When most people plan a trip to Vancouver, they research tourist attractions and maybe read some travel blogs. For soon-to-be Catholic Kazuya Akiyama, coming to Vancouver from Japan only required a dream and his faith in God.
“I am so excited,” Akiyama told The B.C. Catholic in an interview at his temporary home, Sacred Heart Church in East Vancouver.
The Osaka-born young man is preparing for baptism at Easter. He has been in Vancouver for a few months, learning catechism, working on his English, and volunteering with Vancouver’s Missionaries of Charity in the Downtown Eastside.
Before he learned about the Church, Akiyama discovered his love for Saint Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity. When his work as a care giver and cell phone repair man wasn’t working out, he began looking for meaning in his life. After stumbling across videos of Mother Teresa on YouTube, he felt drawn to her simple message and her care for the lowest, uncared-for people.
He quit his job, packed his belongings, and went to volunteer with a community of Japanese sisters in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. They would pick bamboo shoots for food and bring them to a Catholic church for distribution. The pastor encouraged him to come and sing hymns, and one of the Japanese sisters encouraged him to recite the Apostles’ Creed.
He agreed, and the experience was like something that could have happened to the prophet Elijah. “I felt someone kiss me,” Akiyama said. “It felt warm on my lips, and after that I had spiritual joy often.”
Dreams followed—“like Saint Joseph,” he says—and he believes they offer him guidance from God. Akiyama heard a voice speaking the word “Vancouver.”
“I never thought of Vancouver,” he said, at least not until he heard the voice say, “Cold weather is coming. Vancouver.”
Sometimes the dreams aren’t specific, but this time Akiyama felt the message was clear. He jumped up and googled Vancouver.
It was winter here, and the forecast showed below minus 10-degree cold. He found himself concerned about the poor.
He purchased a plane ticket and contacted the Missionaries of Charity in Vancouver. They arranged everything he needed, and by the time he arrived in Vancouver, the sisters had arranged with Sacred Heart pastor Father Ray Smith for him to stay in the rectory.
To an observer, Akiyama’s journey might seem reckless, but he says life is unfolding exactly the way it’s supposed to.
“I am not afraid of anything because it is God’s will,” he said. “I feel God is calling me. This is my first priority. I just keep saying ‘yes.’”
Akiyama’s dreams are often calming and peaceful, but at times they are dark and torment him. By following Mother Teresa’s instructions to “pray, pray, pray,” he has found healing and peace, and in addition to his volunteer work and studies, he prays for up to five hours a day.
One sister in particular has been an inspiration for him. Sister Norma has helped him understand that the poor in Vancouver are hungry for spiritual food. Watching her offer the homeless blessings and physical contact has touched his heart. “I try to imitate Sister Norman,” he said.
Recently, he has had dreams about three men who tell him to prepare a place for the homeless. Akiyama plans to return to Japan immediately after his baptism to save money and then return to Vancouver to continue his work with the poor.
His ultimate hope is to join a religious order and dedicate his life to caring for the poor.
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