Foot baths, karaoke, and the glory of God.

I want to share one story that really moved me. Because there is no water, electricity or gas still in some places, no one has had the chance to take a bath. Rev. Mori (Global Mission Chapel) had a great idea of how to minister to one of the shelters filled with the elderly and disabled, some of whom had been discharged from the hospital with no where to go. He secured a truck full of fire wood and so our team built fires and heated up water right outside the school. Although we couldn’t give them baths, we were able to do offer hot water foot baths for those who wanted them. They lined up and we washed their feet as many of them cried, shared their stories from the earthquake and tsunami and just received the love of Christ through his servants. It was quite the team effort and amazing to see everyone doing their part to serve the elderly in the shelter.

One older lady was so moved that we had come all the way from America that she couldn’t stop thanking us. She even went outside to find the rest of our team who were chopping the wood for the fires. I can’t think of a better way to show the love of Jesus than what I witnessed in that school. I watched as Rev. Mori sat on his knees and washed and soaked the feet of the people coming to his station. His heart was overflowing with the joy of Jesus as he laughed, cried and loved the people he was serving. It made me weep as well as I washed Hitomi’s feet and listened to her story of how she lost her home and her entire life in a matter of minutes. I showed her pictures of my family which brought her lots of joy and made her laugh. I told her about how much Jesus loved her and how even in this hardship he was with her and would bring her through… I hope and pray she visits Rev. Mori’s church and hears more of the good news found in Jesus, the one who has served her more than I ever could, the one who came from further than the USA to help her, the one who has not only offered to wash her feet, but to wash her soul completely and give her a home that can never be taken away by an earthquake, tsunami or anything this broken world might send her way… May the Japanese people know this Savior…