Missionary Life: Dealing with Differences

I have been reading an interesting book about missions. It is basically about problems of the field. Here is an interesting excerpt:

"In dealing with this problem of differences, I have found out that if you will act without prejudice, if you will eat with them, sympathize with them, and do your best for them, they will accept you as you are, and will give ear to what you say. But if you are arrogant, touchy, bossy or rude, they will resent you for what you are. We must work to preach Christ in spite of our differences. We must learn to use the situations of life that we find ourselves in, to the glory of God."

I am not Japanese, and the Japanese are not American. Of course! So there are cultural differences. Sometimes the missionary is richer than the nationals, but sometimes he is poorer. So there can be economical differences. The key is to adapt as much as you can, accept the differences as best you can, and try to foster a mutual respect for one another so that the Gospel will be heard and hopefully accepted.

"Bad weather linked to train suicides in Japan: study"

Today I saw an article about a report recently done on how it seems that bad weather/darker days for a number of days in a row seem to have an effect on the number of suicides. You can read this article below. Maybe this could be true but it does not address why a person takes their life. It is not because of  bad weather/darker days! I believe it is because people are hopeless or what they have hoped in fails them. For Christians, Jesus is our Hope!!! He never fails!

"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" Titus 2:13

"7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." Jeremiah 17:7,8

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NATIONAL SEP. 29, 2013

The study said railway operators should increase the use of blue or white light at stations to discourage suicides
AFP
TOKYO —
The number of suicides on Japanese railways increases after several days of bad weather, according to a study, which urged train operators to increase patrols during rainy periods.

The study, which chimes with commonly held beliefs about mood and weather, was an attempt to find reasons behind some of the deaths that make up Japan’s relatively high suicide rate.

A team led by Hiroshi Kadotani of Shiga University of Medical Science reviewed 971 instances where someone had taken their own life, or attempted to do so, between 2002 and 2006 in Tokyo, Kanagawa, and Osaka, Japan’s main commercial hubs.

They cross-referenced this with weather records and found that a high proportion of incidents happened after three-to-seven days of reduced sunlight—days that had been cloudy or rainy days.

However, the weather on the day of the suicide had no significant impact, said the study, which was published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

“We observed an increased proportion of railway suicide attempts after several days without sunlight,” the study’s abstract said.

Japan has one of the developed world’s highest suicide rates. Last year marked the first time in 15 years that the number of suicides fell below 30,000.

The study said railway operators should increase the use of blue or white light at stations to discourage suicides.

Previous studies have shown that use of blue lights on train platforms has lowered the number of suicides at Japanese stations, although the exact psychological mechanism for the trend remains unclear.

“Light exposure (blue light or bright white light) in trains may be useful in reducing railway suicides, especially when consecutive days without sunshine are forecasted,” the latest study said.
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Man continues to try to find answers to life's questions but trying to do so minus God's help. Sad.

Here is a link to the article: http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/bad-weather-linked-to-train-suicides-in-japan-study

Haunted by trauma, tsunami survivors turn to exorcists

This article (below link) detailing life for some tsunami survivors is so sad. Please give it a read. 

People are having all kinds of spiritual and emotional problems which also lead to physical problems. People are looking for help in all the wrong places. What people really need is the Lord Jesus Christ in their hearts and lives. HE can bring real help and healing.

Haunted by trauma, tsunami survivors turn to exorcists

The Bible says in 2 Corintians 1:3-4 "3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." 

The problem is that the one true God in Heaven, who is the God of the Holy Bible, 

is not their god...Satan is.