Animations and Anticipations!

Greetings, everyone!

The heat is rising here in Sendai, and so is our excitement as we get ready to leave for film school in less than a week! We have a few updates to share, so here we go:

As I promised, here’s the animation that came out of Misako’s recent time at ANACOM. The project was led and largely created by her teacher, Graham, and Misako participated by helping draw and fix some of the scenes. The teacher was very kind and shared a lot of valuable lessons throughout the course. The final result is primarily his vision and style, including the use of AI animation tools:

It's great to see the final product after months of waiting! Misako is grateful for the experience and the things she learned, and she’s looking forward to applying those lessons to her own hand-drawn 2D animation in the future.

Misako is also working on her own animation project on the side. While I’ll be studying film at YWAM Kona, she’ll be creating a short animation for our Through the Sheep Gate YouTube channel — a story about a little spoon who struggles to fit into a world of forks. It’s a project we’re both excited to share! Here’s a short trailer:

Cute, isn't it? Stay tuned for the full video sometime in the future!

Misako and I also celebrated our anniversary recently! Since we’re about to leave for Kona, we kept things simple — a walk to Sendai Castle, a cozy night of movies at home, and a delicious steak dinner I cooked myself. Going out for a fancy dinner can be nice, but sometimes a quiet, humble celebration with the one you love is the best gift of all.

Update on Rei:

Rei is doing well, all things considered. He’s in the final phase of his chemotherapy, and if all goes smoothly, he should be fully released from the hospital by this fall. In recent weeks, he’s been able to spend more time at home — and he’s even come to visit Misako and me! It’s been a huge encouragement for all of us. Thank you for keeping him in your prayers as we continue to trust God for his full recovery.

Other than that, we’ve been busy getting everything in order for our trip on July 2nd. This is a big change for us, and I couldn’t be more excited to dive into film studies and learn how to use media for ministry. Misako and I have been praying about the future after film school, and while we’re not entirely sure what the Lord has in store for us, we truly believe He’s calling us to use media and animation to glorify Him and reach Japan and beyond.

If you’d like to partner with us, we’d deeply value your prayers — for God’s protection, guidance, and open doors as we step into this new season of training and exploration. Thank you all so much for your prayers, support, and love throughout our time here in Sendai. Have a truly blessed and wonderful day!

Psalm 32:8

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you."