September 11-22 九月 – reload and scroll down for Daily Update
The Team 團隊: Paul Johnson, Bo Chan (Team Lead), Alice Leung, Jan Tsui, Yvonne Tso
Team Support Letter
Prayer Requests
9/22/2025 Back to San Jose
Dear prayer warriors, thank you very much for your faithful prayer support sustaining the team throughout the trip. The team arrived safely in San Jose this morning. This concludes the daily update.
There will be a STM team sharing in both the Chinese and English service on 10/5/2025. We hope you can join us to hear about what touches each of the team members and God’s work in Sendai Japan.
9/21/2025 Freedom Life Church Sunday Worship & Baptism
Today was the last full day in Sendai Japan. We joined our last worship service here with everyone and was able to take part in a baptism ceremony for one of the young believers. She shared about God’s faithfulness in protecting her through various struggles and saw that the God of the Bible was true. Japan is less than 1% Christian so it is always a wonderful celebration when one chooses to proclaim their faith through baptism. It was another wonderful day of fellowship and deepening the relationships we’ve made here. At the end of the night we had a debriefing time with Brad and Julie, sharing our experiences and things that the Lord has taught us during this trip. We hate to go but also can’t wait to meet you all again and share with you about what God is doing in Sendai.
Please pray for
– God’s love and work in Japan
– Protection and provision for the missionaries in Sendai Japan and bless their faithful ministries to bring light and life to people here
– Tomorrow is travel day back to the US – travel mercy and health of the team
9/20/2025 Matsushima
Today we took the train to a really popular tourist spot here in this area called Matsushima. We took a boat tour and circled around the surrounding islands. The trees and landscape were very beautiful. It being on the coast is also famous for its oyster farming which some of the team members tried and said it was very good. We also did a little souvenir shopping and some of us headed back to Sendai station for dinner and more souvenir shopping. It was a very long day with lots of travel via cars and trains but it was lots of fun and we had a taste of the local culture. We couldn’t be more thankful for our hosts Brad, Julie and the rest of their family. They have been extremely hospitable. We also praise God for good weather! Although rain was forecasted at >75%, we did not get to use our umbrellas. God is in total control!!!
Tomorrow is Church and there will be a baptism. What an honor to be able to witness a church building dedication and a baptism in the same trip. We are really looking forward to it!
Please pray for
– sustained health and protection for the last 2 days of the trip – time flies!
– tomorrow’s Sunday worship and baptism – God’s name be gloried
— faith seekers be touched and encouraged
— more relationship building and connection as we fellowship with the believers and seekers
9/19/2025 Freedom Life Church English Event
Woke this morning to wonderful weather. After team devotions and breakfast we set up for the church’s monthly English Event in the evening for people in the area that wanted to brush up on their English. Afterwards the market place missionaries shared with us how they were called and the ministries they are currently involved in. We then headed out for a trip to some stores, bought snacks for the night and also was able to visit the beautiful Rinnoji Japanese garden and temple. The garden was beautifully landscaped and reminded me that one of the very first things God made was a garden as well.
Returning home we had a quick meal and prepared for the night. The theme tonight is “Game Night”. Several people came for the event, as well as some of the University students we had met yesterday. A student took a 30-minute bike ride to come to church. Praise God for the good weather. We had a lot of fun playing several different types of card games, eating snacks and fellowshipping. I believe we have been able to plant a lot of seeds here. We trust and believe that God will give the growth. Please pray for Japanese who are studying English and that through this they may come to know about Jesus.
Please pray for
– team members’ health and protection
– tomorrow’s Japanese cultural excursion
— weather since rain is forecasted for the whole day
— the team sees the culture and the people through God’s eyes and heart
9/18/2025 Tohoku University – English Lounge
The morning started with a missionary sharing the trial and challenges he faced during his time in Japan. He learned valuable lessons and grew closer to God, showing the importance of focusing on the Lord single-mindedly.
Praise the Lord that the strong thunderstorm ended around noon when we were scheduled to head out for the activities of the day. After lunch, we went to Tohoku University for the “English Lounge”. We talked with university students who were interested in learning English. We had a really good time of conversing with all of them so they could practice using their English. That went on for a few hours, then we headed to dinner at a restaurant with other missionaries where we enjoyed some good fellowship.
Please pray for
– the 10 students attended the English Lounge today
– team members’ health
– tomorrow’s English event at Freedom Live Church
— good weather since most participants will be taking public transportation
— participants will be attracted to the church family and be interested in know about our faith
9/17/2025 Sendai Train Station event
Today began with a testimony from the pastor at Freedom Life Church who is originally from Chile. He shared how the Lord directed him to be a missionary here in Japan. God has brought so many people to this church in so many interesting ways through just the building of relationships and their focus on prayer and seeking the Lord. It was a wonderful testimony of just how much God loves those living here in Sendai Japan. We had a time for prayer and then had lunch at a nearby restaurant that is famous for serving bowls of rice topped with meat. Very delicious!
In the afternoon we then headed to the Sendai train station to do a little friendship building. We had signs that said “let’s be friends” and we held them up hoping we could get people to stop and talk with us. It was kind of uncomfortable in the beginning of course but we had several groups of Japanese that were brave and stopped to talk to us. During the conversation those that showed an interest in learning English, we invited them to the church’s monthly English Event. This coming Friday’s event will be a Game Night. Usually it’s the challenging things one does that are the most memorable and this definitely will be one of those times. It was great to be able to meet and talk with so many people and just share a few minutes of conversation with complete strangers. Some did show interest in coming to this Friday’s Game Night so we are hoping to see them! Another wonderful day in seeing just how the Lord is moving in Sendai.
Please pray for
– team members health, a couple of them are experiencing sore throat and dry cough
– tomorrow’s University event – many students will show interest and come to English Lounge
9/16/2025 Ishinomaki – New Life Community Center
Another full day today. Early this morning after breakfast, Brad picked us up and took us to a small coastal town called Ishinomaki where we met some missionaries at the New Life Community Center. God is doing some great things in the town. The pastor/missionary also is a surfer and as a result has been able to make inroads into the community through it. The town was devastated by a Tsunami back in 2011 that left many dead and destroyed whole communities. We were able to visit the memorial center as well as pray for the city. After Ishinomaki we had dinner at Brad and Julie’s house where we ate together and listened to how their family was led to come to Japan. It’s been a real eye opener to see the need here in Japan and encouraging to hear the stories of those who serve here. It’s a bit late so will be signing off for now.
Please pray for
– God will send a wave of grace to Ishinomaki to break down cultural barriers and burden and bring true life to the people
– tomorrow’s train station event to pass out flyers for English Lounge and English Ministry, that we will have courage and step out of our comfort zone to talk to people at the train station
9/15/2025 Freedom Live Church Building Dedication
Today began with a morning walk to the local convenience store to buy some eggs and milk. After that, team devotions, then we started setting up for the church dedication. Many pastors and missionaries from the area came for the event and even Tokyo to celebrate the dedication of the new church building. The church was filled with lots of people fellowshipping and checking out the new place. We spent most of our time serving food, setting up chairs, chatting with newly made friends and helping in the childcare & nursery. In the evening , at the end of the day we made our way to downtown Sendai where a few church members took us out for dinner. It was another wonderful day of meeting new people, fellowship and getting a chance to serve the body of Christ here in Japan. Tomorrow we will take a trip to a place called Ishinomaki, where we will meet some missionaries who will be sharing with us the ministry that God has placed on their hearts. Everyday we feel so blessed to be able to see what God is doing here. Thank you for all your prayers!
Please pray for
– connection and deeper sharing with newly made Japanese friends, most of them are non believers
– relationship building with the missionaries
9/14/2025 Sunday Worship
Sunday morning worship with the Freedom Live Church today! We had wonderful fellowship, praising the Lord and getting to know the members. Even after the service ended most stayed around to talk, have lunch and spend time with each other. The church and the members really have a great family atmosphere about them and it was really a blessing to be a part of it. Glad that we will at least get another Sunday to have here before having to go back. We also helped to set up for their new church buidling dedication that will take place tomorrow afternoon. Several local pastors and some from Tokyo will be coming to celebrate with us for the opening. At the end of the day today, Brad and Julie and several members of the church took us to a family restaurant for dinner where we continued to fellowship and enjoy each other’s company. It is easy to forget that the body of Christ is so large and reaches every corner of the world. It is really a blessing to see firsthand those who have answered the call to go to these places and share Christ.
Please pray for
– Building Dedication Ceremony goes well and all glory to God
– travel mercy for all who travel from different places to attend the fellowship
– great fellowship of body of Christ
9/13/2025 First full day in Sendai
Woke up to our second day in Sendai this morning with the sound of rain. After breakfast, the day began with an orientation, going through the schedule, meeting a missionary couple and hearing how the Lord led them to do ministry here in Japan. Later in the day Brad and Julie took us to central Sendai for a scavenger hunt where we had to use some new Japanese phrases with people, find certain objects in the city and locate certain places. This really helped us learn quickly about our surroundings, understanding some culture as well as make connections with people. We had a lot of fun and it allowed us to not only bond with our hosts but also with some of the people in Sendai. Later in the evening we made our way to an overlook located in the tallest building in Sendai to view the night scape and for a quick prayer time for the city. While there, the lord opened up an opportunity for us to meet two elderly ladies whom we had a very nice discussion and shared with them what we were doing in Japan. It was a quite a full day and the jet lag is tugging on us but it was a wonderful day. God is good!
Please pray for
– health protection in rainy weather
– spirit-filled worship and fellowship in Freedom Live Church and group time at the host’s house
– open heart and listening ear as the team connects with the missionaries and the locals
Praying for the Sendai…
9/12/2025 Arrived and settled
We have all safely arrived here in the land of the rising sun. The skies were clear flying into Narita this afternoon. Today was a lot of traveling and going through train stations but we finally made it to Sendai. Our host Brad met us at the station and he took us to our new place and showed us around with his wife Julie. It was really nice to meet them. We are really looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us here!.
Please pray for
– adjustment to the new time zone, jet lag, physical and spiritual health
– good bonding with the host and local team
– tomorrow’s orientation and scavenger hunt and prayer for the City Dinner
We are all staying in the church building …
9/11/2025 Flying out from San Jose
Numbers 6:24-26NIV
[24] “The Lord bless you and keep you; [25] the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; [26] the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” ’
Please pray for
– travel mercy – able to rest during the flight to Tokyo
– health and spiritual protection
– smooth arrival on 9/12/2025
– smooth transit from the airport to skyline to bullet train to Sendai
– The team will focus on the Lord single mindedly and not be distracted by concerns on weather or unfinished work at home
– Protection of families back home
– May the team reflect the light of the Lord wherever they may be
Ready to go… @SJC
9/7/2025 Sent Off by WVCAC congregation.
