Zama Military Branch

 I've had several people ask me about where we go to church and what our ward is like. 

We are part of the Zama Military Branch in the Tokyo Japan South Stake (English speaking) We are a "language unit" haha. Our stake has 7 units total - all English speaking. There are two Tokyo wards (non-military), and 5 military units (3 wards and 2 branches). The Stake covers a large area from Misawa (north of us)  to Iwakuni (west of us). 

The Zama Branch is fairly small but has wonderful members. I would say there are 10-12 very active families along with several other active single members.

I was recently called to serve as YW 1st counselor. We have 100% of our YW attending the Tuesday activities (5 all together) and all but one attending the Zoom YW Sunday meetings. In addition, the YW have invited another girl they all know at school to attend with them and she comes faithfully to all the Tuesday activities. I really love these girls after only knowing them for a short time.

Kimball has not yet been given a calling and he's trying to keep that on the down low. haha

Our ward is comprised of all members serving/working at Camp Zama as well as the Atsugi Navy Air Facility. We have active duty military, including some who are deployed from here with their families still living on base.  Then there are the civilian employees like Kimball who are here under the military umbrella but are not part of the military, including several teachers with  DODEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) who teach at the Middle/High school here on Camp Zama. 

(I'll have to do another post sometime about the interesting dynamics that exist between the military and non-military personal on base.)

When we first arrived in August the Branch was holding its first Zoom Sunday meeting. (From March until August no meeting were allowed. And during that time the Branch President and RS President finished their tours and returned to the US.) It was difficult for the new leaders to reorganize under the COVID conditions. But finally at the end of September the Branch was able to resume a one hour Sunday meeting - with all the requisite safely measures in place! 

Just a note on the turn over in the Branch. The typical tour of duty here is 3 years. Sometimes it can be 2 years and sometimes people extend. But each year around May or June several families ship out and several families come in. During 2020 Kimball and I were the only new family to join the Branch. We've heard there are 4-5 families shipping out this spring. So, it will be interesting to see if we get that many in. Its hard to think of the people we are just getting to know leaving so soon!

The meeting house that our Branch is assigned to is in a city called Yamato. The building is currently under major exterior renovation. I think its a nice building but we really haven't seen much of it. The outside is draped in construction covering and we go into the Chapel and then straight out to the cars afterwards. 

The downside to meeting in Yamato is the traffic on the drive over. It varies, but most Sundays it takes at least 45 min to get to church. Sometimes it can be over an hour (especially with wrong turns which are becoming less frequent for us, thank heavens!) 

There is a lovely chapel on base and both Kimball and I have wondered why all the families on Camp Zama pack up every Sunday and make this awful drive to the building in Yamato when we could just use the building on base. 

We finally asked some of the members and the answer we got was that the Chapel on base was FULL. No time spots available for us to meet there. What? That just doesn't make sense. Hummmm, I would like to pursue this some more. Maybe after we've been here a little longer.... 

 

This last pic I just added because it is so pretty. I can't get over the beauty of the mountains that lie to the west of Camp Zama. There are row upon row of them and in the mornings and evenings they often get a misty cloud cover that makes them look like they are different shades of purple. I just love the site of them. This pic doesn't do them justice but at least it gives you an idea of how lovely they are.