New Brother in Christ!

I'll try and keep this short, cause I'm tired, but this is too exciting to wait to announce it!

My friend Charlie and I had the opportunity to befriend a guy from Japan named Kazuki back in August. His English isn't great, so due to the difficulties of the language barrier, our conversations never were able to go very deep. But we always trusted that the Lord would allow our actions to bear a testimony to Kazuki. Anyways, I'm not going to share much details here, because it's not my place to share these details. But, as Kazuki explained to us today, the last 2 months he got very depressed and physically and mentally closed himself off from the world. During these past 2 months, God allowed Kazuki to hit rock bottom. Because of some of the things that went on, Charlie and his wife offered to let Kazuki live at their house temporarily. During this time, God gave them some opportunties to share with Kazuki the Gospel. The Lord led me to some great resources that have been translated to Japanese, so we've been giving those to him, and trying to answer the questions he's had. And the Lord allowed those resources to open up doors for other great conversations.

Well this evening Vanessa and I had Kazuki over for dinner. Going into the dinner, we didn't want to "force" Christianity on him because we thought he might feel as though we're bashing it over his head, which might push him away. So we prayed that if God wanted us to talk with him about his need for Christ, that God would allow those conversations to come naturally. And boy did God answer that prayer!

God used Kazuki asking lots of questions to allow us to go deeper and deeper with him. Some of the things that went on during the conversations were:

• Kazuki saying the only knowledge he had of Christianity was the little bit he learned in school growing up. So we had the opportunity to share with him the stories of creation, the fall of man, our sinfulness requires punishment, God's promise for a savior, Christ being that savior, and our need for Christ.
• He has thought he was capable of doing anything, and through high school and college he took pride in the thought that he was perfect. But over the last few years (and especially since being in America) he has realized how imperfect he is.

During this time many tears were being shed. It was a sweet moment. We could tell during this time that God was allowing things to click in his mind. (i.e., because of sin he can never achieve perfection, and his good works and achievements can't save him). But the moment I knew God was going to save him was when I realized how he wasn't being offended by things we said to him. We told him that he was his dying in his sins, and without Christ would go to Hell. His family is Budhist, and therefore he claimed that as his religion. So we told him how that Budha statue he prays to is worthless and is NO god! And he didn't get angry with us, and want to change subjects. Instead, he would cry more, and share more of his struggles with us.

At the end we had the sweet opportunity to pray for him, and plead with the Lord to save him. Following the conversations we hung out a little longer, and then he and I left to meet up with Charlie and go back to Charlie's house. About an hour after I dropped him off, Charlie called me and said "You have a new brother". I couldn't believe it! I mean, I knew during mine and Vanessa's talk with him that the Lord was going to save him, but I didn't realize how quickly. Charlie said as they drove back to his house, Kazuki shared with him what we talked about tonight. Charlie explained some more things to him. During this time Kazuki confessed to Charlie that he realized he could not be perfect. That he is a sinner in need of a savior. And Jesus Christ is that savior!!!!!! So Charlie and him spent some time in prayer, and Kazuki wants to be a Christian!!!!

Please please please pray that God would begin growing Kazuki quickly. Pray that his thirst for God would be HUGE. Pray for the following miracle: My parents have had the opportunity to meet Kazuki, and yesterday told me to find him a Japanese Bible and they would buy it for him. So I found one and ordered it, but it's not supposed to arrive until Friday. But I would love to get this Bible in his hands ASAP. so pray God would let that Bible get here sooner! Also, we explained to him how becoming a Christian, things aren't going to become easier. But God will give him the strength to get through the tough times. I know Satan is going to begin throwing lots of junk at Kazuki, so pray that God would protect him from it so that he progresses quickly.

God is so amazing!