Joyful Thankfulness

Joy spreads. Love spreads. Hope spreads. Peace spreads. All of it comes from one source: God. You can find that in the Bible. There is one ultimate fountain—Christ alone—and it's all accomplished through His work, not mine. As the hymn says, "Redeeming love has been my theme."

The truth is, I am simply following Jesus Christ. God saved me, so I followed. He opened the door, so I followed. He called me, so I followed. He directed and guided me, so I followed. My goal and mission are to stay faithful and walk with Him. It is a great privilege to be part of His workmanship, and there is immense joy in walking with Him.

"We delight in serving Him because Jesus Christ is worthy of our praise."

I am deeply thankful for this opportunity and for every single person I encountered in Japan. This trip brought me so much joy and encouragement in countless ways. I am grateful to all the students for allowing OTM and me to interact with them and enjoy basketball together. I am thankful to all the coaches and teachers who helped us run the clinics and provided opportunities to teach. I appreciate all the parents who supported and allowed their children to play basketball and have fun with us. I am thankful for each member of the OTM team who walked alongside me and encouraged me. I am grateful to all the people who partnered with me, supported me, and prayed for me and with me throughout this trip. Lastly, I am thankful for all the churches and faithful believers in Japan who stand firm in their faith and serve with dedication.

I am grateful to God for everything He has done, is doing now, and will do in the future.

Written by

Kanta Yamazaki