Prayer for Abductees
On November 9, 2017, the Prayer Support Group for Sakie Yokota and the National Blue Ribbon Prayer Group co-hosted the “19th Expanded Prayer Meeting to Support Sakie Yokota” in Tokyo.
Sakie and Shigeru Yokota’s daughter, Megumi, went missing on her way home from school in 1977, when she was 13. It was not until 2002 that the North Korean government officially admitted that they had abducted Megumi and several other Japanese people. During high-level bilateral talks between North Korea and Japan, North Korean officials claimed that Megumi had died in 1993, but later said it had been in 1994. Despite this, Megumi’s death has yet to be convincingly proven and her family continues to campaign for her return.
Over the years prayer groups have been formed to support Sakie, a Christian, and to pray for the release of abductees. The November prayer meeting followed two significant events for the Yokota family: a meeting between family members of abductees and US President Donald Trump on November 6 and Shigeru’s baptism on November 4.
Speaking at the prayer meeting, Sakie revealed that for many years following their daughter’s disappearance her husband had been against all religion, and would get angry if she so much as mentioned Christianity. However, one day last year when Pastor Hiroshi Kokubu (of Nakanoshima Christ Church) asked Shigeru if he would accept the Lord into his heart, he said, “Yes.” This was a surprise to Sakie, but a welcome one. Shigeru was baptized at home by Pastor Kokubu on November 4.*
Sakie also reported on her meeting with President Trump in Tokyo. Her son, Takuya, took along an old family photo that showed Sakie with all three of her children. Mr. Trump looked at it intently and gave her an encouraging smile. Sakie said she was grateful that Mr. Trump took time out of his busy schedule to meet with family members of the abductees, and also that he raised the abduction issue during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2017.
After Sakie spoke, Tsutomu Nishioka, President of the National Association for the Rescue of Japanese Kidnapped by North Korea, shared his perspective on recent developments. With North Korea’s repeated nuclear missile experiments and mounting pressure from the US, the situation is tense. However, God is still in control, and his ways transcend our understanding. Nishioka encouraged the audience to respond to tense times with prayer.
Evangelist Mitsuo Fukuzawa continued with a sermon from Exodus 17. He urged audience members to be like Aaron and Hur—to support Sakie through prayer in the same way that Aaron and Hur supported Moses on each side during battle. Just as Aaron and Hur’s contribution was recorded in the Bible, our God takes note of each person’s intercessory prayers.
Following the sermon, three representatives prayed for the abductee situation. Then the audience broke into small groups to pray. The meeting closed with a musical number by Migiwa, a gospel singer who attends the same church as Sakie.
“I pray that we will have resolution soon,” said Sakie. “I’m waiting for the day that Megumi can return home to us. My tears have dried up, but I hope that soon I will shed tears of joy.”
From Christian Shimbun, November 26, 2017
Translated by Atsuko Tateishi
* Translator’s note: He was baptized at home due to deteriorating health.