Ev: God's "Tea House" Moments

We only spent one day with Richard and Keri Nakumara but I wished we had more time with them. Richard gave us a deeper understanding of what was happening in Japan. He shared the history of Christianity, the persecution of believers, and the spiritual culture in Japan. We had focused on developing relationships during the VBS week with the parents and kids, but Richard taught me about the "Tea House" moments in Japan. I experienced three of them.

It was on the last day and we were on the local bus going to another bus stop where we would catch a ride to the airport. Al got up to give a seat to an older woman who sat next to me. She began talking to me in Japanese and I quickly told her I was from America and did not understand. The amazing thing is she continued to talk and some how two people communicated without understanding each other's words. She gave me a woven momento and I gave her the last of my two pamphlets about God's love and salvation which had a CD in it. Richard had given two to each of us and encouraged us to pass them along as God directed. She shared a taped recording of Japanese opera and showed some music. When we got off, Richard told me what she shared with me. She had thanked me for this "tea house" experience where strangers come together for a brief moment to enjoy tea together and then go their separate ways. We prayed at the bus stop for this woman that she would be open to the message on the pamphlet.

It was then that I realized that God had given me other "tea house" moments. The second one was when Richard had taken us to Askusa where there were Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines that were surrounded by shopping and eating places. He prayed with us and then gave each of us 2 pamphlets to pass out. He asked us to pray as we walked through to the other end of the shopping area, and, if led, to pass out the pamphlets to people we meet. I had never done this. How do you know you are being "led" to give this pamphlet to people who speak a different language? Al and I walked all the way to the end and took a short break to buy a shaved iced cone. A woman said thank you to me in Japanese and smiled. We left to meet the team but I couldn't get rid of the urge to give that Japanese woman a pamphlet. I walked back and said thank you for the wonderful shaved ice. I passed the pamphlet to her and said, "This is a gift" and I left. She glanced at it and thanked me. I don't know what happened but it is in God's hand - two strangers from two different countries sharing a "tea house" moment.

The last "tea house" moment was at the nursing home in Nokendai. We shared the gospel, a story, we sang "Jesus Loves Me" and "Seek Ye First" in Japanese, and Matt played piano. Before we left, for some reason, I wanted to touch and shake hands with the people here. Amy had some cards with a message in Japanese about God's love which a supporter had given her. Everyone on the team took cards and began walking around. I took the hands of the people I met and said to them, "Arigatou gozaimasu. God loves you" as I gave them one of those cards. It was not a long moment with each person, but it was a short, shared experience that we pray will allow the people we met to come a little closer to becoming part of God's family.

I learned that God doesn't always use planned programs to do His work and that I have to be always ready for those "tea house" moments God gives us. Next year, if I go, I have been convicted that I need to learn to say "Kami-sama Anata Ai suru" - God loves you and much more. I also appreciated what Richard answered when we asked him, "You said that you were really shy when you were younger. What happened?" Richard would stop and talk to strangers and share the gospel as we walked. He said that when he was young, he had nothing to say. Now, with God's love in His life and the truth he now knows, he can't stop talking! It really convicted me.

Again, this trip has given me so much more than I gave to it. God used us to touch Japan, and God used our Japan experience to touch us. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. Truly, you were an important part of both teams. What happened these past two weeks in Nokendai and Tokorazawa could not have happened without you all.

Blessings, Ev