We are so delighted to be writing you from Japan! God has been so good to get us here, and there is not a day that goes by we aren’t thankful for your prayers and support. So much has happened in the last couple weeks since we arrived and we wanted to share with you what we’ve been experiencing.
We arrived November 2nd, pretty exhausted, and still sick (Matthew with a stomach virus, Carly with a sore throat, Liam with two ear infections- we discovered them the night before we left!). It took us the first week to get over being sick, and sadly Liam still isn’t over his ear infections, he is now on some Japanese medicine. This has made for a very difficult two weeks, and we have had to rely on Jesus all the more to be our strength and comfort. Please join us in praying for Liam, as we pray the ear infections will end soon.
The day after we arrived we joined the rest of our team at a church planting conference about 3 hours away, close to the base of Mt Fuji. It was very clear as the temperature had dropped the night before, and the views of Mt Fuji were amazing. A few of the missionaries commented they had not seen a clear day like this in years! We were blessed to view such awesome scenery in the first 24 hours of being in the country. We thoroughly enjoyed the conference, especially since a team from our home church was there! They sacrificially gave of their time and energy to encourage us, watch the kids, and ask how we were doing with the transition. Thank you, Jesus, for these servants!
At the church planting conference I, Matthew, was able to hear a testimony of one of the Japanese guest speakers. He had become a Christian at a young age and his father beat him up when he found out about his faith. He was disowned and kicked out of his house. He continued to love his father, and tell him about Jesus, even though his father said time and time again “You are not my son anymore”. On his death bed, his father was able to confess faith in Christ, and in tears ask for forgiveness for all that he had done and said. His father passed away and was buried at the plot of land where all the rest of the family was buried. He buried his father and mourned the loss, but praised God for his profession of faith before he died. Then, he changed the symbol on the tombstone from a false idol, to the words “God is love” with a cross high and center. This Christian tombstone can be seen among the other Buddhist and Shintoist tombstones. God is moving in Japan, changing hearts and minds for Him!
Since returning from the conference we have been trying to adapt to life in Japan. Simple things are all of a sudden so much more work, like getting insurance, buying a car, paying bills, setting up immigration stuff, and even doing a simple load of laundry! It has been overwhelming, but our family has been drawn closer together by it. We have had to rely on Jesus all the more. There is still so much to do, and we find ourselves on an adventure everyday, still not believing that we are here and this is now our home. Carly and I are so excited to be experiencing the food, culture, and smells of Japan again. We are truly so grateful to be back here.
There is much more we could share with you, but feel this update is long enough already. Thank you so much for your love and support, your prayers and many encouragements, we would not be here without them. We are praising God for you and would love to be in prayer for you specifically, please let us know if we can be praying for you in any way. May God bless you richly.
with much love and thanksgiving,
Matthew and Carly
