How the Lord Led Us to Aomori

In January of 1995, we were preparing to return to Japan after a short time in the States. When we awoke one morning, our in-laws asked, "What was the name of the city where you live?" After answering, we heard that there had been a terrible earthquake. We quickly headed for the TV and saw reports of burning and damage. What we were seeing was the area in which we had lived for 7 years. A large area of Kobe and surrounding areas were hit hard and over 6,000 died in the days afterward. We were in shock.

Immediatley, I began calling our people. After 70 calls, we could only get through to a couple people. We were told that the damage was just as bad as what we were seeing. We realized that we could not head back into that area as planned. We made plans instead for my return. I would go ahead, look for housing and then return to get the family. I gave myself 4 weeks as I had no idea what I might find.

Upon arriving in Osaka, I heard that indeed things were bad. I slept on the floor of the Senri New Town Baptist Church and drove to our old area to look at the damage. It looked like a war zone. There were damaged buildings everywhere. It later took the city an entire year just to remove the rubble. It took several years afterward to rebuild.

Even though our church was further east of the main damage, one of our members had to be rescued from her damaged home. Another of our members had a bookshelf fall on him as he slept on the floor of his apartment. The result was a broken shoulder. Yet, because of the amount of people with more serious injuries, he had to put his arm in a sling and wait a month before doctors could help him. By the time he saw a doctor, they had to break his shoulder in order to reset it.

In the midst of all of this, I went to dozens of realtors looking for housing. We had started our first church in that area and had planned to return. Men from Senri New Town Baptist Church had graciously filled in for us in our absence. We had planned on returning, but were amazed at what we found.

There were thousands of people living in makeshift housing, shelters and tents. What housing that was available was quickly taken by those who were now not able to live in their damaged houses. Rent skyrocketed.

We had been living in a 700 square foot house on two floors and paid a little over $1,000 rent before our return to the States. We moved out planning to find housing closer to our church when we returned, but now things did not look good. The same house we lived in before was now renting for $1,400.

We were hoping for something a little bigger. What I found for a 1,000 square foot house were prices running from $1,800-2,000 per month. On top of that, that particular area required a deposit for rental houses equal to 10 months rent. That meant a $20,000 deposit plus an unbelievable amount of rent each month. Things did not look good.

If a house could be found, it required immediate action or others would step in and take it. There was almost no time to even pray about what we were finding.

I could not get peace about any place I saw. When I told realtors that my usual practice was to pray about important decisions, they looked at me like I just got off the last space ship from Mars. They said, "We do not understand that, but we know if you do not decide on this house now, someone will take it before you get home."

A feeling of frustration began to come over me as I neared the end of my 4 weeks. With only one week to go, the Lord began to lead in a very different and unexpected direction.

A BIMI missionary family had invited me for a meal at their house. Normal driving time to their house was 45 minutes. Now, that same distance took 3 hours. After a wonderful time of fellowship, I was about to leave. The missionary I was with asked if I would mind taking something back they had borrowed from another missionary. It was on my way back. I agreed.

After arriving at the house of Craig and Stacey Burcham and hearing about all they went through since the quake, Craig began to talk to me about his burden to go to northern Japan and start a church. A most unusual thing happened. While he was sharing his burden, God flooded my heart with peace. It was so sudden and unexpected that I did not understand it. When Craig finished talking, he asked me a question, "Would you pray about going with us to northern Japan and starting a church?" At that moment, I knew why the Lord had given me peace.

It all happened rather suddenly, but the Lord worked out all the details. Before I returned home, we had committed to head to northern Japan where we knew no one.

I was not back in the States long when I received a phone call. Craig explained to me that the Lord had changed their plans and that they could not go with us until a later date. To say that I was not very excited would be an understatement. I was frankly quite confused and not a little disappointed.

When I hung up the phone, I was at a loss to know what to do. I remember going to my room and picking up my Bible. I went into the living room of our in-laws where we were staying. It was early morning and they were already at work. Our girls had already gone to school. It was just Jenny and I in the house.

I into the dark living room and got on my knees. I began to say to the Lord, "Lord, you know how much I did not want to go anywhere else in Japan to start a work by myself." I proceeded to explain to the Lord all my complaints and to ask for His direction.

When I finished praying, I picked up my Bible and thought, "I know I am to get direction from God's Word, but where do I start?" As I looked at my Bible in that state of confusion, the Lord said, "Start where you left off."

I grabbed the ribbon marker, opened my Bible and started reading. I had made a commitment to read the Bible through that year. I was in Exodus. The next chapter in my reading schedule was Exodus 33. When I came to verse 12 and 13, I was amazed that Moses was praying a prayer similar to what I was feeling at that very moment. It says...

"And Moses said unto the Lord, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me...Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee..."

The Lord answered Moses in verse 14. "And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."

The living Lord had not only answered my prayer, but assured me that He would go with me! That was a wonderful moment and the Lord flooded my heart with peace. What a blessing to take my family into a brand new place knowing that the Lord was going with us! I praise God for His Word that truly is "a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."