As we look ahead to the work in Tokyo, we want to set before our hearts this Resurrection Sunday the glorious reality that through the risen Christ we have been redeemed and adopted—and this is what Japan, and every nation, ultimately needs to know.

Paul writes, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” (Galatians 4:4). Those words remind us that salvation begins not with man’s search for God, but with God’s gracious initiative toward sinners. Christ came in “the fullness of time,” not randomly or late, but at the exact moment appointed by the Father in His perfect wisdom, when all of redemptive history had been preparing for His arrival. And Paul says that God “sent forth his Son,” showing us that Jesus did not begin to exist at Bethlehem, but is the eternal Son who was with the Father and then sent into the world on the great mission of salvation.

As 1 John 4:9-10 says,

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Paul goes on: Christ was “born of woman, born under the law,” meaning that the eternal Son truly took on our humanity and willingly placed Himself under the very law we had broken, not merely to teach us, but to obey in our place and bear our curse. And why did He come? “To redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:5). He came to purchase our redemption and bring us into the household of God. This is why Resurrection Sunday matters so deeply: the One, the Son who was sent for our redemption, is not dead, not in a tomb, but risen, and His resurrection is the triumphant declaration that His saving work has been accomplished and that all who trust in Him are truly forgiven, truly redeemed, and truly welcomed as sons. As we prepare for Tokyo, this is the hope we carry: not merely that people would become more religious, moral, or curious about Christianity, but that they would come to know the resurrected, triumphant, living and reigning Christ—the sent Son of God, crucified for sinners and raised in victory—who alone redeems sinners and brings them home to the Father.

This month gave us several deep encouragements from the Lord. In a season of support raising and preparation, we are grateful for the many ways He continues to strengthen and steady our family. These were not small mercies to us. They are real answers to prayer.

Kris had the opportunity to attend The Weekender in Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC, and it was a deeply encouraging time. The Lord used the teaching, sitting under the preached word, fellowship, and conversations there to refresh and deeply sharpen him. It was a gift to be among believers who love Christ, love His church, and take the work of faithful ministry with like-minded pastors and congregations seriously.

It was a surprise and a sincere joy to spend time with the elders of Trinity Church of Portland, who are partnering with us in the work toward Tokyo. We left deeply encouraged by the Lord’s kindness in using ordinary means—His Word, His people, and the fellowship of the saints—to strengthen His servants. Their fellowship was a timely reminder of the kind of healthy, Christ-centered church life we long to see established in Tokyo.

Kris also had the joy of being a part of the mission weekend and preaching at Vine Community Church in El Dorado, Kansas. We are so thankful for the kindness, welcome, prayers, partnership, and generosity of VCC. It was a real encouragement to open God’s Word, worship with the beloved saints, and share more about the burden the Lord has given us for Japan.

Opportunities like this continue to remind us that gospel partnership is not abstract. It is personal, joyful, and rooted in the life of the local church. We thank God for churches like Vine, and for the way He keeps providing these moments of encouragement as we move forward.

We were also grateful for the opportunity for Kris to be in Minneapolis for an RTIM + Desiring God Global Cities event at Bethlehem Baptist Church and Bethlehem College. Kris served with RTIM in helping host the event, and it was especially encouraging that Tokyo is one of the cities being highlighted.

During that time, Kris also helped record interviews that, Lord willing, share more about the work of RTIM and the Global Cities Partnership. It was a sweet encouragement to see growing interest in the need for faithful church planting there.

This month was also special for our family because we celebrated both Judah’s birthday and Kris’ birthday. We thank God for another year of life, grace, and His faithful care. Every birthday is a reminder that the Lord has sustained us, carried us, and been kind to us far beyond what we deserve.

As we look ahead to April, we would be grateful for your prayers in these specific ways:

If you’d like more timely prayer requests, personal updates, and a closer look at our family’s journey toward Tokyo, we’d love to have you join our KOINOBORI Discord community.

If we could encapsulate this past month into one word, it would be humbled.

As many of you know, we only began our support-raising efforts within the last few weeks. Two weeks ago, we were at 3%- and we are grateful to share that we are officially at 27% of our monthly goal. We continue to stand in awe of how the Lord uses His people to build up His church, and because of this, we are becoming more distinctly aware of how much bigger this work is than we are.

More specifically, the Lord has impressed upon us the eternal weight of laboring to see healthy churches established—churches that, by His grace, would outlast our time on this side of heaven.

One of the things that has struck us during this support-raising process is how heavy it feels, and in many ways, that is a good and healthy weight. It is the weight of responsibility to steward well what we have been given. It is also the weight of accountability to those who share this vision with us.

We knew in our minds that this effort would require many people, but these days, our hearts feel that reality more deeply. We feel the weight of thankfulness to our Lord and the wonder of seeing how He mobilizes His people for the growth of His kingdom.

It is not lost on us that our Lord often weaves together countless stories, prayers, and people to bring one soul to Himself. A quick example comes to mind: my mom recently visited her hometown of Da Nang, Vietnam, and stopped by a restaurant my grandfather had established there as a young man. As she told me about her visit, I found myself thinking about my grandfather, who heard the gospel from American missionaries.

I remember watching my grandfather study the Word every single night. I did not fully appreciate it then, but now I am deeply thankful. He was the one who faithfully brought our family to church, where I heard the gospel for the first time.

Our prayer is that the Lord would do this again and again in Japan—that He would raise up Japanese Christians who heard the gospel from someone sent by their local church, someone upheld by the prayers and financial support of many faithful saints.

This is the same God who orchestrated your salvation, dear saint, and it is glorious. I hope that from time to time, you are able to pause and reflect on the many ways the Lord arranged circumstances, people, and gospel witness to bring you to Himself.

We pray that this would happen many times over in Japan, where so many remain unreached and where faithful churches are still far too few.

In His kindness, God has grafted us into His kingdom through the saving work of Christ. And now, for reasons that have nothing to do with our own worth, He is opening doors for us to take part in His work of calling sinners to Himself in Japan.

- Samuel Zwemer

Served in Arabia and Egypt 1891-1929

Under His Lordship,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”

Kris: (904)729-9665 - [email protected]

Linh: (904)882-7513 - [email protected]

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