A monthly report by the Mark G. Maxey familyto the friends of the Kyushu Christian Mission

Kanoya, Kagoshima, JapanLinkletter No. 156 January, 1966

Dear Christian friends,

In the twelve year cycle favored by the Japanese, 1966 is the Year of the Horse. This gallant steedhas galloped in full speed. First came the year-endgifts from the places where we do business: calendars,boxes of sugar, towels, soap, coffee cups, pottery andwhiskey. This year we got two quarts of whiskey and abottle of apple jack. I was quite impressed as I thoughtit must be very expensive. But when we traded one boxin it turned out to be worth only 650 or $1.80. What alet-down. Pauline brought home three cans of fruit. Theother -box we traded for 10 bottles of pepsi-cola which- -we all enjoyed.

It is the tradition to send special New Year'scards to all your associates. No matter when in Decemberyou mail them, they are all delivered at one time earlyNew Year's morning. We got over 80 in our bundle andhad many enjoyable moments recalling the Japanese friendswho had sent them. An added interest is the code numberprinted on each card by the postal department. A nationaldrawing is held in mid-January and the winners get prizesWe always get a few postage stamps out of this drawingeach year. Perhaps we'll do better this time.

We had a blessed Christmas at our house whichlasted all month as the postman brought his daily quotaof cards, letters, greetings and remembrances. Paulinefixed a big fruit basket with a green bow and painted itred. This was soon full to overflowing and we have oftensat down to read and re-read the messages you have sentus. We can not tell you what they mean to us out here.

One of the blessings of a house are the friendswho visit it. We have had some wonderful visitors. First,was Vera Mushrush. on her way home from Rhodesia. She hadtaken a year off from her work with IBM in Indianapolisto help with the secretarial work in the Central AfricaMission squeezing in as many visits to other missions asshe could en route. She spent three days with us plyingus with some of the most fabulous tales of adventure Ihave heard from any traveler. Hear her in person if youcan.

At Christmas time came Velma Weir, teacher inthe dependent school of the Air Force near Tokyo and Mrs.Lois Harris, dorm mother at Christian Acaaemy, also inTokyo. (Her daughter is wife ot John Tigner, minister atRockford, Illinois.) What a wonderful time we had together. They laughed at my stock of stale jokes likethey had never heard them before. When I carried theirsuitcases in, I thought my arms would break but I soonfound out why. They were loaded with goodies which Pauline made even better in the fabulous meals she prepared.They went to so many Christmas programs with us that bythe last one they were singing "Silent Night" in Japanese

VELMA WEIR. PAULINE, MRS. HARRIS

GREG AND FRIENDS AT BIRTHDAY PARTY

from Memory. Since Christmas fell on Saturday, it made the week seqm busier than usual. Ourschedule: Dec. 17. All day at Faith's school enjoying the Christmas program and the fellow-snip oi the other parents. Dec. 18. Vera Musnrush came. Dec. 19. Christmas worship and fellow-snip party at Sueyoshi church. Dec.22. Christmas party with the local Rotary Club. Dec. 23Greg came home from school escorting Velma and Mrs. Harris the last part of their journey. Dec.24. Christmas program at Kanoya church followed by caroling and midnight lunch for the carolersITT'our house. Dec. 25. Up early to look in the special big red felt stockings that Pauline hadmade. Worship at the leper colony at 9 a.m. in a room so cold that our breath fogged ourglasses so we couldn't read the hymns. Honest.' Sharing candy, stockings and presents with theorphans at 11 a.m. Children's S.S. Christmas program at the Kanoya church at 1.30 p.m. Thatnight from 7.00 P.M., Christmas program and party with the Christians in Kushira. Sunday,Dec.26. Left the house before 8 in order to get to Kushikino at 10.15 and share in their Christmas program and worship. Departed there at 2 p.m. and drove 75 miles around Kagoshima bayin order to attend the Christmas meeting at Tarumizu church from 5 to 8 p.m. Any way youread it, that's a lot of Christmas. Back in Kanoya we stopped at a little restaurant at Greg'searnest request and got a steaming bowl of noodles all the way around. Tired, happy and blessedis a trite way of saying how we went to bed that night.

Pauline and I quietly remembered our 24th wedding anniversary on the 29th. The houserocked with laughter on the 30th as Greg's friends gathered for his 14th birthday .We began theNew Year right at the 6 a.m. prayer meeting at Kanoya church. The young people held their annual New Year's convention at a hotel in Kaigata Jan. 2 and 3. It ended on a spiritual notewhen ' a young man was baptized into Christ in the ocean nearby.(In December there werebaptisms in each of the churches as a result of the November meetings.)Jan. 3 and 4 the preacher's held their annual fajtiily gathering in the same hotel and I think the wives and childrenenjoyed it more than the fathers. Jan. 8 I finally agreed to Kanoya City's plan of takingpart of the mission land and even now the bulldozers are knocking at our gates. It will be ayear of many physical changes but we can only hope the spiritual changes in us all will be

In His service, MARK G.even greater and better.

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Also from the same address these pamphlets byMark Maxey: ESTABLISHING THE CHURCH ABROAD,25^CHRISTIANS IN JAPAN,35?iasion8 oervices"^

A monthly report by the fAark G. Maxey familyto the friends of the Kyushu Christian {Mission

Kanoya, Kagoshima, JapanLinkletter No. 157

Dear Christian friends,

February, 1966

Remember I told you this was the year of the horse? Well,this week I was down at the dock and saw that horse swinging at theend of a rope. Any way you look at it, he was up in the air and wehave been, too, the past few weeks. ,

All the walls around the property have been broken down. iOver two hundred 15 year old trees have been re-pianted. Ditches |are being dug and roads -re-located. All the beautiful shrubs andflowers have been planted elsewhere temporarily until the new property lines are surveyed and the garden can be built again. Bro.Yoshii is building a new addition to the kindergarten and all thesebuilding materials are workmen are on another part of the property.To make room for that building our workshop had to be moved so wehave had a crew of men jacking it up and rolling it a few hundred yards away to a new site. Progress has been made but it lookslike we will remain "up in the air" for a number of months yet.

Hope decided she was tired of saying "ouch" every time herMother combed her hair. Not long ago Pauline braided up the excessand handed me the scissors to do the honors. We were sad but Hopewas overjoyed and danced around the room for hours celebrating hernew 'short' cut. Now she combs it herself and enjoys it so much.

Hope has completed her year at kindergarten and"graduates"in March. Just to show how affections change, when shebegan last year a little boy named "Shin Chan" made herlife miserable by pulling her hair, knocking over herchair and doing the other little tricks that make small Tboys so endearing. After a year of this, Shin Chan has '' 'become her best friend. Last Sunday at church, someonemade a slighting remark about him and Hope cried as ither heart would break. Nothing would stop her tears. Sheis going to miss her "budc^y" and all the other playmatesas she begins to study first grade at home with her Mother and the ever faithful Calvert course by mail.

Gregory got home for a short vacation so forone week-end we had a happy time with all the children .home. Greg has lost twenty pounds and feels and looks .better. He seems to be doing well at school except for HOPE'the new math but that puts him in the company of most ofhis class and maybe even the teacher.

There has been another wedding at Kanoya churchBro. Nakamura, my first student at the first leadershiptraining course married Miss Kiyomizu, a Christian nurseat the leper colony. Nakamura san met his future wife jr ^six years ago when they both were part of a group ofChristians who sat up all night with the body of a de- UK19ceased Christian. I can imagine the fun he'll have inlater years telling his children how me met their motherat a wake.

Isabel Dittemore came up from Taiwan and spenttwo weeks with us working with Lydia Kishii on her Jap-anese broadcast materials and follow-up courses. It isnice to have a member of the family near enough to visit. RE

it

hX

1,

Akira Oda is Professor of Greek at Osaka BibleSeminary. Last year he completed a Greek-Japanese lexicon of the New Testament. Before that, seminary students had to work through a lexicon in a third language(usually English) in their Greek studies. Osaka BibleSeminary undertook the financing and publishing of hiswork. The first edition of 2000 copies was sold out ina year and the second edition has now been printed. Salesof this book throughout Japan are handled here in Kanoyathrough our Christian Center Book Store. The lexiconwas a signifigant advance both for Greek study and fortheological training here in Japan and it brought nationwide recognition to Bro. Oda and to the Seminary.

Three years ago, Bro. Oda furthered his Greekstudies by a year at the University of Athens. Duringthose months he visited Biblical sites both in Greeceand the Holy Land. Since then, I "have been trying toget him to come to Kanoya ("The Center of Japan"') togive a series of lectures on the "Lands of the Bible".At last we got together on a date, February 11 - 22 andhe arrived on schedule to conduct our 11th LeadershipTraining Course at the Christian Center. Coming andgoing he gave condensed four hour versions of the samecourse in the area churches: Kagoshima, Tarumizu, Sue-yoshi, Kushikino and Nishinoomote. We wanted thesechurches to have a chance to share in this instructionsince most of them were too far away to come to Kanoya.

PROF. ODA WARmNG UP TO HIS SUBJECT

11th TRAINING COURSE - LAST NIGHTThere were five night sessions at the Center '

from 7.00 to 9.15 p.m. with a ten minute break for tea and cakes in between, Bro. Oda used thefirst hour to present the geographical and historical backgrounds of the Bible and the secondhour for slides ending with a spiritual application from the scriptures. His presentations werea masterful combination of history, Bible, humor and personal anecdotes that forever stamped thelands he described in the minds of his hearers. I was particularly anxious to have this subjectbecause there seems to be a tendency among the Japanese to divorce their faith from its factualbasis - actual people and places and time in history. We had a total of 45 different peopleattend the lectures at the Center with 25 receiving certificates on the last night. (Half ofthese h^d perfect attendance and the other half had only missed once.)

While in Kanoya he had little chance to rest during the day. Wednesday noon he wentwith me to Rotary Club. His presentation there was very well received. That afternoon he wasguest speaker for the monthly meeting of the Kindergarten Mothers. Thursday afternoon he spokeand showed slides for two hours at the leper colony. Saturday afternoon I asked him to dothe same for my three English Bible classes. I combined the first two classes and 69 attended.30 were present for the second session. This short, short course in Bible geography tothese young people may have been the most important opportunity of the week. I figure hespoke in 7 towns to 11 different groups and a total of 339 different people. It was ten dayswell spent and I want to thank Bro. Oda again for be willing to spend himself so freely.

Sunday, February 20, was the longest day. We left the house at 7.30 a.m. Drove anhour and a half to Sueyoshi church where we had classes and teaching from 9 to 2.30 p.m. Itbegan to rain heavily as we drove for three hours across the prefecture over some roads underconstruction that seemed both impassable and impossible. En route we stopped for coffee withBro. Daikusono at Kajiki. I smelled gas and looked under the car. Gasoline was pouring out ofa hole in a steady stream. Repairs were impossible then because of time and the rain. We boughtmore gas and made it to Kushikino for the evening appointment on schedule. Later that night,when the rain subsided, I dipped a toothpick in glue and stuck it in the leak. It did the joband I was able to finish my journey home. IN HIS SERVICE,

LINKLETTER Non-Profit OrganizatioMonthly Publication of U.S. POSTAGE ^

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A monthly report by the Mark G. Maxey familyto the friends of the Kyushu Christian fAission

Kanoya, Kagoshima, JapanLinkletter No. 158 March, 1966

Dear Christian friends,

The front buzzer rang and there was Morita-san standingat the door. Two foreigners had lost their way coming through townso he had brought them to our house to rest. They introduced themselves as Dr. Niels Klag and wife Christine from Denmark, now inthe seventh month of an around the world tour in a Citreon automobile. They planned to stay only a few minutes but we urged themto stay longer.

I had to go to Kushikino to preach that night but Paulinetook them to the evening service at Kanoya. After the meetingthe benches (no backs) were arranged in a circle and Bro. Yoshiiasked Niels if he would care to say a few words. He did and thisis what he had to say:

"When I stepped into this church tonight, I felt here wassomething different than I had ever experienced before. I havevisited many churches, cathedrals and places of worship in my travels, They were all so ornate - bright - gaudy and everything conducted in them was a ceremony. Since it was ceremony withoutmeaning I had no desire to know what they were saying. Tonightas I sat in this simple church, so plain, with nothing to detractI felt here the spirit of true worship. As I listened to theminister speak directly from the Bible I knew it wasn't ceremonyand I wanted with all my heart to understand what he wassaying. I felt for the first time in my life that here Iwas the simple church that was in the New Testamentand that this was surely the way the first Christiansworshipped. And after the service was over and we allsat down and drank tea together, I knew it was reallytrue - this was the fellowship they had in the New Testament times."

The Klags stayed with us two more days. Paulinehelped them get their laundry all caught up. I gaveNiels suggestions on how to complete their journey inJapan and in the U.S. In return, he whetted my wanderlust by giving me details of their travels thus far.We were, genuinely sorry to see them go but Niels mustbe back in Denmark by September 1 to begin two yearsof service as a military doctor.

I

Our area continues to be torn up. Katsuo Shi-moda has finished the roof on the new storage building.A crew if putting the finishing touches on Bro, Yoshii's (kindergarten building that many of you have helped Jbuild. A local company has started rebuilding the cement block wall around the yard on its new boundaries.As soon as it is done, the flowers and the trees andthe rocks can be put back in place. That will be theday.

Hope's kindergarten came to a proper conclusion with remarks by a few 'notables' including myselfand the head of the kindergarten PTA. Hope's teacher,Miss Horai, who was a young middle school student when

m

PTA CHAIRMAN AT CLOSING CEREMONIES

YOUNG PEOPLE'S MEETING AT OUR HOUSE

we came to Kanoya leaves for Tokyo and marriage - joining the steady exodus of some of ourfinest Christians for points north.

Going in the other direction to a lonely island almost to Okinawa, is Bro, Sameshimaof the Kagoshima church. He has just graduated and has pledged himself for five years toteach English in the high school at this faraway place. He is determined to carry his Christianity with him and I am sure he will. If it weren't for his devoted service to the Kagoshimachurch, I doubt if I could have found the strength to continue my weekly trips there thepast year and a half - a trip that requires 90 kilometers od driving, 45 minutes of ferry riding, 50 minutes of walking (to the church), 10 minutes in a taxi (back to the ferry) for atotal elapsed time of hours for two hours of teaching.

Kagoshima is only one of several English Bible classes I conduct - At Tarumizu churchon Saturday, at Koyama on Friday, at Sueyoshi twice a month, and three hours at the Christiancenter in Kanoya every Saturday afternoon. I could spend forever teaching English but Iearly made up my mind that was not my purpose in coming to Japan. I did come to teach Christ,however, and if I could do that thiough the medium of English and at a church or other placewhere services were held, I would give it a try. The students understand that my subjectmatter is Christianity but that they will also receive personal and exact help on their pro-

-nunciation problems --an area where^he foreign teacher-can be expecially helpful.

To help carry out this task I have developed three text books. The first one, TWELVEWEEK COURSE FOR ENGLISH BIBLE CLASSES has been in print over ten years and has sold well over10,000 copies. The second, TWENTY FOUR WEEK COURSE, was test taught for one year before beingput in print last September. The first issue of 1500 copies sold out in six months timeand the second edition containing numberous corrections and revisions came off the pressthis month. The third, BASIC COURSE FOR ENGLISH BIBLE CLASSES, after some time as a mimeocourse, was re-written and considerably enlarged and is at the printers now. This course isfor beginner students who are still learning the basic A,B,C's and the simple words that gowith them.

Having been at it for 15 years, I meet my former students everywhere but the placeI like to meet them best is at church. Two recent Christians are Otsuka-san at Kushira andMatsumoto-san at Koyama. The subject matter of the English Bible Classes attracted themto the Person about whom the Book is writen - Jesus Christ. They have accepted Him as theirown personal Saviour. Such decisions do not happen often but they do happen several timesa year and each one makes the entire effort worthwhile.

We have had numerous interesting guests at our home this month including two U.S.airplane crews grounded here because of bad weather who stopped by for a cup of coffee andto change enough dollars foryen to pay their hotel bills for the night. One of the largestgroups was 17 young people from the Kanoya church. Pauline had invited them to come afterchurch on the second Sunday to eat with us and hold their business meeting afterwards.Sheexpected_liine or ten, but Pauline's cooking- is jus-tl-y-famed-and the number soon doubled. Theyreceived all the sphagetti and meat balls they could eat plus the delicious trimmings.

One of the "young people" was a first timer who said he was from Koyama and who wentthrough all the motions of being an earnest Christian. At the end of the meeting Pauline sawhim going through all the pockets of the coats hanging in the hallway and wondered what hewas up to. She mentioned it to me but I supposed he was looking for his coat. A week latera minister from Miyakonojo called. It seems our "Christian" had called on this minister, showing a folder with our picture in it, and had been asked to stay for the night. He rose upearly in the morning, stole the preacher's money and quietly went his way. The preacher investigated and found the man was just out of prison. He phoned to suggest we ought to be morecareful about such things. I agree. But this is not the first time I have been taken in andprobably won't be the last. "The sons of this world are wiser.,.than t^ sons of light."

Missionary life anyone? IN HIS SERVICE,^LINKLETTER Non-Profit Organization

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Kanoya, Kagoshitoa, JapanDear Christian friends, April, 1966

"God is dead" some of the bright ones are saying.Since those saying it are on salary at institutions established by God-fearing people, it is evident that these menhave put their consciences to death as well.

It used to be that funerals were private affairs forthe families concerned but these men are so elated at the sup-possed "death" that they have invited the world to view theremains. Many of the mourners, however, have already lookedremains. Many of the mourners, however, have already looked FELLOWSHIP AT THE CONVENTIONinto the casket and discovered that God is not there. It is a mock funeral after all.

God lives though many have reason to wish Him dead. If men are going to sin withimpunity, it is better not to have a God of Judgment around to observe what is going on. Dismiss Him then. In this sense the "new (non) morality" and the "new (non) theology" go handin hand. They were made for each other. More pointedly, they deserve each other.

The "God is dead" publicity is not all bad. Many Christians have never really examined their belief in a God "in whom (they) live and move and have (their) being." If the present discussion moves them to do so, the result will be good.

But what concerns me as a missionary is that Japan for the most part doesn't yet knowthat God is alive. For over ten centuries Japan's custom and culture has been based on Buddhist thought. Buddhism has much to commend itself in the way of ethics but true Buddhismis athiestic, a fact that a great many people either do not know or choose to ignore. So whilein the West some are denying what they have so long affirmed, in Japan the thinking class ofpeople have hardly given God a thought.

Alfonso M. Nebreda in an article, "The Japanese University Student Confronts Religion,'presents some interesting material in this regard. (Monumenta Nipponica, Sophia University,Chiyoda Ku, Tokyo, Vol. XX, Nos. 1-2, 1965, pp. 15-40T1

Prof. Joseph Roggendorf of Sophia University (Catholic) wrote that the "Europeanwhether he be a believer or not, does not seem to be able to conceive a universe without someBeing above who governs and explains it." But Professor Masutani Furaio, a Buddhist scholar,replied, "Exactly the opposite is true of the Japanese. The Japanese do not know and cannotbelieve that there exists a God above the universe."

For a number of years after the war, courses in morals were not taught in the schoolsof Japan. Now they have been resumed. Educators face difficulty, however, in teaching moralsand ethics not identifed with any religious system. In any case the teaching of religionis carefully avoided. Along the way, however, the student develops a bias against religion.Atheism takes root and faith in science and humanism takes precedence.

In this situation it is not surprising to hear Mr. Nebreda report that 90% of thestudents entering a Tokyo middle school consider themselves athiests. Or that in a surveyof 200 students entering Sophia University, 62% were actively hostile toward religion. Thishostility, it must be noted, extended toward all religions, not just Christianity.

One student wrote in answer to a question about his belief in God: "Since the day Iwas born until I finished the third year of Senior High School I have never given a thoughtto God or felt the slightest desire to know anything about Him." Another wrote, '...AlthoughI would like to be impartial on the subject, namely religion, I cannot but feel strong antipathy towards it and its devotees when I think that it is the twentieth century in which weare living. I know that even to thi^ day there are many people who would rather die thanlive without a God - at least there are many who think they would. And yet, personally, Iwish men had never thought of Him."

In Japan, then, we have one of the most secularized nations on earth where religionhas little practical relationship with life or art or music or law or education or in any of

the other areas which we take so much for granted in the U.S.. It is no wofJder then thatmany of the Sophia students described religion as a mere "accessory," "a si^n of helpless-^ess,!' '^sentiment, " "illusion," "irrational," a "relic of the past," "a product of the humanmind, completely useless in the modern world," and as "taking refuge in another world."

Perhaps reporting this situation is unsettling. Possibly, also, you may begin to understand why we are not "turning the world upside down" with our preaching here. All is not darkof course. There are many, many Japanese with open minds and hearts. They are both seeking

-.God and finding Him. This includes college students. The Japanese have a capacity for ardepth of faith and committment equal to any. "Of such is the kingdom of heaven" - and we willcount ourselves fortunate to be able to enter the Kingdom with them.

A quick run-down on the events of the month. The last of March I went north for theannual convention of the churches of Christ in Japan held near Tokyo. En route I spent Sundaynight with Bro. Yuse and wife at Nagoya. Monday was spent at an executive meeting of theJapan Christian Booksellers Association. Tuesday at the Councillor's meeting of Osaka BibleSeminary and Wednesday and Thursday at the convention itself. In the program and in the facilities provided it ranks as one of the best conventions yet to be held. The program didn'tmeander. It had a consistent theme which provided us both teaching and inspiration and nota little good humor in between. A youth hostel in a setting of great natural beauty was givenover completely to the convention's use. Congratulations are due the Tokyo area ministersand missionaries for an exceptionally fine meeting. Next year the convention will be comingto our own beloved Kagoshima area.

Friday morning I joined Kiyoto Yanagimoto, long-time friend and employee of JapanAir Lines, on an early flight back to Kagoshima. He spent five days of his spring vacationwith us. Greg stopped off at Fukuoka on the way home from school and came on home in thecar with Tom and Barbara Poston. The Postons are members of Bethany church near Anderson,Indiana and now stationed at litazuke Air Base in the north part of our island. They arevitally interested in the work here and we tried to show them as much of it as possible during their visit with us. Faith got home from hei; school on Friday night, All of us togetherhad a wonderful week of fellowship together with the regular schedule of church visitation.

The Chevrolet Carry-An^had had i;ts engine re-bored and begSi~it^ 11th year of service. The new addition to the kindergarten has been finished, dedicated, and has begun itsnew school year with a staff of three Christian teachers. We spent a day at Faith's schoolenjoying a music recital of all the students and the hospitality of the Verney Unruh family,long-time missionary friends and neighbors (50 kilometers).

Resurrection Day was a full one. Preaching and communion at the leper colony at8.30 in the morning. Then visitation ana taking the communion to the hospital wards there.Prayers, Bible study and the Lord's Supper with Bro. Yamashita at their home in the villageof Takasu. He is crippled and can not walk. To Kanoya church in time to be present forthe baptizing of Otsuka-san. A quick lunch before going to Tarumizu for the afternoon serviceat three followed by an hour and a half class in Training For Service. Home at 6.30 weary,weary. The evening closed with family singing and scripture reading. On Monday Faith andGreg started back to school. Our guest had returned a few days before that. Pauline hasstarted her first grade classes with Hope and I am doing my best, with the Lord's help, tokeep on keeping on. IN HIS SERVICE,

LINKLETTER ^Monthly Publication of

KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONBox 49, North Vernon, ^

Indiana 47265

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A monthly report by the Mark G. Maxey family

to the friends of the Kyushu Christian MissionKanoya, Kagoshima, Japan

Linkletter No. 160

Dear Christian friends

May, 1966

May flowers and May showers have made this a veryfine month ~ and very busy. None has been busier thanPauline, the nicest part of this household.

Hideo Yoshii invited her to give the morning message on Mother's Day. I arranged my schedule so I couldhear it. The oistinction she made between mothers andChristian mothers confirmed in me the conviction that mywife more than deserves the top place I give her in mylist of blessings.

It is said that back of every great man stands a ||||||hgreat mother. True, indeed.' But to this must be addedthat alongside of him stands a great wife. Certainly nomissionary could continue his work in any satisfactoryway without a wife more devoted and more consecrated thanhimself and more than willing to carry her share of theload. Such a wife Pauline has been to me during our al-most quarter century of married life and over fifteenyears of missionary service. "*^^2

One of Pauline's special projects in May each yearis the Mother-Daughter banquet sponsored by the women'sgroup of the Kanoya church. Pauline teaches them eachmonth of the year and when it comes banquet time theirdedicated work is what makes it such a success.

Almost 100 mothers and daughters gathered for thethird annual event held on May 28 at the kindergartenbuilding. The theme was "Hands." The young women of thechurch gave a play that Pauline had written. Mrs. BettyTurner gave a chalk picture of the helping hand of Godwhile Ryoko Seguchi sang the hymn, "He Leadeth Me." Pauline gave the message of the evening ending with special " "recognition of the oldest "hands" present (86 years) aswell as the youngest "hands" (9 months). -

Very simple food, a reasonable price (42^) and aperiod of hilarious games made this affair quite differ- -ent than a similar banquet would be in the U.S.

Another outstanding event of the month was thebaptism of 14 lepers by Bro. Yoshii of the Kanoya church.The entire group of leper Christians spent the day at thesea shore. When the appointed hour came, rain was fal- ---ling and the wind was churning the water. But Bro. Yoshiidid a masterful job of conducting a beautiful service inan impressive natural setting. Many of those baptizedwere crippled and had to be helped to and from the waterby those more able. The Christians at the leper colonydo not constitute a church as such. Rather they are anassociation of believers who meet together, conduct theirown-business and rotate leadership of their meetings |H|Hamong themselves. Bro. Yoshii goes twice a month toteach and preach. I do the same. And Pauline goes once

PAULINE MAXEY

KM

MOTHER-DAUGHTER BANQUET

BRO. YOSHII BAPTIZING INTO CHRIST

a month to teach the women's group. So tothe joy of these 14 who made the greatcommitment was added our joy in seeing afruitful response to teaching which hasextended over many months - even years.

To my regular schedule of Bibleclasses and church services I have added

one more. This class which meets at theChristian Center every Saturday nightfrom 6.30 to 8.10 p.jn. (100 minutes) willbe accepted for credit at Osaka Bible Sem^inary. To begin v/ith, we have threefaithful and vitally interested studentswho will study "Training for Service" for20 sessions. After that, other courseswhich will fit into the Seminary curriculum will be offered on a regular basis.We have had short courses through theyears but this is our first attempt tohave something on a year around basis. We do not know what will ultimately result from this

_very .simple, beginning but will be content to see what use the Lord makes of it..

During the month, Pauline and I and Hope went to Kyoto Baptist Hospital for our annualphysicals. We found we needed headache pills, vitamins and much stronger bi-focals but it lookslike we will probably live for another year, if the Lord wills. Along the way we had delightful visits with Dave and Edna Kruse at Yatsushiro; Tom and Barbara Poston at litazuke AirBase; Martin and Evelyn Clark at Osaka; took part in another Councilor meeting at Osaka BibleSeminary; spoke for chapel at the Seminary; took Pauline to Osaka's busy wholesale districtwhere you can do some mighty interesting and reasonable shopping if you have need of something by the box instead of by the pair; and after visiting Gregory at his school at Kobebrought him home for a four-day break before his final month of school begins.

During the five day trip, we spent two nights on the train and sixteen hours drivingto and from northern K3mshu over some newly paved roads we had never been on before. Unfortunately. bumper to bumper traffic in the north part of our island makes driving a treacherous chore and leaves little chance to enjoy Kyushu's unequaled scenery. Car ownershipis becoming quite common here but the road system lags a generation behind. Road congestionand an extremely high traffic fatality rate will get much worse before it gets better - ifit ever does.

We have had visitors. Bob Desbrow, a former Navy pilot, and our neighbor here forfive years until 1962 stopped by for a delightful four day visit. Bill and Betty Turner,formerly of the Philippines and now completing a year of service at Osaka seminary had a chanceto teach and preach as they included us in their visit to mission stations over the country.

FOURTEEN NEW CHRISTIANS

Attendance at ceremonials is an essential part of life in Japan. Especially satisfyingwas Kanoya City's 25th anniversary as a city on May 27. As a regular tax payer and a long-timeresident it is a pleasure to observe the city's outstanding physical progress. We could hopethat there has been spiritual progress as well and that, if so, w^ have had some part in it.But God must be the judge of that. IN HIS SERVICE, j

LINKLETTER

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to the friends of the Kyushu Christian MissionKanoya, Kagoshima, Japan

Linkletter No. 162 July-August, 1966

Dear Christian friends,

It's been a long, hot summer so we skipped an issue. Weare sending you, however, a 24 page brochure, JAPAN MISSIONS,1966, which gives a survey of the entire Japan field. Extra copies are available so drop us a card if you are interested.

It's become a tradition at our house to invite all the 'tmissionaries of southern Kyushu of whatever church for a celebra- f* ^ ^tlon on July 4. We had a fine day and a fine group. We gather- MANAGER: BRO. lANIJIRIed around the flag for patriotic songs and the pledge of alleg-iance; around the tables for a good picnic dinner, and in shadyspots around the yard for games, conversation and relaxation. P,

In July we had an 80 year record for rain fall - 30inches in a 48 hour period. That's a lot of water. Every road ,"3,became a river. I thought I was piloting a boat instead of 1 ^ dHBB ijdriving my car as I made my rounds that week. jl

Not to be outdone, August was the hottest in 20 years. ^ ^The temperature hung around 95 for days. That in itself is not ^ ^ v jjptoo bad but when combined with 70 - 80 %humidity it becomes very \i fNK^ Juncomfortable. Sweating brings no coolness or relief at all. A

In spite of the boiling sun, we had a very successful summer camp - the 16th annual session. For the first time in ^^years we had neither rain nor typhoons to mar the week. Held HOST MINISTER: BRO. DAIKUSONOthis year at the Kajiki church, there were a total of 80 campersfor all or part of the week and a dozen confessions of 4^ X,

Each camper brought his own rice, blanket,paid his own transportation and 1400 ($3.88) for the '^ Vsweek. The mission paid the way for 18 young peoplefrom the orphanage near Kanoya where we hold services, i /hFi I

HOST MINISTER:BRO.DAIKUSONO

n rice, blanket, ^ vAL'k \\400 ($3.88) for the18 young people , ^^-^4

re we hold services, i /^limp program and itare some inovations ; P/lv .W /

eam sold on the ^ ' \ \ |had no- sickness ' ^

The faculty runs a fine camp program and itis a pleasure to share in it. Here are some inovationsthis year: No candy, pop or ice cream sold on thegrounds (and for the first time we had no sicknessand no stomach complaints.) One faculty member designated each day to act as counselor to discuss personalproblems with the campers. A special class held eachmorning during the quiet hour to teach new campers

'aP ^t r

{si-C "K '?i, , H- ->* Nil ^ -y"V Si:

16th ANNUAL CAMP FACULTY

how to pray. Three separate camp programs for grade school school,junior high school and high school students held simultaneouslywith all worship services and recreation held together. An afternoon digging small clanA at the beach. The clams were served forbreakfast the next day. Delicious.

Our three children attended. Hope and I kept each othercompany in our tent-trailer. I contributed my part to the campprogram by serving as song leader, morning chapel speaker, teaching an English Bible class and acting as one of 8 group leaders.It was a very fine" week. As soon as the camp was over a two dayretreat for college and working young people was held using thesame facilities. Afterward I hauled the dishes and tables andother equipment back to Kanoya on the trailer for storage.

We have had help this summer - two fourth year studentsfrom Osaka Bible Seminary. Bro.Doyama is spending the summerpreaching at both Kagoshima City and at Tarumizu, an hour's ferrytrip across the bay. Bro. Sato is holding forth at Sueyoshi tillmid-September, We are glad to have these young preachers in ourmidst not only to share the preaching load but also because of thegift that their zeal and faith makes to all of us.

Our home has been blessed with visitors this August.Many, many Japanese friends. An officer of the U.S. GeodeticService announcing that Kanoya had been picked as one of 33sites around the world for an observation station to accurately!measure the earth's surface by sightings on a satellite now inorbit. We had a delightful ten days with Dick and Melba Lashand daughters Dorothy and Dawn as they took a vacation fromtheir work in Pusan, Korea. Then a fine visit with Tom and Barbara Poston from litazuke Air Base. Pauline and I are happy ilour home can bring a blessing to others. IN HIS SERVICE,

fa.'* /

50 MILES BY BIKE TO CAMP CHOW TIME: RICE AND.

BRO. SATO AT SUEYOSHI

BRO. DOYAMA AT KAGOSHIMA

WATERMELLON TIME

GUESTS:LASH FAMILY OF KOREA

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A monthly report by the M(7rk ('. Ak/.vt')' family to the friends

of the Kyushu Christian Mission Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan

Linkletter No. 163

Dear Christian friends,

September-October, 1966

It's never too early to announce a goodthing and Christian fellowship is one of the bestthings there is.

Come next May 16,17 & 18 the 18th AnnualConvention of churches of Christ in Japan will be heldhere in Southern Kyushu. We have already reserved anentire hotel at the base of Mt. Sakurajima, a place ofunrivaled beauty at the very finest time of the year. I

The annual missionary convention will followimmediately on May 19,20 & 21 at the same place. The ROADS LEAD SOUTH TO THE 1967 CONVENTIONtheme for both conventions will be Christ for theWorld." We hope to invite leaders from other Asian areas to come and help develop this themeand to make this convention for the first time a real Far East gathering of our people.

Summer came to a close for us officially on September 1. On that day we loaded thefamily in the Carry-All and drove to Fukuoka", a day's journey to the north, where we had a fineweek-end with the Tom Poston family. On Monday, Faith took a train to Miyazaki Christian Schoolwhere she is in the 6th grade this year. She leaves home every Monday afternoon and gets backevery Friday night. So we have her happy presence with us every week-end.

Pauline, Hope and I went on to Kobe by train and helped Gregory get established inthe dormitory at Canadian Academy. He is enrolled as a Freshman. In contrast to last year, helook forward to getting back to school this time. During our two nights there, we were thegrateful guests of the George Beckman and Claude Likins families.

On the return trip we stopped off at Hiroshima for four hours to help Mrs. Kishinegotiate a new contract with the local station for the radio program that Isabel Dittemoresponsors there. That completed Mrs. Kishi treated us to a wonderful supper in the newly-com-pleted railroad station before taking a fast train at 6 p.m. on back to Fukuoka. The next dayafter saying farewell to the Postons we drove home via the new toll road down the highlands ofcentral Kyushu, truly a beautiful and fascinating country.

Paula spent the summer in southern Wisconsin serving as counselor in a camp thatthe Salvation Army operates for the people they serve in Chicago. She enjoyed the experiencethoroughly. Walter spent the summer at Fairborn, Ohio about 65 miles north of Cincinnati. He

worked on a construction crew five days a week and continued to serve as youth minister ofthe local church on nights and week-ends. Early in September he drove up to get Paula. Now bothare enrolled at Cincinnati Bible Seminary, Paula as a senior and Walter as a Junior.

At home, along with her many other duties, Pauline is teaching Hope her first gradework. The other day Hope burst into my office with her first page of numbers from one to ninethat she had written-herself. Naturally, that had to be rewarded with a hug and a kiss and acoin from her Daddy's pocket. October 4 she became a big six year old. She had two very niceparties to celebrate the occasion. Pauline made a beautiful cake in the shape of a butterflyto her order. Her prized gift was a talking doll which at the press of a button gives forthwith six different set speeches - all in Japanese, of course. Whether I can afford to keepthat doll's innards supplied with batteries is the next problem.

Probably for the first time in history, our immediate area has not been touched bya typhoon. Truly a wonderful blessing for us - but not for the rest of Japan which has sufferedbadly. The rice is heavy-laden and will produce a record crop. But since the gov-ernment subsidizes the crop and sets the price, rice will cost more this year in spite of the plenty. Inflation has become a way of life in Japan averaging about 1% a month for the last 4-5 years. Thisin effect has reduced the purchasing power of the yen about 50% since 1960.

Now that October is here, the really delightful fall weather is upon us. The otherbeatmontb-Ls-Ma-yIl^is-woi^h endur-ing the-other ten-months to have-these-two-. All-proper-tymatters with the city were settled last January. Since that time roads have been completlybuilt around the property. Half the Christian center has been torn down and all roatis, treesand shrubbery within the property re-located. Bro. Kozono, the gardener who built our firsitgarden 16 years ago, returned and built the new one including a typical Japanese garden witha small waterfall and fish pond. A fine stand of grass has healed the reconstruction scarsand made the front yard a place that not only we enjoy but our neighbors and Christian friendsas well.

Recently the Kanoya church had family night there. The church women prepared ricecurry which we all ate with relish before the evening of games, singing and personal testimoniesbegan. Then on September 23, the annual fall convention of the area churches was scheduled tobe held there but heavy rains not only limited the attendance but forced us to hold all thesessions in the Center building. Nevertheless good preaching and a fine discussion in theafternoon the problems of the Sunday Schools in the various churches made it a worthwhile gathering. All the ministers came a day early and we worked on conventions plans for next year andreviewed the summer camp program.

September 26, four young men from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Service arrived inKanoya with a C-130 cargo plane full of equipment to begin six months of photographing thesatelite PAGEOS(which stands for Passive Geodetic Satellite). Sister stations are at Wake Islandand Alaska. When the triangular observations from these and other sites around the world arefinally completed and compared, man will know for the first time the actual shape and size ofthe earth within a very few inches. It has been my pleasure to help the team make innumerablelocal arrangements-ih-getting settled. -

At some future time a book will be published showing.the corrected locations of everyspot on^earth. At that time Kanoya will become the reference point for Asia for making correc-^^^^

V iWi lllc.rL.J.Ug CUl'XtSCtions Of distance on current maps. I have always claimed h^f in truth and half in jest that^anoya was not Qnly the "center" of Japan but of the world as well. Now the U.S. Government has

- - -- jjis serTiCe,^^^^ jo.acted to confirm my claim. Thanks Uncle Sam.LINKLETTER

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A monthly report by the \\iirk \|f/,V('v family to the friends

Linkletter M ^ V Hf Novemberof the Kyushu C.hristian S\ission Kanoya, Kagosbima, Japan

Dear Christian friends,

One sure sign of fall is the requests for information about Japan missions thatstart coming in from students in mission classes in U.S. seminaries. Three came in the maillast week. We gladly send off all available information along with the prayer that afterthe material is gathered and the term paper written a missionary commitment to Japan willbe made.

Other mission fields may seem to offer better opportunities for service (and success) but I offer this statement which impressed me in my reading the other night. Japan.This remarkable society, the only fully developed nation outside the West, could play a creative role as buffer and broker between the West and an Asia increasingly under Chinese domination. Or it could be drawn into the Chinese orbit and become a client and perhaps ally ofChinese power and ideology. With a very fluid ideological and religious situation, and greatcultural and social vitality, Japan merits close observation and careful missionary planning.(Occasional Bulletin, Sept. 1966, p. 7)

Japan also merits the life-long missionary service of the finest young people thechurch has to offer. This service offers countless opportunities for individual conversionsof the Japanese plus the future possibility of a Japan leading the East in the Christianfaith as it is now leading it in so many other areas.

Coming along very rapidly these days is Korea, Japan's near neighbor to the west.Korea has had a very late start and can not hope to reach Japan's economic level for manyyears yet. But in regard to the Christian faith, Korea has a Christian community whosenumbers and zeal is truly outstanding. Fellowship with them is such a wonderful experiencethat I always look forward to the chance of experiencing it again.

This chance came from October 17 to 24. S.M. Chang and Dick Lash had invited meto come to Pusan for lectures at the Far East Christian Vocational College. I was more thanglad to oblige. At the same time I held a threenight meeting to help launch a new churchwhich will meet in the college chapel. There were eleven responses to the invitation. Eagerlisteners plus the hospitality of Dick and Melba Lash, Mr. and Mrs . Chang and the stimulatingassociation with the college faculty and studeiit body made the time well spent.

Thursday morning early I took the train north for a 24 hour visit with John andJane Hill at Taejon. I preached twice at Korea Bible College there and visited briefly anumber of the churches and ministers of the area. A very pleasant visit but all too short.I joined Dick Lash on the train at Taejon station Friday noon. Combining the sack lunchessent by both Melba and Jane we ate very well indeed as we rode into Seoul. We moved quicklyout of the station and across town for a 2.30 appointment at Korea Christian Seminary ledby Choi Soon Gook and Chae Yoon Kwon. Bro. Choi was my interpreter for an hour's sermon andfor another hour of lively discussion answering questions put to me by the student body. Againwe greatly regretted that the time was all too short. After a wonderful supper at the home

VTEAM ONE MEETING IN PROGRESS AT SUEYOSHI

Dick and Ginger Herndon on the staff of the American Embassy in Seoul, they took us to thenight train. Unfortunately, there was no sleep and no heat.

I sat, shivered and shook my way over the mountain range to the coastal city ofKangnung on Friday night and repeated the performance on the return trip Sunday night. Butthe two days in between were worth it. Dick Lash spent a number of years in Kangnung and hehatlo ahow f^r hie labors to-say nothing -of-the scenic and cultural sights of thearea. I enjoyed the companionship of five ministers and Christian leaders, sleeping onthe heated, oil-papered floors of BrOo Choi's home, enjoying my fill of Korean food (pluswatering eyes when I got an overdose of 'kimchi' a very hot Korean relish) and preaching threetimes in three separate churches. Again I was encouraged by five responses to the invitation,at Kangnung church on Sunday morning. Back in Seoul on Monday morning, we unthawed with hotshowers and a hot breakfast at the home of Harold and Ada Taylor (Seoul Bible Seminary) beforetaking the mid-morning plam back to Pusan and on to Japan.

Korea has more than its share oi problems but it also has four Bible colleges of 'our people with a total enrollment of approximately 225 - probably the Targest number of ministerial students on any of our mission fields. That certainly gives reason for optimism inthinking of the future evangelization of the country.

Back home, there was just a few days left to get ready for the annual week of evangelism (November 6-13) sponsored by Osaka Bible Seminary. Every year the college closes forthis week and sends its faculty and students all over Japan for special meetings. We had twofine teams. Team one (Miss Kuyama, Mr. Kikkawa and Mr. Sato) worked with me three nights atSueyoshi, one night at the leper colony and three nights at Koyama. Team two (Miss Naruse, Mr.Nakamori and Mr. Azechi) worked with Bro. limure for 4 nights at Kushira.St at Tarumizu for 3nights. By day the teams were out visiting all the homes in the community with tracts and announcements. By after school hours, they were gathering the children for Bible songs andstories. By night they were witnessing to their faith by chalk pictures, special music, per-

. S-QnaltesjtimQnies and gospel sermons^We can not report any new Christians as yet from these meetings but we have many

new contacts and the intensive advertising and personal contacts will continue to bring inevangelistic opportunities. Hospitality and meals were provided by the Christians in each place.Their spiritual renewal in providing this service and in shari^ the v^al faith of thesestudents is itself reward enough. IN HIS SERVICE, ^

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