Corinne Murakami’s story is about learning to recognize and respond to the Holy Spirit’s gentle stirrings—discovering how saying “yes” to God’s call, even before knowing where it leads, can grow into a life of purpose, fruitfulness, and joy.

When the Spirit Stirs: Saying Yes Before You Know Where It Leads

For years, Corinne Murakami faithfully attended church, participating, serving, and growing—but deep down, she began to sense something more. It was subtle at first—a quiet stirring in her heart that she couldn’t quite explain. Over time, that stirring became a call: to step beyond attending and begin leading.

Her first “yes” came through Alpha, a ministry designed to help people outside the church explore questions about faith. What began as a desire to learn how to talk with others about Jesus soon grew into a passion to serve, lead, and walk alongside others in their own journeys of discovery. Corinne found joy in seeing how God used simple conversations to open hearts, and how He used her willingness to make space for others to encounter Him.

But as seasons changed, so did the stirring. After several years with Alpha, Corinne began to feel a pull toward children’s ministry—a sense that God was calling her to nurture the next generation in their faith. At first, the “where” wasn’t clear. She didn’t yet know which children or what setting God had in mind. So she waited, listening and trusting that He would make it known in His time.

That clarity came when the Murakamis were led to make KCF their home church. It was there that Corinne stepped fully into her next calling—leading Kids4Christ. Today, she helps cultivate the kind of faith, patience, and grace she once admired in the children of Sue Yoshida, whose character reflected the goodness of God so clearly.

Corinne believes that children can be among the best examples of God’s transforming love. Their humility, joy, and honesty reveal what Jesus meant when He said, “Just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions” (Matthew 7:20). When we raise children to bear good fruit—to live out love, peace, patience, and kindness—they become living testimonies of God’s goodness to the world.

Corinne’s story reminds us that the Spirit’s call doesn’t always come with a detailed map. Sometimes it begins as a quiet stirring, an unshakable sense that God is asking you to step out in faith. The “where” and “how” may come later—but if you say “yes,” you just might find yourself in the very place you were created to serve.