“Hey… where’s my laptop?”
— Me, 10 minutes before we board.
Spring Update 2024 — We Made It!!
If you’ve been following our social media (it’s the fastest way to get quick updates out), you already know a few things. Our prayers were answered, we made it to Japan, and we arrived with all four visas in hand! That’s the short version of things. But I’d be doing you a disservice if I didn’t fill in more details as to how God answered your prayers and got us here to Japan, safe and sound. So, greetings from Japan! Now, let me tell you how we got here.
The Final Week
With our departure day seven days away, we received tremendous news from Immigrations in Tokyo. After only two months, little Ezra’s visas were approved! (Mind you, it took ours about eight months.) This changed quite a few things. If we could get to Nashville tomorrow—we received the good news on Sunday…which was already Monday in Japan—and request Ezra’s physical visa, we might be able to get it and still leave the States on time! I already had plans to drive down to Nashville that following day anyhow to pick up our physical visas anyway, so the Lord’s timing was perfect. But his timing did require us to adjust our timing a bit. I went ahead and moved our flight reservations ahead a couple of days to give just enough time to go back down to Nashville the following week, pick up Ezra’s paperwork, and get on the plane the next day. Instead of arriving in Tokyo on Tuesday the 27th, we’d now be arriving on Thursday the 29th. And, mind you once more, our 90-day entry window expires on Friday the 30th!
The Final 24 Hours
I was on said trip to Nashville that following Wednesday morning, the 28th, to pick up his paperwork when Sierah called. She said she couldn’t check into our flights for the following morning. Apparently our flight reservation was cancelled and we had been refunded for the trip. It took a stressful, ninety-minute phone call to figure this out. Somehow, their systems had glitched when I switched our flight from Monday to Wednesday. And when we didn’t show for our flight Monday, they cancelled our reservation. But the Lord spared our seats on both very full flights, and we were able to get our seats back! This mattered. Had we been pushed to a flight the following day, we would be arriving in Japan on the day our entry-window expired. While I was on the phone with United, I was able to get to the Japanese consulate, take the elevators up, secure Ezra’s visa paperwork, and head back home.
But the testing of our faith wasn’t over. On the day of the flight we found out that United’s glitch did not switch little Ezra’s lap-ticket over. Then, we temporarily lost a laptop at TSA, but found it within minutes of boarding our first flight. On our second flight (which little Sophie and I boarded before the family to get the stroller stowed), Ezra was barred from boarding at first. He simply wasn’t in their system. But I didn’t know that exact detail. All I knew is that I was stuck in the plane and Sierah was stuck inside the airport. And the gate attendants wouldn’t budge! Until…for no reason, finding no proof of Ezra being on our ticket, they let Sierah and the baby on anyways so the flight wouldn’t be delayed. She and Ezra were the last to board. It was a long flight, but we were happy to be on it together! God took care of us despite whatever opposition we faced. Looking back, we experienced one of those moments where you know people have been praying for you. God heard.
Since Then
We arrived safe and sound with all of our luggage to a warm welcome at the Tokyo airport. We got through immigrations without a single hiccup! Our missionary partners were waiting with the rental van, big smiles, and a warm embrace. Two hours later, we made it to their house, ate dinner, and went to bed. Since then, we’ve registered as official residents of Japan, signed the kids up for health insurance, got some currency exchanged, and adjusted to the new time zone. Fun fact: the sun gets up around four in the morning over here!
We’ve started attending the English and Japanese services at church on Sundays and the midweek Bible studies. We’ve started riding bicycles, driving, shopping, and greeting the occasional neighbor while getting settled in. Our Japanese language learning has finally grown past phone apps and online classes to a real Japanese community. I’ve been able to participate in book studies, leading worship during the English service, and work on sermon prep with the missionaries. We’ve been so blessed by them to stay in their house for now! Which reminds me of houses. Many of you have been praying that we find a house that meets our family needs but which also keeps us in close proximity to the church and the other missionaries. We didn’t think we’d find one at this time of the year and were preparing to look at houses further away if necessary. But the Lord has opened up an opportunity to rent a small house just a ten minute walk away from the other missionary families here! There’s some extra paperwork that will take a couple of weeks to get through before we get to move in, but we are thrilled to do it!
Our Gratitude to You
There’s much more to say that I’ll get to in days ahead. I just wanted everyone to know how the Lord has provided for us over these last thirty days. I am first compelled to give a special thanks to our home church. You hosted us on the property for nearly two years, you regularly brought us into your homes (and entered ours), you sent us off a month ago with such gracious encouragements, and you have followed up multiple times since to see how we are doing! And I mean multiple times. See, it’s not just that we couldn’t be here without you. I wouldn’t want us to be here without such dear brothers and sisters back home lifting us up as you do so well. We are beyond grateful.
A second word of thanks must be said to all who have partnered with us up to this point—friends and family included. Besides the regular giving and prayers that you supply us, so many of you have reached out to us as well to see how we’re doing and if we need anything. Just the other day I got to Zoom in to a midweek gathering with a beloved church body and give them an update live! On top of this, some of you have felt moved of God to generously give beyond what you’ve committed just to be a blessing to us! Just so you know, the U.S. dollar is doing incredible over here in Japan. $160 USD has about $200 of buying power right now. So, your gifts are stretching farther than you know!
That’s enough for today. Know that there is so much left to say. And I am excited to tell you about it shortly, especially about our new home and new start in this strange and beautiful country. For now, remember that Christ is king, and our true home is with him. Though mostly unknown so far, he is the reigning King here in Japan just as much as he is back in the States. May we all be faithful citizens foremost to him and his kingdom.
Grace and peace,
Joe, Sierah, Sophie, and Ezra
