This year marks 20 years since I first joined Global Partners as a missionary to Japan, including the year and a half of training, prep and initial support raising that was necessary upfront. I believe it was in March 2006 (as evidenced by the first post on this blog) that I went to HQ for my orientation, thus beginning my journey as a long-term cross-cultural Christian worker. In light of this anniversary, I thought I’d write some thoughts about what I’ve learned and experienced over the years. Warning: this list is very random and a little messy.
So, here are twenty thoughts on twenty years as a missionary to Japan:
- The novelty of living in Japan has definitely worn off. If I’m honest, my passion too comes and goes — for both Japan and the mission. Ultimately, though, the love remains and I’m probably staying at least till retirement and maybe for life. Yes, there have been times I’ve thought about quitting… but God hasn’t let me off the hook yet. And even if I quit being a missionary there’s a good chance I’d stay in Japan.
- Japan has changed a lot in 20 years. I mean, I guess the whole world has, too. Advancing technology, changing political climates, population decline, cost of living… I remember Japan seemed very expensive when I was starting out, but now (depending on what area or city you live in), it’s not so bad compared to North America.
- Technology has made being a missionary easier in some ways and harder in others. I got along without an iPhone, YouTube or Google Maps when I first arrived. Newcomers today have a lot of help I didn’t, which is great. On the other hand, there are more things to distract them. A person can live here but keep in close contact with their home culture in a way we couldn’t back in the day, which might seem nice but can prevent a person from really going through the enculturation process.
- After over a decade in Nagoya, moving to Ishikawa was a lot harder than I expected. There are a lot of reasons for that, but after five+ years I still don’t feel nearly as at-home here as I did in Nagoya. This could be a whole post in itself but I’ll leave it at that for now.
- There’s currently more interest in Japan from North American young adults than ever I’ve ever seen. And that means more potential new missionaries. While this is a huge opportunity, discerning who is actually called and where they fit in the mission is a challenge.
- Contextualization is still a huge challenge and gap in Japan, but more than ever a passion of mine.
- Doing ministry as a couple is quite different from doing it as a single. It brings challenges, for sure, like needing to make decisions together instead of just thinking of myself, and of course life-work balance. But it has brought new opportunities and possibilities too. Drawbridge hasn’t gotten as far as I’d hoped it would by now but I’m not sure it would have even gotten off the ground without Yoko. Meanwhile, doing partnership development and church ministry together is meaningful and rewarding in a way doing it alone wasn’t. I’m super blessed and grateful. Of course I’d be grateful for Yoko whether we were in missions together or not. But this list is about being a missionary.
- Speaking of marriage… Now that I’m married, I feel like some people look at me differently in both the North American and Japanese churches. I’m not sure that’s all good either. Sometimes, unintentionally, the church treats singles in ministry as less mature or lower class, and that’s neither fair nor biblical.
- One of the most surprising things about being a missionary was how much I had to figure out on my own. This is not a criticism of Global Partners or any past/present leaders, just a statement of my experience. I suppose it’s just one downside of GP having such a small presence in Japan.
- Speaking of GP, while GP is not perfect (what org is?), I feel like I’ve been well taken care of throughout my years as a missionary.
- Another big surprise: how much I use spreadsheets! Supporter tracking, project management, and of course budgeting… the list of uses goes on.
- I’m pretty fluent in Japanese by now, but still feel like I have a lot to learn (or re-learn) and am probably overdue for a brush-up.
- The most rewarding things about learning Japanese have been being able to preach and lead worship in Japanese, and making some close lifelong friends with whom I relate completely in Japanese.
- I wish I could see more fruit for my labour. Ministry in Japan can be slow and hard. But I think it was Mother Theresa who said that God calls us to faithfulness, not success.
- I’m grateful to have been able to bring my creative passions and my ministry calling together. This was a longterm dream and goal, and still a work in progress but a joy.
- One of the realities of longterm overseas living: I don’t know if I’ll ever feel completely at home in my own home country again… though I’m not sure I’ll ever really completely fit in in Japan either.
- One of the sacrifices missionaries make is leaving their home culture, friends and family behind and living apart indefinitely. This means missing weddings, funerals, getting to know nieces, and having huge gaps in pop culture knowledge (though that last one is both less important and less of a problem now). Honestly though, the sacrifices really never felt that big to me until the past few years as my parents got older…
- Maybe I’m not supposed to say this, I have a love-hate relationship with support raising. While I love and appreciate our partners, and enjoy some aspects of travel and meeting people, taking sometimes large chunks of time away from regular life and ministry to raise support is… tiring. Having said all that, I’m grateful to have been well-supported by many partner churches and families my whole career.
- In missions, doing ministry doesn’t always look the way we might expect. Sometimes it doesn’t even look like ministry. Sometimes ministry means: commiserating with a fellow missionary who is struggling; kicking a soccer ball around in the parking lot with kids after an English class; waiting around for students to leave after class even though you’re tired, because they enjoy being together and the space your church provides; spending 8 hours a day studying the local language (including class, homework, review and prep time); coffee or lunch with a friend struggling in their faith; doing mandatory paperwork to keep our religious organization status legit; and taking care of a mission house in a different city during a period when it’s not being used.
- Over the course of twenty years, there have been lots of ups and downs, highlights and challenges, frustrations and fun. But looking back, overall, I can honestly say that what I feel most is gratitude. I have made many friends, been to places and seen things I never would have imagined. It’s not always easy. But it’s an adventure. I’m thankful for God’s sustaining grace, provision, and blessings. And I look forward to seeing what the next decade or two will bring.