Reiko's Story

This is a cool story from the field in Japan about a fellow Asian Access missionary. I thought I'd pass it along as an encouragement to you all! Keep posted for more short biographical stories about other Asian Access missionaries serving in Japan.


A year ago, Reiko Tarui came to Japan on a short-term vision trip with Asian Access to see if God was calling her to serve here. Reiko was born and raised in Japan until she was 16, then her family moved to the States. There she married and had a family of her own, and through her husband, came to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. Since the passing of her husband, God has been using Reiko to minister to many in the States, but she felt a tug to return to Japan to share her joy in knowing Jesus. While Reiko was preparing to return to Japan, we [Asian Access staff in Japan] were working on the details of a mission conference. We chose Etajima, an island off Hiroshima, for the conference site because of its central and inexpensive location. Only when Reiko arrived in Japan to minister with Asian Access did we find out that Etajima is Reiko’s birthplace! During the conference, Reiko had the opportunity to meet with some cousins who still live on the island, who asked her “Is Jesus real?” God is amazing! We know that God uses us wherever He places us, but sometimes He brings us full circle to demonstrate His faithfulness 360 degrees!