A big question to answer! For details and statistics regarding the great need for Christians and church planters in Japan, please watch our Living & Doing Ministry in Japan Video on our Homepage or go to our Why Planting in Japan page. To find out about our specific call to ministry in Japan, please continue reading.

 

While Matt was taking a Perspectives course at the beginning of 2011, God clearly put it on his heart to start praying for Japan. It was completely out of left field, and Matt wasn’t even sure what he should pray for specifically, but he obeyed. Several weeks later he turned on the TV and joined the rest of the world in grieving for the devastating tsunami that hit Japan; it was then he understood why God asked him to pray.
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Separately, but simultaneously, Matt and Jessica came to the same conclusion -- their church needed to send a mission trip team to Japan, and soon. In the fall of 2011, Matt and Mike Carmen (KACC Missions Pastor at the time) took a recon trip to the cities of Osaka and Nagoya, the locations of two church plants started by Mustard Seed Global Fellowship through Orchard Group Church Planting. So impressed by the ministry these churches were doing in these major cities in the 10/40 window, plans were quickly made to take a team from KACC back to Japan to participate in the great movement to share God’s love with the millions who haven’t even heard the name of Jesus, much less what He has done for them.

 

In July 2012, Jessica joined Matt on a two-week mission trip which focused on assisting the Mustard Seed church leadership in their outreach and ministry efforts -- everything from singing songs on the street corner, to Sunday services, to English-Japanese language exchanges. If you'd like an in depth look into their short term trips to Japan, please see their individual blogs below, detailing that time. 

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It was clear during this trip that “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few” (Matthew 9:37). After all, there are over 127 million people in Japan, and less than 1% of them are Christian. Both Matt and Jessica felt confirmation from the Lord that He was calling them to serve full time in Japan…but they also knew that the other spouse would never go for it, because it’s crazy right? Quitting jobs, selling a house, leaving family and friends -- very crazy! But the rest of the Bible verse just mentioned goes on to say in verse 38, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” They did ask the Lord to do this for Japan, never anticipating that the Lord’s response would be, "You go!" 

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Following the initial shock and fear, Matt and Jessica feel extremely excited and blessed to be called by the Lord to serve full time as church planters in Osaka, Japan. To learn about their adventure of living and serving in Japan since November 2013, please visit the Life Here page on this site.
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Thank you for your much needed prayers and encouragement. The Whelchels truly feel your love and support!