NAOTAKA'S JOURNEY TO HEALING

About 18 years ago Naotaka was a foreign student in America when he had a car accident that left him in a coma with little hope of any recovery.  His parents quickly flew to America, hoping to see him one last time before he died.  When he didn’t die the doctors pronounced, “He will never regain consciousness.”  The family flew him back to Japan, still in a coma.  When he came out of the coma the Japanese doctors told the family, “He’ll be bedridden the rest of his life.”  When he was able to get out of bed and into a wheel chair, the “official word” was, “He’ll never walk again.”  Naotaka was befriended by a former Marine sniper turned missionary who took him to the gym.  The guys at the gym helped and encouraged him to regain his strength.  Slowly Naotaka was able to walk again.  He was still unsteady, but he was walking.  Then his family returned to the father’s hometown—our city.  Naotaka has been a faithful member now for about 12 years.

A few years ago he began to shake, almost uncontrollably.  It made me very nervous to watch him try to get a cup of hot coffee to his mouth.  About 3 years ago the doctors tried an experimental electrical implant into his brain hoping to stop the tremors.  Naotaka actually got worse.  Through all this we have prayed.  We have prayed for Naotaka hundreds of times over the past 12 years. 

I once asked him, “Don’t you get discouraged having people pray for you all the time and seeing such little results?" 

He responded, “No.  I’m supposed to be dead!”  Even though he had extensive brain and nerve damage his English has remained far better than most of my university students!  His attitude has remained positive most of the time as he remembers all the doctors predictions that did NOT come to pass.

Last Sunday, Naotaka called my wife and I over to him at lunch.  He asked us to look at him and tell him what was different.  At first it didn’t hit us.  Then we realized he wasn’t shaking.  Naotaka said the doctor had confirmed that 90% of his shaking had stopped.  Indeed, as he talked to us and we stared at him, he was as steady as anyone else in the room.  He did NOT shake at all.  The doctors have no explanation.  He should be getting worse—not better.  But, if we listened to them he should be dead or bedridden or wheel chair bound or shaking himself to pieces.

Believe with us, with Naotaka, for a full recovery.  Agree with us that God will be glorified through His son and through His church!