Our Missionaries

Acts 20:24 ESV
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Hello everyone,

My wife, Anna, and I first want to thank the LORD for His rich blessings on our family, and for your prayers and support at various stages and in so many ways as we’ve served here in Japan.

Back in 2009, I, Christopher Bouget, first visited Japan to meet Japanese friends I had met in California during their short exchange program, to see Yokohama, Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, and to visit Grace Christian Fellowship, where I participated in their annual VBS program in Oume, Tokyo. I am very grateful for all the people I met at Grace; they were not only welcoming, but eager to share the Gospel and minister to those in Oume.

Looking back, I feel truly blessed to have grown up in a church heavily oriented to missions outreach, and as a teen I had several opportunities to serve on short-term mission trips to Mexico over a few years. These short-term mission trips, and later my trip to Japan, greatly impacted my life and kindled the desire to serve the Lord by ministering to those here in Japan.

So in November 2013, through God’s rich provision, I said goodbye to those in California and returned to Japan to serve as a missionary alongside those I met in the summer of 2009, including Anna.

Anna was born in Kanagawa Prefecture in the city of Yokohama. Her family has been in Japan for many years, with both of her parents being predominantly raised here as well. Both sets of Anna’s grandparents came to Japan in 1952 as missionaries; Anna’s mother’s family ministered in Yokohama, while her father’s family served in Hiroshima, Fujisawa, then Yokohama.

At age five, she and her family moved from Yokohama to Lake Nojiri-ko in Nagano Prefecture, a popular summer destination for missionaries in Japan. There, she grew up and came to know the Lord. In 2008, she moved to Oume at the invitation of family friends who also summered at Lake Nojiri and began serving and ministering at Grace Christian Fellowship and its school, Grace Christian International School (GCIS).

So, in November 2013, when I moved to Oume, I began working at GCIS as well, and around a year later I started teaching English to individuals in the surrounding area. I worked at GCIS for over five years, and I helped with various ministry opportunities through the church, including the media team, leading Bible studies, and both church and public outreach events throughout the year. All the while, I got to know Anna more and more.

In December of 2015, Anna and I wed after a short time of dating and engagement. Together, we continue to serve at Grace Christian Fellowship alongside our six children: Sage, Xavier, Amber, Hazel, Violet, and Luke Bouget, whom the Lord has blessed us with.

Both Anna and I enjoy helping with the worship service at Grace. Along with her singing, Anna ministers as one of our church’s Sunday school teachers and is involved with the full-time ministry of being a wife, mother, and English curriculum homeschool teacher to our children. I am still part of the media team, and from time to time I have the great privilege of preaching on Sundays. However, I enjoy teaching and facilitating Bible studies most. By God’s grace, we’ve been able to go through the book of Acts and are nearly halfway through our study of the Gospel of Luke: That We May Have Certainty. Also, for over a year now, I’ve been meeting every so often with a couple and their young son, who are Jehovah’s Witnesses. Also, once a month, I am often involved with both the church’s English Café ministry and I help facilitate a family game night and Bible study; so far, we’ve been blessed to go through the Fruit of the Spirit and most of the Armor of God.

As for my work and ministry opportunities, I currently run and teach at a small English conversation school called ABLE to people of all ages. In the past, I worked at All Nations Art Community (ANACOM) for roughly seven years as their English teacher until March 2026, when I was given the opportunity to continue teaching on my own and took it. I’m grateful to continue doing so at ANACOM’s building, where I can teach and minister to many of the same students.

What does ministry as an English teacher look like? First and foremost, I have the wonderful privilege of praying for my students. Second, through our time together, I’ve had many opportunities to share with my students the hope I’ve found in the Lord and His Word, and to share my family’s and my own testimony. I’ve listened to, prayed for, and encouraged my students when things have been weighing heavily on their minds. When the topic turns to “What are your hopes and dreams?” I get to share what the Lord has done in my life.

Along with running ABLE, for roughly ten years I’ve been blessed to teach students from 4th grade through high school here in Oume who are involved in an intercultural enrichment program called the School of International Understanding. It’s been incredible to be part of these kids’ lives, and every year, at my supervisor’s request, I’ve been able to share the biblical Christmas account, and by extension the Gospel, to them and their parents during the organization’s annual Christmas program.

Along with these opportunities, I also work a couple of times a month at various preschools in the area, where I get to play, read, sing, and dance with the kids and interact with their teachers.

Please pray for these mission fields, as they desperately need more people to be God’s light in these communities. I am thankful for the opportunity to do so during this season of life, but we still need more workers here in Japan.

We want to thank you for your prayers and support for our ministry here.

Blessings,

Christopher, Anna, Sage, Xavier, Amber, Hazel, Violet, and Luke Bouget