Tag: News

Praise be to God! We have landed in Japan, and all of our bags made it too. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for this day, sending financial support, and keeping us buoyed with encouraging messages. We flew through Detroit again this year, and it was a smooth flight. Our pilots even managed to get us to Tokyo three minutes early despite leaving Detroit forty minutes late. The plane we were to board arrived late from Paris, so our departure was delayed as they serviced the cabin, unloaded the arriving luggage, and loaded our departing luggage. Neither of us got much sleep on the flight, like previous trips, but it was a smooth and pleasant trip all the same. And to finish the flight, we were treated to a magnificent view of Mt. Fuji on our descent into Tokyo!

Once we arrived at Haneda, we made our way through customs and immigration. With our visas pre-approved, it was an easy process. They even issued us residence cards right there at the immigration gate! These cards look much like a US driver’s license, and carrying them means that we don’t have to have our passports on us all the time. Much more convenient! I also had the necessary paperwork stamped for the moving company so they would be ready to import our shipped belongings when it arrives.

After a quick snack at the airport 7-11, we got our tickets for the bus ride out to Tachikawa. It takes about 90 minutes, but it is way easier than lugging our many bags through train stations and one potentially crowded trains. Once the bus arrived in downtown Tachikawa, Nao Fukushima was waiting there to collect us and take us the rest of the way to the church building. Door to door, if I’ve figured it right, the whole trip took a little over 26 hours. Glad to have that part out of the way!

We unloaded the luggage into the entry hall of the church building, but then headed off straight away for a late dinner at Hama Sushi – our favorite place! Nao and Noriko are such humble people who practice hospitality in such thoughtful ways. It was very good to share table and catch up with them again in person.

With full bellies and tired bodies, we headed back to the building for the night. After moving the luggage up to the dorm on the third floor, we hit the sack and got about six good hours of sleep. Not bad! Jet lag can be unpredictable, so we felt like that was a success.

Wednesday was our first opportunity to head to the Tachikawa City Office and take care of all of the official business for moving to Japan. We spent the morning getting a number of things established. We registered our residence cards with Tachikawa (and they added the relevant info to the back) using the church address for now. Once we find an apartment, then we will go back and update our registration accordingly. Then we moved to another counter in order to register for health care. After that, we went to another desk where we signed up for the pension system and started the process for getting a MyNumber card.

Wednesday afternoon was spent at the JR Post Bank office setting up a checking account. This is the only bank that doesn’t require six month’s of prior residence in order to open a cash account. It turned out to be a fairly long process since the staff wasn’t very familiar with how to fill out the forms as a foreigner. In the end, they were super helpful and very patient. We now have a bank account!

On Thursday, we started the process for hunting apartments. Noriko had scheduled an appointment for us with a local real estate office and the four of us went together to meet with the representative. He was very kind and patient! I feel like he also took our unique circumstances in stride and really helped us navigate the process well. August is summer break here in Japan, so many families try to move during this time so that they don’t break up the school year for their kids. August also includes a week-long holiday around Obon, so most places take the week off, which throws another wrinkle into the equation. On top of that, the Tachikawa is in strong demand, so apartments of the type we are interested in seem to go really fast.

For potential renters, this is probably less-than-ideal news. For us, though, it is confirmation that we are in a good place for ministry. I am reminded that during Paul’s missionary journeys, he went where he was able, but he was always also wanting to head for Rome. That’s where the people are, so that’s where he wanted to be. We want to be like that, too! If Tachikawa is a place where people are landing, then we want to be well-positioned to be here and be a part of the community when they come.

The real estate agent helped us look through several listings and narrow down a handful of possibilities. We rode with him over to the area where two were close together. One of the apartments was available to tour, but the other was still occupied. So we went in the available one to look around, then drove over and walked around the exterior of the other. In the end, we gave the realtor our preferences and set some paperwork in motion. Time will tell if we are able to secure our preferred spot or not! Either way, it will be a few weeks until we will be able to move in.

Today (the next day), we are focusing on unpacking our luggage here at the dorm and settling in a bit more. I think jet lag is fading a bit, but I’m sure it will still catch us in the evenings for a few more days. Overall, we have had a pretty encouraging start. God is good!

~ Clay

This summer, we have been busy visiting our supporting congregations. These visits are not for raising additional support, but instead are intended as an opportunity to be a presence in the lobby before and after services so that individuals can stop by and chat for a bit. We have a few items representative of Japanese culture on display, some information about what we will be doing once we arrive, and a slideshow of our activities from the last two summers. More importantly, we get to connect with individuals in these congregations and share a bit of our hearts with them. It is also an opportunity for people to sign up for the monthly newsletter and discover other ways to connect with this work. We have been encouraged greatly by these interactions so far.

The photo above is from our most recent visit at the congregation where Clay grew up, Prestoncrest Church of Christ in Dallas. These lobby visits began at Cloverdale on the Sunday they officially announced becoming our Sending Congregation and our last one is scheduled for August 2nd, the day before we step on the plane to Japan. Here is a list of past and future dates:

• April 19: Cloverdale Church of Christ, Searcy, Arkansas
• April 26: White Station Church of Christ, Memphis, Tennessee
• May 24: Lindauer Church of Christ, Forrest City, Arkansas
• June 28: Prestoncrest Church of Christ, Dallas, Texas
• July 11: Highland Church of Christ, Memphis, Tennessee
• July 19: Levy Church of Christ, North Little Rock, Arkansas
• July 26: Cloverdale Church of Christ, Searcy, Arkansas
• August 2: Park Avenue Church of Christ, Memphis, Tennessee

For the dates that have already passed, I hope that we were able to connect with you in-person. For the dates that are upcoming, we are looking forward to the opportunity to see you face-to-face, encourage one another, and share a moment focused on the work in Japan.

Emily and I are very humbled by the way God has provided through each of these congregations. Our heartfelt thanks and gratitude goes out to the shepherds, missions committee members, and full membership of each of these church families. Your prayers, encouragement, and support have meant a great deal to both of us.

~ Clay

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.”
~ Psalm 40:3

Several times in recent months, I have written about seasons of waiting and trusting God’s timing. Well, I am happy to report that this most recent season of waiting has quickly faded away! Quite suddenly, we seem to be moving forward like water rushing downstream. Praise God! The past few weeks have been very full, so be forewarned – this month’s report will be a long one.

After the school year ended and our teaching jobs wrapped up, we packed our suitcases and headed to Searcy, Arkansas. We are spending the bulk of this Summer dwelling with our sending congregation, Cloverdale Church of Christ. It has been a refreshing time of making new friendships and renewing old relationships. The Cloverdale members have welcomed us warmly, hosted us for meals in their homes, and quickly found a place in our hearts as family. (Pictured below are just two of such times out of many to choose from.)

Additionally, our first two weeks in Searcy coincided with HST’s summer intensive courses. We enjoyed attending their daily chapel and meeting with those who were in town for a course. It was especially nice to meet some of my classmates face-to-face after only ever interacting with them virtually through Canvas and Zoom.

The pace picked up a little on June 11th when we received a video call from Nao Fukushima. He was excited to share that our Certificates of Eligibility had arrived at the church building in Tachikawa! When we applied for them back in March, it was difficult to imagine what this day would look like, but God has faithfully brought us through each step of the process. On top of this, we were pleased to learn that we have been approved for an initial period of three years. Hallelujah! Nao promised to send them to us quickly, and we started looking at the calendar to estimate when other dates could now fall into place.

Just six days later, the pace quickened further! Our certificates arrived safely, and I was able to pick up the package at the post office in Searcy. With our COE’s in hand, we could now formally apply for visas. I called the Consulate-General of Japan’s branch office in Nashville to make an appointment and they had 10:30am available the next morning! We quickly threw an overnight bag together and hit the road for Nashville. Whew!

Annette Morris is the owner of the Kindermusik® Studio where Emily had been teaching. More than just Emily’s (now former) boss, she is a sweet friend and sister in Christ who relocated to the Nashville area not long ago. We accepted the gracious offer to stay at her home, even though it was very short notice and we were arriving so late at night. Her hospitality is much appreciated – she even sent us on our way in the morning with snacks!

After stopping to purchase a pre-paid FedEx envelope, we made our way downtown and headed for the 9th floor of the Palmer Plaza building for our visa appointment. We submitted our applications, certificates, and passports at the counter. The gentleman looked over everything, double-checked that forms were filled in correctly, and then sent us on our way with a receipt and assurance that the completed visas (and our passports!) would be sent back to us the following week in the FedEx envelope we provided. By the time that would happen, we were scheduled to be visiting Clay’s family in Texas, so that’s the address we put on the envelope.

With the visa process progressing, we were able to solidify plans with our chosen movers, Yamato Transport. If you are familiar with Japan, you’ll know that クロネコヤマト is ubiquitous. This black on yellow logo of a cat gently carrying its kitten can be seen in every corner of the country. As one of Japan’s best shipping/moving companies, I was pleased to know that they maintain a number of offices in the US. That means that I wouldn’t have to worry about how to send our stuff to Japan. One company could handle the journey from door to door, including the customs process when entering Japan. They were also recommended by others that we know, so the choice was easy.

After filling out some forms and submitting descriptions of what we were wanting to take with us, I drove back over to Memphis the morning of Monday, June 22, in order to FaceTime with Hideaki-san so that he could get a good look at our belongings and offer us a quote. With that completed, we were able to schedule a moving date that worked for everyone.

On the morning of July 2nd, Christian and Yusuke arrived and got to work. They identified and labeled everything we had already packed, crafted some custom boxes for odd-sized items, staged it all in the carport, and then packed it in the truck. Interesting side-note: Christian is from Venezuela and is based out of the Nashville office. Yusuke is from Nagoya, Japan, but is living in Chicago. Yamato flies him around to the various other branch offices during the busy season if they are short-staffed. Memphis was a new city for him, and he seemed pleased to add a new place to his list. They both were very polite and handled the job with expert care. With our stuff on the way to Japan, we plan to wave at it somewhere in the Pacific Ocean as we fly over August 3rd. We will look for it to catch up to us sometime in early September, hopefully after we have secured an apartment.

It has certainly been a whirlwind of progress. We are grateful for God’s provision that everything has happened in such a timely fashion. All of the vital pieces are now in place, and we are officially ready to head to Japan. May our efforts, feeble as they are, serve to glorify God and grow His kingdom there.

~ Clay

He has made everything beautiful in its time.
~ Ecclesiastes 3:11

It is good to take time to reflect on what has been. All along major roadways, there are mile markers which tell you where you are. If you’re like me, passing one usually prompts the mental calculations of how far we’ve come or how far we have left to go. Most of the time, these markers simply help to mark the passing of time (and distance), but eventually, you reach the mile marker you’ve been waiting for. It could be the mile marker for your final destination, the mile marker for a quick meal on the way, or the mile marker for a much-needed bathroom stop.

Sometimes, you reach the mile marker where you need to leave the road you’ve been on and instead travel down a different one. Life’s journey doesn’t always take you the most direct route – it might take several different turns to get where you are going. When I’m driving long-distance, I don’t stop and reminisce when I reach one of these mile marker moments. In life, however, it is good practice to take a moment and celebrate the road(s) that have brought you to where you are before you take off down a new one.

One such mile marker is the completion of graduate school. Harding School of Theology has been such a wonderful experience! After I started my first full-time position with a church, I felt the need to build a stronger foundation for effective ministry going forward. So, I started at HST in 2019, one class at a time, while maintaining a full-time job, family obligations, and everything else. It has been challenging, but ultimately well worth the effort. I have a much fuller understanding of God’s word, what a meaningful faith brings to this life, and how the Church can fulfill its role as the Bride of Christ. Additionally, I have also gained a vibrant community of fellow workers all over the world who love and support each other in numerous ways. You can read more details about graduation weekend on the blog.

In recent weeks, Emily and I have both reached these mile markers as we wrapped up our jobs in education. For the last three years, as I finished my coursework at HST, I have also been serving as the librarian at Parkway Village Elementary. It’s a large public school in Memphis, Tennessee, serving low-income neighborhoods near the airport. I will miss the students and faculty greatly – especially my team of fellow Support teachers (art, music, PE, STEAM, computer, library). What a treasure these last three years have been. God has provided many blessings through what would have otherwise have been “just a job” while I finished my degree.

Emily completed her 29th year teaching Kindermusik®, a music and movement style of teaching that provides foundational learning in a fun multi-generational environment via weekly classes. It takes a team. And what a Dream Team of early childhood educators God has blessed her with over the years! It has been a bittersweet time of goodbyes with all her children and families. It is our prayer that God will continue to use this unique experience and skill set in adaptive ways to love on and reach out to families in the Tachikawa neighborhood community. Please pray that God will guide our path as we explore this possibility and learn along the way. Thank you.

Now it is time to make that turn and travel down a new road. We are grateful for the experiences, skills, and wisdom that the journey to this point has given us. The people that we know and love are the greatest treasure. You all have played such an integral role in our preparation for mission work in Japan, and we will carry you close in our hearts as we head down this new path.

~ Clay

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
~ Revelation 21:5

Happy New Year! Emily and I hope that you are able to look back on 2025 with appreciation for what God has done. We are also praying that 2026 will provide many opportunities for you to share God’s blessings with those all around. We certainly feel God’s care and love through your comments and prayers.

We received great news to close out 2025. A seeker had been studying the Bible on her own and started attending Tachikawa on Sundays. After some additional Bible study with Fukushima-san, she chose to commit her life to Christ on the final Sunday of the year! We rejoice with our new sister Sari Obe (seated, middle front, with glasses) as she had her sins washed away in the saving waters of baptism. Please pray for Obe-san as she joins the Tachikawa church family and begins the next part of her spiritual journey among this community of faithful believers.

As we turn our thoughts toward 2026, it is more than just a new year. Our coming transition to Japan is starting to feel more and more real. But we are not the only ones! For this post, I am focusing on what feels like the start of a new season of missions in Japan. There are a few missionaries who have been working in Japan for some time – Les and Sarah Taylor in Matsudo (Chiba prefecture), Joel Osborne in Mito (Ibaraki prefecture), and Jeanne Ray in Tomobe (also in Ibaraki prefecture). But we are excited to know that several new missionaries have committed to working in Japan as well.

William and Randi Adams recently landed in Shizuoka. There are a handful of small congregations clustered in this part of Japan about 1.5 hours southwest of Tokyo by bullet train. This is the area of Japan where Sarah Andrews worked. William and Randi are partnering with Shinozako-san, a native minister, to help revitalize these congregations. Read more about what God is doing through the Adams family through their Facebook page.

Angel Alcantar will soon join William and Randi in Shizuoka. Angel is a graduate of Freed-Hardeman University and is currently enrolled at Sunset International Bible Institute to further prepare for missions. Currently, Angel has submitted all of his paperwork and is awaiting final visa approval. You can read more on his website.

Brandon and Ocean Furbee have also decided to join the mission team in Shizuoka. Graduating from Harding University, they have felt a calling toward missions in Japan and are in the process of gathering support.

Additionally, Emily and I have been in contact with three more couples who have expressed a desire to work with missions in Japan. We pray that the Lord will open doors for these and others who are willing to step beyond the familiar and serve His kingdom in this way. This year is going to be great!

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
~ Acts 2:46-47

~ Clay

Emily and I are excited to share that we are officially launching our funding campaign for full-time mission work in Tachikawa, Japan! We have designed a one-page summary for quick reference. It contains descriptions of our Vision for Ministry, our Calling, the Spiritual Context of Japan, an intro to Tachikawa City, and a bit about ourselves and our financial goals. Do us a favor and download the PDF version and please share it with anyone who might be interested in partnering with us for missions in Japan!

For those desiring a greater level of detail, we have also produced a 2026 Missions Prospectus. This comprehensive document provides information about our plans, our working agreement with the Tachikawa congregation, letters of recommendation, official documentation, our personal credentials, and more. It is designed to help you be fully informed as you consider partnering with us in this work. Our Missions Prospectus is available to anyone, but since it has a number of sensitive details we have chosen not to publish it on the web. Simply contact us to request a copy and we’ll be happy to send it directly to you.

Several of the website pages have also been updated or expanded. Here is a brief description of what has changed:

The page outlining Our Mission now includes more specific information about Tachikawa Church of Christ, the place we have agreed to work.

The Support page has now been expanded to three separate pages:
– The Email Newsletter page (the place to sign up!)
– The Prayer Partners page (for general requests)
– The Financial Support page (with actual numbers)

And finally, for those who are ready to partner with us financially, we have a Financial Pledge Form where you can let us know the type and amount you would like to give. Simply click the blue button to put your name down as partners in this work.

As always, thank you for your encouraging messages. They mean a great deal! Thank you again for praying for us, for Japan, and for the Kingdom work being done.

~ Clay

Just a quick post to let everyone know we have arrived in Tachikawa. Travels went smoothly (if not tiring!) and we woke up this morning to bright sunny skies. We started off right with a leisurely breakfast at Denny’s, and will take most of today to unpack, settle in, and manage the effects of jet-lag.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for our trip! We really feel like we aren’t here by ourselves, but that you all are along for the ride as well. These next six weeks will be great!

~ Clay

<– Return to the Pre-Trip Overview

We gotta set our clocks early for this one. Monday morning (June 2) we will set out for the airport in Memphis at 4:30am. I’m yawning just thinking about it! We have a 6:30am flight to Detroit, then we will hang around a little over 4 hours before getting on board the flight to Haneda Airport (Tokyo). We should be in the air about two hours for the first leg, and then 13 hours for the big jump across the Pacific. After passing customs, we’ll have a bus ride of about 1.5 hours to get to Tachikawa where we will meet our ride. By the time we arrive, it’ll be Tuesday evening local time. Sounds easy, right?!

We are grateful for all of you who have mentioned you’ll be praying for safe travels. It is through the grace of God that we are able to make such a trip, and we hope that everything we do will ultimately glorify Him alone. We look forward to encountering people and showing them a glimpse of how much God loves them. Thank you to each of you who have helped fund this trip and for those of you who continually pray on our behalf.

The next post should be from the land of the rising sun!

~ Clay

Emily and I are honored and happy to share that our trip to Japan this coming Summer (2025) is officially happening! We have purchased our plane tickets, so it’s feeling a bit more real all the time. We had such a wonderful trip last Summer. You can see the reports by visiting the Blog Index if you would like to know more or simply read again back through the exciting ways that God worked through us in 2024. Since last year’s trip was received so well, we are planning a very similar six-week trip for this upcoming Summer too. We hope to build on the momentum that we experienced and broaden Tachikawa’s exposure in the community through English conversation and family music classes.

Last year, we took some time to visit with a number of long-time Japanese ministers in order to more fully learn the history and particular culture of the church in Japan. It was a valuable time renewing friendships and gaining perspective about the various methods used in ministry in the past. I think it will valuably inform our efforts in the future and building on these relationships will be impactful going forward. This year, we hope to reach out to some current missionaries and explore practical topics such as moving to Japan, finding living arrangements, navigating the mountain of government paperwork, and learning how to best setup daily life in Japan as a foreigner. We also hope to nail down some concrete particulars about working with a Japanese church full-time in Fall 2026. With that in place, we can work towards finding a church Stateside willing to partner with us as a sending congregation. Lot’s of big things happening!

We have again prepared a PDF version of our trip presentation, which you can download here. We are actively seeking partners in this work, and your help is greatly appreciated. Most importantly, we eagerly desire prayer warriors who will commit to remembering these efforts through regular prayer. We believe prayer is both essential and effective, and we are deeply encouraged by the many people who are already doing so on our behalf. If you would like to take the additional step of helping support us financially, we would love to partner with you in that way as well. Simply jump over to the Support Page and learn how. May God bless you as you seek to bless the people of Japan!

Thank you!
~ Clay and Emily Fowler