Mixed emotions filled us as our family stood inside the airport in Amarillo, Texas, to say goodbye to my parents. At 3:00 a.m., it was cold and dark outside. The airport was quiet. The people were few. It felt as if an empty stage was set for our farewell moment. Of all the challenges we faced during our transition to foreign missions, this was the most difficult. Saying goodbye to family, knowing it would be a while before seeing them again, was sad. We had not even had much time with them before launching, but for good reason.

When we spoke with a Japanese immigration lawyer last summer, we were told the visa process would take three to four months. So when we submitted the paperwork in mid-September, we thought finalizing things in November would be quick. You can imagine how elated we were when, four weeks later, we had long-term visas to enter Japan. We took this as an indication that God wanted us to begin gospel work in Japan without delay. So there we were, saying a sad goodbye to our family. Yet we were also entering an exciting new chapter in our lives filled with anticipation and unknowns.

Landing in Tokyo was surreal. We had felt the call to serve in Japan years before, and now we had finally arrived. We had come to the land of the samurai, the cherry blossom, sushi, anime and cutting-edge technology. The people are polite and gentle. They are also hardworking and resilient. As we left the airport and headed to our hotel, we were greeted by clean streets and punctual transportation.

The next morning, we had breakfast in our hotel and were happy to be eating Japanese food. Japan is even famous for its convenience store food. Convenience stores (called Konbini) have a variety of rice balls, noodles, sandwiches, bento boxes, sweets and all kinds of interesting drinks. Our boys love Konbini food. Many items are made fresh daily.

A few days later, we left Tokyo for our new home, Kyoto, an ancient and famous city filled with historical and natural landmarks that make it a popular destination for tourists. However, it is also modern and well-developed for the 21st century. After about two weeks of diligent searching, we found a nice place to live in the Northwest part of the city.

Shortly after arriving, while visiting the town’s only Adventist church, we met a local youth. After introducing our family, I told her we are missionaries here. She was excited and said, “Finally! I have been waiting for missionaries to come to Kyoto. There are people here who are open to hearing the gospel.” We were surprised to hear this and greatly encouraged. She reminded us that God has already been at work here long before we came.

We humbly pray we can be a part of the great work He is doing to bring the life-changing gospel of Jesus to the people of Japan. Please pray for our family as we labor in His vineyard.

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