Six years ago, Shelby and her brother started learning Japanese for fun, immersing themselves in the language and culture through Japanese media. In 2019, both siblings started talking about serving in Japan, but COVID made it impossible to send missionaries to Japan. When her brother went on a short-term trip to Japan in 2022 and shared his experiences with Shelby, she wanted to serve there, too. Shelby will be coming alongside and serving local Japanese churches, assisting with children’s and youth ministries, English language, and reaching out into the community.