DEVELOPshape & sharpen
MULTIPLYreproduce & thrive
TRANSFORM.recreate & reshape
The A2 Community is comprised of people who share the same vision and mission.
I was born and raised in Southern California in a church that has a strong global vision. When I was a senior in high school, I realized that I wanted nothing else than to spend my life in global ministry. I started praying, asking questions, and exploring what that could potentially look like in my life and after a few short-term trips to various countries, I started praying for a specific country, and the Lord impressed Japan on my heart. Before spending 10 weeks in Japan in 2017, I wrote a list of 10 prayers and asked God to answer all of them if He was leading to Japan for future ministry - He answered all 10 prayers and so here I am! (it definitely wasn’t a completely smooth journey between 2017 and today…i.e. the coronavirus, among other things, but He leads in His sovereign time :) )
Missional Partner Associate since 2020
Watch on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Eo2VxJA4uxw
Thilini De Visser Kodikara was born and raised in Sri Lanka. Thilini was exposed to the world of ministry through her parents involvement as founding pastors of an indigenous church in Sri Lanka. She was also introduced to the global mission field in her early years through Asian Access. Thilini always felt called by God to work among young Christian leaders in Asia. She received her Bachelors in Psychology at Biola University in California, and went on to work at the global engagement department at a mega church in Southern California. She then returned to Sri Lanka and led the Youth work at Kithu Sevana Ministries. She has also been involved in youth leader development work in Cambodia, a country that has become very dear to her heart. Thilini is currently based in Sri Lanka.
Biographical Profile: Joseph W. Handley, Jr., President, Tokyo, JapanRev. Joseph W Handley, Jr. is currently president of Asian Access and serves ex-officio on the Board of Directors. Joe was born and raised in Southern California. He attended Azusa Pacific University where he earned a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in Theology. Joe served nine years at Azusa Pacific University where he was the founding director of their Office of World Missions and leader of one of the first multi-national high school mission congresses in Mexico City in 1996. The Lord then called him to Rolling Hills Covenant Church in 1998 where Joe served as the Global Outreach Pastor and later the Associate Pastor for Outreach Ministries. In July of 2008, Joe answered the call of God to become the fourth president of Asian Access, a leader development movement that began in 1967...
JOSHUA KIDWELL grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and moved to Greenville, South Carolina to attend Holmes Bible College. His desire was to learn more about the Bible and understand more about what he believed. During his time in college he felt called to foreign missions, but had no idea where until a missionary from Japan came to his church to share. It was then that he started studying more about Japan and eventually felt God calling him to serve there.
JESSICA KIDWELL grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and served as a summer missionary in Arizona for 2 years. She attended North Greenville University to study missions with the intention of going back to Arizona, but during her time in college, God placed a burden on her heart for the people of Japan and there was no way to ignore the desire to help the people of Japan.
“I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!”
— 1 Corinthians 9:22-23, The Message
Nov 27, 1951 — Dec 4, 2018
Michael L. Wilson was born in Los Angeles. After spending his childhood in Highland Park, he graduated from Charter Oak High School, attended the University of Southern California on a full math scholarship, graduated from University of Redlands (BS Business Admin) and later studied at Talbot Seminary and graduated from Biola University (MA Intercultural Studies and Doctorate of Missiology).
The staff of Asian Access
The senior leadership of Asian Access
The Board of Directors of Asian Access
The Council of Reference for Asian Access
The participants in the A2 leadership development program
The faculty of the A2 leadership development program
Alumni of Asian Access, including graduates of the A2 leadership development program and former A2 missionaries.
