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Five Lessons the Japanese Church Taught Me
Read more: Five Lessons the Japanese Church Taught MeJuly 27, 2026 When I boarded a plan for Japan, I expected to encourage missionaries, learn about another culture, and gain a greater understanding of one of the world’s least reached nations. Those things certainly happened. But I didn’t expect the Japanese church to become one of my teachers. As I worshipped alongside believers, observed…
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Day Nine: The Kingdom is Built One Relationship at a Time
Read more: Day Nine: The Kingdom is Built One Relationship at a TimeJuly 26, 2026: Saitama, Japan As our time in Japan comes to an end, I keep coming back to one overwheling realization: This trip has been about relationships. We came expecting to serve, to encourage missionaries, to learn, and to help where we could. And we did. But somewhere along the way, God gently shifted…
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Day Eight: The Gift of an Empty Day
Read more: Day Eight: The Gift of an Empty DayJuly 26, 2026: Saitama, Japan Today I was alone. It was the first day in over a week that I had more than a couple hours to simply be. To think. To pray. To call home. And to listen. At first, I felt the familiar urge to make myself busy. To find something productive. To…
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Day Seven: Meeting People Where They Are
Read more: Day Seven: Meeting People Where They AreJuly 24, 2026: Saitama, Japan One of the greatest gifts of this trip to Japan has been discovering that God often teaches us through the questions we ask. On Friday, our team had the privilege of serving at a children’s outreach hosted by the local church in Saitama. It reminded me of a one-day Vacation…
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Day Six: Every Conversation Doesn’t Have to Last Forever
Read more: Day Six: Every Conversation Doesn’t Have to Last ForeverJuly 23, 2026: Tokyo, Japan Last night I joined Mustard Seed Church in Tokyo for their IQ (Ideas & Questions) gathering. Around my table sat six people from five very different backgrounds: a man from China, a man from India, a Japanese woman, two Americans who have lived in Japan for years, and me. Our…
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Day Five: When the Drums Converge
Read more: Day Five: When the Drums ConvergeJuly 22, 2026: Kumagaya, Japan Today, I stood in the streets of Kumagaya, in Saitama Prefecture, surrounded by one of Japan’s oldest celebrations. This year marked the 300th anniversary of the Kumagaya Uchiwa Festival, and thousands of people filled the streets with excitement, anticipation, and pride. The sound is what I will remember most. Massive…
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Day Four: Two Minutes
Read more: Day Four: Two MinutesJuly 21, 2026: Saitama, Japan Yesterday, I stood outside Omiya Station with a simple sign that read: “Let’s Talk in English.” It didn’t seem particularly significant at the time. The day was quieter than we expected. The extreme summer heat, the welcome shade of a large tree where we stood, and a national holiday all…
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Day Three: Grace, Truth, and the Cultures We Carry
Read more: Day Three: Grace, Truth, and the Cultures We CarryJuly 20, 2026: Tokyo, Japan One of the greatest gifts of cross-cultural ministry is discovering that we don’t just learn about another culture, we begin to see our own more clearly. This week, during conversations with pastors from Japan and Southeast Asia, I was struck by the value they place on preserving relationships. They spoke…
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Day Two: Mustard Seed Church in Saitama
Read more: Day Two: Mustard Seed Church in SaitamaJuly 19, 2026: Saitama, Japan Yesterday I had the privilege of worshiping with the congregation at Mustard Seed Church in Saitama. Although we came from different cultures and spoke different first languages, our fellowship in Christ reminded me that the church truly is one family. Pastor Jon preached from 1 Samuel 8 and 15: 24-26,…
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Day One: Tokyo Skytree
Read more: Day One: Tokyo SkytreeJuly 18, 2026: Tokyo, Japan Standing above one of the world’s largest cities, it’s difficult not to feel both awe and humility. From this height, Tokyo looks like an endless sea of buildings. It’s tempting to think in terms of millions. And the task of reaching so many people with the gospel feels overwhelming and…
Context & Calling 