I am finishing my second week of school and ministry! YAY! 🎉 It it crazy to think I have been in Japan for almost 3 weeks!!

Our weeks look a little something like this...

Monday is our adventure day, so we get to explore the city and experience more of Japan. On Tuesdays, we do schoolwork in the mornings, ministry at an assisted living home in the afternoon, and then we have dinner together as a squad. Dinner is made by a rotation of people on our squad, which has been a fun way to serve one another and spend time together.

Wednesday is our rest day/Sabbath. It is a day where we get to rest, slow down, and lean into Christ.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday start with school in the mornings, followed by street evangelism in the afternoons. On Sundays, we go to church and help with worship. Each week someone new gets to share their testimony at service and I get to share next week!! We usually end the day with dinner and team time.

There are three teams within our squad, and I am on Team Fire and Fragrance! 🔥🌸 Our team consists of six girls, and I am so thankful for each of them!

Honestly, my classes were a little overwhelming at first, but I am finally starting to get into a rhythm. The apartment where the girls are staying does not have very good Wi-Fi, so we either do our schoolwork at the host church, where the boys are staying, or at a nearby matcha café. 🤫 (The matcha café is definitely my favorite!)

The classes I am taking right now are Personal Leadership, Missions in Action, AI for Ministry, and Four Portraits, One Jesus. I am especially loving Four Portraits, One Jesus because it has so much depth. Strauss explains different ways to study the Bible and compares the four Gospels to four portraits of Jesus. Each portrait gives us a different perspective of the same person, Jesus.

He explains that rather than being just one genre, the Gospels should be understood as history, narrative, and theology. He also teaches that the Gospels can be studied both vertically and horizontally. Studying vertically means looking at each Gospel on its own, while studying horizontally means comparing the Gospels with one another. One thing he emphasizes is the importance of not coming into Scripture with assumptions already made. The goal is to read the Gospels as they are and allow the text to speak for itself.

For ministry, we have been going out and street evangelizing. This week, we were able to do sports ministry! Our group went to a nearby park and played basketball and dodgeball with the locals. I was able to connect with some schoolgirls and share the love of Christ with them! These moments have been so special to me because even though there is a language barrier, God is still able to create opportunities for connection

Story Time... 🤩

While we were greeting people and inviting them to our worship night, a local woman came and sat next to me and Alyse. She started asking us what we were doing, and it was the perfect opportunity to tell her a little about our ministry and invite her to worship night. She wanted to get our number so we could stay in touch!!

It may seem like a small interaction, but it was such an encouragement to me. Sometimes I can feel nervous and wonder if what I am doing is making a difference. Then God gives me a little moment like this to remind me that He is working, even when I cannot see the bigger picture. I am so thankful that He allows me to be a small part of what He is doing here in Japan.

Please Pray for Japan 🙏

As I have been here, I have started to see some of the deeper struggles people are facing in Japan, and it has really been on my heart. Please pray with us for these areas:

🔘 Suicide - In 2025, 534 elementary, junior-high, and high-school students died by suicide. Pray for young people who feel hopeless or alone, that they would know their lives have value and purpose.

🔘 Bullying - Japan reported more than 769,000 recognized bullying cases in schools. Pray for students who are being bullied and for God to bring people into their lives who will protect and encourage them.

🔘 Gaming & gambling addiction - Pray for freedom from addiction and that people would find healthy community, purpose, and hope.

🔘 Isolation & loneliness - Pray for those who have shut themselves away from others, that God would meet them in their loneliness and bring the right people into their lives.

🔘 Children & young people - Pray for the things shaping young minds, especially through children’s books, anime, and the pressure to look a certain way. Pray they would find their identity and confidence in how God created them.

🔘 Child abuse - Pray for protection over children who are being abused and healing for those who have already been hurt.

🔘 Families & future generations - Pray for healing in families and for God to raise up strong, godly families who will follow Him.

🔘 The Gospel - Pray that God would open doors for us to share Jesus and give us the boldness to step through them.

🔘 The light of Christ - Most of all, pray that the light of Christ would shine through the darkness here.

Please pray with us for Japan and the people we are meeting each day!

Thank you so much!! 💕