A MONTHLY REPORT BY THE MARK G.

MAXEY FAMILY

uNKLerrefi
TO THE FRIENDS OF THE KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

KANOYA, KA008HIMA 683, JAPAN - BOX 417. NORTH VERNON. INO. 47266

Dear Christian friends.

February, 1975

For all you readers born in 1903, 1915, 1927, 1951 or 1963 this is your
year - the year of the rabbit. He is known in Japanese folklore, not for being
prolific, but for his good deeds to those in need. That is well worth imitat
ing. This is also the 50th year of the reign of the present Emperor. No other
Japanese monarch has equalled that record. We write the year 50 on our Japan

NEW GRA.NDSON - TRENT ELLIOTT

ese checks and other such documents.

Though the year is over a month gone, the memory of your sharing and your
good wishes at Christmas time linger on. We felt very much a part of your
faith and your concern. Thank you! Pauline wants to send her special thanks
for Che cards you sent and the prayers offered on her behalf while she was
sick.

She is much better than she was but the effects of the fever are still

with her. 1974 was a rough year for her. May 1975 be better.

Christmas, too, is past but not foigotten. The day began with preaching
at the leper colony at 8.45 a.m. We lingered to visit with the brethren there.
Back home, we cranked up the old truck and headed for the orphanage with a

load of goodies provided by the Bible school

preached and we sang carols together before
wanted me to leave the gifts for the younger
give them to them during the night as a gift

at East Orange, N.J. Again I

gift time. The administrator
children with him so he could
from Santa Glaus. I said a kindly

"No, sir!" to that idea.

HOPE, SHELLEY AND MEGUMI

Finally at noon on Christmas Day we were home and the long series of
Christmas gatherings, preparations and sharings were over. Each year we think
we can not live through another December but when it is past we can look back

with real Christian joy and satisfaction. Then we had some time to enjoy the
presence of daughter, Hope, home for Christmas vacation from her school in
Manila. Also grandaughter, Ifegumi Pauline Yanagimoto, who came with her. Both
had so many things they wanted to do and foods they wanted to eat that Paul
ine and I had a lot of pleasure in obliging . Walter and Mary were with us
with children, Shelly and Trent, just a month old. Joseph Rosamilia, Rotary
Exchange student from New York State was very much a part of the family. Greg
and Bev and Faith called from Ohio and Paula and Kiyoto from Manila. So in
one way or the other we were all together.

All too soon it was time to take Hope and Meg to the airport for their
return to the Philippines. It was a terrible day. The rains were falling and
so were our tears.I thought of an article in one our church papers in which the
writer griped about the privilege missionaries have of sending their children
to private schools. Privilege nothing! The farewells and prolonged separations
are agonies of the worst kind for both parents and children. Hope wrote back
that she cried all the way to Manila and all night after she got there. Each
"good-bye" makes heaven seem sweeter - there'll be no partings there.

WALTER'S BIRTHDAY CAKE-JAN.18

The classroom in the Christian Center has been refurbished with new tables

and chairs, an overhead projector and a new spirit duplicator. The Christian
literature ministry of the bookstore is enjoying a slow but steady growth. It
is a satisfying work that reaches out all over Japan. Bibles and hymnbooks, as
always, are the bread and butter of the trade. The numbers that are sold in

this non-Christian land is a never ending source of amazement. Katsuo Shimoda,

who has been with us since he was a boy of 15 spends half his time in this
work and the other time in maintenance work of which there is never an end.

Floors have fallen through in both the Center and in our house. We had
an invasion of rats in the house that was unbelievable and after they had gorg
ed themselves for a week on the poison we put out we had a smell that was un
believable. The house roof is looking and leaking like a sieve. The lowest
estimate we can get for a new one is $3000 and the highest was $6000. Consid
ering we bought the whole pre-fab 25 years ago for $500 I can not swallow even

the $3000 price - but I may be forced to do so before the torrential rains of
the early summer. Considering the work and the money involved I can not face
the thought of starting again from scratch.

HISTORY OF THE

PHILIPPINE MrSSION
Churches of Christ and Christian churches-

by Mark Mcwey
Do you know why ond how direct support
missions begon and grew? Here Is 40 yeors
of detoliied and fascinating history of Its devel
opment In thePhlllppine Islands. Theorgonized
work, the crisis, the division and the growth
and ongoing of free missions-with Leslie W?lfe

the central figure. To know the post is to ufderstand the present ond to contemplate the

future,

$3 95 p|ys 30 cents postage

(Please send money with order)

GO YE BOOKS

147 Ave Cola, Son Clemente, CA 92672

Getting home an^d-'-tfOice organized as wel as s eparatlng

wheat from

the chaff in oi^.-etffngs has gone more slowly jmis time than .Bver
still
is not done-^-ir^ign of aging no doubt. Our
siifrived pieceth^l
and that has made putting away the same way

and o^<fr tasks will await us.

i t will all be fin:

Do you subscribe to Horizons magazine, the bi-monthly missions story

fi^m Mission Services, Box 177, Kempton, IN 46049? If not, now would be a
ood time to begin. It is having an exciting rebirth under the editorship of
ichard Bourne. You may also be interested in a column I am writing for each
issue called "One Man's Opinion." I've received both bouqets and brickbats
for some of the ideas expressed. Both make the writing worthwhile. Send
ission Services $4.00 for a year's subscription.

^Tar...ar-y i'c r.Pf I.. ^ iiiiiin

CHRISTMAS AT ORPHANAGE

ni IT iUiirhin Ainiii1H1'

Fr (jourse

just c5mpj.eted. Instead of having the series -just in Kanoya we had four

nights both'"in ,Kanoya and at the Kagoshima church. Condensed sessions were
held at Kushikino, Kajiki, Tarumizu, Sueyoshi, Keai-en, Nishinomote and the
monthly preacher's meeting. Our lecturer was Prof Akinori Nakano, just back
from two years of graduate work at Cincinnati Bible Seminary studying Res
toration beginnings and principles. Naturally that was the subject I asked
him to discuss here. He did a top-notch job. We had some interesting dis
cussions on this subject and he had some exciting moments as I took him over
mountain backroads on successive Sundays to keep his appointments. He also
had a good chance to get sea sick on the rough seas between here and the
island of Tanegashima where we went for his teaching and preacher's meeting.
I showed hiiT! some of my Restoration treasures: An ancient wood block

HAPPY CHILDREN WITH GIFTS

cut of Walter Scott used by Standard Publishing decades ago; an original

weather-beaten shake from the roof of Che original Cane Ridge meeting house
saved out by one of the Negro carpenters who worked on its restoration and
a still uncut issue of the Millenial Harbinger, published by Alexander Camp
bell and dated July, 1862. It was found in the attic of the building at
Bethany, West Virginia where Campbell did his printing.
The Restoration Movement can fairly be said to begin on September 7,

1809 when Thomas Campbell published his "Declaration and Address" in Washing
ton, Penna. Alexander Campbell became the apostle and enunciator of the prin
ciples his father had declared. Meanwhile over in middle Kentucky similar
sentiments were being expressed and put into practice. One of the Kentucky
reformers was Aaa Maxey (1-792-1889) ray great-grandfather. An Outline History

of Bath County (Ky.)states that Asa Maxey was the first one in the county, or
PROF.

NAKANO

LECTURES

ON

THE RESTORA
TION MOVEMENT

perhaps in the State, who was baptized and received in the church on a mere
confession of faith in Christ. In 1820 Asa Maxey and John Chilton, in spite
of the heated opposition of "Racoon" John Smith led in dissolving Slate Union
Church (Baptist) and organized the first Christian church in Bath. The church
was called Slate Liberty and had as its creed the Bible ignoring all human
creeds. Later Smith began moving in this direction himself.

In January, 182Q,Maxey and Smith were holding a meeting in Montgomery

County. When Smith finished his sermon on the first Monday night of that month
he said: "I have a notion to say to these people that if any one or all believe
Jesus is the Christ to come forward and make the confession and be baptized
and received into the church." Maxey made the proposition and many of the audi

ence accepted. That year "Racoon" John Smith and Asa Maxey traveled and preach-<
ed together "receiving all into the church who would acknowledge Jesus as the
Christ and be immersed. During the year Maxey baptized some 900 and Smith over

1000,"

I am glad to preach the same gospel that they did, only on the other

side of the earth, and devoutly

vjish for the same results that th^ had.

IN HIS SERVICE \

LISTENERS AT THE LEPER COLONY

LINKLETTER

Monthly PubUcation of
KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION
Box 417

North Veinon, Indiana AllbS

Return Requested

Non-Profit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

Louisville, Kentucky
Permit No. 537

A MONTHLY REPORT BY THE MARK G.

MAXEY FAMILY

TO THE FRIEMDS OF THE KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

KANOYA, KAGOSHIMA 893, JAPAN -

BOX 417, NORTH VERNON. IND. 47265

APRIL, 1975

Readers of the LINKLETTER know I rarely ask for money. If I do i t is usually

on behalf of someone else.

Here i s one of those rare occasions.

Walter and Mary Maxey, our oldest son and wife, have completed-four years of
what we know to be outstanding missionary service. They have been living in the third floor
apartment of the Kagoshima City church. Now it is time to move. First, for the church's sake.
They are more than ready to be completely independent and to have their own minister living
in the parsonage.
Second, for the missionaries' sake. Their family has grown to four. They, need

more room. The children need to put their feet on the ground. Walter and Mary want to continue
church building efforts outside,the city. A separate location will help make that possible.
Recently, Pauline and I went with them to look at possible sites. We found one

in particular that all agreed would be the size neighborhood and direction from the city
most advantageous for their evangelism. Negotiations have been started to buy it.
Timing is important. Land is like gold in Japan and increases in price daily
Because the U.S. dollar is declining in value our costs go up here by every point it declines.
On both points, the longer we wait the more costly the project becomes.

The land area is 309 square yards. Each yard costs 33,333. At'an exchange
rate of 285 per dollar the price comes to $117 per square yard.
At this end we are selling a strip of land off. the mission, property in Kanoya.
The proceeds to be used for the Kagoshima project. All possible funds in our general fund will'
be used. But we need your help to make possible this permanent mission site near the capital
city of our prefecture.
(This land and building will not be held personally. It will become a part of
the Kyushu Christian Mission Juridical Person, a non-profit religious incorporation under
Japanese law with three Japanese and three missionary trustees.)
We are asking your mission fund, your mission group, your Bible School,
your Sunday School class, your youth group, your Faith Promise rally, your summer youth camp,

your vacation Bible school and yourself if you would not give enough to buy one or MORE units
of this land at $117 per square yard.
309 units are needed.
Now that you have prayed about it why not make up your mind to do it. Make out
the check to the mission and mark it "land." Any amount received beyond the cost of the land

will be applied to the building. We will keep you fully informed.

Thank you for listening, caring and sharing.

Mark G. Maxey

Dear Christian friends,

April, 1975

Spring is here. I've made one round with the lawiimower already. That makes it official. The cherry
blossoms have blessed

us and now their

petals have turned the yard pink.

Prime Minister Miki's government is congratulating itself for having kept last year's inflation
within 15%. That's praiseworthy? Election are on for the prefectural assembly. Candidates in their sound
cars creep through the hiways and biways,shouting over and over, "Thank you for your favor. Thank you!
Thank you!" That's a very polite way to say, "Vote for me" but I don't think their super decibel speakers
are polite at alL.
The mission house,now has a n,ew roof 'built over the top of the old one. That gives us both a sense

of peace and a feeling of-dryness. I never was much for sprinkling anyway and certainly not through the roof.
CambocHa. hafe fallen and Viet Nam has its back to the wall. The massive human suffering now, the ,

segmingly wasted effort, the lives lost bqth present and past, including sons of friends dear to me, and the
capture of -the entire continent adjacent to us (our house is only 500 miles from Shanghai) to the communists
gives mq a personal'malaise unexpfessible.

Thank God for Resurrection day. "If in this life we who are in

11^

Christ have only hope, we are of all men to be pitied." Right on,
Paull I'm with you. I-expect to sit down and talk these things over

O
S

with you in the Future.

Brief trips have taken me afield for both sharing and

blessing. To Fukuoka for an overnight stay with the Ben Hirotakas,

missionaries recently come to northern Kyushu. Across the Tsushima

Straits to renew fellowship with Bro. and Sister S.M. Chang after an

*
n

absence of two years. Because of the present turmoil my visa was not
granted. I went at the last moment without permission and received
"permission to land." (Good for 48 hours.)
I missed my speech for graduation exercises of Busan

H
I
I
I

Christian College, of which Bro. Chang is President, but spoke for

the dedication of the Busan Church of Christ on Sunday and for a

faculty prayer breeOcfast at a downtown hotel on Monday morning. Un-

BEAUTY OF OUR ONE SNOW OF THE WINTER

known to me the secret police were listening in the next room. After-

wards he presented his card to the meeting chairman with the cryptic
comment, "Good speech1" Thank you, Sirl Compliments frota your branch
are

Rl 3H

rare.

Pauline went with mej^ the quarterly trustees meeting of

321 ; E gl 2JI

-T- l_

Osaka Bible Seminary. Along the way we preached and enjoyed the fel

lowship in Hiroshima of the Etsuko Kishis, Bill Turners and Lee Joneses.p

A"

n'
I

At last I feel like I'm fully back in the harness again.

Things have gradually gotten reorganized, repaired and functioning

again. A schedule of teaching and preaching has been established
which gives joy to me and a response in the hearts of those who hear.

In my Sunday preaching I am going through the book of Romans. Slow, tough going but satisfying. I think I'm getting most of
the blessing. Just before going on furlough we got the Visualized
Bible Study Series published in Japanese. Now I am getting my first

DICATION-BUSAN

(KOREA) CHURCH OF CHRISl

H
I
H
"

chance to teach i t in a series of 15 classes at the leper colony and

at Sueyoshi. Here, no matter whom I call on to answer a question

the whole class ansy^ers in unison, some with the right answer and
some with the wrong answer. I would love to see a religious education

expert try his technique on that group.

In week night classes at Kushira and Sata I am surveying

the Old Testament book by book. There's a gold mine in every one but

some of the nuggets will have to wait. In the Takenoshita home in

Koyama it is the Gospel of Mark, an author after my own heart, of

course. Saturday English Bible Classes at the Christian Center are

using my text, "Fifty Lessons in Luke." Each student must own a Bible
and do some memory work each week. I want them to know English but

I want them to know Christ more.

_

PRAISING GOD AT KUSHIKINO CHURCH

lIs

We are busy, blessed and waiting expectantly for the harvest ^

that seed sowing produces. One of my students, Mr. MTzogiichi, a middle ^

school teacher, came to call last week. He said, "I. am in need both

for myself and for the students I am teaching. I want to knock at the

door of the church." I gave him a Bible and we learned how that knock ^-1
could be heard, the door opened and he could enter in. He left with
gd

new hope and an important decision to be ma(^ IN HIS SERVICE.

SUNDAY "PREACHING AT THE ORPHANAGE

Non-Profit Organization

UNKLETTER

Monthly Publication of

U. S. POSTAGE

KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

Box 417

PAID

Louisville, Kentucky

North Vernon, Indiana 47265

Return Requested

Permit No. 537

MISSIC?: SE.^VICES, ASSO(

BOX

177

KEf.!P7C;j,

Ui

46049

A MONTHLY REPORT BY TH MARK 0. MAXEY FAMILY

jmi

KtGOSHiM

ITUSHU

UNi^Lerref^

uiiiai

""w

1-4/^
1444

Oj*'

TO THE FRIENDS OF THE KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

JAPAN

THE

MAXEY

KANOYA, KAOOBHIMA ttS. JAPAN - lOX 417, NORTH VERNON, INO. 47286

FAMILY

ASSEMBLED

JULY,

1975
WHO THEY ARE:
Back row; 1. to r.

Hope, Walter, Gregory,

Mark, Faith and Kiyoto
Yanagimoto with Tamon.
Front row;

1.

to r .

Shelley, Mary Maxey with

Trent; Megiimi Yanagimoto
with Temujin and Takanobu in front, Beverly,
Pauline and Paula Yana

gimoto.
WHERE THEY ARE:

The Kiyoto & Paula

Yanagimoto family are in

Manila, Philippines with
Japan Air Lines.
Walter & Mary Maxey
and children are mission

aries in Kagoshima City.

Greg and Bev are em

ployed in Cincinnati,Ohio
Faith is a third year
student at Cincinnati

Bible College.

Hope is a freshman at
Christian Academy, Tokyo.
It took some doing but it was worth it. After an absence of four years, our family came back
home in mid-July for a grand reunion. Some of the newer members had not yet met each other. We en
joyed talking together, eating Pauline's delicious meals, visiting the churches, seeing nearby places
that had important memories from their younger days, and laughing ourselves sick as we looked at
slides of their growing up years. All too soon it was time for the farewell hugs and the silent
tear as their airplanes faded from view. Faith and Hope were the last to go - in late August. Walter

^nd Mary are still in Kagoshima City, 35 miles away. Their furlough is next year.
There were only four of us (Paula was 6 and Walter was 4) when we sailed from San Francisco
August 30/ 195.0. - twenty-five years ago. Our freight and jeep arrived on another ship, September 21,

nine day^ a'fteifour own arrival in Yokohama. Harold Cole and I left for Kyushu September 21.It took
^ive days to complete the 750 miles over unimproved roads. We arrived in Kanoya, Saturday, September
30. Our family arrived in Kanoya, October 20. A prayer service was held on the newly purchased
^

mission land November 9 and on January 5 we moved into the_completed army pre-fab building which ^
still remans o.ur Jiome.

Somewhat like Abraham, we had gone out into a land (Kyushu)where we had

never been to live among a people we had never met but our faith has been rewarded by a people of
God of growing importance here and throughout Japan. (Please read the entire story of our first
20 years in Kanoya in the book, WAY DOWN HERE. Hundreds have read i t and told us of the blessing
i t gave them. Order from Go Ye Books, 147 Ave Cota, San Clemente, Cal. 92672. $6.95 + 30<f: postage.)

25 th YEAR OF MINISTRY IN JAPAN

Sept. 1950 - Aug. 1975

iQnQe2nBB3E2[5nQnnQBnBe2QBQDaBQBne2EaE3QnQQE2QQQBQE2QBBQBQ2aQB2QDBBE3GBi5nBQQQe3nnQBQBQDGLine2BBBE2QBnBnBE2QBE3g3E

Looking back 25 years is not easy. So much done. So much more yet to do. It is not likely the
Lord will give us 25 more years to do it in. We must pass the torch to others. This is our task in
the years ahead. We have been faithful to our trust. Whether we have "failed" or "succeeded" is not
for us to say. Perhaps not for others to say either. We must leave that decision in the hands of
the One we

serve.

We can not pass on without saying a heartfelt "thcink you" to all who have supported us these
many years. The average length of overseas missionary service is ten years. I do not know the aver
age number of yeairs our churches support a missionary but I do know this - the supporters who are
still with us(some since 1949) are way above average.

You have blessed us. May God bless you!

The last LINKLETTER went out in April.We regret the delay. Sk;^rocke;y^g_maili^

forced ^

us to change printijQq.-and-roailiaq- from Japgn. j : o t h e process'inany names from our mailing

list did not get placed on the new list. Now that problem has been solved. Shively Christian Church,
Louisville, Ky. will be printing the LINKLETTER and assisting in its mailing. Thank God for this!
On the financial side, Shirley Smith, our forwarding secretary, has been-,ilX,^^dJiad siygery. Please
pray for her that she may have complete recovery from a cancer possibility.

Our house ha^a new roof Imlt right over the old one. We have had an unusually wet and stormy

^ar - but nary a^^eaKr-%t-'s" a good feeling. Many of you shared in this.'Thank you! In our last let
ter we asked you to share $117 each to buv land and,'house for a mission home for Walter and Mary in

I^gpshima City. We rejoice that ,S14.500 has been received on a goaj^of $36.0T>571?i^have sold thre^
smallTTots on the back side of^^'^^Se^'llassTpn'site in Ke^

to, apply oiTth^^Eotal projectA^^ddition-

alj?17,000 will put a roof over their heads.' Please keep the;project in your thoughts and stewardship
Hope finished her school year in Manila in April. Pauline and I went'down to help her wind up,
pack and bring her back. At the same time we got to visit our family there/ many of the missionaries
and to attend the 75th anniversary convention of the Philippine Churches of^Christ.

I was asked to

speak briefly to the gathering of many hundreds of believers sitting under a canopy of b^ana and
palm leaves and singing the hymns of the faith in Tagalog. It. was a specialthrill to me to be their
since I have had a vital interest in the church there ever since I wrote a history of it many years
ago.
.
.
' '

The next week we were attending the annual convention of Japan Churches of C|irist in Tanabe,
near Osaka. The contrast between the two conventions in size, setting, facilitie^, f2>od and program

ming was remarkable. The faith and the fellowship was the <same. Only the language
different.
The missionary convention followed immediately at a different site in Osaka. Again a.sweet fellowshx
and a chance to share some thoughts on walking 'In His Steps" at a morning service. There is nobody
who would like to do that more perfectly than myself.

I spent a memorable weekend in May with S.M. Chang in Busan, Korea giving special addresses

marking the 10th anniversary of his Busan Christian Vocational College. !^e college awarded me a
special Plaque of Appreciation ^d a lovely folding screen. Hope went with me to get her tourist
visa exchanged for a permament one.
^

Th,efruits o preaching and teaching have begun to come. 'I have baptized^fj-ve people in the
last few weeks - Mrs. Hidaka at KusW

san at the orphanage and thcee fine high school

young men at Sueyoshi. Their names are Komuta, Kawabata and Tomiyoshi. For_QRe^who>.teaches the
'
Good News, there is no joy equal to the decision, committment and obedience in baptism of those whom
Pauline has had the most strenuous summer of her life keeping a houseful of family and friends
bedded, well fed and clean-clothed. God has given her a special measure of strength. She has been

a blessing and inspiration to all who have been in our home. We were both a year older in mid-Aug-

ust. We paused briefly to celebrate but not to count the year's.

"May the Lord watch between me and thee."

to^close. ^Until the next time,

IN HIS SERVICE,
Non-Proflt Organization

unkletter

Monthly Publication of

'

U.S. POSTAGE
PAID

KYUSHU CHRISTIAH MISSION

Box 417

NorthVemon,Indiana47265
Return Requested

Louisville, Kentucky

3c:?.ViC3
BJX

177

Aco/^
'

ir;

46049

Permit No. 537

Gleanings ( Octo 2, 75
Marl: and Mbso Pauline Kaxey,

Sianoya, iiagoshima 393 Japan .have a

neiA? rooi' "built riglit over the? old one*

Their house is a pre-fau building

dating back to th-iir arrival about

Augraso 5-0, 1950,

Taej report an

unusually wet and storsiy je-dx - but

narj a leak

a goou leeling^i

Kow uhej, are concerued about }X2 their

son' y ije'SQ. a.ox* a

xii 'JaT-'cin o.j.S0e

V/aitcr and IjuSo j''a.L*;5' I^ai>.ey i?..

Kagc;'Si::.iiSo Oity, &;-0 Japan

|?G,COO lor land and ::i7,000 r:>r

s Luildineo

.i.e{]oice bliat,

V'.'.Ti.G r^cea.vfcc

bcv/ax'u t'livrj

need in a rec6}]t ioc^obIj.

Co,

luore. help is rjeeded to GOjiix:let'^> this

bass xor mi6i:ionario>fs.

Walter's

fori;ardino; agent.-' are; llagoohima

C3:lIi^itian Mission, Ilr ami ra^3
i->

! 1

ivC'ger j-i x aui'L'^

'

T>

.- -

Fairborn, OH

il^:4

Ga-eaninss

HM

n' T

ff/l'is
A MONTHLY REPORT BY THE MARK G. MAXEV FAMILY

KJ160SHIM
(yjimunJ

TO THE

FRIENDS OF THE

KANOYA, KAGOSHIMA 893, JAPAN -

KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

BOX 417. NORTH VERNON. (ND. 47265

October, 1975

Dear Christian friends

There are two months worth waiting for in Japan - May and October but October has been
a let down. Rain every day. The grass loves it though and I am still mowing.
To review a little. Our 25th annual summer camp was held in August. 125 attended and 15
confessed their faith. Paul Clark of Lake Tahoe, Calif, was the camp speaker. I was song leader

and tauaht one course. Previous to camp, Paul preached for three one night meetings at Sueyoshi ,
Kushira and Koyama. The Koyama meeting was held in a huge ancient Japanese house that now serves
as a community gathering place. The attendance and interest was good. From it new prospects are
now attending the Bible class there.

Paul,his father

Martin Clark of Osaka Bible Seminary

and myself spent 15 hours over

a week's time in cin intensive study of the history of Christianity in Japan. Hard work but reward
ing. I am thinking of conducting an annual seminar every summer on this and related subjects.
Katsuo Shimoda, in charge of property upkeep and the bookstore, was in the hospital
for 4^ months. A lot of things had to wait till his return in mid-suTnmer. Last year he had built
a new rest house on the sidewalk in front of our Christian Center. It is right next to a bus

stop. The show windows advertise Christian books and classes, the Kanoya church and a large
scroll of a scripture verse which is changed each week. The seats are always in use. On hot summer
nights an occasional drunk sometimes sleeps it off there till morning. We have relocated our
refrigerated drinking fountain just through the gate in the center of the rest house. About 200
people enjoy a cool drink of water there each day - in Jesus' name.

After 18 years the classroom floor in the Christian Center fell through. Was it my

heavy teaching, my hearty footsteps or dry rot that "done it in?" No matter.It has been replaced
with a solid concrete floor covered with linoleum. At the same time we put in a new ceiling & a

couple of fans on each wall. It is a fine class room. It is in constant use in connection with
the book store and for Saturday Bible classes.

English Bible classes are an important means of service & evangelism.I teach a total
of 8 hours each week in Sueyoshi, Koyama and Kanoya. The students' primary interest is English.
Mine is Christ. We make these interests meet by using English-Japanese New Test^ents which all
students must read through during the course. And by using Bible related textbooks which I have
written. A bible verse must be memorized in English each week. At the end of the course each
student will know the essentials of the faith and have made remarkable progress in English. To

tie these classes together Walter has a week end camp three times a year. We had a successful
picnic at our house recently for the same purpose.

We have had some sorrows. Tomiyoshi San, A Christian of six months at Sueyoshi, has re
nounced his faith. Last week-.at Thursday night Bible study one of his friends asked God's forgive
ness because he had not been able to dissuade Tomiyoshi San from that decision. At Kushira, Omine
San confessed her faith in camp on Friday and was to be baptized on Sunday. Her father would not

permit it. He said it would break the unity of their Buddhist family. We cried with her and prayed
for her. On Monday he said she could be baptized in March but she has not been to church since.
On the health front, Mrs. Smith, our forwarding secretary has received a negative physic

al report and is taking medication and cobalt treatments twice weekly. Pray for her.X-rays showed
that Pauline's long seige with terrible back pains was due to a lower vertebra out of place. Two
weeks of chiropractic treatments by Dr. Bray in Osaka has relieved her headaches arid greatly

improved her back. She is back home now and able to do her work with time out for daily heat and

oil treatments and rest. We are hoping to find a way for continued treatment in this area.

In Kagoshima the land for the mission home and center has been bought and a contract
let for a pre-fab building to be finished by the end of the year. We have enough cash for all
payments except the last big one in January. If possible, help us complete this project debt free.
Farewell again for this time. "In Everything Give Thanks." IN HIS SERVICE,

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AWARD :"ROM S.M.CHAN

KAOOSHfMA

CHRISriAN

MISSIONARIES:

FORWARDING Sl^CRETARIES:

MR. & MRS. WALTER M. MAXEY

Arata 1-29-1

MISSfON

Kagoshima 890. Japan

MR. & MRS. ROGER L. FAUST

P.O. Box 574
Fairborn, Ohio 45324

Tohyc

JAPAN

Published monthly by Kagoshima Christian Mission

Second Class Postage Paid at Fairbom, Ohio

Vol. 5

hS32h

November 1975

No. 11

Dear Friends,

As we find ourselves nearing the end of the year, we can look back and see the many ways
the Lord has provided for, led, and blessed us. We hope that each of you can do the same.

As always, the month of December comes quickly, and we hope and pray that, amid all the busy

ness of the approaching Christmas season, each of us can keep our thoughts on the Christ of

Christmas. Just this week Shelley wanted to hear some Christmas music, and the theme line
of one of the songs really struck me because of its truth and simplicity:
"Hark, now hear the angels sing
A new King bom todayj

And man will live forevermore,

Because of Christmas Day."

^is is what Christmas is all about. We send our Christmas greetings to each of you and pray
that you will have a New Year filled with joy and the Lord's blessings.

To bring you up to date with some good news in the workthe month of November brought
signs of the end of one phase and the beginning of a new phase of our work in Japan. For the

past 3h years I have been assisting the Kagoshima church as an interim minister, besides
preaching and teaching in other places.

All this time we have been praying thax God would

lead the Kagoshima church to call their own Japanese preacher and be completely independent
of all missionary assistance. This prayer was answered this month when the members of the

Kagoshima church voted to call Brc^l^r, HQmori to be their full-time minister beginning in
January.
Their decision means that my responsibilities as interim minister of the Kagoshima church

will end December 28. From January, vre will be able to concentrate on the new preaching
points we have established in Yoshino and Kokubu. Vfe will, of course, continue our fellowship
with the Kagoshima church in various ways. Mary will continue to work with the ladies' group
and I will continue my weekly English Bible Class for Kagoshima University students at the
church.

Another sign of the start of a new phase of our mission work was the beginning of the

construotion of ourjissi^^^^

On Friday, November 7, a brief ground-breaking

"^rsfflony"was held^al the mission property in Yoshino. Several members of the Kagoshima church

attended, along with my parents and representatives of the Sekisui Housing Company,
father
tion on the fr^e began on November 21. If the construction continues on schedule, we will be
moving to Yoshino sometime near the end of January, We are rejoicing and thanking God for the
decision of the Kagoshima church, and for making it possible for work to begin on the mission
removed the first spade of earth. By November 11 the foundation had been poured and construc

GROUND BREAKING - NOVEMBER ?

FOUNDATION LAID -

NOVEMBER 11

There are a few other highlights of November we would like to share

with you, Sunday^ November

Miss Ritsuko Hidaka was baptized into
Christ at the Kagoshima church. Miss Hidaka, a junior high school stu
dent, is the daughter of Mr, and Mrs, Hidaka who are faithful members of

the Kagoshima church.

We rejoiced with her parents in Ritsuko's accept

ing Christ as her Saviour, We are praying that God will use this Christ
ian family in a special way for His work here,
November 22 was Trent's first birthday. We celebra
ted with my parents in Kanoya. Trent had a big time
eating with his hands the cake Grandma and Mary made
for him. It's hard to believe one year has passed

NEW CHRISTIAN,

since he was bom. He has taken his first steps and

HIDAKA (right)

can say "da-da" and is working on "bye-bye" now. He and Shelley are a
real joy to us. They open the way to friendship and witnessing among the

Japanese because of their "uniqueness" (light hair and blue eyes) and
friendliness.

Of course, they also keep things moving and interesting

around the house!

TRENT*S 1st BIRTHDAY

On November 2h all the Churches of Christ in Kagoshima prefecture

met for their annual convention.

About 100 people gathered at a hot springs hotel in Tarumizu,

The theme-was Romans 1;16, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel", and was developed in semons by
guest speakers, Bro, S,M, Chang from Pusan, Korea, and Bro, Ben Hirotaka of Pulcuoka, Japan,
During the afternoon program my mother and father were honored by the churches for their 25

years of mission work in the Kagoshima area.

We all left the convention challenged to stand

firmly for the Gospel,

We w^t to thank each of you for the wonderful support you have given us this past year.

We appreciate the trust and faith you have in us and hope we vd.ll merit your continued.support
in the year ahead. We pray that God will richly bless you and strengthen you in the New Year,
In Him,
Walter and Mary
SPECIAL NOTE ON THE BUILDING PROJECT

We want to mal^e one final request for help with our project in Yoshino, We are very thank

ful to those who have given generously to enable us to come this far. Construction has begun on
the two-story structure which will serve as our home and mission center, with space for my office
and a meeting room. The building is located in the heart of a housing complex with a population
of over 6000 people. The final payment of $6000 is due on January 20, Right now we do not have
enough money on hand to complete the final payment. We do not want to go into debt if it can be

avoided. We want to ask those individuals and groups and churches who have not yet shared in
this project if they would consider making a special effort at Christmas time to help with this

building fund. Any amount sent directly to us by the 20th of January would be a great help for
the work here. Please give this your prayerful consideration. Thank you.

Walter and Mary M^ey

SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID

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Mission Services

KAGOSHIMA CHRISTIAN MISSION

MR. & MRS. WALTER M. MAXEY

Arata 1-29-1, Kagoshima 890, Japan

/N USA:

Box 574, Fairborn, Ohio 4S324

P. 0, Box 177

Kempton, Indiana

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