn more about understanding differences and how to communicate with different cultures. She says that she always looks forward to this class every week!

Let’s all have fun talking to Sharon and help her interact with the Japanese students more!

How do you feel about life in TCU and Japan so far?

Sharon has been having good experiences and a fun time with others around her in TCU. 

“In the future, I will be able to look back and see the wonderful experiences that I have had in Japan. I want to continue learning about Japanese culture and allow my relationship with Japan to continue to grow and evolve.”

She is glad that she can experience so many different opinions and perspectives through making different friends and interacting with others around her!

Thank you, Sharon, for sharing your time to tell us more about yourself! I hope you continue to have a wonderful time in TCU and get to know many more people!!

We are super excited to welcome all the new students into our community!

May God bless your years in TCU!

Written by Joanne