After
8 AM, on July 28th, I boarded a train near my house to travel to
Tookamachi City in Niigata Prefecture. At that time, heavy rains had been
falling there for several hours. The first I heard of it was an announcement on
the train, telling of local trains in that area not running because of
flooding. From Nagaoka City, I was able to catch a bus to Tookamachi. The bus
traveled a highway along the Shinano River. That river was swollen with brown
floodwater and was boisterous. I saw washed out areas and flooded areas along
the way. Thank God, the bus made it safely to Tookamachi. Getting off the bus,
I caught a taxi nearby which took me to the apartment I had already rented and
had already gotten the key to it.
I went into the apartment, prayed for God to
bless my time here and make it fruitful, took over 300 prayer sheets that I
brought with me on the train, and at 2:50 PM immediately went out walking under
my umbrella, leaving a prayer sheet at each house. I returned to the apartment
quite soaked before 6 PM, having put out close to 300 of the sheets, and
praying for the salvation of the souls who would see them. After 8 PM, a truck
delivered the 8 boxes of literature and personal items from my house I shipped
2 days before.
The next morning, I went out putting out the
literature in light rain, seeing flood damage; some streets washed away and
parts of foundations washed out from under houses. Residents had already
evacuated their dwellings in some such areas near streams. I walked all day,
putting out about 700 prayer sheets. That night as I slept in the apartment,
rain came down in torrents. I prayed hard, knowing this was most dangerous.
That night and the next day, Saturday 30 July, 3 or 4 people in Tookamachi
drowned in the flooding. Thank the Lord; no floodwaters reached the apartment
complex in which I was abiding. Our Lord was most merciful and gracious to keep
me safe amidst that danger. I know your prayers for me help much. God bless you
for praying.
The
rain lightened Saturday morning, so I again went out distributing the prayer
sheets. People who lived near streams were shoveling mud out of their houses. Muddy,
soaked bedding, clothing, books, and such household items were stacked outside
some houses, much of it to be thrown away. I prayed hard for the people
suffering so badly, preached some on the street, and left literature at each
house I could. Small railroad trestles and bridges had been washed away.
Highways and some bridges had been washed away in places. Everyone quickly got
hard to work, laboring hard at cleaning up and starting to make repairs. It was
most heartbreaking to see, knowing that most all of them are without Christ,
lost with no eternal hope.
“If
in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (I Corinthians 15:19) At times, life becomes a hard struggle for
anyone. But we Christians are fortified by knowing that a perfect life in
Heaven awaits us after this short life on earth. That makes us victorious now,
no matter how hard the struggle.
But
all souls without Christ are lost without hope. Christian friend, I walked by
several dear lost souls there in Tookamachi who were shoveling mud out of their
houses. Ruined, rain soaked and mud soaked household possessions were stacked
outside the small houses, in the tiny yards or along the street. Many of those
things would have to be thrown away. And the people were doing exactly what
comes naturally, that being, just doing the best they could,
laboring hard (struggling hard with all their power and might) to overcome the
disaster that had struck them. And unless they repent, all that awaits them
after this life is eternal Hell fire. That breaks my heart. I prayed hard that
they would look upon those written prayers I left at each house, and pray them
from their hearts. Please pray with me for their salvation.
Back
in the mid 1990s, I passed thru Tookamachi once on the train, not getting off
there. Other than that, I had never been there before. But I felt led to spend
a month distributing Gospel literature there. Truly God led me there right when
many people were suffering. May they look to their Maker for help.
I
found the one Protestant church in that town and attended it the 4 Sundays I
was there. The Christians in the church were a blessing to me, about 26 or so
people attending Sunday morning services. I stayed in Tookamachi till the
afternoon of August 26th. Some trains were running by then, and I
was able to get out of there by train, and return home as planned. In the 30
days I was there, God enabled me to distribute from house to house all the
literature I brought and shipped by truck. Total was about 14,000 pieces. I
preached some on the streets and personally witnessed to a few people. I pray
that the Lord of the harvest will bring fruit from the Gospel Seed I
broadcasted to many souls at a time when they were in despair. I hope God put
me there at that time of disaster for the purpose of pointing souls to Christ.
Save souls, Lord. What a glorious privilege to be here in Japan exalting Christ
and holding forth the words of life.
Thank
you for praying for me and interceding in prayer for the many lost Japanese to
whom I preach Christ. As for you, who give financially to me, thank you so much
for that help. God bless you for all you do and repay you many fold over for
all you give. God be near and dear to you, to bless and keep you.
Christ’s unprofitable servant,
Richard Yerby