For the past two years, we’ve been hosting Recon Tours for people who are considering ministry in Japan. We’re excited to announce a special Couples Recon Trip in collaboration with Kevin and Kaori Laverman who are engaged in church planting in Kawasaki, Japan. (learn more about their ministry here: https://www.lavermansinjapan.org/)
This trip will provide couples that chance to see church planting in two different cities and to learn from the experience of two missionary couples. The goal is to provide space to observe, ask questions, and prayerfully discern whether God may be leading you toward long-term, full-time ministry in Japan while providing answers and guidance on what serving in Japanese as a couple/family will look like.
Trip Dates
October 17–26, 2026
Who This Trip Is For
This Couples Recon Trip is only intended for couples who are actively pursuing full-time ministry in Japan or seriously discerning that path. Only applicants with strong references, a clear public testimony, a track record of faithful church involvement, and some level of theological training will be considered for an invitation. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility, please contact us before applying.
Those looking for a tourist experience or a short-term opportunity to help a ministry while traveling, need not apply.
Group Size
To keep this trip intentional and relational, participation will be limited to 3–4 couples.
Child Participation & Childcare
The focus of this Couples Recon Trip is to observe, discuss, and prayerfully consider next steps for your family as you discern long-term ministry in Japan. Due to the pace of the trip and the amount of information to process, caring for children during the trip would detract from this purpose.
While we will offer guidance and discussion regarding what future ministry in Japan could look like for you and your children, children are not able to attend this trip, and we will not be able to accommodate them in any capacity.
Important Application Note
Because this is not our standard Recon Tour, there will be a separate application specifically for this Couples Recon Trip.
Please do not apply through our standard Recon Tour application page.
Application Status
The application will be available on this page. We are currently finalizing the application for this trip. Please stay tuned for updates.
Join the Waitlist
If you’d like to be added to the waitlist and notified as soon as the application is available, please fill out the form below and we will send you an email when it is ready.