Recently I was interviewed by Evangeline Hsiao for her podcast, Care Package for Japan...

The purpose of this podcast is to showcase how much God loves Japan through different stories of people. It is like God sending a care package to the ones He loves in Japan!

From Care Package for Japan:

Today, we will be talking with our special guest, Joseph Handley. Joe is the president of Asian Access and has a huge heart for missions in Japan and beyond. He is passionate about raising missional leaders that abide deeply in Christ because it is from abiding in Christ where Jesus gives us our identity!

Evangeline reminds everyone:

Let's all continue to pray and praise God for the beautiful country of Japan. #prayforjapan

Listen to my interview below... 

Direct links:

• https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s1e11-raising-up-leaders-who-are-abiding-in-christ/id1592801872?i=1000547361493
• https://anchor.fm/evangeline-hsiao/episodes/S1E11-Raising-Up-Leaders-who-are-Abiding-in-Christ-with-Joe-Handley-e1cihlk/a-a76n948 

I hope this encourages you. 

In Christ, 

Rev. Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Ph.D.
President, Asian Access

jhandley@asianaccess.org
@jwhandley
@jwhandley

 

More Information

• Image credit: photo of Musashinonomori Park (Tokyo 2020) by Takashi Miyazaki on Unsplash

 

Happy New Year, Dear Friends!

This post is a little later than I had hoped because our family was hit with the coronavirus variant over the holidays. We are deeply grateful for your prayers and appreciate you for the way we journey together in life and mission.

Yearning to Develop More Leaders & Shepherds

2021 began with an interesting call from a Lausanne and WEA friend challenging many of us to focus on raising up and training millions of new Christ-like leaders in the coming decades. As the team requested my engagement in this new venture, I was led to share from Matthew 9:36 where Jesus saw the crowds harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

At the end of 2021, my reflections were in the book of Zechariah chapter 10:2. In that passage, the prophet critiques the false gods who have led people astray causing many to wander because they lack a shepherd.

The idols speak deceitfully,
diviners see visions that lie;
they tell dreams that are false,
they give comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wander like sheep
oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
— Zechariah 10:2

The same day that I was reflecting on Zechariah 10, a report came from one of our national directors describing the growing intolerance happening his country. And then another message received the night prior from another country director reflected on a different, integrated approach to developing shepherds for the future.

Yearning for Blessing for our Community

Along with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and the conflicts and upheavals springing up all around us, our mission has tried to share the burden faced by a brother’s family as they live the nightmare of personal fallout from violence and persecution in their country. Our friend and faculty member’s family have faced ongoing struggles with their daughter’s worsening health challenges. Another national director couple has dealt with her wife’s ongoing health crisis. We grieve the sad reality of a national director facing ALS and cancer. And now, news that another national director’s family is fighting a covid outbreak in their midst.

Calling to Pray for God to Move

2022 begins with promise, and I’m encouraged that my home church is opening with a Daniel Fast call to prayer. As Jesus challenges in that passage, we must pray to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers.

So, this is my word for 2022:

A call to be led by the Good Shepherd, to become like him as a shepherd for this world and to raise up a new generation of shepherds who will follow Jesus and serve the masses who are so desperately looking for help.

Looking to the future, we aspire to be “a vibrant community accelerating Christ-centered movements around the world… who equip and unify visionary Christ-centered leaders to influence Spirit-led change.”

As we lean into 2022 and strive to be and accelerate new shepherds for a weary world, I am heartened by former A2 board member Ray Ortlund’s grandson’s wisdom:

Not abiding in Christ darkens all of life.
Even the bright spots are dimmed.
Abiding in Christ brightens all of life.
Even the dark spots are lightened.
All of life takes on a different hue.
~ Dane Ortlund

My friends, as we abide in Christ this year, the Lord will raise up a new generation of shepherds to serve His Church and His Kingdom.

I’m eager to see what the Lord unfolds for us. Join me in expectation.

With expectancy, 

Rev. Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Ph.D.
President, Asian Access

jhandley@asianaccess.org
@jwhandley
@jwhandley

 

More Information

• Top Stories from 2021

 

In Patience

When I decided to leave behind my career to pursue a mission overseas, I knew it would not be smooth sailing. Ahead would be support raising, language learning, transitioning to a foreign culture, and unpredictable—or even a lack of—income. Little did I know, there’s much more to it.

My visa application for my originally intended mission field was rejected, I had to restart the discernment process for a new location, and then came the global pandemic. Sounds discouraging, doesn’t it? Thankfully, this was not the end of the story. Through each unexpected turn of events, I came to realize that my journey is not so much about where I am going, but who I am with.

Waiting is rarely easy, but what if waiting is an important part of the journey? What if we experience the Lord in a deeper way because we can do nothing but lean on Him? Our circumstances change, but Jesus’ promise to us remains unchanged. And that makes all the difference.

“I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (ESV)

In Service

In a season of prolonged waiting, God can turn our disappointment into His appointment. One night I was asking the Lord how I could serve Him in the time leading to my departure for the mission field. He gradually allowed me to encounter the people He had in His heart for me.

Two were Kay and Jane*, twin sisters who had been physically disabled for many years due to injuries from long-term abuse. They longed for new friends and visitors. When we first met, Kay asked if I could hold her hand while we chatted. From that day, we met every week to catch up with each other, read Bible stories, and pray. We moved to phone calls when Toronto went into lockdown. Unfortunately, the pandemic took a toll on Kay and she opted for assisted suicide. Three months later, Jane also took her own life on Thanksgiving Day.

In the midst of the many sleepless nights, tears of lament, and prayers that occupied my thoughts following this loss, the Lord broke His silence and told me, "I love them enough to have died for them."

Yes, the depth of the suffering they experienced is beyond my comprehension, but the depth of the love of our Saviour is even greater. It was not a coincidence that we crossed paths—I met these sisters shortly after I found that my mission trip was delayed; and then, two days after Jane's funeral, I got an email with my departure date. In the midst of God’s mysterious working, His grace is sufficient.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

In Faith

During the same waiting season in 2019, I got into an accident that totaled my car. I had quit my job six months earlier, with no foreseeable departure for a mission field. Desperate to recover from the loss and find a new car, I started contemplating finding a job to pay for these expenses.

Though I did not share my struggle with anyone, a friend living abroad sent me a cash e-transfer along with a message: “Please accept it as I cannot ignore God’s voice. He told me to help you and when I asked how, I was given the verse in Acts 4:32.”

Shortly after that, another friend offered me a car that she was hoping to let go. She said finding a taker for this car was an answer to her prayer—and the car happened to be the same make and colour as the car I had destroyed. We both felt this accident did not happen by accident, but was a way for God to grow our faith and to bless us. Praise be to the Lord, for He is always faithful even when I’m not.

Who can turn my problems into praises? Only Jesus! (Top) scene of the accident: in the midst of the spinning car with deployed airbags, we were protected. (Bottom) Shortly after the crash, the Lord provided a replacement car through a friend which happened to be the exact color and model. His grace is enough!

“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 (ESV)

In Peace

By God’s grace, I was sent to Japan in the middle of a worldwide pandemic in December 2020. Two weeks after my arrival, Japan closed its borders to the world again. I am certainly affirmed of His calling for such a time as this—that nothing is impossible in Christ, especially when difficulties strike.

During my period of waiting, the Lord reminded me of the story of Joseph in Genesis 39—to trust without fully understanding all that is happening. Thanks be to God, we can rest in peace, not because we understand what is happening, but because He is with us and is in perfect control. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)

 

Cindy

 

More Information

Read in more detail about Kay and Jane at https://simnow.sim.ca/stories/his-deep-love-transcends-unimaginable-hurts

 

Hello Everyone!

We want to thank you for your participation and support for our work in Japan.

As you probably know, all the work with the Olympics that we tried to do didn't happen. However, the last few weeks, God has done some amazing things, and that's still ongoing. People are praying. We're signing up people for a million hours of prayer! Can you believe that?

It's exciting, and the next few weeks, we're continuing with the Paralympics.

Thank You for Your Prayers and Support

And we just want to say how grateful we are for your support and your prayers. Arigato gozaimasu. Thank you very much!

CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON OR THIS LINK TO WATCH NOW...

God bless you,

Rev. Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Ph.D.
President, Asian Access

jhandley@asianaccess.org
@jwhandley
@jwhandley

 

More Information

• Image credit: photo of Musashinonomori Park (Tokyo 2020) by Takashi Miyazaki on Unsplash

 

Japan (MNN) — The 2020 Tokyo Olympics are officially underway following today’s Opening Ceremony. Delayed by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Games will run through August 8th. See a full schedule here. The Tokyo Paralympics begin August 24th.

Athletes and fans aren’t the only ones affected by Japan’s attendance regulations.

“We were planning to send tons of teams to the Olympic Games, and we had the vision to impact a lot of people. Because of the coronavirus and the ongoing changes with the restrictions, we’ve had to modify those approaches. Many groups, like ourselves, decided to pivot to a digital approach to ministry,” Joe Handley with Asian Access says.

“We have a number of people interested in Japan, simply by doing mission via digital experiences.”

Believers may have changed their methods for Olympics outreach, but their vision remains the same. By 2024, they hope to see 10 million Christians in Japan and 10,000 churches.

“For the Olympics, the vision was to reach a million people as the initial catalyst. If you can get a million followers of Christ, then you have momentum that can grow exponentially,” Handley says.

The “10-10-10 vision” traces back to 2014 and a young Japanese leader. “He had this sense (in 2014) that, in the next ten years, Japan would reach 10 million followers of Christ,” Handley says.

“We serve a God who loves the word ‘impossible’.”

It’s an audacious goal if you know anything about Japan. Learn why here.

“[Japanese are] the second largest unreached people; less than one percent of the population attends church,” Handley says.

“This could be the moment where things begin to shift in Japan.”

Committed prayer holds the key to change. Join the million-hour “prayer force” here.

“This would take an enormous growth initiative, but we serve a God who loves the word ‘impossible.’ We’re praying that a million hours of prayer will be the catalyst to see a mighty move of God,” Handley says.

Asian Access’s aspirations are part of a broader movement sweeping Japan’s tiny church community. “With conditions being such they cannot get ‘boots on the ground,’ so to speak, churches have completely changed their approaches to the Olympic Games,” Handley says.

“They pointed to the fact that real revival often births through prayer movements. So, their latest vision is to mobilize a million hours of prayer during the Olympic Games. It’s an initiative that is not just Asian Access; it’s all-encompassing of the mission and Church family in Japan.”

 

Listen to the broadcast (story starts at 1:32)

Direct Link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Jul23-2021.mp3

 

More Information

• This story by Katey Hearth was originally published on 23-Jul-2021 by Mission Network News:
  https://www.mnnonline.org/news/tokyo-olympics-the-catalyst-to-change-in-japan/
• Download the audio file: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Jul23-2021.mp3
• Image credits:
  • Header image courtesy of Dick Thomas Johnson/Wikimedia Commons.
  • Inset image is a stock photo courtesy of Alex Smith/Unsplash.

---

Mission Network News exists to inform multitudes about stories that matter and empowers them to take action that changes lives. Join over 1 million radio and internet users each day. Hear stories of what God is doing around the world – and how you can be involved. Each MNN broadcast includes pray, give, or go opportunities that help you find your place in the story. Sign up at mnnonline.org to receive daily news in your inbox. Or check out MNN on social media and share them with others. MNN is a ministry of OneWay Ministries.

 

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."
— Proverbs 16:9 (NLT)

In our hearts, we were confident that God was calling us to serve him in Japan. But we couldn’t do it without a significant team of supporters behind us with faithful prayers and financial gifts. It was hard to imagine how he would do it. It was 2016. Josh and I hoped to be in Japan within a year, but God had other plans.

Our journey of finding that team was a wild ride across the US, with challenges and unexpected encounters, meeting people who would be significant in our preparation. God was stretching our faith, growing our dependence on him, and showing us that he would do it his way and in his time. We were thrilled to finally arrive in Japan in March of 2018.

Josh and I began serving alongside a local church in Kumamoto, an area in southern Japan that was still recovering after a 7.0 earthquake in 2016. We felt privileged to be with them in this season of rebuilding, and our presence seemed to bring encouragement to the pastor and church members. We were also involved in the surrounding areas where there was no church presence. Together we saw the start of firstfruits—a new church plant. These first two years went fast. It was a great start for our life and ministry in Japan, but just as the assignment was coming to a close, the Coronavirus hit. We had to urgently speed up our timeline to return to the States before travel became impossible.

Now back in the States, it’s early 2020 and our original sense of call to serve in Japan was as strong as ever. We wanted to make a longer commitment, which would require a larger team of supporters. Surely it would be easier this time. We were older with real-life experience in Japan. We were making progress in learning Japanese and could report on fruitful ministry in just a short time. But Covid changed everything. We were not able to physically meet with people, travel was limited, and churches were closed. Meanwhile we were experiencing reverse culture shock along with all the confusion and complexity that a global pandemic brought.

God is our Source

Through all this, we were reminded that God is the source for all we need, and he had the means to get us fully funded to return to Japan again, in his timing and in his way. Our plan was to be in the US for nine months, but as month nine rolled around, we only had about 60% of funds needed. We started to wonder, how was this going to work? We had a hard deadline to return to Japan because our visas were due to expire, so we “virtually” gathered all our friends to pray with us. On Facebook I started the “35 Days of Prayer.” Each day I would post an update on where we were financially and how our friends and family could be praying for us.

This was an eye-opening experience that showed us how many people were behind us praying for the work in Japan, and it also showed us definite markers of God’s provision in this urgent time of need. Within 35 days we needed to raise over $2600 in monthly support! We did not always see a change from day to day, but those final days were breathtaking. On Day 32, I posted that we still needed $1600 in monthly support. The following day that number dropped to $550, then $375. I got phone calls and emails from people asking how they could make sure we got to Japan in time. Then on the last day, I had the great pleasure to post this:

Just in Time

We made it back to Japan at just the right time! We not only had all the funding needed, but God had also provided a beautiful house to live in, a wonderful church to partner with, and one extra day after our two-week quarantine to get to immigration and renew our visas, just before they expired. Gratefully we were approved for a 5-year visa. Following that, we found the right Japanese language school where we could focus on improving our skills. We were set and God had done it all!

Waiting when things look impossible can be really hard. That’s the best time to pray and remember the One who oversees it all. We cannot rush God’s timeline, but we can rejoice in his perfect timing. Josh and I look forward to serving wherever and however God grants the opportunity as we seek to make Christ known in Japan. 

 

Jessica Kidwell

---

Joshua & Jessica Kidwell have served with Asian Access since 2017 as Missional Partners in Japan and are enjoying the adventures that mission life brings. They met during their time at college and later got married in 2014. After realizing that they both had a heart for Japan, it was hard not to imagine working together to see the people of Japan come to Christ.

 

More Information

• Jessica’s bio: https://asianaccess.org/kidwell 
• Mid-Term: Missional Partner Associates program
• Long-Term: Missional Partners program

 

Hello Friends,

What a year you and I have been through and our entire planet. This COVID-19 has just slammed us, as the world has faced this crisis. And for those of us in the U.S., it's getting a little easier and we praise God for that.

But our friends in Asia, they're at the peak of the crisis right now. It's just horrific. Daily I'm hearing stories of the impact. Our friends in India, over 2000 pastors have died from this crisis alone. It's just gut-wrenching. And then many other nations, not only are people dying, but the economic impact is just devastating.

Fortunately, through your help, we're able to come alongside to help develop and equip pastors and leaders that are facing this crisis. They're able to serve their communities better because Asian Access serves them, to help equip them, and develop them in what they do.

One of our pastors recently had to risk his own life and run to one of his friends—one of his church members—who was right on the brink of death. And he raced him around town and finally got him help.

Well, this is the kind of thing people are facing on a daily basis, and they need your help. They need our help. And right now, we have a matching challenge grant that will help develop them. Every dollar you give will be matched. In other words, if you give $1, it's equal to $2 to help come alongside and equip these leaders to better serve their communities.

Thank You for Your Prayers and Support

I want to thank you for your prayers. I want to thank you for your support and please consider matching your dollars to help us better serve and equip leaders. They're doing their best to serve on the front lines in the midst of this pandemic.

CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON OR THIS LINK TO WATCH NOW...

 God bless you and thank you for helping out.

Rev. Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Ph.D.
President, Asian Access

jhandley@asianaccess.org
@jwhandley
@jwhandley

 

More Information

Read more about this project:

• You can do something about the loss of pastors in India

 

Japan (MNN) — Will there be any fans in the stands at next month’s Tokyo Olympics? Event organizers could announce their decision as early as today.

“Society continues to debate the overall situation, but it sounds like the government’s pretty committed to moving forward. They’ve invested a lot of money to see this happen; it will just be very different,” Joe Handley of Asian Access says.

Japan’s Prime Minister and other Olympics organizers want to allow up to 10,000 local fans into the stadiums. On Friday, Japan’s top COVID-19 adviser said holding the Games without spectators is the most effective way of reducing risk.“

No foreign visitors will be attending. It sounds like they may [only] have the athletes come; the venues will be sparsely attended,” Handley says.

Authorities announced last week they’ll lift the state of emergency in nine areas. But “quasi-emergency” measures will be in place in seven of them – including Tokyo – until July 11th.

Pray for wisdom as believers in Japan navigate the constant change.  “They’re doing the best they can to reach out and be the hands and feet of Jesus, as well as share the Good News with their neighbors,” Handley says.

“No matter which way [officials] go with the Olympics, they (believers) intend to be witnesses for Christ’s kingdom.”

Support their efforts here through Asian Access.

“Asian Access has received a $1 million matching gift to help equip these leaders to advance the Gospel, as people are witnesses amid this pandemic. They have a big new vision in Japan to plant 50,000 churches over the next decade or so,” Handley says.

“Pray about this matching opportunity, and should the Lord touch your heart to give, it would be an enormous help.”

 

Listen to the broadcast (top story)

Direct Link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Jun21-2021.mp3

 

More Information

• This story by Katey Hearth was originally published on 21-Jun-2021 by Mission Network News:
  https://www.mnnonline.org/news/japan-lifts-state-of-emergency-debates-olympics-attendance/
• Download the audio file: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Jun21-2021.mp3
• Image credit: header image is a stock photo courtesy of Alex Smith/Unsplash.

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Mission Network News exists to inform multitudes about stories that matter and empowers them to take action that changes lives. Join over 1 million radio and internet users each day. Hear stories of what God is doing around the world – and how you can be involved. Each MNN broadcast includes pray, give, or go opportunities that help you find your place in the story. Sign up at mnnonline.org to receive daily news in your inbox. Or check out MNN on social media and share them with others. MNN is a ministry of OneWay Ministries.

 

He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” — Matthew 13:31-32

Small is Big. Less is More.

Small is Big. That is one of our underlying themes within Asian Access.

We’ve seen mighty moves of God through investing in just a few leaders at a time. Just like Jesus spent much of his time with just 12 disciples, we come alongside a few at a time and see mighty harvests develop over time. Sure, Jesus also spoke to the thousands periodically so we believe in a both/and approach but it is surprising how often something small, like the mustard seed, can become mighty.

Even on a personal level, my wife is tiny, but she has a lot of influence. Or, even my colleague Kareena, she is even tinier but she’s a force to be reckoned with!

Digi-Church

Most recently I was asked to share about a revolution happening via digi-churches and the formation and expansion of micro-churches is astounding. Check out my article on these movements at Global Missiology...

• Digi-Learning: Accelerating Theological Training and Leader Development during COVID-19

As Silk and I were preparing to move back to the U.S., we thought to best lead Asian Access, we should be practitioners of what God is doing worldwide. Given how God is moving in micro-churches, we thought perhaps this is something the U.S. could use too. As increasingly younger people are disinterested in church, we approached our home church, a larger regional church in the South Bay of L.A., about experimenting in synergy with them and they have blessed us in this effort.

Launch Time

So, this summer Silk and I will be leading a, or several, micro-churches as part of our night jobs. Don’t worry, Asian Access remains our primary engagement but on the side, we’ll be leading micro-churches to see if God might be doing something new for the U.S. while we watch these movements flourish globally.

Pray for us and pray for the Church worldwide as these fresh expressions of church life keep growing. Perhaps we’ll see what we’ve been hearing about from China and the Philippines. May we see a revival of his church across Asia, into the farthest reaches of our planet and even here in the United States!

Rev. Joseph W. Handley, Jr., Ph.D.
President, Asian Access

jhandley@asianaccess.org
@jwhandley
@jwhandley

 

More Information

• Related article: Digi-Learning: Accelerating Theological Training and Leader Development during COVID-19
• Fresh expressions of the church: ekklesia
• Articles related to "Small is Big" concept

 

Dear go2japan readers, 

Just a quick blog post to let you know of an upcoming change. As a result of Feedburner's email delivery service shutting down, go2japan is switching our email digest service to follow.it effective immediately.

You should not get emails of go2japan posts from Feedburner anymore, but starting with this message, you will receive them from follow.it...

Fortunately, follow.it does offer more features than Feedburner. For example, you can now select to receive updates by email, but other delivery options and channels, as well (see https://follow.it/go2japan?action=followPub&filter). You can even filter your emails with keywords/tags. That said, we believe the default "Newspaper" method is the option most people will prefer.

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We thank you for your interest in go2japan. If you've already subscribed, you'll be hearing from us.

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Japan (MNN) — Playbooks released yesterday introduce new COVID-19 restrictions and requirements ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The guidelines limit participants’ movement and require more testing.

Japan’s government declared the third state of emergency last week due to rising COVID-19 infections. The decision comes as Tokyo locals prepare to host the 32nd Olympic Games in three short months.

“The government would like to quickly eliminate the rapid increase [of new cases] with new strands of viruses. While Japanese [are] getting ready for vaccinations of the people, we are quite behind,” Takeshi Takazawa of Asian Access says.

“We didn’t come up with vaccines of our own, so we depend on U.S. production. Different simulations have been done, and we probably will not be able to finish vaccinating people over 65 before the Olympics are supposed to start.”

Local opinions about this global event fall into thirds. “We have several different polls among general citizens about the Tokyo Olympics. One-third of Japanese people are thinking, ‘Let’s postpone one more year until we have some control over this pandemic,’” Takazawa says.

“Another one-third is saying, ‘Let’s cancel; this is not going to work. We can’t control this.’ Another one-third is [saying], ‘Let’s go. We have already postponed one year, and the situation’s slightly better. We know what we’re dealing with’,” he continues.

“Those are the three splits, and each group has good evidence or proof.”

Gospel impact

Before the pandemic, Asian Access had massive outreach plans for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. More about that here. They’re adjusting those plans to each new development, but their mission remains the same.

“Let’s pour love on people who God has placed in front of us,” Takazawa says.

“[It’s] not so much ‘If they do the Olympics we can share the Gospel.’ No, regardless of the decision, how can we do this? This is an opportunity to [find] new ways to come alongside and share love.”

July 23, the start date of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, moves a little closer every day. Takazawa requests prayer in these three areas:

• Opportunity – Pray believers will find Gospel opportunities in places they haven’t looked before. Ask God to present opportunities so believers can share about Christ.
• Words – Pray Japanese Christians will have the words they need to express their faith clearly. Ask the Lord to remove fear so it won’t hinder their message.
• Boldness – Pray believers will be “strong and courageous” to share Christ’s hope and love with people who do not know Him.

 

Listen to the broadcast (story starts at 1:40)

Direct Link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Apr29-2021.mp3

 

More Information

• This story by Katey Hearth was originally published on 29-Apr-2021 by Mission Network News:
  https://www.mnnonline.org/news/playbooks-outline-new-restrictions-requirements-for-2020-tokyo-olympics/
• Download the audio file: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Apr29-2021.mp3
• Image credits:
  • Header image is a graphic obtained from Wikimedia Commons.
  • Poster from Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

---

Mission Network News exists to inform multitudes about stories that matter and empowers them to take action that changes lives. Join over 1 million radio and internet users each day. Hear stories of what God is doing around the world – and how you can be involved. Each MNN broadcast includes pray, give, or go opportunities that help you find your place in the story. Sign up at mnnonline.org to receive daily news in your inbox. Or check out MNN on social media and share them with others. MNN is a ministry of OneWay Ministries.

 

Japan (MNN) — As cherry blossoms bloom across Japan, the country has barred international spectators from the rescheduled 2021 Summer Olympics due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. 600,000 people bought tickets to watch the games in-person.

Asian Access had planned to send ministry teams into this massive crowd. Joe Handley says,

“We’ve completely shifted the approach to virtual, short-term mission trips. The ongoing preparation since September has been focused on these kinds of virtual experiences. You get to know the country, and you get to see what’s happening on the ground. We connect you with people that can advise culturally. And then you get to engage.”

You can learn more about these trips and register here.

A new season for the Church

These trips reflect a pivot in Japan towards virtual churches during the pandemic. Believers have made good use of digital technology to stay connected.

Handley says Japanese Christians see the Olympics as a springboard for what God will do next through the Church there.

“I think that this whole pandemic has given new realities to the life of the global Church, and how we’re going to do ministry in the future. Fascinatingly enough, it comes in this cherry blossom season, when new life can be birthed.”

Pray the Japanese church can fulfill its incredible vision of planting 50 thousand churches in the country. Handley says, “I think it’s gonna take an entrepreneurial spirit, that new wineskin approach to life and ministry.”

Listen to the broadcast (story starts at 1:42)

Direct Link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Mar24-2021.mp3

 

More Information

• This story by Kevin Zeller was originally published on 24-Mar-2021 by Mission Network News:
  https://www.mnnonline.org/news/japan-prohibits-international-spectators-for-olympics/
• Download the audio file: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Mar24-2021.mp3
• Image credits:
  • The header photo shows cherry blossoms in Japan. (Photo courtesy of Kanenori on Pixabay)
  • Photo of Mt. Fuji volcano is courtesy of Kanenori on Pixabay.

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Mission Network News exists to inform multitudes about stories that matter and empowers them to take action that changes lives. Join over 1 million radio and internet users each day. Hear stories of what God is doing around the world – and how you can be involved. Each MNN broadcast includes pray, give, or go opportunities that help you find your place in the story. Sign up at mnnonline.org to receive daily news in your inbox. Or check out MNN on social media and share them with others. MNN is a ministry of OneWay Ministries.

 

Reflecting on the Ten Years since Japan's Triple Disaster

By Sue Plumb Takamoto

PART 2

In Part 1: "Looking Back on Ten Years: Finding Beauty in Brokenness", I highlighted the unimaginable damage and challenging aftermath from Japan’s March 11, 2011 Triple Disaster—a 9.0 earthquake that triggered a tsunami and caused a nuclear power plant meltdown.

Picking Up the Pieces

Japan has spent a decade rebuilding, corporately and individually. I have been struck by the gifts of resilience, creativity, and worldwide collaboration that have made a difference here. And thanks to the invitation for me and our family to be part of the lives of our Ishinomaki neighbors and friends, I have learned so much. 

A year and a half after the disaster, we launched a micro-enterprise business called Nozomi Project (or “Hope” Project) to help provide a way for women to rebuilding a livelihood for their families. We gathered local women and learned together how to cut and grind pottery shards, broken from the disaster, and form those pieces into new stunning pieces of jewelry that could be sold. Not only did the sales lift their economic situation, the process of making beauty in brokenness lifted their souls.

While our specific market niche (jewelry) is based on a unique raw material (broken pottery left by a tsunami!) set in unusual circumstances (need presented by a disaster), we have learned valuable lessons that may also be particularly helpful during this worldwide pandemic.

Six Lessons Learned Along the Way

Here are a few of the lessons that I have learned in running a small international business.

1. Need is the perfect time for creativity to blossom.
   
   Or as my grandmother used to say, necessity is the mother of invention. So many good and beautiful things have been birthed during times of dire need. When our family moved here, Ishinomaki was a place in great despair; women were desperate for community and hope. That tremendous need created a deep longing in me to try and make a difference, even if we might fail. Starting a business…making jewelry… these things were far beyond my comfort level, but the risk was worth it. And as we recognized the need for business, we discovered a beautiful “natural” resource headed for trash– broken pottery that was littered everywhere.
   
   
2. Do the right next thing.
   
   

   "Do the next right thing."

   During our first few months of setting up Nozomi Project, I read whatever I could find on social enterprises. I forgot nearly everything except for one phrase that became my mantra: Do the right next thing. Starting a new unknown business in a city that has been devastated was at times incredibly overwhelming. I would come back to our temporary home and get our four kids to bed and wonder: where do I even start? Do the right next thing. I can’t do everything on my list tonight, but I can prioritize and take the step that makes the most sense for right now. This simple principle got me through those few months, and still remains a helpful beacon when life feels overwhelming.
   
   
3. Synergy allows us to do what we could never do on our own.
   
   I had no business experience and had never made jewelry in my life! Networking and great teamwork allowed us to create something much greater than the sum of our individual parts. Volunteers visiting connected us with awesome jewelry designers, who ended up coming to Ishinomaki. Their ten-day sacrifice and ongoing partnership after that facilitated the birth of Nozomi. Another volunteer with web design launched us online; our teammate with amazing computer skills created our internet interface. Networking creates synergy.
   
   
4. Diverse partnerships allow us to go further and deeper.
   
   During our first few years of business, I was frequently asked, “when are you planning to turn the business over to Japanese?” I didn’t have an answer for that. But as time went on and we were more intentional with our business model, I began to realize that perhaps our goal never really was about turning everything over to Japanese.
   
   Rather, that is our “secret sauce”—the wonderful combination of Japanese and North Americans working together. My Japanese teammates brought with them the most important gifts of artistry, precision and creating systems. Our North American teammates perhaps brought the fun, the ability to keep things from getting too stiff, and the connections, which have brought continued to give new life to Nozomi at necessary points.
   
   Quite honestly, shared ownership of a vision with people of different cultures is hard work. We have certainly had to go slower because of our cross-cultural differences and language challenges. Yet I’m convinced that these very differences have grown me as a leader and strengthened us as an organization.
   
   
5. The best business model is one that chooses generosity.
   
   We have chosen “blessing” as one of our three core values. We have benefited greatly from the collaboration of volunteers and friends around the world who helped us launch and move forward.
   
   And we intentionally choose to be generous. We give over 20% of any annual profit each year to other organizations and places around the world with greater need. We have a Nozomi Holding Hope necklace in which we donate portions of each sale to stop human trafficking. We have taken several Nozomi teams to Cambodia where we are helping vulnerable women there get a social enterprise started. By making generosity a key factor in our decision-making, we are modeling to our team and our customers a way of life that may feel counter-cultural but provides purpose and fulfillment.
   
   
6. Collaboration creates momentum.
   
   The very start of Nozomi was all about collaboration from people who were drawn to Ishinomaki because they wanted to help. We’ve had teams come from around the world who have brought their expertise to help us get off the ground. And we have loved partnering with shops in places like Tokyo, London, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Hong Kong who are now selling Nozomi products. Through word of mouth and people who have sponsored us and shared the Nozomi story, we have sent over 60,000 pieces of hope to over 45 different countries. An original Nozomi jewelry set was created to be worn at H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award ceremony in Stockholm this past year. We are honored, and grateful for the collaboration and partnership of people like this.
   
   

The tragedy that struck here ten years ago will always remind me of the fragility of life. But I am humbled and remain thankful for the beautiful responses of the people here, and friends from around the world who have enabled me to lead and to learn in ways I would have never imagined a decade ago.

Sue Plumb Takamoto

Photo credits: Images courtesy of Nozomi Project

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sue and Eric Takamoto and their four children are living in Ishinomaki, Japan, part of a church planting network called Be One. They first met at Fuller Seminary, where Sue was starting her PhD in leadership and intercultural studies. Sue owns more pieces of Nozomi jewelry than she would care to admit!

staff profile
setakamoto@asianaccess.org

 

More Information

• See Part 1: "Looking Back on Ten Years: Finding Beauty in Brokenness"
• See other staff members' reflections on the 10-year remembrance of Japan's Triple Disaster:
  
  • Joe Handley: Kintsugi and the Gospel
  • Eric Takamoto: Transformation Through Tragedy
  • Dan & Casi Brown: Remembering 3.11 and the Gospel of Hope
  • Kent Muhling: Learning to Be Good News
  • Rev. Yoshiya Hari: Groundbreaking shifts resulting from Japan's Triple Disaster
• Reflections during the first year following the 3.11 Disaster: asianaccess.org/reflections
• Related posts about Japan's Triple Disaster: asianaccess.org/japan-disaster
• Video clips on the Triple Disaster...

 

Reflections on the 10-Year Remembrance of Japan’s Triple Disaster

By Sue Plumb Takamoto

PART 1

There is beauty in brokenness. This is a message that we all need to hear right now.

On March 11, 2011, an unfathomable and unpredicted earthquake and tsunami ripped across the eastern Tohoku region of Japan. While locals knew there was always a risk of tsunamis in much of the region, no one thought it was possible for one of such magnitude and velocity. And it did the unimaginable.

Even though it has now been ten years, Japan isn’t finished with the aftermath. The Tohoku earthquake was huge, measuring a 9.0 on the Richter Scale and the ensuing tsunami caused death and destruction on a scale never seen before, including the meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. There were nearly 16,000 confirmed deaths and over 2,500 people missing. With 120,000 buildings collapsed, and nearly a quarter million buildings half-collapsed, the total economic loss is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $235 billion.

Finding a Way to Bring Hope

In the year following the 2011 disaster, our family and others made the decision to move from other parts of Japan to Ishinomaki, one of the cities most devasted by the tsunami. Recognizing the great need for employment and community among the women we were meeting in our new neighborhoods, we started gathering together. We began exploring and experimenting with ways to create something from the pieces of broken pottery that had been left everywhere in the wake of the tsunami.

On October 2, 2012, we officially started the Nozomi Project. Nozomi is the Japanese word for hope, and this is something that was desperately needed here! We started paying women hourly to learn the trade of grinding broken pottery and making jewelry. I remember the sense of elation we all felt when we had our first online sales! People from different parts of the world were buying hope-filled, hope-produced products made from the devastation of the disaster. But more importantly, these women were finding meaning and dignity in transforming things that were very broken into something beautiful.

Ten years later, and most of the physical evidence of the disaster cannot be seen with our eyes anymore. There are new seawalls and roads and bridges and temporary homes that have changed the landscape. Yet like with other tragedies, we know that the pain does not just disappear; the loss and brokenness, while perhaps not as obvious, still remain.

Broken Pottery & Shattered Hopes

During the first few years of business, my teammates would share how emotionally difficult it was to handle these broken pieces of pottery that represented shattered families and hopes. But as they would cut and grind and shape and transform each item into something new – a necklace; a keychain; a set of earrings – they would find fulfillment, even joy:

“Every piece of shard is unique, just like each of our staff. We can’t see how we are changing, but we are healed by the process of making a shard into jewelry.”

Making Something New from Brokenness

Our tagline for Nozomi Project is beauty in brokenness. The beauty in each of the Nozomi products is in the brokenness, in the process of being transformed. Brokenness is not just found in tsunami zones and upcycled pottery, but it is found in everyone. I dare say it is woven inside each one of us. Perhaps the biggest challenge in our lives is not hiding our brokenness, as we all get so good at doing, but allowing it to intentionally become part of us. Finding the beauty in our places of brokenness.

Our youngest son, Ian, walks home every day from the local elementary school along a road that ten years ago had been covered by rubble and dark tsunami waters. While the roads have been repaired, houses renovated and new sidewalks installed, there are afternoons when Ian comes running into the house with a handful of broken pottery that he found on his walk home from school. He will run to me with his dirty fingers clutching these broken shards and exclaim, “Mommy! I found jewelry!”

"Mommy!
I found
jewelry!"

My son has that eye. That eye, like our Creator, that can already imagine the beauty in the brokenness – that recognizes something that will be. As we remember the disaster a decade ago, during this unforgettable season of a worldwide pandemic, we can learn to look for the beauty in the broken. We can seek creative solutions. We can bring long-term perspective to those around us. And we can forge unforgettable partnerships that will make the difference in our lives, and in those around us.

Because there really is beauty in brokenness. 

Sue Plumb Takamoto

Photo credits: Images courtesy of Nozomi Project; inset of tsunami damage courtesy of Chad Huddleston; inset of Ian's hands courtesy of T.J. Lee.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sue Plumb Takamoto, Ph.D., the founder/director of Nozomi Project, and her husband Eric are global workers with Asian Access. They have adopted their four children while living in Japan and are part of a church-planting team in Ishinomaki called Be One. Sue loves outings to the beautiful Miyagi prefecture coast, and can’t wait for warmer weather to continue their new paddle-board interest.

staff profile
setakamoto@asianaccess.org

 

More Information

• See other staff members' reflections on the 10-year remembrance of Japan's Triple Disaster:
  
  • Joe Handley: Kintsugi and the Gospel
  • Eric Takamoto: Transformation Through Tragedy
  • Dan & Casi Brown: Remembering 3.11 and the Gospel of Hope
  • Kent Muhling: Learning to Be Good News
  • Rev. Yoshiya Hari: Groundbreaking shifts resulting from Japan's Triple Disaster
• Reflections during the first year following the 3.11 Disaster: asianaccess.org/reflections
• Related posts about Japan's Triple Disaster: asianaccess.org/japan-disaster
• Video clips on the Triple Disaster...

 

Japan (MNN) — On this day 10 years ago, a triple disaster rocked Japan. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake sent a tsunami hurtling into the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Three reactors melted down, spewing radioactive material into the air. Read a complete timeline of the disaster here.

Takeshi Takazawa of Asian Access says, “We want to think, ‘That was it. We went through hardship enough. So until Jesus comes back, this will be the end. We just continue without earthquakes or any disaster or suffering.’ But it was a wake-up call that this can happen anyplace, anytime, to anybody.”

Japanese Christians

But God works in a mysterious new way in the world, Takazawa says. And He doesn’t stop in times of pain and hardship.

“The global Church came together as one and came alongside the part that was hurting. We felt [their love] not just theological reflection. We saw it, we touched, and we smelled it. We tasted the global Church.”

The disaster also taught Japanese Christians to move towards areas of disaster and hardship, not away from them. “Of course, an evacuation was needed for the moment. But where they live, the Church must be established, raising leaders for the harvest, from the harvest.” Pray God will bless their continuing ministry in a country that still bears scars from this catastrophe.

 

Listen to the broadcast (top story)

Direct Link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Mar11-2021.mp3

 

More Information

• This story by Kevin Zeller was originally published on 11-Mar-2021 by Mission Network News:
  https://www.mnnonline.org/news/today-marks-10-years-since-fukushima-disaster-in-japan/
• Download the audio file: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Mar11-2021.mp3
• The header image shows a small town in Japan abandoned after the triple disaster. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

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Mission Network News exists to inform multitudes about stories that matter and empowers them to take action that changes lives. Join over 1 million radio and internet users each day. Hear stories of what God is doing around the world – and how you can be involved. Each MNN broadcast includes pray, give, or go opportunities that help you find your place in the story. Sign up at mnnonline.org to receive daily news in your inbox. Or check out MNN on social media and share them with others. MNN is a ministry of OneWay Ministries.

 

AN INTERVIEW WITH REV. YOSHIYA HARI, ASIAN ACCESS JAPAN NATIONAL DIRECTOR AT 10-YEAR MARK OF 3.11

Translated by Mary Jo Wilson

Q: What are some of your initial thoughts as we stand at the ten-year mark since the Triple Disasters hit Northeastern Japan?

Well, my first thought is that it’s hard to believe it’s been ten years. The time has gone so fast. From this vantage point, it’s clear what a huge turning point it was, both in my life and in the life of my church, and I could say even in the life of the church across Japan and for Asian Access Japan. It’s been a huge turning point.

Q: Tell us more about your personal turning point.

My calling as a pastor and my commitment to serve as A2Japan National Director started before the 3.11 Disasters. I was actually commissioned as National Director just days before 3.11 in 2011. In that first year I witnessed the strength of the Global Church in their massive response with volunteers, finances, donations. It was like a beautiful tidal wave of compassion and blessing and prayer on those tiny, suffering churches. That really impacted me personally. As God’s servant I have to go beyond my Jerusalem, to Judea and Samaria and I began to see the importance of that geographical distance in my calling.

Q: How has this experience changed your ministry?

I’ve witnessed Jesus’ heart, his profound compassion. It’s described in Matthew 9:36, “When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” In that same way, so many felt compassion for those suffering from the disasters, they felt the pain and were moved to help, to bring hope. I also felt that deep compassion, my heart was broken when I saw the destruction and suffering.

“When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” —Matthew 9:36

Then I realized that I looked on these people with compassion because of the disasters, but Jesus looked on them with compassion long before then. He saw them living ‘as sheep without a shepherd’. They were without a church, but no one was saying, “Let’s go help.” When Jesus led his disciples from town to town, it was not a disaster area. It was people just living their ordinary lives. I began to realize the importance of hearing the cries for help from those places where no one is going.

Q: Has it changed how you pray?

After the disaster the scale of work to be done was beyond imagination—moving rubble, clearing mud, delivering relief—but the workers were so few. The passage in Matthew continues with Jesus saying, “The harvest is huge, but the workers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers…” Every day we asked for God to send more workers. As people left, we prayed for more to come. That work is done and all the relief workers have gone home, but we still need to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send workers, workers for a spiritual revival. If you look at it that way, it has nothing to do with the disaster. His compassion, his workers, are needed everywhere. My prayer is that we could send workers to those who are overlooked.

Q: What about the next ten years?

Out of the disaster, we formed disaster relief networks. I’d like to see that go even further, not just networks in response to disasters, but networks in areas where there are few workers. I’d like to see us turn our eyes and join together to go to those places where Christ is least known and there are very few workers. It’s a kind of organic movement where we take what we’ve learned from the experience of delivering physical goods and apply it to the spiritual world. We do this because we are the Church, and personally, I’d like to do that central work of Christ for the next ten years.

Q: How would you like us to pray?

Pray for more workers to be sent to the harvest, especially that God will send workers from this next generation, even those who were teenagers ten years ago and are now in their twenties. I’d also like to see an intentional investment in Fukushima prefecture. Now that ten years have passed it’s clear that Fukushima has not experienced the same level of recovery, of assistance as other prefectures. I’m especially praying for young leaders to be raised up in Fukushima, so we can come alongside them for sustainable work.

Pray that we will take what we’ve learned from our experiences in eastern Japan and begin to see organic connections between prefectures and sending short-term teams all across Japan. That is my prayer.

As the second-largest unreached people group in the world, Japan has almost always been 0.5% Christian. So how does that change, to say 2%? It has to be multiplication, multiplying disciples, multiplying churches. We must pray for the multiplication of workers and disciples across Japan, especially for this mindset to be shared across churches. We’re starting to see this happen.

Q: Any thoughts on the current “disaster”—COVID-19 pandemic?

As the Church, we should take advantage of this season to consider the deep changes that need to take place. That’s how I want people to pray. I think all Japanese were impacted in some way from the disasters in northeastern Japan. For some, it may be just a superficial change, which doesn’t really last. But for others, including pastors and churches, it has caused deep and significant changes. I pray that the pandemic will likewise cause deep changes in us. I include myself. I want to see real change in my life. That’s my prayer.

Yoshiya Hari

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rev. Yoshiya (Joshua) Hari is pastor of Saikyo Nozomi Chapel and has been the A2 Japan National Director since 2011. He works with leaders across Japan to grow networks and inspire a church multiplication movement with an eye for those areas without a church. Due to the Great East Japan Disaster, he had a special assignment to serve for one year in relief work through CRASH Japan and maintains close ties to the Tohoku region.

yhari@asianaccess.org

  

More Information

• See other staff members' reflections on the 10-year remembrance of Japan's Triple Disaster:
  
  • Joe Handley: Kintsugi and the Gospel
  • Eric Takamoto: Transformation Through Tragedy
  • Dan & Casi Brown: Remembering 3.11 and the Gospel of Hope
  • Kent Muhling: Learning to Be Good News
• Reflections during the first year following the 3.11 Disaster: asianaccess.org/reflections
• Related posts about Japan's Triple Disaster: asianaccess.org/japan-disaster
• Video clips on the Triple Disaster...