My name is Genichiro Kenneth Nitafan Matsuo. I was born in the Philippines with dual Japanese and Filipino citizenship. My journey to a serious walk with Yeshua as a Messianic believer is one of hardship, redemption, and transformation. This is my story, combining my family’s struggles, my personal failures, and the moment in Taiwan that changed everything, leading me to embrace Yeshua and the Torah.
My Background and Family Struggles
I was born to a Filipino mother and a half-Japanese, half-Filipino father. My mother’s life was marked by hardship. Her father, of Spanish and Filipino descent, died in a motorcycle accident before she was born, leaving her mother, a Chinese-Filipino, to raise three children alone in rural Philippines during the baby boom era. My grandmother worked tirelessly on farms and doing household chores to provide for her family, ensuring her children’s education despite poverty. My mother grew up in a Pentecostal church, Church of God World Mission, sponsored by Compassion International. Her sponsor, Kenneth D. Flo from the United States, played a significant role in her life, providing support through letters and resources. This is why my first name is also Kenneth.
My mother excelled academically, earning an accounting degree from Mindanao State University and working at Davao Bible College. She married my father, an introverted man, without much experience in relationships. Their marriage soon unraveled due to his addiction to pornography and abusive behavior, including threatening her. Fearing for our safety, she fled with me to the Philippines when I was in second grade. As a single mother, she worked grueling day and night shifts in Japan as a factory worker, unable to use her accounting degree due to language barriers. She faced further challenges when denied child support in Japan because she couldn’t secure a divorce due to legal complexities and my father’s refusal to cooperate. Her sacrifices for me were immense, yet I regret that I was a spoiled, undisciplined child during this time.
My Childhood and Struggles with Sin
Raised in a Christian environment, I attended Church of God services but never truly connected with Yeshua. I was disobedient, stealing small amounts from my grandmother’s wallet to buy candy, bullying classmates, and becoming addicted to video games. Living with my mother’s aunt in the Philippines, I lacked a fatherly influence and failed to honor the discipline offered by my family. Even when my mother brought me to Japan to reunite after fourth grade, I was short-tempered and disrespectful, fighting with her constantly.
At the end of sixth grade, my mother’s Compassion International sponsor, Kenneth, invited us to the United States. We moved there after she passed her TOEFL and secured a student visa. In the U.S., I met Kenneth, whom I called “Grandpa.” He became a father figure, teaching me discipline and introducing me to the Messianic ministry at Gateway Church. Despite this, I remained lukewarm in faith, as described in '“I know what you are doing: you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth! 'Revelation of Yeshua to Yochanan (Rev) 3:15-16. I continued sinning, struggling with pornography, attempting to buy counterfeit money (nearly committing a felony), and even contemplating running away to escape my grandfather’s discipline. My selfish desires led me to convince my mother to return to Japan, a decision I later realized was a mistake.
Transformation in Taiwan
My life changed in March 2024 during a trip to Taiwan. On the last day, during worship, my heart broke open with a profound fear and awe of God. I couldn’t stop crying, overwhelmed by the realization that I was lost. At that moment, I surrendered to Yeshua, accepting Him as the truth and committing to follow Him. It was a rebirth, as described in 1 Peter 2:2-3: 'and be like newborn babies, thirsty for the pure milk of the Word; so that by it, you may grow up into deliverance. For you have tasted that Adonai is good.' I began studying Scripture, watching apologetics videos, worshiping, and praying, finding a peace I’d never known and a thirst for God’s Word.
Back in Japan, I sought repentance and stopped watching pornography, though I still battle urges like masturbation. As Proverbs 24:16 says, 'For though he falls seven times, he will get up again; it’s the wicked who fail under stress.'
Embracing the Messianic Path
My time in the U.S. with my grandfather and the Messianic ministry planted seeds for my faith, but it was in Taiwan that I fully embraced Yeshua and the Torah. As a Messianic believer, I strive to follow Yeshua’s teachings, wearing tassels and observing the Torah out of love, as He instructed in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Paul’s writings, like Galatians 3:10-13, clarify that we are not bound by legalism but by faith that fulfills the Torah’s purpose (John 14:15, Deuteronomy 5:10). This path hasn’t been easy, but it’s rooted in my love for Yeshua, who is God.
