Juan Carlos and Colette González
The early years for Juan Carlos
I was born in El Salvador, Central America. It was in the 1980’s that a civil war devastated the country and there was an estimated 85,000 people who were killed by the last of the Cold War confrontations.
I had the privilege to attend the first school that Assemblies of God Missionary John Bueno started in San Salvador. At the age of 4, I became a sponsored child and was blessed with the opportunity to receive an education. This was a real gift since my parents were pioneer church planters with the Assemblies of God.
There are long stories of God’s provision in my life, such as the time my sponsor heard the voice of God and sent a gift for me to buy a “pair of shoes” to play in the playground just like the rest of the children.
Incidentally, I graduated from high school with a concentration of Math and Physics thinking that I would pursue a career as an engineer. However, it was the summer before graduating from high school that I felt the call to full-time ministry.
At the tender age of 17, I was sent to the most dangerous areas to assist a church plant at Santa Lucia AG church. Shortly after, God provided a scholarship for me to attend Latin American Bible College in Los Angeles, California. After one year, I received yet another scholarship to attend Southern California College (Vanguard University). The school and the area became a second home, a second language. I was invited to be part of the Vanguard Singers choir and orchestra, a 40-student group that traveled all over the US visiting AG churches and high schools.
Then, in 1987 Vanguard Singers and Orchestra came to sing for the JAG churches all over Japan. Rodger and Nadine Perkins and Don and Mary Smith were instrumental in helping the group. I remember Pastor Funatsu not only driving us around but hosting us from Tokyo to Fukuoka, Kyushu. Those were great meetings and large audiences attended. It was in the prayer meeting at Hamamatsu Camp, Shizuoka that the Lord tenderly spoke to my heart about “becoming a missionary to Japan.”
I argued with God in my mind about the fact that I surely was not the right person since I already spoke Spanish, and thought that God would use me in Latin America. Rather, God assured me through missionary Rodger Perkins that God needed and still needs missionaries in Japan. On one hand I thought, Latin America is exploding and revival is happening. On the other hand, I experienced Japan with its less than one percent of Christianity.
I returned to the USA and married Colette (Smith), Don and Mary’s Smith’s daughter.
Do you see God’s thread in all this? God was putting all the pieces together.
Ministry in Japan
In 1989, we accepted an assignment to help Kasuga Christian Center while my in-laws returned to the USA for the assigned one year deputation. We worked and helped Pastor Rie Shironoki and taught many children and adults.
After one year, we became associate pastors in California, and then received full-time assignment to be missionaries in Japan.
Since then, we helped to pastor Hakata New Life while still renting a hotel conference room. In those days, we were feeding over 300 homeless weekly with the help of local businesses. We also enjoyed pastoring and bringing new people. We love working along side the JAG Kyushu District, they are the best.
In 2002, after relocating the family to the west ward of Fukuoka, we had gospel concerts, starting Momochi Symphony Church. It has been a long process of planting this church. We concentrated on reaching children, families, and doing music outreaches. In March 2022, Momochi Symphony Church purchased its own building. Pastor Tsuchiya spoke for the two day event to dedicate this building.
Our vision is to continue reaching children, young people, and to use music and now media as a way to reach out to our Japanese community, and into the world.
Japanese has become my third language and Japan has been the home for my family for the last 30 years, Our two kids are grown and they remember their Japanese with a Hakata Ben flare. Nicky is a teacher and Stephen is a youth Pastor in California.
Do you see God’s thread in all this? I certainly am amazed to see that when God calls someone into full time ministry, God also provides.
None of the things we have been involved are because of our cleverness, it has to do with the will of God in our lives.
Japan is a beautiful country, but it still needs many more who can also respond to the call of God to share Christ, to establish the Church until Jesus comes in the power of the Holy Spirit.
God’s faithfulness is without match. Will you trust God to take you where you have never been before, spoken the language, or eaten their food?
I did. I am so glad I did.
Introduction – Colette González
My name is Colette. My parents, Don and Mary Smith, were missionaries in Japan for 38 years. I first arrived in Yokohama, Japan in December 1968.
Though I had not planned to return to Japan as a missionary, God called me into the ministry in 1987 in a prayer meeting while on a music tour with the Vanguard University Singers. I had just graduated from college with a degree in Mathematics/Science.
I believe God is using my understanding of the Japanese culture and language to reach the Lost in Japan. I know God has taken the talents He has given me and is using them for His glory. I am humbled to be used by Him.
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