For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9

Call To Action

In December 2024, on a train ride back from Kinosaki Onsen in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, I looked out the window at the quiet countryside passing by and was reminded of Psalm 8:3–4:

“When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which You have set in place,
what is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of man that You care for him?”

Japan is a beautiful country, filled with beautiful people. Since I was a young boy, I have always loved the Japanese archipelago and the people who inhabit it. For many years, I struggled to pinpoint why my love for Japan felt so deep and personal, yet I now see it as part of God’s quiet leading in my life—“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Looking back, I remember a moment from my childhood when my parents were going through a divorce. One day, my mother took me to a sushi restaurant. While we were there, the chef enthusiastically told me that I should learn Japanese. I took that as a challenge and began teaching myself how to speak and write the language. At the time, I did not know Christ, but I now believe God was already shaping my life in ways I could not yet understand—“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5).

Japanese became a refuge for me during a difficult season—a way to focus on something good while everything else felt uncertain. In that sense, Japan was present for me during a hard chapter of my life. Looking back, I see how the Lord provided stability even then, for “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

Now that I have come to know Christ, my desire is to give back to Japan what it once gave me—and far more. I have prayed for the strength to work diligently so that Japan would not remain a place I visit once or twice a year, but a place where I might live, work, and minister to the people, obedient to Christ’s call: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

On my way back to Haneda Airport in December 2024, I read a sign on the train that asked:

“A year from now, what kind of person do you see yourself as?”

I saw someone who had worked hard to pursue meaningful goals. But I have since learned that no one becomes a hard worker overnight. Through many trials and errors, God has been faithfully shaping me into the person I now long to be—more like Christ. “Those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).

Despite my failures, God has remained faithful, and even now He continues His work in my life. Since then, I have begun a bachelor’s program at a Christian university in California, The Master’s University. My goal is to earn a degree, which is a requirement for working and living in Japan. Japanese residency is difficult to obtain, but I believe the effort is worth the opportunity to share the Gospel in Japan. In this pursuit, I desire to work wholeheartedly—“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23).

While working toward my degree, I am also saving to attend a Japanese language school in Japan. This would allow me to live in Japan for up to two years, studying Japanese while continuing my bachelor’s program online. During this time, I am actively seeking local churches to attend and become involved in. So far, I have visited three churches in Japan and am continuing to return to one regularly.

As I continue to embark on this journey, much prayer is needed. I trust that the Lord, who has already been faithful, will continue to guide my steps

—“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding… and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6).