Kumi here! As we started this new year, we took time to pray and reflect. We looked back on the past year, as well as reminded ourselves of our dreams, and examined what we wanted to 1) do less of, 2) continue, 3) add to our rhythm. We are intentional about valuing the everyday walk with the Lord beyond big events and accomplishments. The small habits and accumulation of them are what color and determine our stories, and we want to make sure that what we do every day, as well as our relationships with others, are in alignment with the heart and leading of the Lord. We find it helpful to take a moment this way to reset our rhythm periodically. It seems more sustainable and attainable rather than setting grand resolutions. Maybe you too have a ritual or pattern as you start each new year.
I wanted to share with you the overall picture of what we are prioritizing and going to be engaged in this year.
Prayer + Mission + Community
Prayer
I have been asked to assume the role of the national coordinator for 24-7Prayer Japan, and I am asking the Lord how He would have it start and develop here. There are obvious, practical things that need to be put in place, such as a website and social media to make resources available, and to help others set up prayer spaces in churches, schools and other places. At the same time, we are not rushing to make something happen, but rather waiting to ride the wave of a movement.
I have felt that a contemplative routine may be a great introduction for many Japanese to enter into an ongoing communication with God. My own life in God started with a simple test prayer “God, if you are real I want you to show me.” It was about a year later that I heard the gospel from a friend, but I know that I was searching for a direction to pour out my heart’s longings. I think Lectio365 by 24-7Prayer would be a good tool for this, so we are exploring the possibility of having it in Japanese, either on the official app or another platform.
WILDBRANCH has had prayer as one of the main purposes, but it is not so much about promoting prayer but a life of communion with God. It is always, all about Jesus. The greatest joy I experience in ministry is helping and witnessing someone fall in love with Jesus. When we begin to see and experience the beauty of Jesus, we are never the same. I still remember the day my world literally changed from grey and white to a vibrant explosion of colors. This sense of wonder is what we want everyone to know.
Mission
We loved opening the Shibuya Prayer Room for the first week of September last year, and it was a confirmation that there is hunger in people’s hearts for more, and that the Lord wants a sustained presence in this city. So we’re taking the practical steps; establishing WILDBRANCH as a Japanese non-profit and developing a plan to rent a space that would serve as a creative hub with a prayer room. (Our desire is to see this happen by next year!) Imagine a space where the presence of God is honored and experienced by all who come, a space where pioneers gather with hunger and curiosity and determination to forge a new way for people to live with God. So while we plan and wait for this physical space, we are planning to host one retreat and a couple of workshops this year, to “cast the net wide”. We have also begun hosting a day-long prayer room once a month in Shibuya, and plan to increase the frequency.
We are convinced that creativity is the natural expression of being filled with the Spirit of God, and it has been fun to lean more boldly into creativity in our own lives and ministry. I believe art is and will be more and more one of the most effective ways to communicate God’s truth, to invite people into freedom out of bondage. There are several writing projects we are both engaged in with this in mind, which we will be able to share with you soon. We continue to explore ways to help people really embrace the gospel.
Also, there are obvious needs in the city and all around the world, people who need prayer, help and encouragement. We have found that these people come from unexpected places, and we need to be open for whoever He wants to bring. I am always praying for the Father to please show me and send me to ones that are on His heart. May the prayer in our hearts overflow as tangible expressions of God’s love for people.
Lastly on this, we are also excited about our sons starting new schools this spring, which always means more relationships and opportunities. Our children know that there are people God wants to minister to in the environments they go into.
Community
Establishing a team, a missional community, takes time. If you know us, then you know that we are adamant to prioritize and move at the speed of relationships, not the need for recruiting a team to build an organization. But we sense that the Lord will give us people to work together this year. We imagine a small team of about 5-6. Practically, we will be starting a weekly gathering at our home. It will require commitment and sacrifice on the part of our children too, as our apartment is not big and they would need to be fully a part, and our own children are learning what it is to walk with the Lord for themselves.
It is truly miraculous how the Lord is leading and sustaining us as a family and ministry. We are deeply thankful to you all for believing with and for us, praying for us, investing in our assignment with your donations. We are certain that the Lord is leading us in His plan, and that He has called us to carry a part of it here in Tokyo. We are confident that what He has purposed will be established here. Thank you for trusting us to be here. We do not ever take it lightly.
How You Can Partner With Us
Pray specifically for:
- The right 5-6 people to form our team and missional community this year
- Wisdom, provision, and favor as we register WILDBRANCH as a Japanese non-profit and seek the creative hub space
- Wisdom and open doors for Lectio365 in Japanese and the practical setup of 24-7Prayer Japan
- The Lord to continue to lead us to people in need, and for us to be ready and sensitive to respond
Your financial partnership sustains our family in Tokyo and enables us to open prayer rooms, offer workshops and retreats, travel to support prayer initiatives in other cities, and invest in the creative hub that will serve as a gathering place for pioneers to encounter God, and more.
With things unfolding and shaking all around the world, it is time, more than ever, for us to be one heart with the Lord and pray. Just this week, I joined a zoom meeting by another ministry reporting on the situation in Iran. My heart is burdened with what is happening, but at the same time, we have great expectations. What a time to be alive, to witness God’s sovereign hand moving across the globe. We bless you in 2026!
-K