English

  • Missionary Opportunities and Ministries in Japan

    Do you have a heart for the Japanese people? Is sharing the good news of the gospel something you feel God is asking you to do? Are you feeling called to serve God’s kingdom globally? If all your answers are “yes,” it sounds like you’re ready to venture out as a missionary. But where do…

  • Episode 8 | The Gifts (and Challenges) of Being Bilingual

    Being bilingual is great! But it’s not without its challenges. I go through these seasons when my Japanese language abilities are really working. Like, smooth as butter. But I also have phases where I feel like my Japanese is just garbage. I can’t articulate what I want to say well, or I just have frequent…

  • Bible Time in the Classroom

    Bible Time in the Classroom

    When you think of “mission work,” what comes to mind? Building schools and hospitals? Preaching on street corners? Outreach events? Of course, some missionaries around the world do these things, but it depends on the social and cultural context of the place. So, what does my mission work look like? Most days, it takes the…

  • Episode 5 | Let’s Talk Anime: “Demon Slayer” and Special Guest!

    There’s nothing more natural to me than talking about anime in my living room with my roommate, Rei. That’s basically what happened when I recorded this episode. But go ahead and listen to episode 5 for our interesting commentary on the anime, Demon Slayer. We talk about demons, our favorite (and not so favorite) characters,…

  • Episode 4 | Wordle and the Importance of Community

    So what is all the hype about the game, Wordle? Why is it so popular among English speakers? What about The New York Times‘ acquisition of the game? And how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected people’s sense of community and loneliness? I decided to do a little research on my own regarding Wordle and its…

  • Episode 3 | Communication Styles in Japan, the U.S., and God’s Kingdom

    As an English teacher living in Japan, it’s rather commonplace to discuss the differences in communication styles between the U.S. and Japan. And let me tell you, there are many. But, I feel like most of my students (and fellow teachers) talk about these differences as if one is better than the other. So, in…

  • What is “Sunday Chapel Time” at Shukugawa Bible Church?

    What do you think of when you hear, “Sunday Chapel Time?” It just sounds like a roundabout way to talk about a Sunday church service, right? Well, here at Shukugawa Bible Church, it actually refers to an hour-long bilingual Bible study that is co-led by an English teacher-missionary and a translator. As a missionary here,…

  • お祈り:Prayer Transcends Language

    お祈り:Prayer Transcends Language

    天の父になる神様、 造り主です。救い主です。主を賛美します。主の御名を誉めます。神様、今日のこと、ありがとうございます。 昨日、新しい主にあって姉妹が洗礼され、救いに助かって下さってありがとうございます。主は永遠の恵みと許しを与え、感謝します。主の栄光を讃えます。やはり、この教会が御ことばを導に伝えられますように。また、私には、生徒に福音書のことを忠実に伝えるために、日本語がもっと上手になれるように。主を愛しています。イエス様の御名によってお祈りします。 アーメン。 God has truly blessed my time here in showing me His global church. As an exercise, I’ve made it a point to try and pray regularly in Japanese. This serves partially as language practice. But more importantly, it allows me to think about God and talk with Him the same way…

  • First Week of Teaching: Complete!

    I made it! I have officially completed my first week of teaching. And I am happy to report that I enjoyed the work! I liked the rhythm of the lesson planning, the breaks between classes for resting and prepping, and the wonderful interactions I had with my students. This past week flew by like a…