Thursday mornings at First Baptist Church in Peachtree City are a multicultural exchange of Japanese inflected English, American idioms, tea and Little Debbie cakes. For almost 20 years, the church has reached out to Japanese families who have relocated to Peachtree City and Fayette County, in an effort to help ease their transition from the East to the West. The ministry has evolved into a full-range of offerings which include English language instruction, holiday celebrations, a hand-bell choir and a Sunday service conducted in Japanse by Makihito "Maki" Kojama, an ordained Christian minister who is affiliated with a Japanese Church in Norcross. "It's an interdenominational service," he said of his Sunday gathering. "We do readings from the Bible and teach that Christ is our Saviour," he said. "We're not trying to indoctrinate."

Kojama said that learning the language and discovering sources for Japanese food are two of the biggest challenges Japanese families face during assimilation into American life.

"My job is different every day," he said, ticking off the numerous tasks at hand. Right now, Kojama is seeking a Japanese translator to assist in the ministry.

Regulars at the Thursday morning classes greet each enthusiastically and scan the table for their name tags. The women, mostly young mothers with husbands employed by Japanese- owned firms in Fayette and Coweta counties, find comfort and familiarity among their Japanese friends.Sachiki Shimizu, a Peachtree City resident of 18 years said she understands how it feels to be a "foreigner." She recalled how one day she was shopping at Southlake Mall when she saw a woman with Philipino features running towards her. Shimizu, whose unique looks might be taken as partially Korean or Phillipino, explained to the excited woman that she was Japanese. "She thought I was someone from her country," she said.

Language classes are led by volunteer teachers who help their students understand grammar, as well as idiomatic English. "I have to catch the train... I have to catch the bus," said Flo Love smoothly, emphasising "to catch." Her students glance down at their books searching for the right phrasing.

"Learning idiomatic expressions is one of the most difficult things about learning English, Love noted. She and her late husband, Max, served as missionaries in Japan for many years before answering the call to serve at First Baptist.

She spoke enthusiastically of the aspects of her ministry, which includes the children.Youngsters can gather at the church for Bible stories, games and fellowship, as well as help with homework after school.

Coordinating the ministry is Sam Phillips, who took on the job with his recently deceased wife in 1980. His interest in Japanese people and culture was nurtured during his years living in upstate New York when his family hosted a Japanese exchange student. Their visiting student was Yaso Saito who is now the consul general for Japanese in the southeast sector of the United States. Phillips is also an able recruiter for the church's program, bringing in new volunteers as needed. Currently, the language classes serve about 25 Japanese women.

A Japanese language class for English speaking middle and high school students is set to begin next week.