Japanese Councilman Gets Baptized in Midst of Tsunami Disaster

Teresa Neumann : Mar 25, 2011
Susie Rain - Baptist Press News

"God has put me in a position to help people using resources that most do not have access to," Saito said. "Now that I am part of the family of God, I have brothers and sisters to call on as volunteers."

(Tokyo, Japan)—A few months ago, Shinichi Saito—a city councilman and a volunteer helping the physically disabled—just "happened" to be rolling through City Hall in his wheelchair when American missionary Mark Busby was on a prayer-walk through the building.

As reported in Baptist Press News, "Saito stopped to find out what the foreigner needed and from there a friendship blossomed that led to a Bible study, a church start and now [more than a week after the devastating tsunami] two baptisms."

The report noted that originally Saito's baptism, along with his wife Yoshiko's, was scheduled for March 12, the day after the earthquake/tsunami. But, on the day of the earthquake, it was his job to find ways home for the physically disabled because the trains had stopped running, and since then, he had been organizing volunteer efforts.

Speaking about the day he was finally able to schedule his baptism, Saito said: "It's the only day I could do it. If we didn't do it today, I don't know if I could be spiritually prepared in my heart for all that my work duties demand in the midst of this disaster."

"God has put me in a position to help people using resources that most do not have access to," Saito said. "Now that I am part of the family of God, I have brothers and sisters to call on as volunteers. Without even thinking, I can trust the Christian volunteers," he said, adding that trust and relationships are important in Japanese society.

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