Already Seeing The Lord at Work…

Lately I have just felt really amazed at how the Lord works.

Even in these early days of living in Japan, before life feels fully settled or familiar, I am already seeing God open doors in ways I could never plan or force. They are not dramatic moments. Most of them are quiet and simple. But they feel deeply meaningful.

And honestly, those small moments have been some of the most encouraging parts of this season so far.

Small Moments, Big Encouragement

Recently, I was able to invite a classmate and his wife to church. I also invited two other classmates to some upcoming family group hangouts next month.

On the surface, those invitations might sound very ordinary. Just simple conversations. Nothing big or impressive. But to me, they felt really significant.

Because here in Japan, relationships take time. Trust takes time. And even a small invitation can matter more than we realize.

What encouraged me most was how natural these moments felt. They were not forced or carefully planned. They simply came out of everyday conversations and being present with the people around me. It reminded me again that God is always working quietly beneath the surface, even when I cannot see the full picture yet.

What’s Been Happening at Church

There has also been so much happening within our church community.

This past Sunday we talked about water baptism, and three people from PAZ Tokyo East responded with a desire to be baptized. These will be the very first baptisms for our new campus, which feels incredibly special.

As a church, we are also in the middle of a 21 day fast and gathering to pray together every weeknight. It has been powerful to seek the Lord together in such a focused way.

We also just hosted our very first PAZ Praise Conference, and it was such a meaningful time in God’s presence. On top of that, we recently launched a six month teaching series called PAZ Basics, walking all four campuses through foundational biblical beliefs.

There is so much new life and growth happening, and it is amazing to witness it firsthand.

A Quiet Kind of Gratitude

As I sit in this season, I find myself feeling thankful in very specific ways.

Thankful for church community that already feels like family.
Thankful for the chance to build new friendships and slowly connect with people here.
Thankful that even something difficult, like learning a new language, is also a gift and an opportunity to grow.

And honestly, living in a new city is pretty cool.
My school is in Shinjuku, which still feels a little surreal to say out loud.

So much is still new. So much is still unfolding.
But even here, in the middle of early days and small moments, I can already see that God is moving.

And for now, that feels like enough.

— Nicole 🤍