Moshi Moshi! Japan is Calling

“Moshi Moshi” is what you say when you answer the phone in Japan. We too are answering a call, the Lord’s call to Japan.

A buddhist statue in Japan.

Over the last month, since we returned from our vision tour, we have been praying and taking time to digest what the Lord spoke to us. We met with our sending organization and debriefed the trip with them, and we reconnected with friends and developed new relationships. Now we are confident in what we are working towards, and are excited to share that with you in this letter.

Our friend, Shiho, getting baptized!

First, I want to thank all of you for your prayers and support that allowed us to take this vision tour at all, and for it to be a significant length so we could be confident in what the Lord was speaking to us. We needed the extra time to see where to land when we moved over there as our sending organization doesn’t have an existing work there. Again, thank you for your support that made it possible and for your faithful prayers that were answered each and every day.

In Nara at the deer park.

The Lord confirmed in us the call to Japan on our trip several times. Through scripture, through longings, through leaders, through peace, and through broken hearts. We do not waiver from that call even after seeing the challenges that lay ahead. We are very thankful that God continues to allow us to be used by Him in this way and we want to be faithful to His leading. We also received new direction as it was clear that Osaka was the place that He would have us land in Japan. When we were planning the trip, we didn’t expect that to be the case, but the Lord knew better. We will be serving with Calvary Chapel Abide and Joseph and Amy Totsis, the missionaries that planted it. They have been in Osaka for 13 years and will help us immensely as we get settled. It’s a wonderful group of believers and we are very excited to be a part of it. Our first couple of years will be focused on language learning so that we can minister as effectively as possible, and we will be working on that before we leave as well.

Jospeh and Amy Totsis (second and third from right), who we will be serving with in Japan.

Our goal is to go at the beginning of next year (2024), but what will we be doing in the interim? We will be having a dessert gathering on May 28, at Calvary Chapel Saving Grace in Yorba Linda, CA at 6:30pm. You are all invited to join us as we share our vision and talk about our trip. If you aren’t in California, we plan to do similar gatherings in Montana and Nebraska over the summer. We will then be traveling to our church in Montana to serve and connect, as well as spending some time with Daphne on the farm in Nebraska.

Please pray about partnering with us financially and thank you for lifting us up in prayer.

Praise report:

  • Our trip was successful and the Lord granted us direction for the future.
  • The Lord is raising up others to go to Japan that we will work alongside for years to come.
  • We have been overwhelmed by the love and support we have received since returning from Japan.

Prayer requests

  • For the Japanese churches, that the Lord would sustain and grow them.
  • For churches and individuals to partner with us, prayerfully and financially.
  • For the Lord to bless our summer with Daphne and for her as she prepares for her senior year of high school.