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Background Info:

I was born and raised near Lima, Ohio in a large family. We attended church occasionally, but our home was not a Christ-centered one. In 1988 I moved to Atlanta, Georgia – right in the center of the "Bible belt" – and in 1989 accepted Christ as my Savior and began developing a personal relationship with Him. Before joining Asian Access in 1994, I worked in the legal field as a Certified Professional Legal Secretary and Administrator for 16 years. After the stress of legal work, my first few months in Japan seemed like a vacation!

Ministry Assignment:

Tammy has been with Asian Access since 1994 as Executive Administrative Assistant to the President. This role has taken her from Atlanta to Tokyo, Japan and to Boston.

Words of wisdom...

• Say yes! Don't argue with God! It's such a blessing to say "yes" to whatever He calls you to, no matter how radical it may seem at the time.
• Seek godly counsel. Be involved in a Christian fellowship; know your pastor, missions pastor, and folks in your church.
• Get your feet wet. Go on a short-term trip. It will change your life.

When you're in Japan, be sure to...

... after you visit Tokyo (and do), be sure to get out into the countryside. There's more to Japan than the city. No matter where you go, you'll find warm, friendly, wonderful people.

What are some ministry methods or activities you find especially meaningful?

When I was in Japan (1994-1999), I had the opportunity to use cooking classes as an evangelism tool. Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies and I loved using that hobby as a ministry tool. Since being back in the States, I've been teaching English to a local group of Korean women and we've started learning "American" cooking in one of our weekly classes. When someone suggested that I teach cooking classes, I was resistant – I didn't want to just teach cooking, I wanted to somehow use that as a tool to share Christ. I have been able to do just that by weaving scripture and messages from the Bible into each class. For example, when we baked bread, I used "man does not live on bread alone" as a springboard for discussion. In February we taught from II Corinthians on love; and so on. I think God gives us gifts and is pleased when we use them for growing His kingdom.

Funniest story of life in Japan...

I was "cat sitting" for a family in Japan. Late one evening I realized that the cat needed some food. Since the pet store and supermarkets were closed I went to the local Family Mart. The store was close to a train station and there were many people in there, standing around reading books and magazines (which is typical). I could not find the cat food. Since I had been studying Japanese very diligently that summer, I knew how to ask for cat food. I went up to the clerk and said, "Nekko wa, tabemashita ka?" He looked shocked and said in Japanese me, "Excuse me?" So, I repeated (of course louder and more forcefully so every one in the store could hear me) "Nekko wa, tabemashita ka?" Again, he said, "Excuse me?" So, in English, I said, "Cat food?" He said, "Ah, so, cat-o food-o" and pointed me in the right direction. I took my cat-o food-o and hopped on my bike to return home to feed the waiting cat. As I rode I wondered just what I had said – and realized I'd said, "Have you eaten cat?" Phew, am I glad they don't eat cat in Japan, I might have gotten a kitty kabob instead of a polite "excuse me?"

What I've learned here...

That we can and do minister to others just through the daily living out of our lives. Especially, as a foreigner, living in Japan – like it or not, you are on display and being watched by your neighbors and those around you. How you live says so much about who you are.

Also, that we are serving to His pleasure and glory and it's not up to us to please others – but to please the One who called us to this life and ministry.

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