Summary of our Past to Present

In the quiet weaving of God’s providence, some stories begin not with certainty—but with surrender.

Ours is a story shaped by movement, marked by loss, refined by faith, and anchored in a calling that stretches across the Pacific to the shores of Japan.

Nathan Mark Ricker was born and raised under the Florida sun, grounded in a heritage of faith. Raised in the church and educated in private Christian school, his foundation was laid early—Scripture woven into daily life. Yet his path would not be confined to a single lane of ministry. With both an analytical mind and a shepherd’s heart, Nathan built and owned several Computer Consulting Companies across the United States, serving clients from Florida to Colorado, and later throughout Virginia.

Today, he faithfully serves the SW Virginia districts and extends his expertise into Northeast Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and even continues his longstanding work in Colorado. Alongside his professional calling, he volunteers as Assistant Pastor and leads within the IT department at his local church. An International Lion, a devoted husband, a father, and above all—a man of God—Nathan carries a deep conviction: God first, family second, outreach always.

Having earned his Master’s in Biblical Theology, Nathan approaches ministry with both scholarship and humility. He believes that while Christ is Truth, seeds of truth can be found in every culture and religion—opening doors for conversation rather than building walls of division. He is not confined by modern denominational boundaries, but compelled by the Great Commission to preach the Word of God wherever the Lord sends him through discipleship and apologetics.

Kristin M. Ricker’s life, too, was shaped by movement. A child of God with many places called “home,” she migrated throughout her youth before settling in Central Florida at age thirteen with her father and grandparents. Eventually her family planted roots in Eustis and later Fruitland Park, where they reside today. The youngest of six children—just like Nathan—she understood both resilience and relationship from an early age.

Their story began at a Bible study in Nathan’s home. The first words he ever spoke to her were, “Please don’t let the dog out!”

Moments later, the dog ran out the door.

As they searched the night for his beloved companion of twelve years—never to be found—something else was discovered: a bond neither of them expected. They talked for hours that evening. The dog was gone, but a love story had quietly begun.

Soon after, Kristin returned to New Jersey for her summer job working as a chambermaid on the shore. Distance could not sever what God had begun. They spoke daily, nurturing a connection that would soon draw them back together—inseparable from that point forward.

Their first daughter, Eva, was born, and their family life flourished.

They moved to Colorado, where Nathan completed his schooling and continued expanding his IT work. Kristin poured herself into roles that reflected her heart for service—private nanny, food pantry coordinator, teacher, and culinary artist.

For seven years they prayed for a son.

Kristin sought prayer and anointing at their local church—not only for a child, but for the strengthening of her marriage and family. Shortly thereafter, life shifted dramatically when she was struck by a drunk driver. The accident reshaped priorities and perspectives. After a severance and insurance settlement, she stepped away from her career to focus entirely on her home and calling.

Within months, they were expecting their long-prayed-for son, Enoch.

In what can only be described as divine orchestration, they sensed the Lord telling them to list their Colorado home while on vacation. In faith, they obeyed. The house sold immediately. Nathan rushed back with his brother Joey to pack everything into a shipping container, sending it toward Kristin’s parents’ home in Florida. Yet unforeseen circumstances led to the loss of many of their belongings—especially organic materials destroyed in transit.

What could have been devastation became refinement.

They spent months traveling the East Coast before settling in Virginia—just one hour north of Nathan’s sister and her husband, who were raising their eight children. There, Nathan reestablished his Computer Networking business, and the family resumed homeschooling.

It was during this season that something remarkable happened: their entire household fell in love with Japan.

What began as curiosity grew into immersion—its culture, its food, its disciplined beauty, and its rich history captured their hearts. More importantly, the spiritual reality gripped them. With less than 2% of Japan identifying as Christian, they felt the weight of the Great Commission more personally than ever before.

They booked a trip to Japan through Airbnb. As Kristin prepared to finalize the flights, she felt a quiet prompting—take a pregnancy test. There were no obvious signs. Yet she sensed the Holy Spirit urging her.

She was pregnant.

Their trip to Japan was postponed, but not the calling.

One year later, with their 13-year-old daughter Eva Yoki Ricker, 5-year-old son Enoch Elijah Nathan Ricker, and their youngest—nearly one-year-old Serenity Sakura Ricker—the vision has only grown clearer. Even their children’s hearts are knit to the land they have yet to see in person.

Their desire is not merely to travel—but to serve. Not simply to observe—but to bring biblical resources, digital outreach, family-centered discipleship tools, and relational ministry to a nation where many have never encountered the Gospel in a personal way.

Nathan’s technical expertise, theological training, and pastoral heart merge seamlessly with Kristin’s gift for hospitality, teaching, culinary outreach, and relational connection. Together, as a family, they carry a mission: to strengthen families, to build bridges of cultural respect, and to present the hope of Jesus Christ with humility and truth.

From a lost dog to a sold home.

From a shipping container of loss to a cross-continental calling.

From Florida to Colorado to Virginia—and soon, Lord willing, to Japan.

This is not a story of chance.

It is a story of obedience.

And we believe the next chapter is just beginning.