Japan is a long island country with four main islands and countless islands around them. Kyushu is the most southerly among its four main islands. And about two hours by plane from Kyushu, there is a little island called Okinawa in the very southernmost part of Japan. Right now, one deaconess runs a house church where some brothers and sisters are keeping their faith.
It’s been a long time since a house church was built in Okinawa, but unfortunately there were only a few members left because many souls who received the truth failed to overcome various trials and temptations, and the deaconess’ children moved out to a different region. It must have been hard for the deaconess, but she said with confidence, “I’m not lonely because Mother is with me and our brothers and sisters are praying for me.”
The deaconess, who had pulled herself together even in such difficult situations, asked us to come to Okinawa because there were some people who wanted to receive the truth. We made a plan as soon as we received her phone call, and left for Okinawa in early March. In Okinawa, people with pure souls were waiting for us.
Sister Matayosi had been fond of going to the shrines (places of Shinto worship in Japan) before receiving the truth. Even after hearing the words of the Bible, she told the deaconess that she was going to a shrine to worship. This worried the deaconess a lot. A few days later, however, she came back and surprised her by saying, “I want to be baptized.”
What happened was that after hearing the word of God, she didn’t feel right about worshiping at a shrine though she had always done it before, so she didn’t go inside the shrine but just turned back. Since then, she had been waiting to be baptized, and finally she was reborn as a child of God with great joy.
Some people at a U.S. military base also received the blessing of a new life with joy, just like the sister. As there were Koreans, Japanese, and Americans, it was hard for them to communicate well, but they sincerely congratulated one another on becoming God’s children. It was a festival-like atmosphere.
On the second day, we studied the Bible with some new brothers and sisters who had become members of our heavenly family a few months ago. Three families were blessed with salvation around October in 2016, and they grew beautifully in faith for the past few months.
After working all night, they gathered together and studied the word of God with twinkling eyes without showing any sign of tiredness. I was moved when they shed tears after realizing the holy love and sacrifice of God the Father and Mother and tracing Their footsteps of the gospel.
After the two days in Okinawa, full of touching moments, the time came for us to go back to Fukuoka.
“Please come back.”
I told them that I would come back anytime if they found more members of our heavenly family. Then they showed their determination by saying, “We will preach the gospel diligently and call you to come back soon.”
That “soon” came very quickly. A few days after I left Okinawa, I received a phone call from them. They asked me to come again quickly since Sister Kuboda’s younger brother and his wife and three more members of her family decided to receive the truth.
From the day after I left Okinawa, the sister started preaching to her younger brother. The beginning was weak. She could not hold it in any longer without preaching to her younger brother. But she found out he was indifferent. When she preached God’s word to her younger brother because she could not hold it in any longer, he had no interest in it. So she studied the Bible a little more and preached to him again and again. Ultimately, not only her younger brother, but also the other members of her family opened their hearts.
I will visit Okinawa again soon, so that they won’t wait too long. I am so thankful to God for gathering such beautiful souls in Okinawa, which is a small island in the southernmost of Japan. Father and Mother, please give abundant blessings to Your children who are fervently preaching the gospel in Kyushu and Okinawa, Japan, yearning for Heavenly Mother!