This is a story from Brent Hale, who served from 1980 to 1981...

I remember it well. It was in Sasebo in a font that wasn't designed for gaijins. I was a green bean and was asked to baptize the father and his daughter. I was very nervous, to say the least, as I was benkyoing the baptismal prayer. Even as I was getting in the font I was concentrating so hard on the prayer that I raised my left arm to the square and proceeded to perform the ordinance. No one even stopped me, they must have felt too sorry for the ignorant greenie to embarrass me. Anyway after I had done the daughter the same way and after we were all dried off and after the confirmation, someone asked me if it was proper to hold my left arm to the square. We repeated the whole thing the following morning!

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