Potter ministry 2023 Highlights!

Nelle and Ryan Potter: Bringing Hope to Japan

As support-based missionaries, we’re so thankful for those of you who have committed to partnering with us each month - we truly could not be here without you! We send out monthly newsletter updates, as well as occasional mid-month emails–below are some of our most memorable excerpts from 2022. 

Like many of you, the pandemic has posed a challenge to our finances. Would you take this moment to pause and ask God how you might be called to partner with us in this new season? We are always interested in connecting with more prayer partners–if you are interested in partnering with us, whether that be through prayer, starting to give, continuing to give, or increasing your giving, get in touch and we’ll get you signed up  to receive our monthly newsletter!

Interested in sending financial support? Use this link to send support through RCE.

February 2022

On the one hand, we're racing towards the end of a rich, full school year. We’ve said throughout this year, we’re so grateful for wise, creative teachers for each of our kids; for flexibility and good humor despite the many wrenches in these unusual times. We’re anticipating another great school year starting in April, and are humbled at how well our kids seem to be doing in their bridging, bilingual lives.

March 2022

During the short spring break, we reconnected with good friends who moved to other cities. As we dig in to long term ministry here, we deeply value our Japanese Christian friends, for the way they help us understand Christianity through a Japanese lens

And we deeply value our non-Christian friends for the way they help us understand our faith from the outside, and help us form more natural bridges through good questions and good communication.
We understand the way advocacy, helping others see through multiple lenses, is both essential and exhausting.

April 2022

We bought our house nearly 6 years ago not knowing about a leaky window. When we found it, the seller came to fix it, but we found that the "repair" was more of a "disguise". Through years of continued leaking, structural beams around the window received significant damage, and the seller is no longer liable for repairs. The contractor thinks it can be fixed but said she had "never seen anything like this."

For the past few years, we’ve connected with a local missionary family and participated in their easter egg hunt in our local park - this year there were 70 kids who formally participated, and I know many others jumped in at the last minute! (In the time it took me to walk from my front door, around the corner to the park, I ran into two other families and their collective five kids joined the hunt.)
Standing around watching the kids race through the grass, a mom asked me, didn’t you used to live next to Takatsuka? Turns out she is a good friend of our neighbor from our old house, “I remember you! And once you picked up my hat for me once on a windy day.”

After the event, two moms with their toddlers shyly worked up the courage to talk to me - “What is this? It’s really only once a year?? Can we exchange info so we don’t miss it next time?” But it’s not just “once a year;” through the boldness of our kids, a friend we’ve known for more than six years came to church with our kids for the first time on Easter Sunday.

May 2022

This week we taught the last classes to this year's CAJ seniors, and watched them present their final research about a project they've become passionate about. We heard them talk about rights and support for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The dangers of food media bias aimed at children. Seniors teach the underclassmen: internet discernment, care for those with differences, tools and strategies for creating better education.  We talk about not only the what of ocean pollution, but why it's unjust. On what basis can we say that majority groups should treat minority groups with compassion and kindness?

We are privileged to be part of their lives, and as they head for graduation next week, we entrust their future to God's hands.

Summer 2022

We can still hear the incessant buzz of cicadas outside, although the nights cool down to a bearable temperature. Summer is naturally noisy with the wind, kids playing, and the constant hum of insects. But the occasional cool day reminds us that we’re heading toward fall.

We’re grateful that, through the generosity of many supporters like you, and after rainy season and Obon (festival of the dead, in late August) holiday delay, scaffolding went up (today!) on the north-side of our house to begin repairing the water damage.

September 2022

Community gathered at our church for “welcome Sunday” when kids bring school friends and neighborhood friends to church for games, snacks and a kids message.

And our house construction is nearly finished; we are thankful for so many of you who have helped contribute to this project.
(Hopefully this fixes all the water damage!)

October 2022

For the first time in three years, each kid had a somewhat more “normal” sports day, compared to the scaled down events of the past few years. We followed suit this month, and ended up with many sports based activities. We know it was a good weekend when we have swimsuits drying beside snow gear on the laundry line!


This month opened with a week of off-campus, "school without walls" experience for CAJ high school. After a three year Covid-hiatus, we were excited to get back to these trips. While this year, for the first time ever, some teams were called home a day early because of extreme rain and freezing temperatures, their overall memories of the trip were positive, and everyone made it through safely.

We’re thankful that our house construction phase one is finished. Inevitably, contractors checked other areas of the house and strongly recommended that we repair parts of the roof while we have scaffolding up. We’re extremely grateful to the many of you who gave special gifts to help with this cost. Phase one cost more than our original estimate - which isn’t surprising - and we’re thankful that we’re able to continue to dip into savings and manage to pay for the additional roof repairs.

November 2022

We opened this month with a powerful event: a swimming class held by one of the research university hospital doctors we frequent, specifically for limb different kids. This event was precious and complicated, especially for our child, who rarely sees anyone in the world who looks like him. 

We also had a car-accident this month! We got rear-ended in slow traffic. Thankfully, no one in either car was seriously hurt. Our car was, unfortunately, totaled, so we are once again looking for a good replacement! Thankfully the other driver's insurance will help cover some of the expenses.

December 2022

Christmas play at church, complete with shepherds and wise men and school kids!

This month, our older kids participated in the church Christmas pageant, complete with fabric-ensconced shepherds, willowy angels, the child with cerebral palsy joined right in the cheering procession with his wheel chair at the triumphal entry.

New-to-us car after our accident last month!

Ryan was born in northern Japan to missionary parents, and grew up in Tokyo attending the Christian Academy in Japan for 9 years. After graduating from Multnomah Bible College in Portland, Oregon with degrees in Bible and Communication, Ryan came back to Tokyo first as a Youth Pastor, then started work at the Christian Academy in Japan in 2007. Having now completed his Masters of Education at Calvin College in 2019, he currently teaches World Religions, Apologetics, and Christian Ethics Bible classes, high school Design and Technology, and Middle School woodworking.


Nelle Caitlin is a third generation missionary to Japan, following in the steps of her grandparents and parents. She attended Christian Academy for two years in elementary school, and then her family moved to Georgia. After graduating from Covenant College in 2002 with a degree in History and minor in English, she returned to Christian Academy as a high school teacher. Completing a Masters degree from Trinity Western University in Educational Leadership, she taught at Christian Academy from 2002 until 2014, when she shifted to focus on four little students in particular. Raising four children in Japanese culture and the Japanese school system created incredible opportunities to build relationships with local neighborhood moms and families, partnering with three local churches and their moms outreach programs, as well as co-hosting open house coffee and conversation times for preschool moms during preschool times. Nelle Caitlin is now teaching once again at Christian Academy, as an 11th and 12th grade Humanities and English teacher.

Their four kids, E (12), L (10), V (8), J (5), attend local Japanese Kindergarten and elementary school.

Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ) is a K-12 school established in 1950 to provide high-quality, yet affordable, Christ-centered education to the children of evangelical missionaries, enabling missionaries and pastors to effectively minister long-term in Japan. While continuing in this purpose, CAJ also serves other families who desire this type of education for their children. As part of a holistic, long-term approach to missions work, without the ministry of CAJ, mission-minded Christians would not be able to minister in Japan. CAJ serves approximately 450 students in the day school program and more than 300 additional students in our School Support Services program for students who are unable to attend regular CAJ classes. 

Learn more here