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MA: And then you've been in, you spent some time in Denver, you went back to Denver, right? To the Simpson United Methodist Church, and then also you were telling me as, in another position as well. And I was wondering if you could talk about your time in, back in Denver.

NM: Uh-huh, yes. I was appointed to a Japanese church in Denver. That was 1992. And I learned about the legacy of Governor Carr. As you know, that, you know, after Executive Order 9066, Roosevelt's executive order, Japanese and the Americans of Japanese ancestry were sent to ten concentration camps. And Governor Carr was, if I remember it correctly, was the only governor in the western part of U.S.A. to welcome Japanese and Japanese Americans. And many went to Colorado, and then they established their community there. And there's a strong Buddhist temple and a strong Japanese Christian church there, and that's the church I served for seven years, yeah. And then this church is amazing church, to keep Japanese legacy alive. And not just a cultural legacy, but also what Governor Carr did for the Japanese community. So every year they celebrated that legacy. And then as you know, Governor Carr was called "Jap Lover" during the war. And then because of his holy boldness, he lost the election. And then his later days were very miserable, difficult days. But the Japanese community in Colorado really respect what the governor did. And thanks to Governor Carr, there is a strong group who keeps the history of concentration camp, and the struggles Japanese community went through during the war, alive. And then they have various activities and programs. And it was a learning experience for me.

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MA: How was your experience different in terms of working with the community and your congregation?

NM: You know, I was a little bit more experienced as a minister. And I was more equipped with skills in dealing with the sexism, so it was easier being in Colorado. And also, you know, there was a group of people who were more supportive of women in leadership. So I was able to form a support system, and that was very helpful. And then not only just within the Christian community, but with Buddhist people, and with the community beyond religious organizations. So I was able to befriend much larger community of Colorado, and then that really helped me grow in spirit, and then also in knowledge of how the system works. Yeah. And you may know that Mr. Bill Hosokawa, he was a tremendous help. And then he helped us to develop a worship service to tell the history of Japanese in Colorado during the war and then after the war. And that sort of thing really brought people together in Denver. Yeah, so I was very grateful for such a, you know, diverse experience. So yes, I did pastor work there, but I was able to be invited to do community work. So I really enjoyed my time in Colorado. And of course my years in California are learning and growing experiences in various ways.

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