That very day, I received an e-mail from Alex Verwey (my former boss's son) who is in charge of the English teaching programme at Japan Mission, asking me if I would consider going to teach English for a pastor who was very ill in hospital.
Although the circumstances were unfortunate, I was very glad to have the opportunity to teach an English class, something I hadn't done in several years.
I was able to teach 4 classes, 3 kids classes and an adult class. There are currently about 15 students who come on a Friday, and Japan Mission is committed to teaching there for 4 weeks. Pray that these students will be open to the Gospel as a result of coming to the church to learn English, and that Yuki and Stephen would have opportunities to speak to them about the Lord.
The drive to Shigaraki-cho, the little town in Shiga Prefecture, next to Nara where we are staying, was very interesting, with long, windy roads, going through mountain paths and tea plantations, then arriving in Shigaraki, which is also famous for its' pottery.
It was a real thrill to be able to go to a small church, and visit with the pastor's wife, Yuki, who has lived in Scotland and England before, so her English is very good. Her husband, Stephen, is quite ill with various health problems, including diverticulitis. Please pray for him as he recovers and goes for surgery in the next few months. Meanwhile, his wife, Yuki, takes the responsibility of keeping the English classes going and making sure the various meetings at church continue. The church has around 17 in attendance on a Sunday, in an area of Japan that is steeped in Buddhist tradition and quite hard work for the Gospel.
However, Yuki remains bright and cheerful, despite the challenges, and is determined to remain here as long as the Lord would have them stay.
The church, though small in size, is well established here, having been here around 70 years!
Yuki also mentioned the powerful influence of a cult, known as shumeikai (sounds like shoemaker) which teaches 3 things: 1. Renounce all that is not organic; 2. The hand has the power to heal; 3. Everything in nature is god. This cult has it's headquarters in Shigaraki. Yuki mentioned that when she was living in England, she even met some of the cult members there, as the are very interested in culture and like to collect artifacts from various countries. They have even opened several museums, and have had pieces donated to them from museums overseas!
This cult is particularly powerful among the people who seek to make a living from their pottery making business, as the cult has plenty of money, which they distribute freely in order to gain converts, making their teachings hard to resist. Apparently, they have even opened several museums, and have been given exhibits from museums in the USA!
One praise item is that Yuki told me she has two individuals who are adherents of this cult, come to the church to study the Bible. She feels that the plight of those trapped by the cult cannot be ignored, and is trying to do all she can to teach them the right way from God's Word.
Pray for this little church and for Stephen & Yuki Williams who seek to minister to the people of Shigaraki-cho.
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| The English class takes place at the back of the main church building |
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| A view of the main church meeting room |
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| A view of the church building from the outside |
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| The little creatures, in Japanese called 'tanuki' are made from clay by local potters |
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| This is a large Tanuki, but I discovered even bigger ones on my drive |
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| The roads are super narrow. This is actually a road where traffic travels in both directions! |
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| The drive to the church took me along a river for a large part of the journey |
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| In the distance, you can see the tea plantations. It was amazing to see the tea growing everywhere on the journey |
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| The tea looks like very neatly manicured hedges |
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