Amy Carmichael-My First Lesson in Japanese

By Mary Vee

Year: 1893 

Amy Carmichael: 26 years old

From Amy's Journal

Photo Courtesy - Japan

My name is Amy Carmichael.

Learning to speak and read Japanese didn't come easy for me. While I worked on learning the language, several people taught me about the Japanese culture.

See, if a missionary doesn't understand the way people from different countries act then those people will never want to listen or speak with the missionaries.

I first learned that the Japanese people take their shoes off when entering a building, even a church. 

Some men and women in Japan worship more than one god. Some worship eight million gods. These people are very concerned that they do what the gods want. The god worshiped by most of these people is the man-god called Buddha. 

Since I've only been here a short time, I don't understand everything about the Buddhist, but I do understand some.

The Buddhist believe Buddha knew how to find eternal happiness. 
They also believe in a circle of birth, death, and rebirth that continues forever and everything they do in one life will show what their next life will be. If a person isn't good, they believe he will come back as something like an animal or a beggar.

This is very sad for me. God made all of us. He loves us all so much that He sent His Son to take the punishment for our sins. He did that so there would be a way for us to go to heaven. And we each have only one life. 

I wanted so badly to start telling the people about the God who loves them even if they make mistakes. I woke each morning excited to go to the city streets with my interpreter and tell the people about the one God who loves them so very much.

I worked out a schedule, time to study Japanese, time to go out and learn about the people, and time to tell people about Jesus.

Come back next time. I have much more to share!


Resources used for this series:
Benge, Janet, and Geoff Benge. Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gems. Seattle, WA: YWAM Pub., 1998. Print.
Davis, Rebecca Henry. With Daring Faith: A Biography of Amy Carmichael. Greenville, SC: Bob Jones UP, 1987. Print.
Dick, Lois Hoadley. Amy Carmichael: Let the Children Come. Chicago: Moody, 1984. Print.
Meloche, Renee Taft., and Bryan Pollard. Amy Carmichael: Rescuing the Children. Seattle, WA: YWAM Pub., 2002. Print.
Wellman, Sam. Amy Carmichael: A Life Abandoned to God. Uhrichville, OH: Barbour Pub., 1998. Print.

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