Made it! Hello~ Japan!

As you may have well expected from the title of this very belated update, I made it alive and well to Japan. PRAISE THE LORD YALL, WE MADE IT HERE!! It was been a bit of a rollercoaster of a few months, but let me summarize it below as succinctly as possible and as always, if you want to know more read in greater detail afterwards!

A Quick update for the speed readers:

1. First off, I am alive.

2. Since Christmas I was hit with Covid, the flu and some other random cold one right after the other. Summary: It was bad, yet I'm alive! I'm still dealing with a bit of leftover breathing issues from Covid, so prayers for that.

3. Japan opened up the first week of March, and thank you prayer warriors and God for answering them! I was able to get my Visa within 2 weeks from opening.

4. It took a couple weeks, but I finally had my tickets my the end of march set for April 15th (Really cool God story, see below!)

5. My family, friends and I were all in crunch mode, packing, buying, boxing, shipping, partying, stressing, playing, and having as many good lasts as we could possibly manage in the 2 weeks I had before departure.

6. Saying all the goodbyes: Its surprising how many there were, and beyond myself how much others needed it as much as me!

7. My family and friends partied me right out of town. the last two weeks though stressful were filled with more fun than I can count!

8. I made it to Japan, had no issues with their strict covid entry measures and was able to (Praise God) avoid any quarantine after my arrival as I was quickly greeted by the Schaeffers at the airport late April 16th.

9. I made it through jetlag with relatively little problems, and slept soundly almost every night.

10. The first two weeks on the ground and orientation went off without a hitch thanks to Don and Hazel Schaeffer and many others here to help me along the way. We spent most of the time getting set up which included getting registered in the city, going shopping for furniture, getting a phone plan, getting the necessities, going through finances, exploring the city, visiting my future schools and applying for them, having fun and just so much more.

11. General peace and calmness has marked the first few weeks on the ground here as much as excitement has. It has been a blessing.

12. Thank you for those who have faithfully given and continued to give. I received notice that I am well within the margin that I need to be for monthly support, and it has come in without ease and allowed me to easily set up life on the ground here.

13. Just Praise our Jesus you all. Really. I half didn't expect to get here in the timing that I did, afraid that things were going to close again, but God has been faithful and kept his promise to deliver me to where he has designed me to go.

What's to come? Prayer points

1. The Nelsons are the next incoming family this week. Please pray for their transition, goodbyes odds and ends and travel as they make their way out here.

2. Field Forum is coming up the following week. Pray for all the workers here to be guided in the way that God would have them and nourish them in ways that is deeply needed and felt.

3. The day field forum ends, May 21st, is my move in day for my apartment. It is going to by crazy. I can't wait! Until then, I am staying at the mission guest apartment.

4. Language study begins at Coto Language school in a 2 week intensive course in preparation for my study at my more permanent schooling situation- a school called Naganuma in downtown Tokyo, set to start in July.

5. I will be attending Kawaguchi church as my home church for the next 2 years. Pray for my language as it develops and to be able to make many good relationships there in the coming months and years. I am really looking forward to it.

6. Pray for my heart and for the Japanese as I am in this period of in between, for good opportunities for friendships and relationships to blossom, for opportunities and God's will to be done and for my heart to be in the right places during this time.

7. Pray for my family. They are missing me surely and I them but I know they hurt the worse for it! It is as hard to let go as it is to go sometimes, and they need all the loving they can get! So request for those close to them- Reach out and give them some love and hugs if you can.

8. Continue to pray for the Japanese. Our train this past week was delayed at our transfer station due to suicide by the rails, something we know to be uncommon in the U.S., but is a common occurrence here. It can be heavy spiritually when faced with this kind of despair and sadness, even when passing through something as simple as shrines. It makes all the more real the hopelessness one is faced with without God. So as always, pray for the hearts and minds of the Japanese.

A little bit of a ramble:

It has been nearly 8 or 9 months since my original hoped sendoff date. God got me to Japan, alright, but he did it in the most amusing way possible as he has always worked with me: having me hang on until the last minute he throws me over the cliff suddenly. As amusing as this is, I can't say that the trial was an easy one. I had mentioned in November (wow it has been THAT long) that I was hit with something akin to emotional whiplash, only to be followed by the holidays and into nearly a month and a half of just one sickness after another. I was nearly burnt out at that point, but God kept me moving. When things seemed at their most unclear, God used my brother Matthew and a word he gave him from months before to remind me just who He is and what He is capable of.

For those unaware this is the God story I had referenced back in point #4. Back in October or November God had given Matt a word with very little context: 4-15. It was a number, and therefore I quickly forgot it. I quickly forgot it, that is, until Matthew decided to remind me of it as soon as whispers of Japan opening up in March (suspiciously close to April 15th) started stirring at the end of February. Then it happened. Japan opened, but I was still nervous over the reality (and longevity) of the situation, but held on faithfully optimistic that it would remain open. When I was asked for a target date for tickets, I gave the office a few dates surrounding the number(4-15) Matthew had believed God had given him those few short months ago, and they came back with tickets set for me to depart, you guessed it, on April 15th. By the time I had my tickets and Visa in hand, everything was moving so fast I didn't quite know how to keep track of it all.

And so, faithfully, as God had handed me the calling from when I was 12, he faithfully brought me to Japan this past month. It turns out his timing is more perfect than I could have imagined in ways that have shocked me over and over. I made it in time to participate in field forum so that I can meet and greet everyone on the team. My dear friend, Kentaro-san, told me in our prayer group that God was bringing me to Japan in the best season: at the start of the next fiscal year, when people are often moving, taking new jobs, a new school year is beginning, and people are just generally more open to meeting new people in general. And why am I surprised at God's hand is so perfectly organizing this timing, not only for myself but for the others that are yet to arrive?! When he clearly states that:

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps."-Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

And surely he is establishing mine. I made my plans, the national office and filed had made plans, and though those were dashed or put back for circumstances beyond any of our control, he established our steps and will continue to do so. I just can't wait to see what he has in store in the future, and even in the present.

Speaking of the present. I mentioned I had been spending a lot of my time these past weeks working with Don and Hazel, especially with Hazel going around to every home goods store and more, but with that nearly complete, it won't be until move-in day to finish finding the things needed in order to set up house. In the days in between we have found time to explore the city, and I was even tasked with organizing a day trip myself, from navigating the trains to stops and places to visit. We got to see much in these little outings and big days to see explore and simply have days of fun. Of course much of my picture taking was done during these times, but some of what you see is also just me exploring what is just around my future neighborhood.

As some of you know, I was blessed with the ability to bring my bike along with me here to Japan (how that was made possible is another cool God story), but I have been able to take some of those slow days to get my bearings and sink into the surrounding neighborhoods and find little gems and fun places to do my future studying and maybe even meet with people. It can be quite hilly in places so I have to remember to take it quite slow going about to build up my strength again. As I had mentioned at the beginning of this that there are still some lingering effects from covid, one of which is getting out of breath easily. As one with asthma, this has been bothersome as I have been out and about but I can definitely tell that things are shifting for the better both physically and mentally as I had quite a long drawn out bout of covid fog.

Anywhosies, for those who have survived until the end of this update, know I love and appreciate you all for sticking with me, for sending me, praying for me, supporting me, laughing with me, carrying me, giving to my ministry, aiding me and checking in with me. I've said it before, and I will say it again, that you are my tribe and you are here with me even though not physically. We are one body, one people, one Spirit, united by the Spirit. I know it and I feel it even now. I am praying for you all and you are on my mind even though I am pretty bad at communicating that. Again, much love and thanks!

Blessings,

Jess

P.S.: (For my star wars nerd gang) May the 4th be with you as here it is already the revenge of the 5th. <3