Why Are You Here?
THE CALL: 2026–2027 | 5 MINUTE READ
KAELEY KERTON-JOHNSON, STUDENT INVOLVEMENT DIRECTOR AT TAYLOR UNIVERSITY
“Who are you all?” the girl sitting next to me asked. “Why are you here? Why did you decide to be in Yokohama of all places?”
The questions caught me by surprise.
I had spent the past ten days in Japan leading a short-term missions team, and we were beginning the journey home. I wasn't expecting one of the most meaningful conversations of our time in Japan to happen on the bus ride back to the airport.
Earlier in the ride, one of our team members realized they had left their phone in the van, causing quite a commotion on the otherwise quiet bus. Not long after, the girl sitting next to me started asking questions. I would soon learn her name was Rika.*
I explained that we had come to Japan—and Yokohama, specifically—to serve alongside our missionaries and get to know the people they are building relationships with. We came to pray for the ministries happening here, serve alongside our missionaries, and see firsthand how the Lord was at work in Japan and how He might be inviting us to join Him on mission.
The team takes a photo outside Immanuel Bible Training College Church after leading Kids English.
Rika was astounded that a group of Americans and a Colombian would come to her neighborhood. As we rode, she pointed out her high school, a stadium she played at, and stores she grew up going to. When she asked where we had stayed during our time, I told her that we partnered with a local church and stayed at Immanuel Bible Training College.
She had no idea that she had grown up within minutes of a church.
We spent the next hour of our bus ride talking about Rika’s spiritual journey and what it means to be a Christian. She was vulnerable enough to share a story of a Japanese friend of hers who became a Christian only two months before finding out he had cancer. As she walked with her friend on this journey, she noticed that she was the only one who felt fearful.
Her friend’s Christian community, she noted, was full of hope and peace. She even shared that her friend told her he felt the Lord had called him in perfect timing and that he was full of joy knowing his Savior, even in the face of death.
After her friend passed away, Rika attended church, per his request, and really loved the people. She told me that she is still exploring what religion means to her and is interested in learning more.
OCU student Chloe Watkins helps lead the children in Kids English through crafts.
I was able to encourage her and share about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God as her Father who knows her intimately and loves her wholly and perfectly. Unfortunately, she was running late for her flight and had to leave quickly upon arrival at the airport, but we swapped contacts and said our goodbyes.
As I thought about that conversation afterward, I couldn't help but marvel at how unusual it was. Throughout the week, our team had learned that many people in Japan are hesitant to discuss matters of faith openly, and we worked carefully to respect those cultural realities. Yet on a crowded bus ride to the airport, God opened a door we never could have planned ourselves.
My conversation with Rika left me convinced that many people have been praying for her throughout her journey. The Lord is clearly at work in her life, and I’m humbled at the opportunity to get a one-hour window into her heart.
* Name changed for security.
ACTION STEPS
PRAY: Will you pray for Rika? Ask the Lord to keep revealing His truth and love to her. Please also pray for WGM missionaries in Japan as they build relationships to awaken people around them to the heart and mission of Jesus. And pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen and encourage the Kubas and Dakota Poole as they build relationships and share the love of Christ with those they encounter.
GO: Kaeley went to Japan expecting to pray, learn, and serve alongside WGM missionaries. She didn't expect one of the most meaningful conversations of the experience to happen on the bus ride to the airport. God is always at work, often in places and people we least expect. Want to see firsthand what He is doing around the world and how you can join Him? Explore opportunities to serve with WGM in Japan and beyond.
Meet the Author
Kaeley Kerton-Johnson
Kaeley is the Student Involvement Director at Taylor University. She has led several international trips with students and loves seeing the body of Christ at work around the world. Along with discipling students, Kaeley coaches the university rugby teams alongside her husband, who serves as the assistant coach.
Meet WGM’s Missionaries in Japan
Brandon has served for about a dozen years in Japan, where his grandparents were WGM’s pioneer missionaries. There, through a marriage orchestrated by WGM’s partnering Japanese denomination, he met his wife Izumi, and they have been ministering jointly in a variety of ministry roles, including pastoral work, student evangelism, and, most recently, assisting in the discipleship of future Japanese Christian leaders.
Dakota Poole has been serving as a mid-term missionary in Japan since April 2026. God placed Japan on her heart soon after her call to missions and ever since then, she’s felt a call to participate in God's story of restoration and redemption. She’s a lover of all things literary, an avid mocha enthusiast, and most importantly, a servant of Jesus.
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