Someone You Should Know: Walt Takisaki

In our Someone You Should Know series, we interview Faith members to help us get to know them, see how God is working in their lives, and make new connections within our community. In this episode we get to know Walt Takisaki.

• Automated Transcription

• Seth Weber 0:00
  Today on faith matters another in our someone you should know series this time while Takasaki
  
  Seth Weber 0:12
  I'm Seth Weber, and you're listening to faith matters, a podcast designed to help you think biblically in matters of the Christian faith, and keep you updated on matters of faith Bible Church.
  
  Seth Weber 0:39
  It's great to have you here. Well, thanks for joining us.
  
  Walt Takisaki 0:41
  Thanks
  
  Seth Weber 0:51
  so tell me about where you grew up your hometown and just your childhood. Yeah,
  
  Walt Takisaki 0:55
  you know, some people have these crazy, crazy places they've lived and all the places they've moved to and things I've seen. I was born and raised right here in Spokane, Spokane, Washington. Grew up over by the community college and actually, the site of faith Bible Church. I remember being a dump site. I was little, and I remember coming with somebody with a pickup truck and shoving stuff into into the head. So I think we're, it's right below.
  
  Seth Weber 1:30
  Where do you go to high school and
  
  Walt Takisaki 1:32
  yeah, I'm a Rogers pirate. Okay, I went to Shaw junior high and I grew up going to a Catholic grade school. Okay. Just not far from your St Aloysius on mission. So that was my parents went to the Catholic Church. Okay, so they sent us all to St. Aloysius. So we were raised Catholic, I was okay. And the nuns looked like the sound of music. They were in full black head to toe and a white white habit. They called it so yeah, it was. Yeah, education, childhood education. Wasn't that memorable for me? What was memorable?
  
  Seth Weber 2:16
  So then, after, after Rogers, where did you go for? Did you do an education after
  
  Walt Takisaki 2:23
  that? Did went to Washington State? Well, that's where I became a believer. Okay. My partying buddy. Didn't have he had something else to do on Friday night instead of a party. And I decided to go along with him. So some religious things, we didn't get brainwashed and carried away. And met believers, group of leaders for the first time that that made an impact on me. Well, so
  
  Seth Weber 2:51
  tell me about that a little bit. How did you come to know the Lord from there?
  
  Walt Takisaki 2:54
  Well, you know, I laugh because there was a cute girl there. And so that that kind of was an attraction. But I did see that these people had something that I didn't have very unique. And they were, they were, they were enjoying one another, guys and girls, there was no alcohol, drugs, loud music, and that was really strange to me. And something which is interesting, God put in my heart to wonder if that could ever happen. And I didn't think so that people could enjoy being together and, and enjoying each other, just laughing, talking. I was very, very unusual. And I thought these people have something. And it really drew me back to understand what it was. God was obviously working in my heart for a number of things in a number of ways. And it their life was extremely attractive. And that's what made me curious, what do they have?
  
  Seth Weber 3:58
  So then, after that, so
  
  Walt Takisaki 4:01
  I was an engineering but did not like it. I dropped out. Okay, so after a year and a half, so I'm a college dropout. Yeah, that'll come for people. And you're an elder. I came back Spokane. Came was fourth Memorial Church because people said, Hey, you're you should go to this church. So I did. walked in to the church for Sunday, and I ran into my high school math teacher, Mr. Campbell. And so I met Jim Campbell on my first Sunday and he introduced me to his son Phil. So I hung out with Phil and I heard he had a sister, so I didn't get to meet her till later. But anyway, then I did go back to school. I went to Spokane Community College in electronics technology. Okay. I was a three year degree then associate's degree, and went to work for Hewlett Packard. Okay, so that kind of started the tech.
  
  Seth Weber 5:08
  The tech path. Yeah. So tell it tell us about your career a little bit. Yeah.
  
  Walt Takisaki 5:12
  So I started out as a technical writer, wrote technical manuals that were, you know, these thick my numbing thing that men say they're never going to read exactly. hundreds of pages to read pieces of these pieces of technical equipment. You don't got just my boss was a believer, which was just amazing. He was a great mentor. I think I had five or six different roles in that company. For I was there 17 years and, and then I saw that potentially there was they were going to move out of the area. And I wanted to stay in Spokane, because I had a family wanted to raise them here. Love what was going on, then at Faith Bible Church, so wanted to stay. So I changed to a private company, believer, believer owned, and, and spent 23 years there retired a year and a half ago, what companies as I Tron was called tell act, oh, Tila and then we got acquired six, seven years ago by a global company. And so good, great company to work for just God provided tech is stressful. So I did retire early, because it's like, Alright, I think it's had enough of this. Yeah, that's gonna kill me.
  
  Seth Weber 6:33
  So let's jump back here for a second. From retirement back all the way to the beginning. Okay. Wow, you. So you said you knew Phil had a sister? Yeah. We know that sister is now your wife. Yeah, tell us how that all came about.
  
  Walt Takisaki 6:46
  There was a opportunity at was now what US bank but they had a credit card processing center. Okay. And it was a lot of people from church work there and Okay, in the evenings. So it was a kind of college, part time job. And so when somebody was ready to leave, they would tell somebody in the college group, next person, and that still happens. It's great. It's just wonderful network of, and it'd been years of that going on. So I got a job there. And then Pam got a job there. Okay, so I got to know her because there was a work crew of for a night, and we just sit and talk and phones would ring every once awhile and the computers but got to know really well. And that was one of my prayer requests. I just didn't want to continue dating and and I prayed, Lord, if it's possible, if I could meet somebody who could be a friend. I didn't know that how that would work. But I thought seven possible prayer. And that's
  
  Seth Weber 7:43
  cool. So after you and Pam fell in love and got married, yeah, you had some kids. Tell us about them? Yep. Well,
  
  Walt Takisaki 7:52
  we were our plan. Our family plan was to wait a couple years to have kids. One month later. She, she showed me a little, little children's toy. And while I was at work, like what's that for? So once we got the children ball rolling, we're like, well, we can't have an older child. So like, alright, let's, let's have a family. And, and proceeded to have, we're really good at family planning. So we said, Okay, we're gonna stop at four kids. And then a fifth one came along, which was wonderful. Our youngest Flora married to Cory. And she laughs of the being in the unwanted.
  
  Seth Weber 8:37
  We couldn't imagine the world without war.
  
  Walt Takisaki 8:38
  I know. It's, it is truly a blessing that God didn't see the end of our family now.
  
  Seth Weber 8:45
  So tell us who your kids are. And how many grandkids Do you guys have? Yeah.
  
  Walt Takisaki 8:52
  So we had five kids. And each of our five kids had three. So it's 15 and then the tiebreaker was Laura. Last year. So now we have 16. Wow, they have four kids. And they're located all over. Our youngest, Laura's in Shingle Springs. Her husband Corey is Pastor, associate pastor there at Gold Country Baptist Church. And the next in line next youngest is Anna and she lives really far away two blocks from our house. Five miles down the street. Yeah, just down the streets. Wonderful. Then, in the next is is Dave and Dave is actually was able to relocate to Dallas, Texas or Mansfield next to Arlington, which is where Sarah is at, okay, because he got the opportunity that So Dave's working, still working for Verizon, in Texas, and then Paul, who works for Verizon as well. And he is in Gilbert, Arizona. They're trying to get him to move to Dallas to only two locations visit and then Sarah In Arlington, Texas, so we're Jared married to Jared, and pastoring. Christ's Community Bible Church.
  
  Seth Weber 10:08
  So tell me about your ministry involvement at faith over the years. What have you guys done? And yeah, are you doing right now?
  
  Walt Takisaki 10:16
  We've done children's ministry, I think we did place to be that lasted a year. I'm not the big children's ministry.
  
  Seth Weber 10:25
  Family is okay to not be a children's ministry person to try it.
  
  Walt Takisaki 10:30
  I tried it. I gave it we gave it our all. And it was, it was great. had kids like Andrew Copley in milk. And he just loves skateboarding. And now go go, Andrew.
  
  Seth Weber 10:46
  He's now a pastor. And
  
  Walt Takisaki 10:48
  that's right. It's really hilarious to see what they're like that age. Then we did Junior High ministry. So I was an elder and dry ministry. Then we graduated, went to high school ministry. And then we graduated from that went to the college ministry. And then then we graduated from college, went to Family Ministries. So that's what we're currently doing is we love working with all ages, but particularly families with children. And, you know, just have fun with the parents. Yeah. Well, with the parents a lot. Yeah. And that's, that's been a blast. So far. It's, you know, when we talk about next generation building, but it's really filled with Next Generation believers, which were really want to help families as a parent, very
  
  Seth Weber 11:44
  good. What has God been teaching you lately?
  
  Walt Takisaki 11:48
  Yeah, it's interesting to see being retired was pretty radical change. I wasn't going to actually retire for another year. So that was a big change of just because, like, you know, I need to wind down. And so what does it mean to be, quote, retired, and, and to be still effective for the Kingdom? I feel so busy still. So, yeah, that's great to see. But being more involved in ministry, which gives me the opportunity that and so to see God's work through his people, and families, and to see the fruit of that is such an encouragement. And, you know, what I'm learning is, is to watch, watch the body do its work, you know, our job is to equip as elders and shepherds. But to watch the faith Bible, church, believers, minister to one another, and, and challenge each other and help each other grow, has been just such confirmation of God's design for the church. So that's, that's really, you know, a beautiful thing because I get to spend more time here and then see, see the fruit of that. And that's been so encouraging. And then, you know, opportunities of how can we in retirement use that time effectively? So I think I have I don't broadcast it, but people hear about my remodeling skills. I help people. Literally,
  
  Seth Weber 13:30
  you're literally broadcasting right now.
  
  Walt Takisaki 13:35
  Yeah, finish. Finish, finish my own. And then Jared Milliken, hey, we're gonna wait we need to remodel our house and eventually sell it so we can go on the mission fields like now that's a project worth investing in. So help them build a bedroom and refinish their basement and do electrical, all that stuff. And so, huge epiphany for ministry and, and then God has also allowed us to have our PAMPs parents live close to us. So just helping them and that's been great to move them close and into a house with no stairs and no maintenance. So it's that's been really great. Well,
  
  Seth Weber 14:16
  how can how can faith Bible Church be praying for you right now?
  
  Walt Takisaki 14:20
  Yeah, thank you. You know, we're trying to make sure that we're stay always stay connected with our own kids, encouraging them, always trying to help them when they you know, they go out of town want to leave their kids. We will go we just did that. In Texas. Now that Sarah has cancer, we're going down trying to help there just be an encouragement. So it's really just trying to keep the relationship not only our kids, but our grandkids because we want the opportunity for the gospel for them. And so just use bits and pieces of time to share my own testimony. Honey and, and to, you know, to just to have spiritual opportunity for discussions. So that has been our heart's desire to really help the parents with their gospel gospel proclamation to their kids, what that what does that look like? How do we? How do they see unconditional love of the Lord and hear the truth of Scripture. So that's really our, our prayer and and care for sir. going through cancer, cancer battle and being a part of the church leaving the church. So that's a heavy burden with with also medical situation. So that's really trying to be sensitive how to do that and how to encourage all our grandkids so we are on the road, I think we are on the road every month, at least if not twice a month sometimes. So just pray, pray for, again, the salvation of our grandkids. That's really our biggest one of our biggest prayers of the parents and us.
  
  Seth Weber 16:09
  We will keep that in our prayers. I've been praying for the filters and cue lately more than I have
  
  Walt Takisaki 16:16
  years, yes. I overwhelmed by the body, worldwide twos praying for them. And that I know God hears those prayers. And that's, you know, that's so honoring to him as people go to the throne for God for her and so when Jared, thank you and I want to do with express our thanks to all those praying because it's, it's it just means a lot to us.
  
  Seth Weber 16:47
  I think I can say on behalf of faithful church where we're happy to pray and yeah, we're wishing the best for them. And for you guys.
  
  Walt Takisaki 16:57
  Thank you. Thanks.
  
  Seth Weber 16:58
  Now we get to make an awkward transition. Okay, from something very serious. Yeah. The Speed Round
  
  Seth Weber 17:13
  cats or dogs, dogs,
  
  Walt Takisaki 17:14
  but we only have cat
  
  Seth Weber 17:19
  pineapple on pizza. Oh, yeah. My favorite favorite book besides the Bible.
  
  Walt Takisaki 17:23
  I like Clancy novels. I'm a spy spy guy. I love spy novels. Okay, favorite movie or TV show The Fugitive Harrison Ford or Oh yeah. Big Pharma chasing to kill them. You know?
  
  Seth Weber 17:38
  Favorite band?
  
  Walt Takisaki 17:38
  I like Bublé. Okay,
  
  Seth Weber 17:40
  yeah, like Michael Bublé.
  
  Walt Takisaki 17:41
  Yeah. Michael Bublé. I like the retro sound Yeah. And his voice so best surprise gift you've ever gotten what I thought was a BB gun when I was a kid. Okay. But it wouldn't shoot BB so it was just an Erica it was so cool. Yeah, so far away.
  
  Seth Weber 18:05
  Okay, favorite place to eat in Spokane. Thai
  
  Walt Takisaki 18:09
  kitchen in the valley. Okay. Everything was cooked right there fresh. took forever to get your food, but I love Thai food. That's my favorite. Okay.
  
  Seth Weber 18:18
  Well, thanks for joining us well access

Seth Weber

Seth is the Communications Director at Faith Bible Church and loves anything to do with design, video, audio and tech. He and his wife Kaitlyn have four children.

View Resources by Seth Weber

Walt Takisaki

Walt is an elder at Faith Bible Church and works in the tech industry.

View Resources by Walt Takisaki