A Harvest Perspective | Tosados Field Journal

The first week came with adjustments. A new place, a new timezone, a daily schedule, and getting to know the people behind TICA and its mission.

The church was built in the 90s on the edge of the rice fields surrounded by small residential homes. As the church grew they knocked down walls to make room for more chairs. They acquired the building across the street to make even more room for a kitchen, ministry space, offices, and apartments for visiting teams. They converted the parsonage on the second floor of the church into a balcony to make even more space.

And now we were taking up residence in the church attic, where one room from the parsonage remained, and where we would call home.

Rows of vegetables in a field under low clouds, mountains behind — The church and the rice fields.

A dark blue house with a steep white roof beside a mown green field — The church and the rice fields.

A dark blue building with a round corner tower on a quiet street — The church's ministry space affectionately called “The Warehouse”.

The TICA Tsukuba church building with a red cross on its wall under a grey sky — The front of the church.

A utility pole with power lines fanning out against an overcast sky — Power lines on a cloudy day.

Orange marigolds along a black fence with an apartment block behind — Marigolds in the morning sun.

A bright green field with a lone pole and clouds overhead — An old basketball court now used as parking.

Mornings are spent in time with the Lord, then meetings with the team as task lists divvied out. Lunch time usually comes with a walk to the nearest convenience store.

We've been cleaning out closets, painting walls and doors, editing videos, designing a banner and new T-shirts, cleaning the church spaces, discussing what God is showing us in our quiet time, and asking lots and lots of questions. We're here to learn and serve and that has become the priority.

A small office with desks, chairs, and a whiteboard — Everyday sights.

A white kei truck parked in an empty lot under blue sky — Everyday sights.

An outdoor staircase on a white building at dusk — Sunset at TICA.

A wet road at dusk with a dark mountain under heavy clouds — Mount Tsukuba hidden in the clouds.

A dark street beside a long low building, sky glowing at the end — Rainy days.

The rains came and have hardly stopped in the last week. Every day we are greeted with the same gray sky. But that didn't stop us from enjoying time with the team.

A church sanctuary lit in blue during a Sunday service, seen from the back rows — Getting ready for Sunday.

A red crayfish in the corner of a stone basin — A crawfish that escaped the creek.

Someone on an indoor climbing wall, seen from behind — Breaking out the rock wall.

A bright café kitchen with someone waving from behind the counter — Baking in the cafe kitchen.

Hands working an espresso machine — Learning how to make the perfect latte.

A tray of freshly baked muffins on a café counter — Apple Sauce Cupcakes.

One thing was clear: God has HUGE plans for Japan, and all of us were eager to see them come to pass.

Hands holding a latte with a leaf poured into the foam — The perfect latte in question.

A hand pressing a button on a Japanese meal ticket machine — The machine to take your ramen order.

A bowl of ramen with a soft-boiled egg on a dark table — Ramen with a soft-boiled egg.

A fork cutting into a slice of cheesecake with a candied lemon on top — Cheesecake at a Tsukuba cafe.

Boxes of snacks and supplies stacked on a table — Cleaning out the kids craft closet.

The most enjoyable times are when we get to learn more about the people at TICA with us. Where they came from and how they came to be here, the things that drive them and the ways God is speaking to them. It's no coincidence that we all came to be here at the same time.

Thursday nights end with team dinner. We walked with our new friends past lotus fields and kiwi trees, looking forward to eating curry and na'an.

Two people walking past a grey house, heading down the lane — Having incredible walks with incredible views.

A man standing in tall green grass, looking off toward the horizon

Four people walking down a narrow road between fields in the evening — Just a small part of the amazing team.

A lotus field at dusk under a pale pink sky — Lotus fields waiting to be harvested.

A man in a black shirt reaching up into a wall of garden vines — Luis was very excited to see a kiwi tree.

A blue tractor parked beside a field road — A waiting tractor.

Walking a country road past harvested rice fields with Mount Tsukuba on the horizon — Walking by a harvested rice field.

We walked back after 10pm, much later than usual. The conversations had run long as we listened to stories.

A single streetlight over an empty wet parking lot at night — Streetlights in the dark.

Two lit windows in a dark wall at night — Lizards keeping warm on a lit window.

Friday was our free day so we took the bus into central Tsukuba. Thrift stores, gyoza, and the landscape of Japan's most international city taking shape around us. The rain didn't let up, but we didn't let that stop us.

Someone in a blue rain jacket with the hood up, walking beneath trees — Rainy Tsukuba.

A shop window with a mannequin behind corrugated metal — Rainy Tsukuba.

A red scooter passing a wet street with grass in the foreground — Delivery driver.

A wide, wet city intersection with apartment towers under grey sky — Sakurao Bridge

A steel lattice tower rising in front of a long apartment block — Tsukuba architecture.

A brick pedestrian path through the city after rain — Tsukuba architecture.

Rows of parked bicycles beneath trees outside a building — A very rainy walk.

A round white sign on a post among dark green trees — A very rainy walk.

A weathered blue pedestrian crossing sign against a bright sky — Weathered signs.

The corner of a dark brick building against a pale sky — Pointy buildings.

Two travelers with backpacks crossing a city street on a rainy day — Life-changing conversations.

A red brick building with a bell tower among trees — Downtown views.

Curved ironwork balconies overflowing with plants

A person with an umbrella crossing at a corner beside a brick building

A small stone statue in a straw hat beside a canal

The more we talk to the team here, the more we realize just how much help is needed in Japan. It's the sobering expectations of ministry in a place that doesn't know who Jesus is and the challenges that come with the culture that is ingrained here.

Looking out the window of a city bus at trees passing by — A blank slate.

A white kei car blurred past a lit storefront at night — Late nights on the road.

But we find comfort in knowing that God is bigger. That more and more people are feeling called to missions in this beautiful country, and that someone new hears the gospel for the first time every day.

We are extremely grateful to be here.

Pray with us this week