Hope for Japan

Yesterday, we enjoyed a wonderful skype conversation with a missionary family in Japan, the Carlsons. This allowed us to talk through all the meetings and church visits we will be having shortly.

On Christmas Day (due to cheap tickets) we will be heading over to Tokyo-Yokohama for 3 weeks. Miho, being pregnant with strong cravings, has been happily creating lists of things she desires to eat that we can’t find here in Scotland. This trip looks to be packed with important visits and meetings that will shape the context of our ministry come summer when we move over.

Since we plan on planting a church in the future, which church we work with and where we settle will be crucial for our plans. Our desire is that where we base ourselves will be the setting for where we plant. There have already been a number of Japan Covenant Churches indicating interest for us to work alongside them in our first two years. Each Sunday will be visiting anywhere from 1-3 churches (we heard that some meet in the morning, afternoon, or evening; making for one full day of worship). This will allow us to find out what might be the best fit for the mission, the church, and us.

We will also be a part of a Japanese pastors meeting and the Japanese evangelism committee’s meeting, which will allow us to get to know the Japanese leaders and for them to hear more about our vision and how we can best work together. Since we will be working with five other ECC missionary families, we have the opportunity to join their prayer meeting one day and be a part of a business meeting that will guide us in working through details and necessary plans we need to think about before we arrive.

Please pray that this will be a wonderful time for us as we gear up for our ministry in Japan. Pray that our meetings and church visits will result in a clear sense as to which location will be best for us. Pray also that Grant will be able to continue with his research and writing during this trip, as well as Miho’s well-being.