I just do not have time for the two-hour Japanese class tonight . . . I debated back and forth with myself multiple times throughout the day. Go. Don’t go. Go. Don’t go. Too much to do, so little time, and avoiding one class would not hurt. But every time I considered not going, the thought came to my mind: Go to class!

The city where we are currently living hosts a Thursday evening Japanese class where students gather to practice Japanese with local volunteers and learn about a wide range of subjects. In previous weeks, we have talked about everything from sumo to the proper way to prepare natto, a traditional Japanese health food made from fermented soybeans. Frankly, it is above my skill level, but it has been good practice, and I have been able to meet some locals this way. The people in my class know I am a Christian missionary.

With great reluctance, and after sharing concerns—and the conviction to go—with Caitlyn, I biked the kilometer to class. On this day, we were discussing words made up of multiple kanji—Chinese characters used in Japanese writing. We focused on one central character—休 (rest)—and added other characters to build words all centered around rest. One of those other characters was 息, or breath. Together, 休息 means rest or relaxation.

Then, out of the blue, one of the teachers pipes up: “Michael, isn’t 安息日 a thing? What is that?” The teacher had just asked what the Sabbath was!

I had to think fast. I quickly did my best to explain that the Sabbath was a day of rest and time with family. Some Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday, but I did so on Saturday. I kept the explanation brief. Another teacher spoke up and said, “Yes, that’s right. It’s a day not just of relaxing but also of resting your heart and mind.”

The whole discussion on the Sabbath took a minute or less. Like a blip on the radar, we moved on to other things. However, it became very clear to me that this was the reason I had to go to class that evening. God wanted me there to speak about the Sabbath, if only for a moment in mildly broken Japanese, to witness to those in a very small circle.

Please continue to pray for the people of Japan. They are hard-working and devoted, and like everyone, need a day of rest from their labors. May all Japanese come to know the God who not only wants them to rest but also encourages them to do so weekly.

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