My former homeless friend and i went to church near Tsuruhashi on the first Sabbath of January. This is about the only SDA church i know of in Osaka where they are not openly defying God. But how disappointed i was when the pastor gave the same sermon i’ve heard so many times – that agape love is God’s special love, and that it is “unconditional”. During the meal after the sermon i told the pastor, who is a young man sent from Korea, that he should repent and teach the truth. He asked for more information, so i sent him a detailed thing about how agape doesn’t have anything to do with some kind of special love, and how God does hate some of his created beings. There has been no response. Funny thing, in reading the new year’s message from the Western Japan Conference president, i see the exact same thing written. Lord, how long will you allow your people to be lulled to sleep like this? How long will we desire smooth things spoken to us? May we repent and follow you Jesus, to the cross.
My former homeless friend was very happy to have me come to his little one-room mansion at first, but slowly started letting out how i’m in his way by complaining when he smokes in the room, and asking him to do something with his large bottle of urine that he usually uses as getting up to walk the 3 steps to the bathroom is too bothersome. But really, just seeing that bottle about 2 feet away from you while eating is gross.
It’s so sad to see how this 75 y.o. man has digressed in the 3 years i’ve been gone. When i left Japan in 2005 he had stopped smoking and drinking, and was seriously considering following Jesus. Now, he is back to living like he did when homeless – like an animal – except now that he gets money from the govt. every month so has enough to eat and drink and smoke. I believe one reason he digressed, is that he used to be very, very careful about saving money. He would eat just white rice with maybe one vegetable for his meals. Over a couple of years, he saved more than 5,000usd. But the govt. official found out about that, got angry, and took all that money plus cut off his welfare from the govt. for 4 months. After that my friend says “use it all up, as much as you can”. So he buys around 3 or 4 cups of sake or beer a day, plus some other junky stuff that he doesn’t need at all, just to get to zero at the end of the month to keep the official happy. What a waste!
His place is very small, and full of mold and mildew and sometimes cigarette smoke, so i try to spend most of my time outside. It is fun walking around, seeing old sights, and once in a while with the right angle of the building and shadows etc., it really hits me in a nostalgic way – bringing back lots of old memories. I do see tho that some of my old memories are not really good ones that will help lead me to heaven. Perhaps one reason is that of all the girls i’ve ever liked, all of them were ones i met here in Osaka…..
The lady of the first house i stayed at when coming to Japan, (a SDA member) got very sick. She is the one who wanted me out because i was sick. Fortunately for me, her sickness is different from what i had, so she isn’t blaming me for it. It is so sad to see her want to follow Jesus, but not live like he lived.
Probably the only really encouraging thing i’ve experienced since coming to Japan, is that i visited a lady who is baptised SDA, but who regularly breaks the Sabbath. We had a very nice talk, and she became more convinced than ever to stop work on Sabbath and follow what God says to do. She gave me some money too, which is a great help.
She was also thankful for the material that Pastor Kinjo in Okinawa sent her. I agreed that most of it is good, but stuff about the pyramid on the back of the U.S. one dollar bill being satanic, and Obama’s seal showing the sun having some sinister meaning are just pure baloney – conspiracy theories to make God’s people look stupid. I’ve warned that pastor once before, but it doesn’t look to have had any impact. He sent out a newsletter after the tsunami several years ago showing a picture that was obviously photo-shopped. I told him it was fake, yet he didn’t see the need to take it back. So sad to see, as he is basically the only SDA in Japan who is printing solid truth-filled material.
The next Sabbath i went by myself to Nara, which has the only church i know of in all of Japan (except maybe Biwako church) that is really trying to stay with the truth. The church has been totally rebuilt, bearing a modern, cold, concrete look. The sermon was straight, and the talk during lunch was even often on religious themes, which was very refreshing and nice. One of the ladies was quite surprised to know that i was the person who caused such trouble with the homeless at Osaka Center church in 2000.
No snow has fallen yet here, but it is quite cold, often around 4 or 5 degrees during the day, with a strong wind, and even a little dip in the freezing area at nite sometimes. Sure am glad to have a place to stay!
On Sunday i went to see the lady of the house where i used to live in Katano for 7 years. She is one of the 2 peope who told me before coming that i would be welcome to stay there as long as i wish. Unfortunately, she has depression, and can’t do hardly anything except lay in bed. It was so sad to see her crying in bed, while all her children and grandkids came to her house. We had a great time, as all the kids played with me a lot, making my heart twist a bit too. What a fun time 🙂
I stayed one nite there, and since the next day was a holiday for “Coming of Age”, i went around and saw a few of my old Engish students. It was great to see the kids getting bigger, and some of them even remember a bit of Engish – ha! One of the students’ parents even gave 300usd for the school i hope to help get started in Thailand one day – wow! Just wish the people were interested in Jesus too…… These people all have big houses, but only one mentioned anything about me staying there, saying she would have to check with her husband, but i declined.
Right now i’m staying with a family in their 2dk mansion. I used to work with the mama at Country Life Restaurant many years ago, when she was only 18. Now she is 33 with a husband and kid! Her husband said i could stay 2 days, for which i’m very thankful. She cheerfully prepares vegetarian meals, as she is mostly veggie too, but i know i’m a bit of a burden. Mostly i talk with her, play with the kid, or type on this computer. We did go to the park yesterday, and her kid, who was so shy towards me the first day, went the opposite extreme and was climbing all over me – ha! I love kids 🙂
I’m trying to print a Japanese study guide for the 1858gc book. I’ve already made it on my computer, but am looking now to print it. I was told yesterday that it would cost around 200-300usd for 30 booklets, which shocked me. I told them it cost a little less than 20usd to do that in Thailand, so maybe i should buy an airline ticket and go to Thailand and print them there and come back – ha! My plan now is to find someone who will let me use their home printer, and just get a cutter and stapler and a couple of cartridges of ink, and doing it myself. Any ideas?
So tomorrow i guess i’ll go back to my former homeless friend’s place. My plan is to stay in Osaka area until the beginning of February. I’m scheduled to give a 1858gc study at the Himeji church on the 31st, so am looking forward to that very much. If that pastor enjoys this book, i pray that the Lord will impress on him to invite me to go to Tokyo area and spread the book there. Then i hope to come back to Osaka in March, and then if i don’t go to Okinawa, i hope to go to America in the first part of March.