“Tell the students to give up their small ambitions and come eastward to preach the gospel of Christ.”
– Francis Xavier, first missionary to Japan (1549)
Winter is over, spring is here, and our missionary friends tell us the cherry blossoms are coming into full bloom in Japan. A couple of years ago, I thought we’d be there by now to enjoy the sight ourselves. Now, seeing the wisdom in God’s timing, we reflect with gratitude on the last two years as we anticipate the months ahead.
Travels
This winter was an example of the ways God has regularly been showing his kindness to us in this season. We have met many wonderful people and churches, traveled to a good handful of states, and continued building the partnerships we’ll need to secure a strong kingdom work in Japan. That was all in about six weeks’ time! Right now, we’re back in the Kentucky area for a few weeks spinning a few plates and preparing to hit the road again soon. Something to pray for is our visa applications. Some of you who follow such things in the news are aware that passports are taking longer than ever to create and even renew. We submitted Sophie’s application about two months ago and have heard nothing. We cannot apply for visas and make preparations for Japan until it arrives.
State of Japan
I’m by no means an expert on international history nor current affairs, but I have been doing some reading up on both in regards to Japan. The first known exposure Japan had to the Christian gospel was in the 1500s. (The gospel came to the Americas in the 1600s.) Yet, look at the trajectories of these two nations over the last four centuries. The difference is staggering. Keep in mind, Japan is still less than 1% reached. Yet modern day Tokyo—by no means post-Christian—faces many of the same challenges as my home city here in America, Louisville, Kentucky. And many of the challenges that the Japanese have faced in the home and workplace are more and more showing up in our own land. Now, the culture war there may not be specifically against the Christian faith, but it certainly opposes the Christian ethic. We would like to ask each of you to pray for our brothers and sisters in urban Japan as they face some of the same gospel challenges we do, but in a culture that is very different from our own.
Support and Family
So many of you have reached out to us and asked how we’ve been doing these days and when our departure time is. The answer to the second question is that we are doing everything we can at this point to get ready to leave as soon as the Lord allows. But there are still tasks to be worked on in the meantime. To answer the first question, I’d give two words: we are blessed and confident. Not that we are anything of ourselves; but we have faith that God is preparing us for this calling in his own way and time. And he’s taking good care of us every step of the way. Sophie is now 15 months old and growing like a weed. I finish my last seminary class (for now, anyways) in two weeks. Then, language studies begin! Continue to pray for our support and the passport delay. It’s hard to wait. Especially for something so long in the making. And continue to reach out to us! We always love hearing from our kingdom partners.
Grace and peace,
Joe and Sierah Pliska
NOTE: To hear an audio version of this update, click here.