Windy...but a blessed
day
The weather can sometimes be a troublemaker. It
was so windy and cloudy the day before the crusade.
Typhoon DANAS hit Honshu, Japan on the first day
of the crusade (September 11). But with God's help,
(¡°Where does my help come from? My help comes from
the LORD¡± (Psalm 121:1-2), the typhoon moved away
from Osaka. Furthermore, many school students were
able to attend the crusade because school was closed.
Looking forward to
the crusade
Japanese people are known for their orderly ways.
For example, they are used to standing in line even
if there are only two people. People were lining
up two hours before the crusade began. About 30
minutes later, a lot of people were forming lines
in front of the Osaka International Convention Center.
They seemed to be cheered up as they anticipated
the crusade. Some of them in line sat down and had
a quick lunch.
Serving the handicapped
Blind people, deaf people, and people in wheelchairs
attended the crusade anticipating God's grace. The
Japanese people carefully considered the handicapped
people who were led by guides to assigned sections.
Two guides stayed with them during the conference.
It took 16 hours to
get to the crusade
Aomori, located on the northern most tip of Honshu,
Japan, is famous for snow. In midwinter people are
often snowed in and have to dig tunnels in the snow
to get out. But snow didn¡¯t block Aomori Full Gospel
Church and their love for God. Seven church members
came to Osaka (in the southern part of Japan) traveling
all night by bus to attend the crusade. It took
16 hours to arrive in Osaka from Aomori.
Beautiful praise
Before the crusade started, people energetically
praised God and clapped their hands. Some stood
and raised their hands while they praised God. Among
them, an elderly woman caught my eye, sincerely
praising God. She may have been stricken with paralysis;
she couldn't use one side of her body. Although
her pronunciation wasn¡¯t clear, she was praising
God and enthusiastically slapping her knee with
one hand. There were many handicapped people joyfully
praising God in spite of their handicapped conditions.
Seriously handicapped people were praising God with
motions instead of with their voices. Their beautiful
expressions touched my heart deeply. I felt their
minds were filled only with delight and thanks to
God. Their praises sounded more beautiful than any
music.