Dear Friends in Jesus,

202 Sunaborl Biru

5-39, 2-chome, Izue Hesaka
Hlgashl-ku, Hiroshima 730
JAPAN
October, 1982
Last week I was trying to find something under my desk, which is not easy
since it serves as "underflow" for about half of what won't fit ON desk.
In the process of digging, I found some envelopes with some of previous news
letters. I didn't open themI didn't really want to know how long it's been.
But since it's been at least a year, I'll try to get a head start on the Christmas
rush and tell you the main highlights of the past year.
I do remember wanting to write last NOVEMBER about the first evangelistic
film meeting we held at our Hesaka Christian Center. The church members worked
hard at preparation and publicity, and 63 people came to see the movie, Voncko,
The heroine jumped in front of a train during her college days,but survived and
was led to Christ during her convalescence. She went on to<marry the young
who told her about Christ; her testimony as a minister's wife is made even more
powerful by her joyous life even without an arm and a leg.
Then we plunged right into Christmas preparations. We had three main programs:
a children's program (85 children, 15 adults), an evening of fellowship for our
7 church members, and a two-night evangelistic meeting geared mainly to Jr.Hi.
through young adults, highlighted by a candle service at the close. It was a
blessed Christmas, and made more so by the many cards, letters, and packages from
folks at home.
In JANUARY I started scrambling to get a VBS packet ready for the Rising Sun,
church... they had a great VBS in June, and I was amazed and grateful for
their record-breading offering. Many thanks to Mrs. Dottie McKinley who presented
the missionary lessons for me. Dottie said she would be willing to present our
Hiroshima missionary lessens for VBS at churches within driving distance of
Rising Sun, so if you're interested, please contact; M/L4. T^AJuf McKinZty,
70$ Much Sit., Suh, IW 47040 Pfion.cs {812} 438'^ZS44, By the beginning
of 1983, I should also have several packets and displays available on request from
my forwarding agent, M/li. Ncutatic Jolm&on, Phone {812) 865-2387,
All I can remember aboutFEBRUARY is that after suffering through cold days,
cold nose, cold toes, and astronomical electric bills from two miniscule space
heaters, Sachiko and I finally bought a new totalcoinbustion kerosene heater.
Ah, blessed heat I Oh, yes...and on one holiday, we invited Lonnie ^ngs, a
missionary and professor at Osaka Bible Seminary, to present a seminar on Bible
Land geography. Some of you may have read his articles in the Standard about
his study in Israel. The day's program began with a fine lecture enqphasizing
how a knowledge of the land and its physical aspects helps in understanding the
accounts; in the afternoon, we saw his splendid slides; we were greatly
enriched by his coming.
In MARCH, we tried another film meeting, with two showings. SfvLoka/u. P<U6
is the story of a young railroad man's conversion and work as an evangelist among
railway workers in Hokkaido. After an evangelistic meeting, on his way home to
his wedding, the last car comes unhitched from the train at Shiokari Pass; the
brake fails; the young man ^umpa under its wheels, sacrificing himself to save
the passengers. The book has been translated into Englishby all means, find
it and read it if you can! Our Saturday evening showing brought out several
families and career people; Sunday afternoon, mostly young people70 altogether.
During APRIL, Sachiko went back to Tokyo to be with her mother during minor
surgery. Her mother came through fine, but just at the time she was hospitalized,
Sachiko came down with a virus and was in bed over a week. She got well enough to
return to Hiroshima the first of Hay, and proiiq>tly got sick again. Xgot pretty
good at fixing rice gruel and pickled plums, standard fare for ailing Japanese.
Whether that combination is the cure or the cause of the ailing, I don*t know...
In HAY, our youth group6 Jr-Sr Hi kids-^planned and executed a j)arty to
invtte-otheir teenagers-ro-churchV'and"encoura^"them"to thinlTabout^The mea^ng
life* We had songs, games, refreshments; except for my short devotional,
all work done by the kids themselves. The 20 present had a good time, and we
were especially proud of our young Bible students* developing leadership.
JUNEabsolutely no records of what we did, or even were supposed to do;
we must have been getting ready for the summer, which was PLENTY busy:
# The Alt-Japan ChJU&tian Convention and HU^tonoAy Convention wtfie. held ai
^oon 06 6ckool axu out the. end oi July; we went eMty AoK a little. 6ight6e.eAnQ
down the. coa6t oi Shikoku; gHand iellomhlp ho6te.d by Von^ $ NoAma BuAne.y.
^ AChristian pantomime team from Germany came for a week in August, giving
three programs. Their presentation and Christian witness were full of joy and
vigor; thanks to their coming, one lady stepped out for ChristPTL!
# 3 day^ oi Vacation Bible School, Lei^om on Daniel; 1 led 6ong6 and
taught KindeAgaAtneA^ oA uAual. CAaU: eggshell mosaic angel pictwve; Xi>tiJUi
occasionally ieel guilty about thAowcng amy eggshells...
^ 5 days at Shinshu Bible Camp, in the mountains north of Tokyo, with Stan and
Habel Buttray and Betty Turner. I helped with Husic; Sachiko and I both gave
testimonies; already, we have heard of 2 campers who have since been baptized...
# 5 days in Tokyo visiting Sachiko's iamily and home ckuAck.,,
# Back to Hiroshima in time to plunge into fall schedule, with no time for
letters, filing, mending, cleaning., .fall is half over, no relief in sight.
Yet, in writing this, I rejoice again at the opportunities we have had to share
the Gospel. One--oppoi^tunity-came-^to fruition on August-15^-.^ae a young housewife,
Akiko Fukuda, was immersed into Christ. Her husband is also looking for meaning
and purpose in life and a way out of the ratrace of business and its pressures.
Please pAoy ioA Mt* and Mas, Fukuda, Sachiko and I need your prayers, too, and
we need help. Every day is so full of opportunities, we can't even imagine
being able to meet them all.
The maple leaves and the persimmons are turning red.. .not too long ago, we
bought some huge chestnuts which we gobbled roasted, riced, or glaceed...the rice
has been cut, shocked, and hung on racks to dry in the fields. "The fields are
white" is not a cliche, it's a fact. Hiroshima is still waiting for His coming
the first time.
Praising Jesus,