On March 20, the wedding ceremony of Brother Joseph Akimoto and Sister Yorokobi Kihara was held, officiated by Pastor Paul Akimoto.
The ceremony was conducted in a warm and joyful atmosphere, surrounded by many attendees who gathered to celebrate and bless the couple on their special day.
The wedding ceremony of Joseph Akimoto and Yorokobi Kihara will be held on Friday, March 20, at 2:00 PM.
The streaming URL for the ceremony is provided below.
https://youtube.com/live/nPDjL4aIbF0?feature=share
The HAKUBA WORLD GOSPEL FESTIVAL Tokyo Antioch Church Preliminary Round will be held on Sunday, March 22, starting at 5:00 PM.
The performance order is as follows:
On March 17, KOKORO GOSPEL LOUNGE was held at Nakanoba, the event space on the first floor of Nakano City Hall in Tokyo. The event featured performances by Ayu, Lumiere, Plaisir, and Joshua.
On the day of the event, we were approached by a city council member and a corporate executive, opening doors for future promotion. In addition, many attendees shared heartfelt responses such as, “My heart feels cleansed,” and “I was moved to tears.”
Several guests also purchased tickets for the upcoming Kokoro Gospel concert in May.
We are grateful to the Lord for His protection over this ministry and for allowing it to reach so many people.
[Southern Charismatic Holy Assembly]
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
10:00–13:00
Venue: CREAY Rental Space (2nd Floor, Tamasho Building, 3-17-20 Shikina, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture)
Speakers: Pastor Paulo Akimoto and Pastor Abraham Nakamoto
Contact: Southern Antioch Church
080-3974-6445 (Nakamoto)
On March 16, we were invited to a charity party hosted by NPO Youth World Support 21, which has continually supported the Cornerstone Orphanage.
Approximately 200 guests attended the event, including members of the National Diet and many distinguished individuals active in various fields. At the beginning of the program, General Director Makena delivered a speech expressing gratitude for the donations and shared about the operation of schools in Zambia.
Following the speech, the director of a cosmetic surgery clinic in Chuo Ward approached us, saying, “We would love to support this work,” and exchanged contact information, marking a meaningful step toward expanding concrete support.
Continuing from last year, the gospel groups Aiyu, Lumiere, and Marvellous Light, who support the Cornerstone Orphanage, performed on stage. Their powerful and moving voices deeply touched the audience, and many attendees—including the State Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare and members of the House of Representatives—expressed high praise. The venue was filled with a strong sense of inspiration.
Through many encouraging encounters and connections, it became a fruitful time in which understanding and interest in the work in Cambodia and Zambia, as well as support for the orphanage, were greatly expanded.
[Nago Charismatic Meeting]
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
10:30–10:55 Mini concert
11:00–12:30 Charismatic Meeting
Venue: Nago Antioch Church (4-17-2-101 Higashie, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture)
Speakers: Pastor Paul Akimoto and Pastor Philip Miyagi
Contact: 090-1941-1828 (Miyagi)
[Okinawa City Charismatic Meeting]
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
19:00–19:20 Mini Concert
19:30–21:30 Charismatic Holy Meeting
Venue: Okinawa City Social Welfare Center, 3rd Floor Conference Room (1-14-29 Sumiyoshi, Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture)
Speakers: Pastor Paulo Akimoto, Pastor John Akimoto, Pastor John Maeshiro
Contact: 090-1944-4447 (Maeshiro)
tleaokinawagalilee@gmail.com
A gospel event, “KOKORO GOSPEL LOUNGE,” will be held on Tuesday, March 17, at Nakanoba, the event space located on the first floor of Nakano City Hall.
Stage Schedule
1st Stage: 12:00 PM
2nd Stage: 1:40 PM
3rd Stage: 3:00 PM
Performing Groups: Aiyu, Lumiere, Plaisir, Joshua
Admission is free.
Everyone is warmly welcome to attend.
The event will also be streamed on the “The Vision” YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/@TheVisionGospel
On March 14, a Healing Meeting was held at Tokyo Antioch Church. During the gathering, Pastor Madoka shared a testimony about being healed from severe anemia.
More than 20 years ago, Pastor Madoka suffered from severe anemia caused by continuous abnormal bleeding related to a gynecological illness. However, before participating in an Israel mission team, she prayed for healing. When she later underwent a medical examination, it was discovered that the anemia had been completely healed.
As a result, she was able to climb Mount Sinai (2,285 meters above sea level) and take part in a worship service of praise there. During that time, she experienced a powerful sense of God’s presence, and the blessing of that moment continues to be shared as a testimony today.
More than twenty years ago, Pastor Madoka developed a gynecological illness that caused continuous abnormal bleeding, which led to very severe anemia.
At that time, she was scheduled to participate in the Israel mission team in November 2005. This team was very important for TLEA, because God had spoken about raising up a praise team on Mount Sinai.
In the Bible, a praise team refers to a group that goes out first in times of battle to praise and worship God. Scripture tells us that when people praised God, His hand moved and the enemy was defeated, bringing overwhelming victory. For TLEA as well, this became a turning point when the church’s praise ministry greatly expanded.
During this mission trip, the team planned to wake up early, fast, and climb Mount Sinai.
Mount Sinai, which rises to 2,285 meters, is known as the mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. It is a rocky mountain without trees or vegetation, and the round-trip climb takes about six to seven hours on foot.
Because her anemia had been so severe, Pastor Madoka was deeply concerned about whether she could climb Mount Sinai while fasting and walking for more than six hours. She even considered staying at the bottom of the mountain instead of climbing.
However, she prayed and said, “If my anemia is healed, I will climb Mount Sinai.” After praying for healing, she went to the hospital for a medical test.
To her surprise, the examination showed that the anemia had been completely healed.
When she climbed Mount Sinai, she ended up in the last group. From the top, people called out, “Hurry, or we’ll start the worship service!” Just below the summit were steep, rugged rocks, almost vertical, but she pressed on and climbed with all her strength.
At the top, surrounded by a 360-degree view of desert and rocky mountains, the team blew the shofar, played instruments, and praised God together. She deeply felt God’s presence and was greatly moved.
After the worship service on Mount Sinai, another surprising moment occurred during lunch at a restaurant. A Jewish group from the United States who were seated nearby began praising together with the team. Songs filled the entire restaurant, and the atmosphere was filled with a powerful sense of God’s presence.
Pastor Madoka has served as the host of the Praise Team Contest for more than 20 years. She shared that being healed from such severe anemia and being able to participate in the Israel mission team during such a memorable time was truly a great blessing for her as well.
The top 14 groups will advance to the preliminary round, which will be held on March 22.
The screening results are as follows:
