CHRIST IS ALL
Winter (December 2017, January
and February 2018)
Dear Friend in Christ,
December 2017
Thru out
December, I did outdoor evangelism just about every day that it did not pour
rain all day. I preached and sang in various places where there were a number
of lost Japanese souls around, calling on them to come to the Saviour of the world to be saved.
I walked from house to house, leaving the saving Gospel in print at each door,
and I passed out Christian literature at a couple of schools. I taught English
conversation to several lost Japanese souls who asked for that. I spoke of
Christ to them and offered literature free for the taking. I did not thrust
literature into their hands. I pointed it out to them and invited them to freely take it. Only a few took a little.
May it bring forth fruit. Some of them invited me to
their Christmas and New Years holiday feasting and
making merry and such. I thank God for the contacts, praying that they saw
Christ in me.
January 2018
In general, I
continued the evangelistic ministry written above thru January 23rd. I passed out pocket size tissue packs in front of 4 different elementary schools to the kids in the afternoon
as they walked out the gate to walk home. From November till 23
January, each month I passed out notices and literature to grammar school kids.
Most of them received it joyfully, with a good number of them talking to me as
I told them of my Sunday School classes,
English classes, and the bazaar each Saturday afternoon. Seeing that
they showed interest in these things, I thought that several would come to some
or all of these events.Not a
one of them came. In January, a Japanese man who came for English
classes told me that the school teachers in all 4
schools were telling the kids not to talk to me or have anything to do with me.
Most or all parents likely told their own kids the same. Thus
those adults ruling over those kids overrode the kids' desires. May our
Lord graciously bring them all to repentance.
Otherwise, hot memories of remorse and regret will burn in their minds for also
damning their offspring, as they all weep
and wail and gnash their teeth for all eternity. Lord, please have mercy
upon them all.
The entrance to Nigatsuden train station is 22 steps from the front door of
the mission station God so graciously provided for me there in Ibusuki City. On Wednesday morning of 24
January, I boarded a train there and rode to Mino Mission's Tomidahama
church in Mie Prefecture. That night, I preached at their Bible Study. The
following night, I preached at their church in Oogaki
City in Gifu Prefecture, 40 or miles away by car. I rode there (and back late
Thursday night) with Pastor Isaac.
On Saturday, I
preached at a 3 PM evangelistic service at
missionary Pastor Jeff Brigham's church in Anjo City
in Aichi Prefecture. That was a blessed service. Pastor Isaac's 2 sons went there with me by train. Jeff's 2 sons (who have almost no friends their own age) were glad
to see Pastor Isaac's sons there. When it came time for us to board a train to
return to the Tomidahama church, the trains were
halted, apparently because someone committed suicide by stepping in front of a
train somewhere not very far from there. Tragic.
Jeff drove us back to Tomidahama, thus getting to see
Pastor Isaac briefly.
The following
day, Sunday, January 28th, I preached at the
morning andevening service at Mino
Mission's Tomidahama church and bade Farewell to
those dear friends there. The following morning, Monday, January 29th, I departed there on the 5:24 AM train and
rode to my house in Matsuida. There I tended to my
affairs at home till the next afternoon, closed up my
house and walked to the nearby train station with my packed suitcases and rode
trains to a hotel near Narita Airport and spent the night there. The
following morning, 31 January, I flew from Narita to Dallas to Memphis,
arriving safely at noon, thank God. (I "gained" 15 hours
along the way.) All three of my siblings, my sister and 2 brothers were waiting for me at Memphis and took me to my
brother's house in Tupelo, Mississippi where we had supper together.
On Saturday, February 3, I
drove to Navarre, Florida to preach in churches and cottage meetings in that
area thru 25 February. It was a most blessed time,
making new Christian friends and preaching to a few Japanese I met for the
first time. I also got to preach once in a prison, to
about 25 prisoners who listenedever
so attentively, most of them professing to having trusted in
Christ previously. Save them all to the utmost, Lord.
On Monday 26
February, I drove to my friends' house in Byron, Georgia to preach in Grace
Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia on Wednesday night 28
February.
Thank you for
praying for safe and timely travel for me. Thank you for your generous giving,
enabling me to travel for our Lord Jesus Christ.
Christ's servant to Japan,
Richard
Yerby