Connecting the Dots

“‘Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?’” Jeremiah 32:27, NASB.

This morning, as we sat under the trees in the zoo section of a park, having worship with a new Christian and another missionary couple, I couldn’t help but praise the Lord for the wonderful way He had brought us all together. It is exciting to see how God connected the dots, His way!

About a month ago, we received a call from Miku. My husband, Tak, disciples Miku in Okinawa via the Internet. Miku posted his salvation testimony on the web. Sia is a young woman who has been seeking. She has attended many different churches, studied the Bible with pastors, and even studied theology. From among the thousands of testimonies on the Internet she read Miku’s story, and was moved to write him. They corresponded for about a month as she sought answers to her many questions.

Finally, she decided that she needed to talk face-to-face with someone. Miku called Tak and asked if we could talk to her. Tak immediately called Sai and made an appointment to meet. She came to our home, and after about three hours of dialogue with her, she decided to pray to receive Christ. She requested to be baptized immediately!

She went home and told her husband that she wanted to be baptized. She tried to explain to him what baptism was, but he couldn’t understand. She called us at 11 p.m. that evening wanting to meet again so her husband could learn about baptism. We met the next afternoon.

The following week Sai opened her home and seven of us, including one of her best friends who is not a Christian, gathered there for her baptism. Sai is growing and witnessing to her family and friends.

Just as God knew that we were leaving for stateside assignment, He also knew that Sai lived within a short bicycle ride from Mark and Mie Busby. The Busby’s had been praying for God to send them someone to worship with. Mie and I met Sai a couple of times to mentor her and Mie and Sai now exchange email often. God is using Mie to help nurture Sai in her new Christian faith.

We trust God to grow this church. After all, He brought it all together. He used the Internet, a man in Okinawa, us, even though we are not assigned to Tokyo, and the Busby’s to bring one woman to faith and to start a church.

Pray that:

This small beginning will grow into a vibrant church that will be His light in the Kichijoji area of Tokyo.

Sai’s husband and family will come to faith in Jesus.

Sai will continue to be a bold and faithful witness to the people around her.

Mr. Miku’s story will continue to touch many Japanese lives with the Gospel.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.