A few months ago, the Tokyo Church of Christ experienced a joyful reunion with Frank and Erica Kim who led the church and the International Churches of Christ throughout Japan for many years.
The church was able to hear both Frank and Erica speak and share from their lives. We also had some special time with the leadership group of the church when we were able to encourage one another with tears.
Frank preached a powerful lesson on God’s faithfulness and shared humbly and vulnerably about his struggles and victories over the past few years. Most impressively, for all of us in Japan, he surprised us by opening the first 15 minutes of his sermon in Japanese! It was very encouraging to hear him speak to us in our language.
Later after the morning service, Frank and Erica taught a parenting class in which they shared many inspiring stories about their family. The atmosphere in the church was electric, and we felt the Holy Spirit moving powerfully. There was laughter and tears of joy throughout the day,
culminating with a baptism.
Frank and Erica moved to Tokyo in 1988 with their then almost two-year-old daughter, Miyoko, to lead the church. The church was blessed by God under their leadership and experienced unprecedented growth. They always led with great faith, wholehearted devotion and a tremendous love for God and for the people of Japan. We are grateful for the strong foundation that they built here in Japan. Though we have faced some recent difficulties, we are still one of the largest congregations in Japan with a dream to evangelize our nation.
We are grateful that the Kim’s have continued to live sold out dedicated lives as an elder in Denver and as mission evangelist for the Asian churches. It was inspiring to see a living example of a family that continues to love God and serve God no matter what the circumstance.
We believe that God is strengthening the church in Tokyo and all of Japan, and our desire is to once again be a church that inspires the rest of the world.
Takeshi Yamazaki
Senior Minister, Tokyo Church of Christ
www.tccnet.org
posted Jerry Maday, Worcester, MA