Hi Everyone,

I live in a very rural area of Japan. There is a local AA chapter but it’s pretty small. I went to one meeting. The 3-4 people I met were all nice. The problem I face is that they don’t speak English and my Japanese is around the lower-Intermediate level, too low to get much out of the meetings. I went to one two-day AA conference organized by an American Catholic priest I know who runs the AA group in a neighbouring province. Really great turnout with about 100 people attending from all over Japan. Again, I had the problem once we broke up into small groups for discussion, I could understand so little I ended up leaving after one day. Back in January I travelled the 3 hours by train to his church to complete my step 5 with him. I don’t have a sponsor and have thought about asking him, since another expat, living in another isolated area in a similar situation as me, has asked this priest to be his sponsor.

Right now the way I try to work the program is by following this forum, my own reading…I have participated once or twice in an on-line Skype meeting a few expats organized. Though I sincerely appreciate their efforts and support, I just don’t get as much from these weekly one-hour meetings as I would from regular live meetings. Has anyone else had similar experinces about trying to work the program in a foreign country, or joining meetings where they are conducted in a language which is not your native one?

There is a very healthy AA community in Tokyo, but it is pretty far from where I live- a one-hour plane ride.

Pat