My husband and I lived in Japan for
five years. We had base privileges for everything but our
housing; as civilians, we had to live in the “cho” (neighborhood).
Most of the Navy wives taught Conversational
English to the Japanese and at some point in time, I had heard each of them
make the comment, “Oh, I have to get
home to teach a class in fifteen minutes.” Often there was annoyance in their
tone. I didn’t want to develop that attitude toward teaching so I had no desire
to take on any students.
I remember on one of my trips home to visit
family in California, I was asked, “And what do you do with your
time in Japan?” A sense of guilt washed over me as I answered
almost ashamed, “Nothing!”
On the flight back to Japan I began to
bargain with God. I told Him, “OK, if You
want me to teach English to the Japanese, then they’ll have to come to my house and knock on my door and ask
me!” I thought I was being pretty safe with that approach.
God has such a sense of humor…THEY DID!!! I was home only a few days
when a Japanese neighbor who worked in a Muscular Dystrophy hospital in
Kawatana where we lived, knocked on my door and asked if I would be willing to
come to the hospital to have Conversational English lessons with one of her
patients.
Nobuyuki
had been employed in the hotel industry in England as a young man so he already
knew English. When his illness became debilitating, he returned to Japan and
eventually had to reside in this hospital. He was now wheelchair bound and only
had the use of his right hand, which operated his chair. All other life
functions had to be done for him.
During our lessons Nobu would choose a
subject and we would discuss it. If I used any word that he didn’t recognize, I
would define it at length. He was especially interested in understanding our
“slang.” Americans automatically know what is meant when using a slang term so
I was a bit challenged to find English words to define English words. How would
you explain: like water off a duck’s back, handy as a pocket
on a shirt, that’s about the size of it, ace in the hole, it’s up in the air, a
shot in the dark, etc.
One serious subject Nobu wanted to discuss
was the issue of abortion. Since I am pro-life, I had brought some printed
materials and pictures with me from the states. I took these to the hospital
for our next lesson, not realizing until I arrived that he was personally
involved with this issue and was under great conviction by the Holy Spirit.
I
learned he had advised some friends to abort their baby because they were not
married and would “lose face” if the pregnancy was discovered. Now that counsel
was weighing heavily on his conscience. I was so glad I learned of this before
showing him the materials I had brought, which would have overwhelmed him with
even more guilt and remorse.
The
approach I took was to share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Knowing that
the Japanese people believe in many gods, I told Nobu that my God was a God of forgiveness. I wrote the word SIN on the board, then
took a piece of paper and covered it. I explained that we can try to cover our sin under our own
power but it will always be there; just under the surface. I then lifted the
paper to expose the word again and exclaimed, "But my God forgives sin completely, as
far as the east is from the west, as deep as the depths of the sea, and as high
as the sky." (Psalm
103:10-12) I then erased the word sin and Nobu’s eyes got as big as saucers. He smiled
happily from ear to ear. He understood and saw that there was hope for him in
Jesus Christ.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John
3:16)
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us
into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14)
“Jesus said… ‘I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me.’ ” (John 14:6) “Nor
is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
Nobu wanted forgiveness but I knew
there was more explaining to do about salvation! I introduced him to a Japanese
pastor who could guide him through the culture of their many gods and disciple
him to forsake all others and cling only to Jesus. I planted, Pastor
Sasaki watered, God made the increase. It was not long afterward that I
received an invitation to Nobu’s baptism.
What made this so exceptional was that it would have been
expedient and totally understandable to sprinkle Nobu with water in a ceremony
on the hospital grounds. After all, he could not move, but Nobu wanted to be
baptized “as his Lord and Savior” had done, by immersion. This procedure
required setting up a privacy tent on the beach so that his clothes could be
changed afterward. Gallons of fresh water and a nurse from the hospital had to
be in attendance to bathe the salt water from his body and redress him. A type
of hammock was needed to lay him in and two strong souls to carry him in and
out of the water.
When the day arrived, many of the local Christians we knew,
both Japanese and American, were invited to enjoy this special occasion with
Nobu. A potluck dinner was set up in the pavilion. When the time came, we all
marched down to the water’s edge to witness this extraordinary baptism.
Spontaneous singing and praise broke out as Nobu was lifted out of the water.
The ceremony took on a special significance for me. I had
watched many baptisms in U.S. churches and even one in a swimming pool;
however, I had never been baptized by immersion myself since I had been
sprinkled as a child in the Methodist church and considered myself already
baptized. As I began to see and appreciate the extent to which Nobu was willing
to go to be baptized “as his Lord,” I thought that I, too, should be baptized
by immersion.
The next time the base chapel announced a baptism service, I
was included. We were to go to the waterfalls and enjoy a picnic afterward. It
was April, in Japan, and the waterfalls were raging with snow melting off the
mountains. There were five of us baptized that day all freezing with chattering
teeth under the thunder of the most beautiful falls imaginable.
My baptism by immersion is very special to me. It’s
remarkable that it took a Japanese man in a country across the world to bring
it to pass.
"Therefore we were
buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life.” (Rom 6:4)
Our English lessons continued for three years and Nobu and I
became good friends. He is
a strong Christian to this day.
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