Becoming a Missionary

A Perfect Fit: Called to Short-Term Missions in Japan

August 13, 2026
by Claire Shiver

crowd of people walking down the street in Japan

A self-employed landscaper from South Carolina. A seemingly random encounter with a missionary at his church. A call to go into all the world.

Isaiah’s story of short-term missions in Japan began when he was young. He came to faith in Christ in middle school and almost immediately understood the importance of missions. He shares, “It was like a light switch that went off for me. Before, I never understood why people would go overseas…. But [once I was] changed by the Gospel, I understood the call to go and to tell other people, to serve and be an encouragement and provide service where possible.” He continues, “It was really at the moment of salvation that it felt like God put some sort of call on my life that I’d be doing overseas missions at some point.”

Isaiah immediately began to serve the Church in whatever ways he could. He traveled to Puerto Rico on a short-term mission trip. He became involved in his local church, and he volunteered with churches that his own church partnered with. He helped with vacation Bible schools, building projects, and door-to-door evangelism.

Little did Isaiah know that by learning to live missionally where he was at, the Lord was preparing him to live missionally in a country halfway around the world.

The Call to Missions in Japan

Several years ago, someone visited Isaiah’s church. He remembers, “She was a TEAM missionary. She came to our church, and she shared about what her and her husband are doing, what they could use prayer for, and about their experience. And it was through her that I got acquainted with TEAM.”

Isaiah owns his own landscaping business that keeps him busy from March until the end of October. When he connected with TEAM, he learned of a short-term role with TEAM in Japan, helping with landscaping at their retreat center in Karuizawa during their busy months of November, December, and into January. The role was a perfect fit for Isaiah. He shares, “It seemed that everything was leading to Japan, even though I would have never chosen Japan. But God chose it for me, and I felt that there was a reason for it.”

God’s Work in Japan

When Isaiah arrived in Japan for the first time, he went on a prayer walk in Karuizawa. He vividly remembers seeing the vast number of people and being overwhelmed by the knowledge that so many of them didn’t know Jesus. He recalls, “In that moment I was just praying that in whatever way I could be used, great or small, that God would use me to further the Gospel here, that people would know that they could have hope not only for this life, but for the next life, for everlasting life.”

The first year that he went, Isaiah helped with basic projects around the center’s grounds. But each year that he has gone back, he has gained more responsibility. The tasks that he has been given have been everything from helping to clean out gutters to winterizing cabins, from cleaning up tennis courts to power-washing buildings. But over the years, not only has he been able to use his skills in gardening and landscaping to help TEAM practically, he has also had a chance to connect with the believers there.

Isaiah outside working on landscaping during short-term missions to Japan

Isaiah has had the privilege of worshipping alongside Japanese believers. Long-term missionaries connected with him and shared their stories of decades of service on the field and the ways that they have seen God at work. He was encouraged to hear stories of faith from many others, including from a brand-new Japanese believer. And he was in awe of the opportunities that the Lord gave him to serve alongside the faithful believers at the retreat center in Japan.

Over the three trips that he has taken, Isaiah has seen first-hand how God made it possible for him to be there, which excites him for future possibilities. Will more short-term missions to Japan be in his future? He doesn’t know. But he does know that the Lord will open the right doors at the right time, wherever in the world that is.

If Isaiah’s story of serving with TEAM short-term missions in Japan makes you want to learn more, reach out to a Mission Coach today. They will help you explore opportunities and learn more about where the Lord is calling you!