It's Him, not me

It's Him, not me

Yesterday, we started the first preparation class for water baptism. My friend Kiyoka translated the Japanese materials into Chinese and gave it to me to for vetting. It has been so LONG since I read such LONG articles in Chinese. Hahaha…and I had to do it before the preaching started. So stressful!

There are two separate sessions: Japanese and Chinese. Due to the need for interpretation, Mr. Jiang and Jing Yun are in the Chinese group. Ps. Masami combined the first two lessons into one. It was on the Bible and who God is.

A little background on Mr. Jiang. He came to our church by himself this March. He has been in Japan for one and a half years at that time and his contract will end in another one and a half years time. His wife and his 17 year old son are still in China. His wife is a Christian and has been praying for his salvation. He admitted that he has been a nominal Christian because he smokes. So when he told his wife that he had cycled passed our church, he wife asked him to join us, which he did.

At first, Kiyoka and I struggled with his Shan Dong Mandarin accent. Not only is it slurred, his hanyu pinyin is also inaccurate because he lives in the North, by the sea. After a few weeks of attending both the morning and evening service, he decided to commit his life to Jesus.

Then, a crisis came. His dad became critically ill. He had liver cancer. Doctors recommended for an operation but he would only have one more year to live. So they decided against it. However, recently, the pain was so acute that he had to be hospitalized. Mr. Jiang was upset because he couldn’t return to China to see his dad. When we knew of it, many uncles and pastors in the church came forward and prayed for him. We prayed for his dad every week before and after the service. Three Sundays ago, he told me that his dad has passed away. Then the congregation prayed for him and his family.

I think Mr. Jiang felt the love of God through the church members. So last week, when Ps. Masami asked who wanted to be baptized, he was one of the people who raised their hands. After the service, I confirmed with him again and he told me, “Of course, I want to be baptized.” Praise the Lord!

I took a long walk home after the baptism class yesterday. Although I was tired, my heart was full of joy. I began to talk to God. I began to thank Him for the privilege to witness all these. Usually, one takes a long time to harvest, especially in Japan. But God allowed me to lead Jing Yun to Christ last year. Usually, the one who harvests will not get to see the next stage. However, God gave me the chance to witness Jing Yun’s water baptism. It’s Him, not me. I really haven’t done much. God has been working in her life. All I did was doing a few Bible studies with her and spending time with her. My life hasn’t been too great either. But God has a plan for both Jing Yun and Mr. Jiang in Japan, and He allows me to be His partner in this. What an honor!

Truly, it’s a joy to serve the Lord. To God be the glory!