With great pleasure we are writing to you from Japan! It has been somewhat of a process getting here, but the Lord has been good to us.
On August 31st, we boarded a direct flight from Atlanta to Tokyo and arrived 13 hours later. Because of the time change, we landed on the afternoon of September 1st. Once we got off the plane, we went to various tables and booths so they could check paperwork and perform PCR tests. After two hours of doing an entire lap around the airport, we walked past the gate our plane had landed at and went on through immigration. From there we drove to Nagoya.
As of this writing we are in the middle of the 14-day mandatory quarantine for those who have entered Japan. While not as strict as other countries, we do get a call from the government checking on our whereabouts just about every day. We also get prompts on our phones asking us to report our location. After September 15th, we can move about freely.
Currently, we are looking to start a church on the western side of Nagoya. A quick walk down the street and into any neighborhood will reveal how many shrines and temples there are. However, there are almost no gospel preaching churches in entire sections of this part of the city. We are looking for a suitable place to rent and begin our work here. Please be praying that we can quickly find a place to start.
As far as our family goes, Rosie is expecting our third child. She is due in February. Additionally, Silas turned three today (September 10th).
Thank you for your continued prayers as we launch out to do the work here in Nagoya!
Yours for Japan,
James Miyashita
p.s.
The map of Japan at the very top is to show you where Nagoya is in relation to the rest of the island. The purple triangle is where we previously were (Niigata).