Report for Saturday, April 23, 2010

Report for Saturday, April 23, 2010 (partly cloudy high 59 degrees)

We are not passing tracts during “rush hour” because it is alleged that no one will take a tract during the busy time of the day. The day started by: We all had breakfast at 7-8am then everyone started getting packed up to go out. Breakfast was delicious. I’m not too sure what it was, but I know that the main dish was fish. I am trying to try everything I am allowed (except sea urchin).
We got to the Tokyo Metro and had to buy a metro pass, they call “passamo.” I put 5000 yen on my pass and I am unsure how long that will last me. Our .90 cents is to their 1 yen. Then our teams disbursed and went to various different locations. My team went to Kanazawa outside of Tokyo. It was really challenging for us to get there and we had to stop and ask for directions several times. By God’s mercy, we got there around 11:30am. We broke up into twos. I would pass tracts by bowing while saying “Konnichiwa”, few took the tracts from me. Reception was low, but it altogether has to do with them as a culture. Those that did not take the tracts would either ignore you or would just laugh and smile. The females would laugh, as if they were shy or embarrassed OR it altogether could be due to the information on the tract.
A few instances that occurred is that this older woman and young man she was with both took a tract from me. The woman started smiling and talking to me in Japanese. I did NOT understand her one bit, but as she kept talking, I understood her say “Jesus.” She seemed very happy and as she stood by the street waiting to cross, I reached in my bag and gave her “To God Be The Glory!” She bowed to me and again seemed very happy and appreciative.
Young school children were receptive to the tracts, more so when they were in groups than by their selves. Which was interesting. My team leader and I were passing tracts to a group of schoolgirls and it must be that one girl didn’t get one, so she came towards me signifying that she wanted a tract. That was amazing!!! We knew the kids were school kids because they were dressed in school uniform.
On our way back, somewhere between Tokyo and Kanazawa, our group leader wanted us to hand out a few tracts at this one location where a their was a lot of people and two men up on a van speaking to the people on the streets. It seemed political to me. The reception was low, however, I seen this older man looking at the tract in my hand, and my team member gave him one and the man took it. It was awesome.
It is a blessing that anyone takes the tracts. It is definitely God working here.
I would find myself getting discouraged when the reception was so low and then I would get one or two people who would take a tract from me. Which was great!!

It really reminded me of Matthew 18:11-13

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.”

God is truly wonderful and very merciful!!!