Question for J of J

Thanks for asking. I don't remember where I stopped the story, but Mr. U., having escaped the yakuza gang in our city, worked for awhile in the disaster zone (2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster) cleaning up nuclear waste in full hazmat gear. He then moved to the big city of Sapporo on our island, where he was able to obtain a police-sponsored exit paper from the gang by making a phone call to the #2 leader (his immediate boss in the gang) and officially requesting release. This way the gang can't touch him (as in beat up, cut off the little finger, or even murder!) without huge repercussions from the police.

Mr. U. has found a good, Bible-believing church in the big city. He still loves his Bible and reads it all the time. I think he'll be okay.

In the meantime, Mr. Ushi (not his real name), one of his underlings in his branch of the gang has trusted Christ as Savior and is coming faithfully. I believe I mentioned that Mr. U helped this man exit the gang and get police protection. In spite of being a former enforcer (20 years in full-contact karate), Ushi San has a sweet attitude and seems to attract people like flies. He's gotten three different people to come to church so far!

I've been able to witness at length twice in Ushi's apartment with another gang underling of Mr. U, Mr. Ichikawa (not his real name). Ichikawa San shared with me that he finds life meaningless and so wants further time learning the Gospel with me. Unfortunately this week I have the flu, and was not able to do that.

 

Looking back at the original thread, I see that at the end of that I named a third tier gang member I called "Uchiwa." This is the man I just called "Ushi" in this thread. As I said, he trusted Christ as Savior back in the Spring and has been coming faithfully ever since. Since getting out of the gang he's been making new friends in addition to ex-yakuza (or maybe still gangster, not sure) Ichikawa I mentioned in this thread.

This past Sunday he brought a man named Matsuura to church for the second time. Matsuura seems careless, not really interested, but if he comes enough the Gospel will get him! Another new friend he brought to church has the given name Miki. She just came once and claims there is no God, but she's not really an intellect (to put it mildly).

The time Miki came we stopped at a 7-11 on the right side of the road (remember this) on the way to church. We got to church and she listened well enough in SS, but then lay down in the back of the church by the heater and slept the service away, snoring all the time! This was disconcerting while I was trying to preach, to say the least! After the service she said, "That's the best sleep I've had in a long time!" :sleep:

On the way home we came to the same 7-11 and Miki said, "There's a 7-11." I answered, "It's the one stopped at on the way to church." Miki blurted, "But that one was on the right side of the street!" :tonofbricks:

 

John, Miki sounds like an "interesting" person. So there was no upper window available for her to sleep in like Eutychus? ;-)

 

Well we're on the 2nd floor and I wouldn't have put it past her to wander out the window, but she would have fallen on Ueno San's car--she would have lived and he would not have been happy! :laugh:

 

Thanks much for the prayers!