Victory in Jesus!

Mrs. Matsuda is about 88.  Last year she asked Jesus to save her after many long years of witnessing by her daughter and us.  She would usually have negative things to say about Christianity whenever around Christians.  About five or six  years ago, Joe went over to her house and pulled weeds out of her garden.  She fell in love with him.  Every time we would come by and say "Hi," she would always, always tell us what a good kid Joe was. 

In January 2012 she came to church for the first time in her life.  Then while we were on short furlough in April/May, she accepted Christ.  Sometime in the past four months she indicated she wanted to be baptized, so she has started classes with Henry.  Progress is slow as she does not understand as easily as someone much younger.

In December her daughter told us that she called the Buddhist priests and told them to stop coming by.  She also said she was going to dispose of her butsudan (altar in the home to her dead husband). 

Anyway, last week after Henry's lesson, he asked her if he could take out her kamidama, which he had never noticed before.  She hemmed and hawed and gave excuse, so he did not.  However, on February 7 Henry went over again for a lesson and came home after dark about 6:15 p.m.  Sara and I heard the car drive up, then doors opening and closing, but no Henry coming in the door.  When he finally did come in, he said he had all of Mrs. Matsuda's kamidama and butsudan stuff and was going to burn it.  

After dinner he and I went outside and I sorted through the two bags of stuff while Henry busted up the butsudan with a sledge hammer.  He piled up the burnable items, then he set fire to it and burned it!   

This is a major step in the life of a Japanese believer.  Victory in Jesus! My Savior forever.  He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood.  He loved me ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him.  He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.