Now we can truly say that we are immersed in Japanese culture. After two years in this country, the time has come to take a deeper step in our mission: we are preparing to move to Nagoya, where we will care for a Japanese church.

It is exciting. It is challenging. It is all of these things at once.

The church we will serve currently has only a few members besides our family. They are all adults. Sadly, many brothers and sisters who once belonged to it have already entered eternity. The previous pastor showed us a list of former members, and more than half had passed away.

Others drifted away while still young, especially during high school and university, a season when studies in Japan take up so much of young people’s time and energy. When there are no young people, no children and no renewal, it is hard not to imagine the church’s future slowly fading.

This is not only a local reality. It is repeated in many other Japanese churches. There are too few people, too little life, too few pastors and too few workers. Growth becomes an immense challenge.

At the same time, we face our own struggles as a family. It is still difficult to join conversations without understanding everything. We still become tired as we adapt to a new way of living, speaking and acting. It still hurts to see our daughters trying so hard to make friends who understand them. We knew it would be like this, but when the moment comes, it is heavy.

Until now, we have been involved with a Brazilian church, which made everything feel more natural. Yet the call that has burned in our hearts from the beginning has always been for the Japanese people. That is why we are here: out of obedience, love and conviction.

This is faith in action: serving even when we are tired, trusting even when we cannot clearly see the next step, beyond an idealised picture of missionary life.

That is why we need you. Your prayers are more than welcome; they are essential. You may not be in Japan with us, but when you pray, you become part of this mission. When you intercede, you hold our hands.

Jesus looked at the crowds and spoke of a plentiful harvest and few workers, calling his followers to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers (Matthew 9:37–38). This is our prayer, and we invite you to join us in it.

Pray for us. Pray for the church we will serve. Pray for our daughters. Pray for revival in Japan. Pray that God will bring a new season to this land.

Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We remain steadfast, together.