The Language of Love

Binghamton, NY

     A few days ago, a Samaritan's Purse Team Leader was driving and saw a elderly, Japanese lady dragging a heavy garbage can to the road and stopped to offer help.  Finding that she had been flooded and her children had helped her mud out her home, the SP Leader offered for SP to come and power wash and do mold remediation. 
     The spray team went in yesterday and got started with the basement.  While there, one of the SP members talked with the lady and found out she was married to a US Army man after the war and came to America from Japan.  She self taught herself English.
    The SP member asked the chaplains this morning if they had a Japanese Bible.  The chaplains called the number for the local Gideons and asked if they had one.  The Gideon, Charles Kark, said he did have a Japanese-English Bible he used for speaking in churches and he was willing to give it to the BGEA Chaplains.  The chaplains drove out to the farm and had prayer with Mr. Kark over the Bible. 
   The chaplains took the Japanese-English Bible to the job site, where Reiko (pronounced Layco) lives.  The chaplains gave the Bible to the team leader and then went to talk with her.  She is 76 years old and was raised in the Buddhist culture.  She shared about the flood and getting older and her husband dying.  When the chaplains asked her if she believed in Jesus Christ, she said she had attended the Lutheran church in high school and she believed in Him, but was not sure of heaven.  Chaplains shared the love of Jesus and the hope and assurance He can give for eternity.  Reiko, in broken English, prayed to receive Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. 
  The chaplains signed the Bible, along with the SP team, and the Japanese-English Bible was given to Reiko.  She can now read more about the salvation and promises and hope Jesus gave to her.