This is Mrs. Y. Mrs. Y. is an elderly woman who lives in our neighborhood. I often see her when I visit the doctor's office. She is there many times per week. Since the doctor's office (hospital) is located in our community, having to go there frequently for treatment for my knees means that I am having opportunities to build friendships with the other patients who frequent the doctor's office, many of whom live nearby. Because getting in to see the doctor means submitting your "member card" and waiting (first come, first serve), those waiting periods of time can often prove invaluable in opportunities to talk with other patients. The day I first met Mrs. Y., I must admit she didn't endear herself to me. She asked me what I was there to see the doctor for, and after hearing about my knee problems, proceeded to roll up her pant leg and show me the scars from her various surgeries. Then she promptly told me that I was fat (Oh, thank you, I wasn't aware of it!) and that she thought all Americans were too fat, etc. etc. At the end of this scintillating conversation, she told me I should come by her house for tea sometime. Right. Sure. I just love to put myself in situations where people can verbally attack me. Besides, it is a polite thing to ask someone to stop by for tea and everyone knows it is just for politeness because you don't have their address or know where they live. Well, as time has gone by, I meet Mrs. Y. almost weekly at the hospital. She is opening up more and more and recently, her invitation to tea included an address and directions to her house. I feel that this is a great privilege because most Japanese do not like to invite guests to their homes. Last week when I saw Mrs. Y. and asked how she was doing, she was having a bad day. She was in a lot of pain, and told me that she just wanted to die. I took her hand and said to her, "Mrs. Y, when you die, you will meet God. Are you ready to meet God?". "No, I'm not," she replied. "Then you can't die yet, because I haven't had a chance to tell you how to get ready to meet God. I will come to see you and tell you!". She politely nodded her head, and I had to leave. I haven't forgotten that conversation and I'm trying to plan a time when I can visit her and share with her more about Jesus and the way to heaven. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be preparing her heart.
I believe that elderly people here in Japan are a very unreached people group. Sometimes it's because missionaries believe that they are so set in their religious ways of Buddhism that they would not be open to hearing the Good News of salvation through Christ. Another reason may be that it is HARD to meet them and spend time with them. They are usually slower to accept friendship with foreigners than the younger generation. Some of them still harbor negative feelings from WW2. Yet, we find our current living situation has us placed in a community surrounded with a high percentage of elderly people with time on their hands. We would like to get more involved at the local community center, but haven't found our niche there yet. However, surprisingly, several retirees from the neighborhood have started learning English and enjoy coming to our monthly Agape English Cafe.
Pray with us for the elderly of Japan. More and more they are becoming the "nuisance" of Japan as they don't have enough of the younger population to care for them. They are lonely, and often looking for meaning in their lives. Many wish they could die soon. Yet, so many have never heard the Gospel. Pray for us as we seek to reach our friends and neighbors in this community.
