March 11, 2026
By JOSEPH W. HANDLEY
Today marks another anniversary of the 3.11 triple disaster in Japan—the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis that devastated Tohoku in 2011.
As God continues to grow A3, our Board and leadership team discerned the need to strengthen our leadership structure for this new season. In response, CEO Joe Handley sought a trusted leader who could partner with him as U.S. President and help steward A3’s expanding mission.
Looking ahead to 2026, I am super thrilled with all that God has on the horizon for A3.
As 2025 draws to a close, I’ve found myself returning again and again to one word: MULTIPLICATION.
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
— JOHN 1:14
Eight years ago, A3 sought ways to succinctly explain our ministry to new potential donors. Through a rebranding process, we drafted this tagline to sum up who A3 is:
“Changing the few who change the many”
by JOSEPH W. HANDLEY, President, A3
Forty years ago, the “edges” of mission were relatively clear. Unreached people groups were primarily mapped geographically, pioneering missions meant long journeys to faraway lands, and “access” was defined by political and physical barriers. But in today’s hyper-connected, globalized, and mobile world, the edges are not just geographical or based on ethnicity—they can be everywhere. That said, despite major progress, the frontier task remains. There are still more than 2 billion people with no known access to a viable, contextual gospel witness.1
IN A WORLD THAT IS INTERCONNECTED, DYNAMIC, AND EVER-CHANGING, traditional, top-down leadership models can no longer keep up. That's why A3 has embraced a different way of leading—an approach called polycentric leadership—that’s helping it flourish as a global mission movement.
By Joseph W. Handley, Jr.
While serving with A3 and the Lausanne Movement, we found ourselves asking a crucial question: What will it take to disciple the nations?
A3 president Joe Handley was asked what’s most important in leadership… See his thoughts here...
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Japan (MNN) — As the latest disaster in southern Japan triggers difficult memories, local Christians step in to help survivors.
A series of strong earthquakes shook Kumamoto, Japan, in April 2016. On July 28, 2026, a pair of earthquakes struck the same area – one with a magnitude above 7.0 on the Richter scale and one just below – followed by hundreds of aftershocks.
Japan (MNN) — Severe summer heat continues to threaten earthquake survivors in southern Japan. A3’s Robert Adair says, “Many are still without running water or electricity,” one week after a pair of high-magnitude earthquakes rocked Kyushu.
Japan (MNN) — The death toll from Tuesday’s twin tremors in Kyushu had risen to 34 at the time of publication and was expected to climb.
Japan (MNN) — Two major earthquakes rocked Japan’s Kyushu Island in quick succession yesterday.
We have over 2,400 followers on Facebook now! To celebrate 2k+ followers, we have a new page username & address.
A3 PAGE: https://facebook.com/A3Leaders
In addition to our company page, Asian Access has two other pages on Facebook:
March 11, 2026
By JOSEPH W. HANDLEY
Today marks another anniversary of the 3.11 triple disaster in Japan—the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis that devastated Tohoku in 2011.
By SUE PLUMB TAKAMOTO
Adjusting to life in Japan as missionaries is hard! For women, there are some particular challenges that make it difficult, including caring for family and children and the loss of community while in a bewildering life season.
by YOSHIYA HARI
National Director, A3 Japan
FOR MORE THAN FORTY YEARS, A3-JAPAN has walked alongside pastors and Christian leaders across our nation. We have prayed, learned, and labored together for the renewal of the church in one of the most spiritually challenging mission fields in the world.
While working on my master’s degree at Wheaton College, I took a course on relief and development. I had previously served in Japan and planned to be involved in church planting upon my return, and honestly I thought the course was irrelevant. I did the work but didn’t pay much attention. Then, following the March 11, 2011 disaster in Tohoku, my wife and I moved to Miyagi Prefecture to do relief and development work alongside a Japanese church.
By ROBERTA ADAIR
I pedalled as fast as I could with one hand on the handlebars and the other raised in a fist, yelling in Albanian, “You destroyer of beauty! You destroyer of beauty!” I had just watched a driver throw garbage out of his car window, and my bottled rage exploded – a vivid memory from 15 years ago of culture shock squirting out badly.
go2japan is proudly sponsored by a missional partnership for Japan . . .
