Often, Japanese people take a long time to come to faith, but not always.
Megumi,* a lady in her mid-sixties, was astonished to find a small church only 290 m from her new apartment. She took a flyer from a box outside Izumi church to find out when the services would be. The following Sunday, she and her young granddaughter bravely joined the worship service. To our surprise and joy, Megumi kept coming. I invited her to my English class. “Can I really attend? I don’t know any English at all.” I encouraged her to try, and she did. She really didn’t know much English, but she worked hard at it.
While she struggled with English, she really loved the Bible time in Japanese at the end of each lesson. After a while, I asked if she’d like to do an evangelistic Bible course with me. She was only too happy to accept. I was amazed at how joyfully she took in what we read and talked about, how trustingly she approached God. Had anything prepared her in advance?
It turned out that as a young wife and mother, she’d had contact with Jehovah‘s Witnesses and studied with them for a while. However, she became too busy and also felt something wasn‘t right, so she stopped. Nevertheless, she had always believed there was a God and wanted to get to know him. When she retired and moved to Sapporo, she decided to learn more about the Bible and the true God. How marvellous that this God had placed her so close to Izumi church!
One Sunday, before we finished the course, she was deeply moved by the sermon. She knew she was a sinner and needed Jesus. When she mentioned this to a church member, that lady said: “Oh, you can invite Jesus into your life right away! Let‘s get the pastor, and then we‘ll pray together!” Thankfully, they also called me, so I was able to listen to Megumi repenting of her sins and accepting Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. What joy!
I was thrilled to see her grow in faith and trust. She found peace and lost some of her fears. We praised God when she was baptized and joined the church as a full and faithful member.
In a way, Megumi had taken decades from first hearing about Jesus to giving her life to him. Yet for us, her way from seeker to believer was blessedly short and smooth, and therefore a great encouragement. Missionaries in Japan have learned to be so patient with people as they journey towards Christ that we sometimes stop expecting great things in a short time. Praise God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!
By an OMF missionary
*Name changed
