-
A mofithty report by the Mark G. Maxty fanily to the friends
of the Kyushu Christian fAission Kanoya, Kagoshimaf Japan
Travel in the first two months have taken me to many places of
/iprecious memories and in every place into renewed fellowship with
friendsof the past and into the hearts and homes of new friends.
This is the joy Pthat gives me strength to continue in spite of
physical weariness and Ion-liness for my family. At least X held up
well until the end of Februarywhen I had to go to bed with the flu
in spite of my wishes otherwise.
Last letter I failed to mention the wonderful day-before-Christ-
j GREGORY - 16 YEARSmas service at Shiloh church up in Indiana,
Wally Gardner minister. Going on from there and into cold,snow,
ice, sleet and rain with a little sunshine in between I made a
total of 49 presentations and addresses in: ILLINOIS: Red Brush
church, Louisville; Clay County 5th Sunday Rally, Bethlehem church;
Flora; La Harpe and Erie. MICHIGAN: 3 days at Greiner Ave
church,Detroit;Great Lakes Bible College, Lansing; Sumner; and
Ballard church, Sparta. IOWA: Union; WISCONSIN:Footville.
MINNESOTA; Redwood Falls; Crystal^Wew Hope church, Minneapolis;
Men's breakfast,Minneapolis; Truman; Madelia; Mid-Winter
Conference, Minnesota Bible College. INDIANA: Medora;Brownstown;
and Columbus with Pauline speaking; mission rally at Garrett. OHIO:
New Holland,Washington C.H.;Hollowtown church. Highland County;
Faith-Promise Rally, West Side church, Hamilton; New Burlington;
Eaton; and Madisonville church, Cincinnati. OKLAHOMA: 3 days at
EastTulsa church; Mamosa Heights church, Oklahoma City; Midwest
Christian College; and Glencoe.KENTUCKY: Shively church,
Louisville; Holy land pictures at Mt. Byrd church, Milton and
RotaryClub, Shively.
Pauline is making her witness felt in the churches and ladies
groups in Louisville.Faith was elected to the Junior Beta club of
her school on the basis of her fine work. Greg,now 16, has proved
to be a good student and has been active in the gospel team of
Shively church.Hope goes her happy way in school and has mastered
the arts of roller skating and bicycling -not without bruises and
torn stockings of course. Walter and Mary have been able to visit
usfrom Cincinnati and we all helped him celebrate his 22nd birthday
in January with sukiyaki.
Here are a few of the questions most often asked me as I
travel.:'VHEN ARE YOU GOING BACK?" Or it is asked with a different
emphasis: "Are you going
back?" Yes, we are! We plan to finish up in Louisville on June 6
in order to attend Walter'swedding June 7 in Murphysboro, Illinois.
After that for two months we will speak and make ourway west. We
depart San Francisco, August 15, 4 p.m. on the SS President Wilson,
the same vessel we sailed in August, 1950 as we began our
missionary service. We will be traveling withthe Harold Sims family
of Tokyo and our two older boys will share a cabin. Below the water
linein economy class, the fare from San Francisco to Yokohama will
be $430 each for Greg, Faith,Pauline and I and $215 for Hope. That
is a total of $1935 for the ocean leg of the journey only.Furlough
is vital to our well being but it is expensive - as is the total
missionary work.
"IS TIBBS MAXEY YOUR FATHER?". I always say "yes" but not too
many people believe me.To straighten things out: R.Tibbs Maxey of
Stepstone, Ky. and Maude Mason Bryan of Fulton, Mo.had nine
children. In order, they are: I) ISABEL (Mrs. Isabel Dittemore of
Taiwan. 2) TIBBS
Linkletter Subscription: 1968 - $1.00If you are a regular
supporter of this mission, please ignore this notice. Sorry to
trouble the rest of you. But printing and mailing this letter
has become an expensive business - about lOc per copy (printing +
postage + labor) by the time it reaches your mailbox. If you want
the Linkletter to come to your home and would like to share in its
cost,please let us know. Tear off the end of this letter. Make any
needed corrections in yourname and address on the other side. Put
in an envelope with a dollar and mail to KyushuChristian Mission,
Box 49, North Vemon, Indiana 47265. Subscribe for a friend if you
wish.(Bulk copies are sent without charge to supporting churches
for their own distribution.)
-
R.Tibbs Maxey, Jr, Pres. of the Collegeof the Scriptures,
Louisville. 3) LEIGHANGELA, dead. 4) JOHN McGARVEY, dead.
5)PRUDENCE ANN, dead. 6) MARK GREGORY. 7)MARY ELLEN (Mrs. Alvin
Giese, Storm Lake,Iowa. 8) VICTOR LEE, Louisville. 9)
BRYAN,minister, Defiance, Ohio,
"WHY DO YOU SPEND YOUR FURLOUGHIN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY?" They
say ifyou let a Kentuckian loose anywhere in theworld he'll make a
bee-line for his nativehollers and hills. Kentucky does have family
ties. Two brothers live here. NorthVernon, Indiana is only 65 miles
away. Itis central to many of our supporting churches in Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois and offers easy access to the rest of the
nation. Pauline's family in northern Ohio isnot too far away. Five
Louisville churchessupport the Kyushu work regularly. Theyhave
helped us to get settled here eachtime and really made our family a
part ofthe Christian community here. That meansmuch to us.
Missionary children, especially need to know that they have a
placev^ere they have roots; where they know others their own age
and are known by them; one spot andplace in their native land which
they know as "home". Three furloughs in Louisville have madethis
city and this house at 7321 Browns Lane, Pleasure Ridge Park our
"home" in the U.S.A. Butwhen we use the word "home" unconsciously I
think we really mean Japan.
The deepening crisis in Viet Nam and the brazen seizure of the
Pueblo has fastenedour country's attention on the Far East. We
should never have looked away. Three times since1941 we have sent
our sons to die in Asia. I believe necessarily so, for the future
of our country and of the world will be be shaped for good or ill
in Asia. And the future of Asia willultimately be shaped by Japan
and the nearby free countries of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong
Kong,Philippine Islands and Thailand. The giving of the gospel to
these nations is a task of the utmost urgency. It ought to have
highest priority.
But our people are looking the other way. ^To Africa for
example. In the last 15years we have added 166 missionaries and 26
recruits to five countries there which have a population density of
25 people per square mile. In the same time, Japan and the free
countriesof Asia mentioned above have added only 30 missionaries
and 5 recruits. These countries have apopulation density of about
400 people per square mile. The ratio for missionaries is: 4.5
forAfrica to one for Asia. For recruits; 5 for Africa to 1 for
Asia. As for finances I hazard thatthe ratio is $10 for Africa to
$1 for Asia - considering the medical and educational thrustin
Africa.
I can. write this without rancor or jealousy of any kind. I
rejoice for Africa andfor preaching of the gospel there. But I
plead for Japan, and for Asia. I submit that our priorities are out
of balance; our spiritual understanding out of joint. I pray that
our churches andour young people will unite in taking the gospel
back to Asia fjm ^ence it came - before itis too late. IN HIS
SERVICE,
;e figures taken from Missionary Prayer List, No. 20 count only
those missionaries now serving who were not there in 1953 and
ignores the number of" missionaries who have come and gone.* )
COMMUNIST-HELD LANDS
^Thesi
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A moothly report by the Hark G. Mttey Unily to the friends
^CywsAii Christian (Aission Kanoya, Kogoshiratt, Japan
WITH FACULTY AND STUDENTS AT THECOLLEGE OF THE
SCRIPTURES,LOUISVILLE
if he wished? Was the U.S. really a country of law and or-= WITH
FACULTY AND STUDENTS AT THEder? I was glad I was not in Japan to
answer these and more COLLEGE OF THE SCRIPTURES,LOUISVILLEpressing
questions at the death of Martin Luther King. _Rightly or wrongly,
the Japanese measure the U.S. by the way we treat the Negro. The
questionsthey ask really express a fundamental doubt that our
country is as democratic and as Christianas we say. At this point
in our history, it is hard not to share in that doubt.
A week in bed with the flu caused me to miss appointments for
the first time in raymissionary travels. I learned that even a
strong body and a strong will must sometimes fail. Iwas able to get
to Atlanta, Georgia for the Thirteenth Annual Georgia Christian
MissionaryRally. It was a privilege to speak to 903 people on
opening night at the East Point church. Therally had announced a
goal of $4000 in offerings and 5000 registrations. They had $4390
in offerings and 6603 registrations. This makes it the greatest
missionary rally among our people inmore ways than one.
The missionaries themselves must program, promote and largely
pay for another national missionary gathering to which they invite
churches and Christians to attend. In addition themissionaries are
under temptation to exceed their authority and vote to include or
exclude othersIn contrast to this the Atlanta gathering uses only
missionaries for speakers; encourages themto use their allotted
time to tell about their work; gives a substantial offering to the
missionwork each speaker represents; and invites the missionaries
to come as both servants and honoredguests of the Area churches.
This is the right relationship and this is the kind of conventionI
like to attend and support.
It was a year after I had agreed to be in Atlanta and at
Missions Emphasis Week atCincinnati Bible Seminary before I
discovered that both fell on the same two days. I redeemedthe
situation as best I could by flying back to Cincinnati for the last
day. Pauline was alsoon the program. We had special pleasure in
being there since son, Walter, as president of theWorld Mission
Volunte-ers had responsibility for the total program. He presided
with assuranceat the closing session and when the call for mission
volunteers came, he and Mary Stanes, hisbride-to-be, stepped
forward as recruits for Japan. We will look forward to their coming
twoor three years hence after Mary has graduated and Walter has
continued his studies at C.B.S.for two more years. Patty Likins,
daughter of Claude and Evalyn Likins of Japan, along withBob
Pelfrey, her fiance', were also among the volunteers for Japan. So
we rejoiced for thesefour and for Japan as well.
From Cincinnati I flew south again to pick up my itinerary
there: FLORIDA; WestsideChristian, Jacksonville; Winter Park; Eau
Gallie; Broad St. church, Tampa; Opa Locka.GEORGIA: Capital View,
Atlanta; Carrolton. ALABAMA: With friends at Huntsville &
Prattville.MISSISSIPPI: Pine Grove Baptist near Philadelphia;
Waldron St.,Corinth. TEXAS: South Palms,Houston. TENNESSEE: First
Christian, Erwin. KENTUCKY: Christian church, Horse Cave; and
fourmission lectures on Motive, Men, Message, and Method at the
College of the Scriptures wherebrother, Tibbs, is president.
ILLINOIS: Murphysboro (Home of Walter's Mary). INDIANA:
OmegaChristian, Arcadia; Arlington; Mitchell; Tab; Ambia;
Burlington; Pauline at EnglewoodChristian, Indianapolis; and Etna
Green. OHIO: A one week revival with my brother, Bryan, atthe First
Church of Christ, Defiance, Ohio.
It would take several pages just to mention the friends who have
received me, sharedtheir cars, their homes, their food and their
hospitality and sent me on my way rejoicing. Thankyou each one
again. I must mention being with Dr. and Mrs. Harry Poll in
Atlanta. They haveencouraged me since I began preaching in
Minnesota many years ago. For the last several years
-
Harry has been fighting a losing battle against cancer but we
had a chance to renew our fellowship once more. As it came time to
leave he took my hand and said, "The Lord bless thee." Towhich I
replied, "And keep thee." Now a short time later he is dead. But
his benediction willrest with me till we meet again.
People ;^o are concerned sometimes ask these two questions about
the missionary's furlough: "Is travel to visit the churches
necessary?" And, "Is it financially worthwhile?" Theanswer to the
first one is an unqualified, "yes I" The genius of direct support
missions is thatthe missionary reports directly to the churches
concerning his stewardship. At the same time thepeople renew their
contact with the missionary, get to know him as a person rather
than as anaddress in a foreign country, and get to know something
of the commission which motivates him.As a treasurer said to me the
other day after hearing Pauline speak, "I will never send you
acheck in the same way again. Now it is going out with personal
meaning and prayer."
This is the way missionary interest is kept alive, renewed and
enlarged in the church.No money is wasted in this kind of activity
if it is done right. And from another viewpoint,no missionary will
be supported indefinitely by a congregation unless he remains in
personal contact and unless he shows himself i'n person on
furlough. We feel it is our duty to do so and cansay also that it
is a joy. It is demanding work, of course, lonely, hard on the
body. Also it putsa very heavy burden on the missionary wife as she
must rear her family alone much of the time.But the stirring of
missionary interest among the churches is a missionary work in its
own right.
There is a danger^ of course, that the missionary may find
himself well-received as aspeaker and decide that being a full-time
missionary speaker in the U.S. is his real calling.No missionary
can do the work he is supposed to be doing on the field and spend
his time in thisway. The integrity of the missionary must be judged
by the time he spends on his chosen fielddoing the job he has told
his supporters he is going to do. From my own experience I can
saythat is is easier to be a missionary speaker in the U.S. than to
hoe my row as a missionary inJapan year after year.
As to whether it is financially sound for a missionary to travel
and speak in this way,it depends first of all on the missionary
himself. He must plan his trips several months in advance; endeavor
to speak every night; group his appointments in one area to avoid
long jumps from one part of the country to another; and make
efficient use of his time and equipment. Thisis a large order and
this kind of preparation is time-consuming.
After that is is up to the churches. The missionary does run
into some surprising situations. Offerings are taken on his behalf
but not given to him. A leader of the church willsay, "We will be
sending you something." Sadly, one learns to doubt this promise. A
missionaryoffering is taken and kept by the church. A check for a
pre-decided amount is then given the missionary. Or a
pre-determined amount is given to the missionary without regard to
the miles traveled or the days spent and the messages delivered.
This can give one a "used" feeling. Some missionary rallies and
faitb-promise programs have no budget for missionary speakers other
thanmileage. In my travels I have met the following plans for the
missionary: No offering taken,nothing given; $15 from the church or
mission treasury; $25; $35; $50; $100. Or a combinationof a stated
amount plus any offering that might be given.
No missionary is in a position to tell a church how much he
should receive nor to sayanything about what he does receive. But
since we will soon finish our speaking appointmentsI can say this:
Travel costs at least 10
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in his home room at Pleasure Ridge Park High School.
Our house at Pleasure Ridge has been a.happy home andi^e left it
with regret. Many wonderful friends have come to see usthere. Cars
with license plates from Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia,Mabama,
Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, IllinoisIndiana,
Ohio - to say nothing of Kentucky have come to rest in ourdriveway.
"Thank you" is a very feeble way of expressing
heartfeltappreciation to those v^o helped make this house a home by
furnishingit, by visiting it, and by helping us return its aaveral
parts backto their owners,
I was not able to pause long enough last month to getout a
Linkletter. Our speaking dates from April 6 through June 6were -
OHIO- One week meeting with brother Bryan at Defiance withthe aging
Maxey Brothers Quartet making its once-every-five-yearsappearance
on the last night . "We may not be good but we're loud."Bryan aptly
said; Miles Avenue church, Cleveland; Church of Christ,Sabina;
Pauline at Tulip Tea, Indian Run Church, East Canton; Churchof
Christ, Sciotoville; Missionary Society, Hillsboro;
Comneacementbreakfast, Cincinnati Bible Seminary; and Western Hills
Church of Christ, Cincinnati.
MICHIGAN: Three days at the Church of Christ, Vandalia where a
fine Thirty Pieces ofSilver offering of $390.70 was given for Japan
Missions - a worthy use of an offering usuallydesignated entirely
for local needs; four days at Newtown Church of Christ, Battle
Creek for theirFaith-Promise Rally. TENNESSEE: Missions class,
Johnson Bible College; Chapel, Emmanuel Schoolof Religion, Milligan
College; Oak Grove Christian, RR, Elizabethton; Virginia St Church
andAppalachian Christian Village, Johnson City; and Christian
church, Blountville. SOUTH CAROLINA:Area missionary rally with
presentati'^ns at Macedonia church, Bonneau, Columbia and
Branchville.GEORGIA: Missions and Evangelism classes at Atlanta
Christian College. NEBRASKA: Area YoungPeople's Banquet,
Scottsbluff; three day missionary clinic at Gering Church of
Christ. KANSAS:Missions class and chapel at Manhattan Bible
College. MISSOURI: Chapel, Central College of theBible, Moberly;
Union Ave church, Moberly; Prairie Hill Christian Church, RR,
Salisbury.
INDIANA: Minute Men meeting, Markle; Southport Oiristian,
Indianapolis; Ordinationservice, North Vernon. KENTUCKY: Farewell
meeting. Loyal Friends class, Clifton Church, Louisvville,
Pauline's living link; Farevd.1 meeting. Fellowship Class, South
Louisville Christian;Farewell meeting, Shively Christian; Prentice
St. Christian; Southeast Christian; Lyndon Christianall of
Louisville; Antioch Christian, RR, Mt. Sterling down in the Maxey
family orginal stampingground; Executive meeting, Incoporator's
meeting and Commencement address, College of the Scrip-tues,
Louisville, Ky.; Tibbs Maxey, President. A total of 57 messages,
not including Pauline's.
Now we are on our way to the west coast, speaking as we go. We
will arrive inthe San Francisco Bay area on August 11. We can be
addressed at North Vernon anytime and forour last few days in the
U.S. at %Home of Peace, 4700 Daisy, Oakland,^ California 946119. We
sailAiigiist 15, 4 p^m. on-the SS PRES. WILSON, American President
Line^v-^i -
/ ' \ - 1Here is a change to put in your notebooks. We hav^
new'^ro^^rding secretary: MRS.l/CECIL SMITH, BOX 49, NORTH VERNCN,
INDIANA 47265. Notice the same. Only the namehas been changed. Mrs.
Gladys Auerswald was our secretary for 13'yea^. Mrs. Mary Deiotte
hasserved for five years. Like the others, Shirely Smith is a
member of the Christian Church atNorth Vernon. Her husband is an
elder there. Mrs. Deiotte asked to be relieved because of
familyduties. Mrs. Smith to offer her service to missions in this
way - serving without charge. Oursincere thanks to those who have
served before and an equally sincere welcome to Mrs. Smith. MayGod
bless us all in serving His Son. IN HIS SERVICE,
LINKLETTERMonthly Publication of
KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONBox 49, North Vernon,
Indiana 47265 Mission ServicesBox 968^oliet Illinois 60434
A
THIRTY PIECES OF SILVERMISSIONARY OFFERING OFCHURCH AT
VANDALIA,MICH.
Non-Profit OrganizationU.S.POSTAGE
PAID
Louisville, KentuckyPermit No.537
A monthly report by the Mark G. Maxty family to the friends
iof the Kyushv Christian Mission
Linkletter No. 174
Kanoya, iCogoshiina, Japan
June, 1968
Dedr Christian friends,
"When do you have to go back?", is a question often aaked.In the
sense that we are under a written contract to depart for thefield
at a specified time, we don't have to go back. We go becausewe want
to go and to be orderly this should be done at a specifictime on
the calendar. If one has children a summer departure isneeded in
order to enroll them in school in early September.
Five years on the field and one year at home is normalfor the
Japan field. This can vary to suit family needs. Westayed five
years the first term; six years the second term soPaula could
finish high school in Japan and four years this timein order to be
home for Walter's senior year in Seminary. The Lord wiiiing, the
next term willbe five years long. At that time Faith will be ready
for college.
One sadness the missionary has is "not being able to share in
the big events of hischildren's college years. So it has been a
special joy to Pauline and I as we were presentwhen Walter received
his Bachelor of Arts (Bible) at Cincinnati Bible Seminary and for
otherceremonies of the week. I was glad to be able to share in the
happy event by speaking atthe Commencement breakfast for graduates
and their families. The Alumni Association grantedWalter a partial
scholarship for graduate study.
Sunday evening, June 2, we gathered at the Christian Church in
North Vernon, Indianafor Walter's ordination. The minister, Bill
Bravard, very graciously made all the arrangements.The elders of
the church examined him and shared in the prayers and the laying on
of hands. Ipreached the ordination sermon and brother Tibbs gave
the charge. Naturally, Pauline and I wereproud to see our son pick
up the torch and carry it on.
The same week, on Friday, June 7, I united Mary Stanes and
Walter in marriage at a beau-tiful service at the Christian Church
in Murphysboro, Illinois. Mary is the wonderful daughterof Mr, and
Mrs.Joe Stanes of that city. We can not thank them enough for their
kindness to usand our family during this time. My mother came and
for the first and only time during this furlough all the six living
Maxey children were present for a reunion in the Stanes front room.
Theonly sad note was saying good-by to Mother the next day . She is
now 85.
Walter and Mary will be spending the summer at North Vernon
where he will be assistantminister. This is where I was minister
1941-44 and where Pauline and I began our married lifealmost 27
years ago. This fall Mary will continue her Junior year at C.B.S.
and Walter will studyin the graduate school. We anticipate their
coming to Japan in two or three years.
While Walter was crossing three big bridges in his life, Pauline
and I were going backover one we had crossed many times before -
packing for the return to Japan. I can't think of anyjob that so
drains the mental and physical strength as reducing an entire
household to a few suitcases and walking out the door with them.
The big items go easily but when you come down to thedeparture hour
and dozens of little items remain you become desperate for a place
to put them.
At 11 a.m. June 5 a truck picked up our freight. It will be
shipped out of Cleveland viathe Great Lakes and the Panama canal.
Believe it or not, this is cheaper than trucking it to
and then by ship to Japan. That night the Shively church gave us
a "Bon Voyage" that^ally tugged at our heart strings. Most of the
night and the next day went for the last big push."Hie children
came home from school with their report cards and we were on our
way. We arrivedin Louisville the first day of school and left on
the last.
Some may think that it is hardly worthwhile to set up a home for
only nine months butfor our part we can not think of anything more
important for our family's well being than this.
church has given the children a happy church home and- full
opportunity for spiritual erow-th and partxcipation. The three
children have had good teachers, a satisfying school experLceIS
quite important. Greg was given the "Panther Award" for i = u,- I ,
.
i
MARY AND WALTER MARK
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Summer
PRENTICE STREET OPENING
ALBERT THOMPSON
PRENTICE STREET CHURCHpurchased for $ 50.000
I
1 -7! . .* -r-1:, till /Hi-ffe'ljSHIVELY CHOIR SINGING OPENING
DAY MARCH 17
486 PEOPLE PRESENT
NEW TRUSTEES
Three new Trustees bring the total to 25. Thenew men are William
Gardner of Grand Junction,Colo., A1 Holzbauer, Waterloo, Ind.,
andAlbert Thompson of Kingston, Jamaica. Mr. Thompson is a graduate
of the Jamaica Seminary. Hehas held revivals in America. He was
host in
Jamaica to William Ellis, Tibbs Maxey, IsaiahMoore and Roger
Chambers.
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'-Sw
Dr. Moore in Pnioit SOME OF THE CROWD
fmiz
n %
MARK MAXEY SPOKE TO OUR STUDENT BODY IN CHAPEL(Kneeling - Left
to right)Mark. Tibbs _Maxey.._Isaiah Moore,. C. Daniels
WENDELL COX at pulpit, chairmanof the New Church Committee
of
JJie Counts-oJi_1968
AUG 3 11368
COLLEGE of the SCRIPTURES
BOX 18027
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, 40218
RGTUBN REQUESTED
?ass Dorothy Adams1WIS310M ServicesBox 953Joliet, 111. 60431
NGN - PROFIT ORC. *U. S POSTAGE
PAIDLouisville, Kentucky
PERMn No. 189
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A inombljr report by ibc Mark G. Haxty family tu cfae
fcleods
of the Kyusbu Christian Hission Kanoy a. Japan
Dear.Christian friends, August, 1968
...to"be'^g^^^ophet but my feeling isthat^nhlstory .will record
that -Uie USA reached its zenith inther'"'50's ank^began its
decline/in t^e 60*s. It is hard tosee that^^Happen but iiodJs
J^idgment has rested on many a na-tion''beft)re"-^d.-iie.-ha-s'^np,
reason to except ours. "To whominii^h' is given," much is
required," No nation in history hasreceived more in physical and
spiritual resources than thiscountry and few have so systematically
destroyed: the foundations upon which it was built,
Having said this, no miss^^I&y can escape thefeeling that
there are vast sp;,r^^^!Sal resources still available in this
country of ours, iifis is the chief blessingwe receive as we visit
the churches and in the homes ofChristian friends.
POMEROY
'r
Our speaking dates from June 8 through July 2^have been*
ILLINOIS 1 Central Chtirch of Christ, Streator; Ancona Church
ofChrist, INDIANAi VBS, Bethany Christian, Anderson; Chapel
speaker, Pearson'sMill camp, Converse. PENNAi Wind Ridge Christian
church, Pauline's home church.OHIOi Palmyra Church of
ChristT"Fredericktown; Gregory at VBS at SciotovllleChurch of
Christ and Central Church of Christ, Portsmouth. Farewell to
Paulina's3 brothers, Roy Boyd and Allen and t^eir families at Akron
and to my brother,Bryan, and family at Defiance.
MINNESOTA* Bloomington Church of Christ; Truman Church of
Christ,where I preached 1938-ii-O, IOWA 1 Sutherland Church of
Christ; Storm Lake Churciof Christ and farewell to sister,Mary
Ellen, and her husband Alvin Giese, thelong-time minister there.
Chapel speaker at Ne-Bo-Wa CHnristian camp, Onawa?Whiting Church of
Christ; Missouri Valley Church of Christ, SOUTH DAKOTA:
PleireChurch of Christ; KANSASi Sallna Heights Christian church,
COLORADOi BoulderValley Church of Christ; UTAHi Keams, Farewell to
Pauline's brother, Guy Pethbe]and family, CALIFORNIA1 Lexington
Ave, Christian, El Cajon; First Christian,Long Beach; VBS,
Parkcrest Church of Christ, Long Beach.
IDAHOi First Christian, Emmettt First Church of Christ, Boise
wheremy Father used to preach in the late 20's; Christian Camp,
Cascade; First Christian, Sandpolnt, WASHINGTONi Overnight with
Mrs. Grace Thompson at Pomeroy^She remembers when I saw the light
of day there on Ai^ust j^ars ag ^BRITISH COLUMBIAi Church of
Christ, Vernon; ChurcfT'bf^^Ck^ist,-Chrl'stlan Hen'sBusiness Club;
and Double VM Bible'Ranch, all at Lumby. The VM stands for
VernonMiller who had Invited us up to see this beautiful and unique
mission field ofwhich he and his family are so much a part,
Pauline spoke 15 times including three special 'teas* at Truman,
Minn,Pierre, S.Dak. and Lumby, B.C. I spoke and showed-'e;y.des a
total of timesincluding four 2-hour showings of the-Holy Land
sllde^;- Speaking this manytimes on this kind of schedule is ^Ih no
sense a vacation but we have had thegreat joy of meeting old
friends, being partakers ofthe kind of heart-warming
hospitallty^hat'iBakes._one feel-^ike his mission inlife is really
worthwhile. It is a real regret to be a"6i^to mention only
theplaces and not to write a full page about each place ano^s^^
person and whatthey have meant to us.
-
We did take the second week in July to attend two days of the
NorthAmerican Christian convention in Cincinnati, our first in
many, many years. Weheard preaching with the old time fire; met
friends from everywhere; attendedcollege reunions and heard the
young people in their Bible Bowl contests - allof which rekindled
o\ir .souls. Waiting fx>T an elevator, I saw George
Vartenisianwho had been my chaplain's assistant in Palawan,
Phillipines 23 years ago. Wehad not seen each other since. Now he
is a Christian minister in Pennsylvania.
.^.j^?:^^nigh poinlk for many of us at the convention was the
noon missionarvx'^'^banauet^ Max Randall gave a stirring address on
the failure of institutionalmissicms to over.JLOOO people. The
banquet was mai '^yii',' lyoye'Cer", 5y~CT^73rowding,poor
cgb-erlffg, and having it at the top floorto handle the crowd. It
is doubtful if therethat would handle the number of people who
Mjure. Tickets to the missionary banquettickets to other banquets
were going
with only k elevatorsanquet hall in any city
this particular feat-out well in advance while/
Why not make it, then,/an ^tfta^al part of tthe convention
instead'of an important but remote side have long felt that a
brotherhood thatlikes-to boast of having 1000 m:4|sM^ries with
about 600 of them overseas coulduse some of those who are preJ^^ly
active on their chosen fields as participants in the convention
programritself, In the old days they were excludedbecause of fear
of introducing the independent missions vs. United
ChristianMissionary Society controversy into the program, ^hat
problem is no longer pertinent, Now that a new organization, The
Christian Missionary Fellowship, isactive I the problem of
organization missions vs direct support missions will bea live
issue for many years to come, One result, I believe, will be to
keepmissionary voices from being heard in tfte convention. The
missionary banquetor similar program will continue to be a popular
feature with this organization which has 3,3% of the overseas
missionary force having at least one placeon the program,
Personally, I have always ilpttl^d^it hard to be accepted just
becauseI am a "missionary" at gatherings ^uffere missionary
speakers are wanted whilebeing rejected because I am a
J^fffssionary" at those events where preaching,teaching and
discussion dn subjects were wanted. Sometimes I wonder justwho I am
or what I am. iLJ^lleve, however, that I have come to terms with
myself. I will be content be a servant of Christ, seeking nothing
and wantingnothing more than that. Resting also in the belief that,
after the church,the Individual Christian seeking to obey the Great
Commission in whatever partof the earth the Lord's leads him, is
\he most important unit in the kingdomof God. Such a servant must
seek his praise and his reward from the Lord alone.
After the great address by Lewis Foster on Thursday night,
Walterand Mary drove us to North Vernon, Indiana. It was a very
real pleasure forPauline and I to spend just one night in their
home and an equally real sadness to embrace them in parting at the
airport Ithe next morning. Then HowardSchmidt flew us to St. Louis
where we got a plane to Utah, We picked up -ychildren and
continuedour schedule in the Northwest, ^
By the time you get this we will be^ back- in Japan
again^-^Rememberour address in Japan is simplyi KANCYA 893,JAPAN.
'tJa has addedzip codes as of July 1.) And the address which
will^always reach us anytime isBox ^9, North Vemon, Indiana ^7265.
Let the distance between us make ourmutual prayers more dear. IN
HIS SERVICE,
LINKLETTERMonthly Publication of
KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONBox 49, North Vernon,
Indiana 47265
RETURN REQUESTED
Mission ServicesBox 968^oliet Illinois 60434
Non-Profit OrganizationU. S. POSTAGE
PAIDLouisville, Kentucky
Permit No. 537
AUG 2 9 1368
-
Kyushu Christian Mission, Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan
In U.S.: Box 49, North Vernon, Indiana 47265
Dear Christian friends, September, 1968
Here we are back in Japan. It is nice to be-X
Our final speaking dates were in WASHINGTON:Woodland and West
Seattle. In CREGON: Alberta St Churchof Christ, Portland, one of
Pauline's living link char-ches; Southside Church of Christ,
Lebanon where I prea- ^he Center of Attention: Megumi Paulineched
for a "Week of Inspiration"; and the Week of Mis- Isions at
Wi-Ne-Ma Christian Camp, Cloverdale, In CALIFCRNIA at Santa Rosa;
Central Christian,San Jose and First Christian, Napa, In HAWAII at
Pearl Harbor Memorial Christian in Honolulu.
We were in the U.S.A. 353 days during which we traveled 37000
miles by car, 22500 milesby air and 500 miles by train and bus. In
this time I spoke 326 times in 33 states and Canadaat 146 churches,
16 Bible colleges, 16 mission rallies and conventions; 12
Faith-Promise rallies; 2 revivals, 2 Rotary clubs, 2 business men's
breakfasts, 1 college commencement, 1commencement breakfast, 2
vacation Bible schools, 4 summer camps, 4 banquets and numerous
youngpeople's meetings and Sunday school classes. Pauline spoke 50
times traveling either alone orwith the family. It has been a rich,
full year for us and we leave the U.S.A. with warm memories which
will nourish us in the years ahead.
Pauline had her birthday August 2nd in Lebanon, The friends
there were good to havea party for us both and give us a couple of
blankets to ward off the cold winter nights in Japan,My birthday
was August 16 but we had to drive over 700 miles that day going
from Oregon to California so we kinda let it slip by unnoticed. We
got news later that Paula's baby girl wasborn in Japan August 9,
They named her "Megumi" , the Japanese word for "grace" and
"Pauline"after her grandmother. The full name is Megumi Pauline
Yanagimoto.
We have had three furloughs ending each time with Missions Week
at Wi-Ne-Ma in Oregon,To my mind this is the outstanding camp
mission program in the U.S.A. A single Bible lecturergives a solid
Biblical study each morning setting the right atmosphere for the
day. After thatthe program revolves around 5 guest missionaries who
have speaking opportunities every day inpanel sessions, chapel,
reports, senaons and campfire devotions. It is the only camp I
knowwhere the missionary can appear long enough and often enough to
really share his convictions onthe vital subject of missions. This
use of the missionary is in m'arked contrast to other campswhere
the program uses local ministers and missionaries give a single
report and otherwisewalk across the platform introducing themselves
into the microphone. Generally speaking amissionary has not been
used very well nor has the missionary used his own time very well
ifmuch time is spent in this sort of inactivity.
As the day of departure nears it doesn't seem possible that
everything will get donein time. That is the very time the Lord
supplies his servants to help meet the deadline. AtLebanon, Oregon
Wyman Summers sold us our last minute needs at cost and the Gail
Orr familymade a home for us during the week and let us do our
packing in their garage. In Oakland, theHome of Peace, a haven for
all missionaries sailing across the Pacific Ocean took care of
finalpacking and shipping arrangements, Bro, Merrill Sniley of
Portland, Oregon bought our car andcame down late Tuesday, August
13 to drive it away. It had served us well and we hated to seeit go
but we will use the money to replace it with a Japanese car later
on. Kenneth Hansonof Long Beach was in the area on Army reserve
duty. He chauffered us out to Napa, Calif, forour last speaking
date shared with the Harold Sims family. The Leo Berg fanily came
up tosay farewell and after hauling our luggage to the ship headed
for San Luis Obispo with ourlittle luggage trailer in tow just as
they had five years ago. John Miles Baker of San Clementehandles
our displays and publications. He came up for the last day and our
display and projection equipment went off south with him. Finally
at 3.30 p.m. Thursday, August 15 a fine group
-
of Christians from area churches gathered around the Suns fanxly
and our family the ship s^^lounge commending us to God's grace in
hymn and prayer. At 3.45 the last call for All Ashoreand at 4 p.m.
our ship the S.S. PRESIDENT WILSON sounded its whistle and we were
on our way.Within 45 minutes we had sailed under the Golden Gate
bridge and in a few more minutes werein the open sea. It was the
smoothest passage we had ever had. Two years ago Harold Sms andI
had agreed that we would try to go back to Japan with our families
on the same ship, we wereablB to do just that. Harold and Lois Sims
and sons, John, Bobby and Danny with our family of5 made for happy
fellowship all the way across the Pacific. We ate together in the
dining roomand on the twoSundays at sea we gathered in Sims' room
after the general worship service toobserve the Lord's Supper
together.
Avery pleasant break in the voyage was the 15 hours we spent in
Honolulu August 20.Nephew, Brian Giese, spent the summer there
doing missionary work. He and many other Christianswere on the dock
with leis or orchids and the traditional greeting of'Aloha. At noon
themissionary families on Oahu gave us a picnic followed by a swim
at the beach. That nightHarold and I spoke at the Pearl Harbor
Memorial church - our final church service in the U.S.A.Again that
night the Christians gathered in the ship's lounge and joined in
prayer and praisebefore sailing away into the night.
TMs was our fifth westward crossing of the Pacific. In late July
of 1945 I sailedfrom San Francisco on a troop ship landing in
Manila over a month later. In December, 1946I came to Japan by air
from the Philippines. Pauline came to Japan from Seattle by ship
toYokohama in June, 1947 ending a two year's separation. Ever since
that time the sound of aship's whistle has been the saddest sound I
know and saying "farewell" an emotion that cuts toodeep to be
talked about. In 1950 we came to Japan as missionaries bringing
Paula and Walteron the same ship, the PRES. WILSON. That was voyage
#16 but this time it was voyage #159. 1955we flew across the
Pacific to Japan. In 1963 we came across in a freighter with the
Paul Prattfamily. The time on the ship is a time of transition, a
time of adjustment, a time of gettingcaught up on your reading and
writing and arithmetic (financial reports.) We did all that plusa
little relaxing, too but at the end of two weeks we were ready to
get off and get into ourwork again. We arrived in port on schedule
but strong winds prevented us from entering theharbor for another
24 hours so it was Friday morning, August 30 before we were allowed
toland at Yokohama.
A1 Hammond, Andy Patton, Stan Buttray, Bob Warrick and families
met us, helped usthrough customs, patiently hauled our baggage to
the railroad station, had a grand supperfor us at the Patton home
in Tokyo before we took the 9 p.m. train to Nagoya, Kiyoto
Yanagi-moto was on the platform to meet us and in a few mcnents we
were at home again embracingPaula and having the thrill of holding
our little grandaughter, Megumi Pauline, in our arms.I won't try to
describe it - but it's a mighty pleasant sensation - that much I
can say. Westayed in Nagoya with Paula and Kiyoto through Sunday
evening going to church with them onSunday and preaching in the
church there where Bro. Yuse is minister. It was a very,very
happyweek-end for us.
Sunday night we took the train on south to Osaka where Martin
and Evelyn Clarkare making us at home for a few days while we wait
for our freight to come in and while wehelp get Greg and Faith
established in their school and dormitory life at Canadian
Academyin the city of Kobe, 30 miles or so on south from Osaka. The
sights and sounds and smells ofJapan stimulate us. The knowledge of
task to be done challenge u^ We are counting on yourprayers to
sustain us. IN HIS SERVICE
LINKLETTERMonthly Publication of
KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONBox 49, North Vernon,
Indiana 47265
RETURN REQUESTED
Mission ServicesBox 968Joliet nilnois 60434
illengea us- we are counting on y
Non-Profit OrganizationU. S. POSTAGE
PAIDLouisville, Kentucky
Permit No. 537
-
Kyushu Christian Mission, Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan
'LrNHLGtreitMIn U.S.: Box 49, North Vernon, Indiana 47265
Linkletter No. 177 October, 1968
Dear Christian friends,
Since we have lived here longer than anyother place it was only
natural that our hearts began to beat a little faster as the train
neared Kanoya on Tuesday, September 18.
Twenty minutes before Kanoya the train passedthrough the town of
Kushira and right in front of thechurch there. Even though the
train did not stop,the Kushira Christians lined up in front of
thechurch and bowed to us as the train went by. Thisthoughtful
gesture touched a tender spot and throughmisty eyes we reflected on
the depth of the fellowship we enjoy.
Home at last! Bro. Yoshii of the Kanoyachurch led the welcoming
group at the Kanoya stationIn a few minutes we were at 10925
Nlshihara cho sitting under our own "vine and fig tree". Mrs.
Yoshiisent up a delicious hot supper. We ate thankfullyglad to be
among our Christian family here again.
Ryoichi Matsumoto Koichi Honmori
Welcome Group at Kanoya StationThe freight we had sent from
Louisville, Ky. [on June 5 came via the St. Lawrence seaway and
Panama.It finally arrived in Japan-September 9 and cleared customs
on hfSeptember 14. (Wonder where it was all that titfie?) While
waiting ' * * ^ ^we got Faith and Greg settled at Canadian Academy
in Kobe; spoketo the missionary group in the Osaka area and also
spoke to thefaculty at Osaka Bible Seminary. Two young men from
Kagoshima arestudying at OBS this year: Ryoichi Matsumoto of Koyama
and KoichiHonmori of Kajiki. We had a happy reunion with them and
let themknow again of our great expectations for their future
service ^as Christian witnesses in Japan...
At last it was time to say "Good-bye" to Faith and Greg
atschool; "Thank you" to Martin and Evelyn Clark for letting us
make jfe4their home our home while in Osaka; another brief visit to
Paulaand Kiyoto and new grandaughter Megumi in Nagoya and then by
plane ^ IbMand train back to Kanoya. On our arrival we had
completed a jour- Sney of 87000 miles, 22 countries and 15 months.
We could hardly Mwait to unpack those suitcases and put them away
for a long, long &
Getting settled is taking longer than expected. We hadwalked off
and left our house the way it was so now we have a lotof sorting to
do before we can unpack completely. Pauline hasstarted 2nd grade
for Hope every morning and spoken to the combin-ed ladies groups of
Kanoya and the leper colony. Cecil, Joy 6c Shiriey Smith
September 23 is a national holiday and the day the churches of
this area hold their annual convention. In spite of wind and rains
of a nearing typhoon, we had a full house and ahappy reunion. I
preached morning and afternoon. The preacher's had their monthly
meeting thatnight and Tuesday. The joy of those two days was worth
the trip back. Tuesday night we battened down for a typhoon. It
huffed and puffed and went the other way. We have begun to visit
thechurches to see how we can make ourselves most useful to them
this term.
-
As you must know, this mission effort ismuch more than Pauline
and I. First thanks must go tothe churches, groups and friends who
pray for us andshare with us. Next we honor those who piay a
vitalpart but are seldom mentioned. We are happy to enclose a
picture of Cecil and Shirley Smith and daughter, Joy. Shirley Is
our new forwarding secretarybut she wanted her husband in the
picture, also.Shesays, "Cecil is a very important helping hand in
thework, too. Besides helping me with the weekly reporthe makes
several stops at the post office each week."Thanks for saying that
Shirley. (As Pauline likes tosay, "Back of every great woman stands
a good man.")And thank you for being the vital link between
oursupporters there and us here - to say nothing of the bank.
Out in Salina, Kansas another Mrs. Smith helps mightily in
reducing my office work bytyping letters for me. So if you ever get
a letter from me postmarked "Salina" you'll knowwho did it. Don and
Virginia were in Japan and Okinawa many years so they have a
personal knowledge of and interest in this work.
Family friend since he was in Pauline's Sunday School class in
North Vernon John MilesBaker of San Clemente, California helps by
taking charge of publicity materials, and book sales.
Katsuo Shimoda & Takeo Ilmuire
Remember, all these people serve without charge of any kind.
They give themselves plusl l l-l.This Linkletter is typed by
myself. Takeo Ilmure hands it to the local printer for off
set and then gets it packaged, addressed and mailed to you.
Besides that he runs the Christianbook store we have in Kanoya and
preaches at Kushira. Katsuo Shimoda came to work here as aboy just
after graduating from middle school. It is his job to keep
buildings, grounds andvehicles in repair. Carpenter by trade he is
also tinsmith, mason, plumber, electrician, builder and mechanic by
reason of the jobs he has learned how to do. These are our two
full-timeemployees in Japan.
I have always liked my name, Mark Gregory, but when I was a boy
in school it seemedlike I was the only 'Mark' around. Nowadays, the
name is getting the use it deserves. Here Isa name that cannot be
shortened and that makes a positive impression when spoken. My
Dadreminded me often that he expected me to make sane kind of
'mark' in this world. Perhapssome of my namesakes will help me do
that. I divided up my name with our two boys calling one
Walter MARK and the other GREGORY Allen. In Defiance, Ohio' I
have a nephew John MARK Maxey. There is MARK GREGORY Han-
sen in Truman, Minn.; MARK Bonine in Vandalia, Mich.;
MARKPlunkett in Lancaster, Pa.; MARK Blackmore in Tulsa,
Okla.;Morris GREGORY Randall in Lincoln, 111.; MARK Kemper in
N.Vernon, Ind.; MARK Cupp in Seymour, Ind.; GREGORY MARKGardner In
Rushvllle, Ind.; and now born Sept. 23 in Washington, D.C., MARK
Edward Escherlch. I had the pleasure ofmarrying the parents, Ron
and Kelko, in Kanoya two yearsago. Naturally, I have a deep
Interest in the future ofthese MARK'S and GREGORY'S and my prayer
is that they will
" not only be good men but God's men. SRV"
"Second Thoughts" $2:00By MARK G. MAXEY
A good book about missions togive your teacher, minister,friend
& especially yourself.OrderFrom:
John Miles Baker147 Avenue CotaSan Clemente, CA 92672
11
LINKLETTER
Monthly Publication ofKYUSHli CHRISTIAN MISSION
Box 49. North Vernon,Indiana 47265
RETURN REQIIESTED
Mission ServicesBox 968.ollet Illinois 60434
Non-Profit tion
U.S.POSTAGEPAID
Louisville, KentuckyPermit No. 537
-
Kyushu Christian Mission, Kanoya, Kagoshioia, Japan
iIn U.S.: Box 49, North Vernon, Indiana 47265
Llnkle't'ter Ho, 178 November, I968
Dear Christian friends, ^If change means p^gress, we can
report
both. Years ago we start^ out with phone number37^. Since four
means y^ath" and seven means"pawnbroker" in Japs^^e these are not
very popular numbers, Foreij^ers usually wind up withlots of ^'s
and 7^6, We used to have to call theoperator for etve^ number.
Twelve years ago we got dial phones and our number became
237^.Acable was lajj^across the and we could dial the capital city
direct. That was progress.Last week direct dial equipnenyv^s put in
service and we can call any place in the nation ina moment. This ^
progress and;.* time-saver, too. Mow our number is 2-237^, Give us
a call;
in Kanoya we had a house in the country on a gravel road and our
jeepwas the only private car in town, J^pw.we live in a^ii'stli^
community on a wide cement roadwith fenced sidewalks on each side.
The traffic roars by and the big trucks give our house acontinual
earthquake. Last Sunday night as we returned home from preaching
and foUoTred aline of 20-30 cars winding along the narrow coast
road to Kanoya, I had a touch of nostalgiafor "the good old
days,"
Tr^ taught o;ir butchermake hamburger on his hand grinder. The
price^^was 35^ c^ts a poiind. Electric grinders-toni it out now and
the price begins at $1, ^poimj, I'went % the local cattle market
the other day and saw a very ordinaryomonSi old
"calf sold for $720, It is enough to drive a man to vhale meat
as a daily diet. The priceof household ccanmodities rose over 2^ in
the month of September alone. So if you still have itin your mind
that. Japan is a cheap place to live, imw is a_good time to up-date
your thjjikijigV
I love the month of October. Clear, warm days & crisp nights
plus the rice harvestin full swing make it hard to beat. The
schools have their annual athletic meetings to^rtiich all parents
and families come for the days activities. Ample supplies of
Japanese delicacies are shared at noon. We enjoyed attending the
one at the Christian kindergarten nextdoor as the guests of Bro,
Yoshii.
October is also the time for the week of evangelism by Osaka
Bible Seminary. Wehad a fine team of two students, one teacher.
Prof, Kakano, and Pres. Martin Clark. They heldmeetings ("dendo")
in Kushira where Bro. limure preaches and at Tarumizu i^ere Bro.
Doyamapreaches, pinnnPtH the meetings themselves and provided food
and housing forthe team. 1^0 mission provided round trip
transportation from Osaka, All of us were gladfor the
idiSto^bra^tsa^ppllcation the team made of what they had been
learning and teaching.Attendance was good and decisions for Christ
are expected, Evelyn Clai^ came with her husbandand she and Pauline
enjoyed each other's company for the week.
has always been a major interest for us here because it
suppliesthe well^qulppeH ministry needed to preach a a highly
literate Japan. Jg^sesgft nn the bodyof=councillors and pledge at
least $100 monthly support, $60 of this pledged by thi^.e groupsfor
leadership training in Japan,
Believing that the churches of Japan have not let themselves be
known, for thelast two years we have advertised in the South Japan
Newspaper. For $58.05 each month ourad goes into 2101000 hcmes with
detailed information about ch\irches, locations, services and
averse from the Bible. The last time I was at Kajiki church a young
man was there because hehad read the advertisement and sought out
the church.
f
DENDO TEAH: Suglyana, Clark, Naruse, Nakano
-
We al ($33.33) with ClaudeLikins of | for fifteen mimites
everySunday morning. The program preaches the gospel, givesdetails
of each church, one each week, and invites listeners to enroll In a
correspondence course. Paul Prattproduced the correspondence course
and carries it on nowwith the foUow-mp program. This has resulted
in somewell-instructed converts.
churehefl receive salary assistance for theiriH-^niatiy^biit all
have the ideal of f^ill self-support andare gradually attaining
that goal. In one sense they areself-supporting in the sense that
they handle til theirown business affairs, pay all their own
expenses,and fully plan their own programs. Like all churches
everyirtiere,they have their strengths, weaknesses and their
individualpersonalities. Another church receives salary assistance
from Paul Pratt, Three churcheshave no located preachers and are
served each week by two of the preachers and myself.
Each of the preachers are'their own mer^, .. I consider myself
as one of them and standready to be of help as,'
lidw.'^wfieli^aM^if^hey it. Our fellowship is a happy one builton
the basis of a common faith and purpose. We meet together the
fourth Sunday of each monthfor an hour of worship, an hour of
special study or book reports, an hour for lunch and twohours for
carrying out mutual projects, like the summer camp. One of our
number has a serixaag^
in his family with a sizeable monthly hospital bill. Vflien they
learned of iteach minister volunbtrily pledged to give an amount
rou^ily equal to one day's pay to helppay this bill, I was
proUd-of-tbem. _And the prayer meeting we had together about this
problem gave us the blessing of **the tie that binds."
Since land and buildings are a major hurdle for any congregation
in Japan we havea standing offer1'^** of any church in the area
given for this purpose. TheKanoya church is w!)w'"'ffirB!iJig hard
to accumulate enough money to relocate and rebuild. Itsmembers gave
50,000 ($138,88) last month for this in addition to their local
expenses. Wewere happy to give an equal amount and will continue to
do so till the goal is reached.
The Christian Center offers another way of extending Christian
influence. The lastfull year I was in Japan the book store sold
$320 woi-th of Bibles and $5300 worth of Christian
literature not only here but all over Japan, Unfortunatelyeven
this amount of business will not show a profit, SinceKr. Ximure
also takes care of the Linkletter and all mailingfrom the bookstore
it helps even out. Our classroom servesfor camp courses, leadership
training and weekly EnglishBible classes. Always we hope for more
effective outreachand our disatisfied with what has been done. We
do see someresults and know the rest must be committed to God. In
thisfaith we proceed.
"'Second Thoughts" $2:00- By MARK G. MAXEY -
A good book about missions togive your teacher, minister,friend
& especially yourself.
Order
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