When do we go to Japan?
While I have never received a specific date as to when we are to go to Japan, the Lord gave me an understanding of two events that were to occur before we would go: my company would make a dramatic change to what we produced, and we wouldn't leave until after the death of my father. Knowing that things would happen and that they would occur beforehand has been such a blessing. Many years have transpired since our calling, so knowing about future events, and then waiting and seeing them being fulfilled has been so helpful in building our faith and patience, as well as learning to embrace His timing. One event that I understood would occur before leaving was that my company would make a dramatic change to what we produced. At that time, my company was building and supporting an enterprise product that was used by many major Internet Service Providers (ISPs). We had a full slate of features and improvements that we had plans to address. Two years after I received the dramatic product change understanding, my boss came into my office following a frustrating meeting with one of our enterprise customers. He vented his frustration and then frankly stated that he no longer wanted to deal with enterprise customers, and that we were going to do something different. He asked me if I had any ideas. I, of course, immediately remembered the promised product change, but didn’t know if he was just venting frustration or was really serious. Our company had spent years developing relationships and a product that could penetrate the enterprise market. Could our small company really make such a dramatic change and stay in business? A short time later he invited all of the engineers to a meeting and asked for ideas for a new direction. Months later, we published what would be the last release of the user interface that I was responsible for developing on the enterprise product. And then, just as the Lord led me to understand years earlier, we made the dramatic change and began to develop a new product. Now, over 5 years later, we have now designed, developed and released two models of a product for the home and small business markets. And we have released several versions of the corresponding mobile applications to the Apple and Google app stores, and a web application for running in a web browser. I am responsible for the design, architecture, and development of the product’s user experience. It has indeed been a dramatic shift from the enterprise market. The change has been particularly substantial for my team as it is our first time developing a mobile app. The death of my father was the second event that I understood would occur before we were to leave. At the time of God’s outpouring, my father was 87 and in good health. Woody was convinced that he would live to 100. Three years later, my father suffered a fall that caused an injury to his spine and left him partially paralyzed. Woody and I took on the role as his full time caregivers which became an unexpected blessing as my father, Woody and I grew very close. Even though he and I had lived in the same house until I left for college, it was really the first time that we spent a significant amount of time together talking and learning about each other's lives. Interestingly, his injury occurred right at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic so our company, shortly thereafter, sent our employees to work from home. I was able to help care for him while developing our new product from his home. To address his worsening paralysis due to a protrusion pressing into his spinal column, my father opted for and survived a 4½ hour spinal surgery that helped him recover many of the abilities that he lost from the injury. By many people’s assessment, his recovery was miraculous and well beyond the most optimistic prognosis. His other health issues that he had been attempting to address through prescriptions and over the counter medications also dramatically improved. His improvements were so dramatic that his doctors stopped all medications besides his eye drops for glaucoma. We could only attribute his dramatic improvements to God’s grace, and the change of diet that we had been making to get healthy for Japan. He was doing so well that we were all surprised when he suddenly died from a previously undiagnosed stomach ulcer in the spring of 2021. During the time that we cared for him, my dad had two recurring dreams about Jesus. I was astounded when he told them to me because he was not a believer, and the stories were right out of the Bible - a book that he was not familiar with. From that point forward, I began reading the Bible to him every night which led him to faith. I tell people that there is nothing more humbling and honoring than to lead a parent to salvation. I have been truly blessed in this regard. God can achieve what is seemingly impossible which serves as an encouragement for Japan. I tried to capture some of my amazing experiences while caring for my dad in the writing, Under His Wings. When he died, many countries still had very strict rules concerning COVID-19 and visitors, including Japan. Woody and I took a two week trip to Japan in the spring of 2023, shortly after Japan lifted their outright visitor ban. When we visited, Japan still had COVID-19 vaccination requirements for all visitors. Following my dad’s death, the doors began to open for us to obtain a long term Japanese visa. Through a myriad of ideas, tips, insights, expertise and assistance from people in Texas, Hawaii and Japan, I learned that I was eligible to apply for a generational visa. In pursuit, the Lord provided a path for requesting and obtaining the historical records that are necessary to complete the certificate of eligibility application, the key component needed for the generational visa. All along the way, we connected with individuals who were able to provide us with just what we needed at just the right moment in order for us to fulfill all of the necessary requirements. In March of 2025, we traveled to Tokyo to submit our certificate of eligibility applications to the Japanese Immigration Services Agency. Again, with key help and assistance from individuals in the process, Japan accepted our applications. The hand of God has been evident all throughout this journey. We are now awaiting approval.
