Many years ago a young man, who had been preaching the Gospel of the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord in his own home town in New Zealand, felt led of the Lord to take the same wonderful Gospel message to the Inca Indians in Bolivia. He told his parents and friends of his desire to serve the Lord in Bolivia and was sent out with the blessings of his parents and his brethren with whom he was associated at that time.
Leaving New Zealand in October, 1920, he traveled by ship, the only means of transportation to Bolivia, arriving there in July, 1921. Due to a shipping strike which held up all vessels from Los Angeles, the young missionary took the last lap of the journey on a Japanese freighter called "Haya Maru."
Being the only white man on board the Haya Maru was quite an experience, but the Lord had His plans and one of the officers was brightly saved. This officer could speak English, and thus the young missionary was able to eventually lead him to Christ by reading Isa. 53 with him and showing him his need of salvation. But we are already ahead of our story!
The young Japanese officer had been acquainted with a very bright Christian young woman in Tokyo, and really loved her. Furthermore, he had even requested her to marry him, but she had replied, "Never! You are a heathen, a Shintoist, and I belong to Christ, so you had better seek elsewhere for a bride."
The officer often spoke to the missionary of this young lady. In fact, the fellowship on board was usually concerning his love for her and why she so stoutly refused to marry him. The missionary showed him from the Word of God why she refused. As the missionary daily pointed him to God's Word, at last the young officer began to take an interest.
He frequently invited the missionary to his cabin to talk over matters. The missionary could clearly understand why this man was rejected by the young Christian woman. On his table were cigars and cards, on the walls were obscene pictures, and on a rack in a corner of his cabin were bottles of rum and whiskey. These things were distressing to the servant of the Lord, but he never remarked about them, never even permitted the officer to know he had noticed them. Instead, he prayed much about them. He felt it was his work to lead the officer to Christ first, so he persisted day after day in bringing before him his need of accepting Christ as his Savior, and being born again.
At the end of the fourth week, about two-thirty in the morning, the missionary was startled by a heavy knock on the door of his cabin. Sitting up, he called, "Who is it?"
It was the Japanese officer and he answered, "Don't be alarmed, it is just me. I am here to request that you come to my cabin right away."
Wondering what might have prompted this early morning request, the young missionary hurriedly dressed and was ushered into the officer's room. He noticed immediately a difference in his room: there were no cards and cigars on the table, no obscene pictures on the wall, no bottles of liquor in the corner rack; but he did not say anything. He also noticed that the young officer seemed so changed, and he asked kindly, "What happened?"
The young Japanese smiled and said, "I awakened at 2 a.m. and thought of the things we had been talking about. Do you know I became so convicted that I was not only a sinner, but that I was a lost sinner, that I got out of bed and I accepted Christ as my Savior. That is why I called you at this hour, to let you know of my decision. I knew you would be glad." He and the missionary got on their knees and praised God for such a decision, and for His love and grace.
Rising from prayer the missionary asked the officer, "What happened to the obscene pictures, the tobacco, the cigars and the whiskey?"
His reply was wonderful! He said, "Do you know when I got up from my knees, after accepting the Lord Jesus as my Savior, I looked at those worldly things and couldn't even bear the sight of them. I tore the pictures down, got hold of the bottles, cigars and tobacco, and threw everything into the Pacific Ocean!"
With joy the young missionary asked him, "Who told you to do that?"
"I don't exactly know," he answered, "but something-or Someone-inside me told me to rid myself of such forever!"
The missionary smiled happily and quoted 2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17): "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Days of happy fellowship passed all too quickly, and one day the ship docked at a port called Arica, in Peru. Here the young officer and the missionary said "Goodbye" and parted until they will meet in glory in the presence of their Lord and Savior.
About two years later the missionary received a letter from "Yoshi." It read: Dear Sir, You will remember how I accepted Christ as my personal Savior, also the number of times I spoke of a certain beautiful Christian young woman, and how she refused my offers of marriage because I was not a Christian.
Well, when the ship reached Tokyo, I made bold to visit her. She at first refused to see me, but, as I had something of much importance to tell her, I asked if she would graciously listen, which she did. I told her that God had wonderfully saved me on the high seas off the coast of Peru, and that I was now "a new creature in Christ Jesus." She believed me, seeing my manner of walk. After some time I asked her whether she would marry me, and she said, "SURE!"
Another letter written about two years later told the missionary of their happiness and of how the Lord had blessed them with a little son.