It was great to be back at our old church in Ikoma where we attended when we lived in Japan. We went there on our first Sunday here also, and that's where I taught an English class.
One of the students, Mr. Baba, has studied English through the church English class for more than 30 years!
After the service was over, I was praying for an opportunity to ask Mr. Baba about the reason he still comes to the church after all these years. To my knowledge, he isn't yet a believer.
I had the opportunity today to ask him why he enjoys the church English program so much. He stays for the bi-lingual church service after too. Of course, I got some of the standard answers, such as, he likes to practice his English, but he also admitted that he enjoys the messages each week and that he thinks about what he hears. I asked him if he has a Bible at home and he said that he does. Please pray that Mr. Baba would think more about what he has heard, and perhaps even today's message would have spoken to his heart.
The message was from the book of Ruth and how Ruth's choices affected not only her, but many others too. Ruth chose to follow her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, and she also chose to follow her mother-in-law's God, the true God.
This message, I feel, is one that might resonate with Japanese, who often see the Bible as a 'western' book and not relevant or for them specifically.
After the service we shared lunch together and then had the opportunity to meet up with Robert & Mai Mackenzie, a couple that we've known for many years.
They attend a church in Sakai city, south of Osaka, the church Crystal attended when I first met her back in 2000.
Robert was telling me about the opportunities the Lord gives him to be a witness at work and he believes the Lord has put him in the position he's in for that specific reason.
Pray also for Robert and Mai, as a Christian couple with 2 young children, they face many challenges living in a culture that is at best indifferent to the Gospel, and at worst, opposes the Gospel message on many fronts.
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