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A ten-minute test. Just ten minutes or less. I can do all the extra steps and checks for a ten-minute test…right?
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It was finally time for my (Michael) first attempt at exchanging my USA driver’s license for a Japanese driver’s license. It was an all-day event. We had to show up at the prefectural license center first thing in the morning, so I took Hiroko to help avoid any language issues. After preliminary paperwork and payment, about 12 other foreigners and I took a short paper test covering the rules of the road. It was fairly simple, and we all passed that portion! Then we were taken to the driving test area, introduced to the course for the day, and given a several-hour break before the actual tests started. I took the time to walk the course on foot, and we had a nice wait.
Once it finally came time for my test, I went down to the course with the instructor while Hiroko waited and videotaped the test from the license center. The car was not too small for my height—although I would not want to take a multiple-hour trip in it—and I began the process of taking the test. There are a lot of things to do to properly pass the test in Japan–some of them seem like mere formalities, and others, if you mess up, you instantly fail.
To make a long story short, despite the slightly terrifying moment when the instructor sent me back into the building after the test with no positive—or negative—feedback whatsoever, I passed the driver’s test and received my license on the same day. It was a huge blessing to pass this first try. Thank you for your prayers!
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We enjoyed meeting the Kitchings, AFM Career Missionary candidates, in Hiroshima.
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Pop quiz: When you have a license, what comes next? That’s right, a car! Thus ensued hours . . . and hours . . . and hours of research into insurance, how cars are purchased here, costs, and everything else. Growing up, my faithful father always did all the car purchase research and work for the family, and I checked with him often as I worked through the process here for my first car purchase on my own . . . and in a foreign country.
Usually, AFM missionaries conduct extensive research, set a budget, and have a special fundraising project for vehicles before purchase. This is what we planned with our field director, but due to some rapid changes in our needs on the project, as well as a healthy project fund (thank you!), we were approved to buy a car now and recoup the project funds at a later time. Thus ensued the search for a car to purchase!
Unfortunately, I discovered that brand-new cars can sometimes take months—and months—to be delivered, depending on the model of car. With that on my mind, I started biking to used car lots near our home and investigating cars. Perhaps we could find a like-new car that was available much sooner than a brand-new car. So, we kept looking. When we went to look at a nearby lot again, we ended up talking to a really friendly salesperson who gave us a lot of helpful information. With that and some car models in mind, we went home to do more research, and we finally nailed down a make and model of what we wanted. I searched the listings online, checked prices, and found a gently-used car on a lot in the next town over that sounded perfect for us. It was a good price and just the kind we wanted!
I went to talk to the salesperson again. Suffice it to say that the perfect car . . . was not so perfect. It had a not-so-lovely smell, and the salesperson did not know if the smell was just some nice air freshener or an attempt to cover up previous smoking. That car was immediately out of the running. I had already looked at the used car listings for this company in the entire prefecture, and there were no other cars that fit our needs. I internally groaned at the thought of going back to the drawing board.
But God was not done with that visit quite yet. After a few moments on her computer, the dealer said, “Wait! I found another one. There are no pictures because it is still being cleaned, and it is not listed online yet. It is in Hofu, which is a few towns over. And,” the dealer said, glancing over the details, “it is nearly identical to the car you were already looking at. It will be listed publicly within a few days, but are you interested now? I can call about it.” I quickly agreed, and the dealer went off to make the phone call and came back a few moments later. “Good news! It is still available. And, it is not being cleaned in Hofu for some reason. It is being cleaned here! Want to see the car . . . right now?”
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A side view of the car when I first saw it. It’s a really nice car!
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“Yes!” I said. We walked outside, and there was the car, not even twenty paces away. It was beautiful. It was gently used, had plenty of storage space, was a hybrid, and, importantly, did not smell bad. Not only that, but it was slightly cheaper and newer than the first car. It was exactly what we needed—and even “more perfect” than the previous car I had been looking at. God had set it up just right!
After a lot of paperwork, some more paperwork, a few weeks of waiting for everything to go through, oh—and did I mention the paperwork?—I drove our new-to-us Toyota RAV4 home. The salesperson at the dealer was extremely kind and patient throughout the whole process, and working with a dealer who could handle the paperwork was much easier than trying to handle it on my own. We praise God for providing the right car at the right price at the right time at the right dealership.
Now, we can start prayerfully exploring more of the prefecture that was previously inaccessible, as well as further seek God’s will on where exactly He wants us to focus our work. Many towns and villages are either difficult or impossible to access without a vehicle of your own, and now we can reach them easily.
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Posing for a picture with the car dealer and Hiroko after receiving the car.
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Thank you for your faithfulness in praying, supporting us, and giving. We are now seeking to refill our project funds that we used to purchase the car. If this is something God leads you or your church to help support financially, please send in a donation to AFM labeled Japan 176 vehicle or similar. (For an online gift, put this in the gift comment box. For a check, make it payable to "Adventist Frontier Missions" and put "Japan 176 vehicle" on the memo line.) This way, we can keep track of the funds that come in for the car. You can also follow along with the progress through our website at: https://shoesatthedoor.net/car. (We are already at 24% as of writing!)
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- We have officially begun the Japan culture study process with AFM. The culture study is an important part of being long-term missionaries, where we consider the local worldview and its implications on how the gospel message can be shared among the people of Japan, specifically. It is not a quick one-and-done process, and it will take time, but as we research, learn, and grow, we hope and pray that God will lead us in the right direction for an effective ministry here that will lead to new church plants both here in Yamaguchi and around Japan.
- Caitlyn is now working on obtaining her Japanese driver’s license the same way I did. She passed her initial interview a couple of weeks ago, and her test is scheduled for the end of September. Japan is changing the rules and making this process more difficult starting in October, so she got her test scheduled in the nick of time!
- We are excited that Adrian Solis and his family, as well as Kerigma David, career missionary candidates coming to serve in Japan, have completed AFM training as of mid-August. They will be serving in other areas of Japan, but we will all coordinate and pray together as we seek God’s leading to not just reach our own areas of Japan but also the country as a whole.
- We were blessed with the opportunity to meet Nakwan and Camille Kitching, who are also career missionary candidates to Japan, on the vision trip they took in July. We met up for food and hours of conversation in Hiroshima. They have not been through the AFM training program yet, but we are excited to see God leading more workers to Japan.
- Hiroko was able to go to the SDA boarding academy in Hiroshima and participate in a several-day English Bible camp held for people who live in the area. It is an annual outreach event of the school. Hiroko had a great time and was blessed to meet not just Hiroshima students and staff but also other community members and share the love of God with them.
- Caitlyn and I have worked together and identified some resource needs of the church in Japan that we may be able to help fill through technology. More on that another time!
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We really enjoy the ample, fresh, and tasty fruit available here!
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Praises & Prayer Requests
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- We are really, really thankful to have a car. Riding bikes around town has been great, and we will keep using them, but a car makes so many aspects of life easier out here in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
- A non-Adventist foreigner from Texas, whom Michael met at an evening Japanese class, has started attending the local SDA church regularly. This is both a praise and a prayer request!
- We have mentioned this several times before, but please continue to pray for us to make friends, learn the language, and continue to adjust to life here in Japan.
- Please be praying for the visa process for the missionaries who have finished training.
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We would love to hear back from you. You can email us at adventure@shoesatthedoor.net. We are happy to pray for any prayer requests you might have, so please feel free to send them our way.
Thank you so much for your support!
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