Blessed to be a TCK

I was born in Tokyo to Christian missionary parents who had escaped from communism in China. The Lord led them to Japan as their new field of ministry. I had the privilege of being a missionary kid in Japan for sixteen and a half years. Then my mother died of cancer, which led to my family returning to the United States.

Growing up in Japan

Growing up in Tokyo and attending Christian Academy in Japan (CAJ) was a privilege. My brother and I often played games with our Japanese friends from the neighborhood. Having a Japanese live-in maid and watching television helped me grow up bilingual. My brother and I enjoyed fishing at the local fishpond on Saturdays, and going to watch the Yomiuri Giants and talking to some of the baseball players before the game at Korakuen.

I have many happy memories, including breaking records for catching goldfish within one hour, getting a taxi ride home with the winning pitcher of the Giants game, and spending summer holidays at Takayama near Sendai or Nojiri Lake in Nagano. Then there were the friends at CAJ, along with the joy of sports and school activities. I also enjoyed a little touch of America, as I was able to play Little League baseball and go trick-or-treating at Washington Heights in Harajuku—a US military base later used for the Tokyo Olympics.

Being bilingual and living among the Japanese, I had the privilege of appreciating Japanese culture—and yet, as a westerner being educated in an English-language school, being able to enjoy aspects of that world, too. I was not confused about who I was; I felt accepted and natural in both worlds. On Sundays my father often served in Japanese churches, but my mother always took us to the church that became Kurume Bible Fellowship. It started out in Ochanomizu and eventually moved to CAJ’s campus. Growing up in an English-language church was helpful for me.

Life in Tokyo was safe, and my parents gave me a lot of independence. Anybody could buy cigarettes and alcohol, but I thank the Lord that He protected me from many temptations. At that time, a westerner who spoke Japanese could easily take advantage of being a foreigner and get away with things that the Japanese could not.

There was also the danger of excessive pride and selfishness as a westerner living in Japan. In recent years I’ve been invited to speak twice at one of the larger churches outside of Tokyo. After I gave my first message the pastor mentioned to everyone how impressed he was that a former CAJ student could give such a message. This surprised me. For some reason unknown to me, he held a low view of missionary kids from CAJ, so he was encouraged to hear from a graduate who had been serving Christ among the Japanese.

Life-changing events

The Lord spoke to my heart in a life-changing way when I was fifteen at the summer Hi-B.A. (High school Born-Againers) camp in Chiba. The message was the parable of the sower. The Lord convicted me that I was living in a selfish way for myself. I repented and asked Jesus to forgive me. I will never forget that evening when the Lord removed the weight of all my guilt.

Through my upbringing in a Christian home, attending church, going to a Christian school, and being active in Hi-B.A., I was taught to see the importance of Christ in one’s life. That evening I became aware that I needed the forgiveness of Christ, and I had faith to believe.

Six months later, my mother died of cancer. As I grieved her loss, I was greatly encouraged by Philippians 1:21, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (NKJV). I had never thanked her for her sacrifice or her love for Jesus and her children, but after her death I realized how important Jesus was to her. I understood it was her gain to be in the presence of the Lord, and not have to struggle with cancer, sin, or any other problems of this world. This comforted me.

This same verse challenged me to consider what it meant to live for Jesus, and the example of my parents inspired me to serve Jesus in my own life. I had doubts and fears about being a missionary to the Japanese. Did I have what it takes to be a minister of Christ to the Japanese? With the difficulty of seeing conversions, was it worth the effort? The Lord had to work in my heart to overcome my fears and doubts.

While attending seminary in the US, I went to Japan for a fifteen-month internship. During that time I became convinced of the need for missionary workers among the Japanese. I also learned that Jesus uses workers who admit to their weaknesses. Paul’s testimony, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a), spoke to my heart. I understood then that the Lord works through weak vessels like myself. I just needed to trust and rely on Jesus for the work to be done. My wife and I have been serving in ministry to Japanese people for 35 years now—on three different continents. Our testimony is that the Lord does His amazing work through sinful servants.

Thankful

There are many things I am thankful for as a Third Culture Kid. The first air I breathed was in Tokyo, and the Holy Spirit breathed upon my sinful heart with His regenerating and sanctifying power in the same land. It is a privilege to know more than one culture, for it broadens our view of the world. My parents taught me and showed me the importance of Jesus in their lives. They sent me to CAJ and trusted the Lord enough to allow me to grow up in a relatively independent manner. I never heard my parents criticize Japan or the Japanese, and they never pushed me to pursue a certain career.

To some Christians the Lord gives a special passion to reach the lost of a certain people group. It is God’s call, and each of us is responsible to be faithful in whatever calling that may be. Having an identity in Christ, living to please Him, and desiring to glorify Him with others is of the greatest joy and eternal value. I am thankful to God for using me for that purpose among the Japanese people. In my case, the Lord blessed me as a Third Culture Kid. 

Photo by Rick Seely