The Continue Work of God Through a Volunteer

Two summers ago when I came with my friend Glen, we made a contact and struck up a friendship with the employees of a Bagel shop near the Tokyo International Hostel where we were staying near Iidabashi Station. They had a little Hawaiian decorations like a pineapple, hibiscus flower and a ukulele guitar in the corner. Since Glen and I are from Hawaii, we picked up on that and used it to make conversation. Well to make a long story short, I continued contact with one of the girls that worked there by email from Hawaii. On my recent trip there, I visited with her regularly again. Since the Iidabashi location was closed down, the employees I was friends with were transferred to a new location at the Yotsuya station.

This one girl specifically, named Yumi*, came to Maui this past week to visit. She and another girl named Kari*, who I had not previously met stayed with me in my family home for 3 nights. I played tour guide and took them to many of the popular tourist spots and scenery locations. Most importantly, I was able to take them to church on Sunday. They had never been to a Christian church service before. We are a small church with only about 100 people. These girls were just so surprised about how so many people came up and just said hello or welcomed them. No questions of who they were or who the represented or any of the social things more typical in Japan. Everyone in my church was just so thrilled to meet them and just say hello. They were reading from a Japanese Bible that I have and it was the first time they had ever even held a Bible. I sat with them in a secluded area and translated our Pastor's sermon as he spoke. Afterward, as is our church's tradition on the first Sunday of the month, everyone had lunch together after church in our fellowship room.

At the end of their stay, I provided them with a copy of the Book of John-in Japanese, which I got from you there, a DVD by Andy Meeko on Love in the Christian way, and a CD of my church's praise team band that Glen and I are members of.

I will of course continue my friendship with them and be in regular contact with them. Would you kindly add the names of Yumi and Kari from the Bagel shop to your prayer list? Please pray that the Lord would water the seeds that were planted in their hearts. I hope they will express an interest to know more about Jesus. If they do, I would like to have you or someone arrange to meet them and invite them to a Bible study.

Asa Ellison
Maui, Hawaii


*Names have been changed to protect the privacy of these individuals. However, God knows who they are so please keep them in your prayers asking God to give them a greater interest in knowing Jesus. Thank you!