1 00:00:10,802 --> 00:00:16,349 When I was in second grade, I would hide on the top bunkbed and cry 2 00:00:17,016 --> 00:00:21,062 as I listened to my parents arguing. 3 00:00:21,896 --> 00:00:27,068 My dad starting fooling around with another woman 4 00:00:27,694 --> 00:00:32,115 and left my mom and us four kids. 5 00:00:32,490 --> 00:00:33,950 We started going to church. 6 00:00:34,242 --> 00:00:37,620 The pastor’s sermons were long and hard to understand. 7 00:00:37,787 --> 00:00:39,330 I didn’t know any hymns either. 8 00:00:39,831 --> 00:00:45,712 I didn’t like church because I was told to be quiet. 9 00:00:46,045 --> 00:00:52,635 At church, I prayed that my dad would come back and we would live happily as a family again. 10 00:00:53,261 --> 00:00:55,972 I prayed many times, but my dad didn’t come back. 11 00:00:56,431 --> 00:01:02,103 I decided God didn’t exist and I stopped praying. 12 00:01:02,479 --> 00:01:05,607 I decided I was going to live my life my way. 13 00:01:06,524 --> 00:01:11,029 When high school graduation was approaching, I considered my future. 14 00:01:11,696 --> 00:01:16,409 In order to get away from home, I chose to join the Self-Defense Forces. 15 00:01:16,785 --> 00:01:21,456 They had a dormitory system which allowed me to avoid going home. 16 00:01:21,623 --> 00:01:25,251 I was happy because I could live my life the way I wanted to. 17 00:01:26,211 --> 00:01:31,216 After joining the Self-Defense Forces, I started smoking marijuana everyday. 18 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:36,721 I got caught and was sent to a detention center in Osaka. 19 00:01:37,138 --> 00:01:39,516 My mom came to visit me in there. 20 00:01:40,099 --> 00:01:48,691 Seeing her cry made me want to live a decent life. 21 00:01:49,984 --> 00:01:50,819 When I got out, 22 00:01:51,152 --> 00:01:53,279 I made friends with people who did graffiti. 23 00:01:53,530 --> 00:01:57,575 I started doing graffiti too and the world became my canvas. 24 00:01:57,826 --> 00:02:02,455 I smoked marijuana everyday and the police came and arrested me. 25 00:02:02,789 --> 00:02:05,917 I was sent to prison for 3 months. 26 00:02:06,376 --> 00:02:10,296 My life consisted of a small cell the size of 3 tatami mats. 27 00:02:10,672 --> 00:02:14,759 My mom came to visit me and brought a Bible with her. 28 00:02:15,593 --> 00:02:17,178 I thought the Bible was boring, 29 00:02:17,387 --> 00:02:20,223 so I tossed it aside and didn’t read it. 30 00:02:20,557 --> 00:02:23,268 But life in prison is dull. 31 00:02:23,518 --> 00:02:29,440 I opened the Bible and it said, “For the wages of sin is death”. 32 00:02:29,691 --> 00:02:33,069 I was horrified and I thought, “What should I do?” 33 00:02:33,444 --> 00:02:40,243 I was twenty years old at the time, but I realized I was going to die one day. 34 00:02:40,994 --> 00:02:48,084 There was an exercise room inside the prison that had a small window where light shines in. 35 00:02:48,668 --> 00:02:54,382 The dust in the room and the smoke from a cigarette someone was smoking glistened in the sunlight. 36 00:02:55,633 --> 00:03:02,015 I realized my heart was filthy with dust, too. 37 00:03:02,265 --> 00:03:05,101 I couldn’t breathe. 38 00:03:05,476 --> 00:03:12,442 I remembered all the bad things I did and despaired. 39 00:03:12,817 --> 00:03:14,903 I went back to my cell 40 00:03:15,486 --> 00:03:17,864 and opened the Bible again. 41 00:03:18,281 --> 00:03:20,450 I found this verse in there. 42 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:32,420 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” 43 00:03:32,879 --> 00:03:38,176 “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” 44 00:03:38,551 --> 00:03:44,474 “As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’” 45 00:03:45,016 --> 00:03:49,103 All I have to do is confess with my mouth! I don’t need any religious training. 46 00:03:49,812 --> 00:03:53,066 I prayed, “Jesus, I’m sorry for everything I’ve done in the past. 47 00:03:53,191 --> 00:03:56,235 Please forgive me. Amen.” 48 00:03:56,945 --> 00:03:59,656 When I believed, I felt happy. 49 00:03:59,948 --> 00:04:01,991 I was forgiven! 50 00:04:02,283 --> 00:04:07,080 For the first time, I slept well in prison. 51 00:04:07,247 --> 00:04:10,458 I didn't do any good deeds but God saved me. 52 00:04:10,667 --> 00:04:16,422 I want to offer my entire being to spread this simple gospel. 53 00:04:16,756 --> 00:04:20,551 Anyone can be saved as long as they believe. 54 00:04:21,094 --> 00:04:27,225 God used all the bad things I did in the past and used it for good. 55 00:04:27,433 --> 00:04:31,187 I use my art to tell people about Jesus. 56 00:04:31,437 --> 00:04:37,068 As miserable as I was, God saved me and He uses me. 57 00:04:37,318 --> 00:04:42,782 I get to use my art as a vehicle to meet various people and tell them about Jesus. 58 00:04:43,116 --> 00:04:46,661 I live a blessed life. 59 00:04:47,537 --> 00:04:52,250 This is how I received the good news.