From left to right: Jennifer, Balen (2y), Anthony, and Emmalyn (4y)
Our Story
During my (Anthony) first trip to Japan in 2014 I felt God was telling me I would return to advance the gospel in the future. I led youth mission trips to Japan in 2018 and 2019 through Living Streams Church but that still did not feel like the end of what God had in mind. Jennifer was able to join the 2019 trip and afterwards she also felt there was something more for us to do in Japan. A few months later we came to the revelation that God wanted us to spend significant time doing ministry in Japan.
It just so happened that Living Streams also had a vision to send out fifty long-term missionaries by the end of 2025. After further prayer we concluded that 2023 is the year God wants us to be in Japan. Our goal is to be in Japan January through December 2023. This was not an easy decision to make, especially now having two children and worrying about how this would impact them and the relationships that would be interrupted. But all along we’ve felt the peace of God and a confidence that we are following God’s plan for our family. And now the time has come – we are preparing to use our experiences in youth ministry to further the Kingdom of God in Japan!
Youth in Japan face pressures from every part of society: pressure from family to excel in school and extra-curricular activities, pressure from rigorous school programs, pressure from peers to conform to the group, and pressure from the government and society at large to conform to traditions and societal norms with an expectation to contribute to the overall wellbeing of the nation. Failure to meet the expectations of these pressures can manifest in being shunned by family or treated as outcasts in society. Fear of this is a major contributing factor to a high youth suicide rate. We feel God has called us to specifically preach against isolation/loneliness, depression, and busyness in the youth culture of Japan.
We’ll be working with Koza Church in Yamato, Kanagawa prefecture. We will be assisting them with their Next Generation ministries (Jr High through college) that were weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic and related government shutdowns. Our work will mostly consist of supporting the ministry leaders and directly ministering to youth. Combined, Jennifer and I have 18+ years’ experience in youth ministry plus Jennifer has 8 years’ experience of teaching secondary education. Hopefully we’re able to contribute some wisdom to Koza’s youth department. We will not be employed while living in Japan or receiving compensation from Koza Church. We want to bless Koza church and felt this would allow us to be fully committed to ministry.
We are not certain what the future holds regarding our ministry in Japan. This could be the end of what God wants us to do, or it could be the first baby step on a long journey, or it could be something in between. We are praying God provides us with clarity over the next year. We are excited to go on this journey and eagerly anticipate how the Spirit will move us.
Thank you and God bless!
Anthony, Jennifer, Emmalyn, and Balen De Arcos