Paul's

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Po - ru
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Epistle

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Quarterly letter of the Paul s. Pratt family in Japan

Associated with the Kyushu Christian Mission

U.S. Address

Mrs. polly Wilkinson

23769 west Edison Road

japan Address

1967
Vol. 10, No. 1

south Bend, Indiana, 46628

paul & Kathleen pratt

1210 KamiKasuya, Isehara Oho,
Kanagawa Ken, Japan

pear faithful,

Christmas brings many benefits.

your cards and letters bring us together
at least once each year.
Tokens of your love whetted our appetites and provided
the proper sized garments for our kids. Thanks to your generous cash gifts we've
been able to meet our obligations, in His name we express our deep appreciation.
AS usual, Christmas this year gave opportunities for evangelism. Wednesday
and THursday were spent in dlstriDutlon of literature. Our commionity sing came
off at the community hall on Thursday evening. After the students got out of
school on Saturday at noon, eighteen of us went to Hatano T-B. Sanitarium over
the mountain. There we taught 60 children the Christmas story and presented them
with gifts. A youth sukiyaki party and outdoor caroling occupied Christmas eve.
The Sunday school youngsters had their party early Christmas day and got the mes
sage via slides of "Shin Chans Christmas". Following the morning service much

time was spent preparing for the drama which came off that night.

With the child

ren taking part in the drama we discovered a means of getting the moms and dads

to come, many of them for the first time.

By demonstrating what the children are
learning at S.S. Hideto yoshii (Hideo's brother) made a good impression on the
parents and seized the opportunity to teach them.

our group experienced the grace of giving this year.

Two persons provided

the treat lor the T.B. patienTs and our youth were more blessed than the ones they

went to entertain, our total Christmas offering of y 6466 ($23.51) was forewarded
to the Osaka Bible seminary. You remember that the O.B.S. team helped our entire
community by their wonderful evangelistic meeting in November. The school has two
young men graduating in March. One of these, Mr. Boyama will go to the yagoshima
Church which has been without a fulltime preacher since we left in 1964.

Holiday entertaining saw the Tokyo Missionaries and their families at our
house on the i^bth.
This fellowship is a boost to us all. on the day after New

years the Tokyo area preachers and their families visited with us. Each reviewed
1966 and announced his plans and resolutions for 1967. We began the year (a bit
later than you did) with prayer for His wisdom and guidance. During the-four day

Japanese New years holiday we were invited to three area homes and had quite a bit
of company in, too. Of course our hosts were ready with the Coca cola or tea for
us in place of the usual Qsake (Japanese wine).

There've been some changes made. (1) The south side Church, Danville, 111.
has been providing funds towara the radio broadcast. They have agreed to let us
apply this toward the less expensive, but very effective, newspaper ad-vangelism.
The extra amount will be made available toward our children's schooling. By advangelism we mean that an appropriate scripture will accompany an invitation to
enroll in the Bible correspondance course.

The Nippon Broadcasting Ass'H (Mr.

Claude Xikins) will sponsor the radio broadcast for a three months period during
which time we will together appeal for funds toward the same. (2) Mr. Domen is

beginning 'on the job' training as a bookkeeper at Christian Acadamy. And, since

his wife (the former Hideko yabiku) is expecting,they have decided to be independ
ent as of January Ist. They will still assist us in correspondance with the blind.
Paul pavid was able to visit his dad*s home church at Tanderbilt, penna, the
Woodside Christian church, prankfort, the Mars Hill church, Indianapolis, the Xiuwood Church, Lafayette and the west Side church, south pend, Indiana, in Michigan
he has presented our work at the prown school Road church, St. Joseph and at the
First Church of Christ, Niles. He has also been privileged to spend time in the

"See, here is water" and six

believers ready to be baptized.

November 5, 1966

Kathleen with part of ladies group

second from left is the lady who was
baptized (see page two)

Christmas Drama Group

j
T.B. patients
homes of numerous friends. He joins us iil this expression of thanks.

Mark, at 6'4 1/2" enjoys a place on the starting five at C.A.J. again this
year.
As defending league champs, they remain in the race at this writing, xydia
is still on the honor roll and exercizes her lungs in the pep club, she is also
engaged in girls basketball, wary is captain of her junior high cheering squad.
There's never a dull moment around the C.A.J. campus.
Shotaro Yamada. who recently completed our Bible correspondance course, is

using the same material in teaching five fellow high school students. Another,
Yasuhiro Arima, an ardent worker and S-S. teacher wrote us a letter from pagoshima
recently.

Re declared, "i truly want to be used of God and feel he has a mission

for me as a prayer warrior",

two.

pray that more of this kind of results may be seen.

Que of the seven baptized in November is a 28 year old wife and mother of
She has been the victim of an old custom. When she married an eldest son

they moved in with his parents. A few years ago the mother-in-law died. Desiring
to keep his daughter-in-law in line the old man keeps tabs on her.

she dare not

go far without his permission and is scarcely allowed out at night, what's more
he talks against her taking an interest in Christianity. He classifies it along
with Communism. But, the j.ord took a hand in order to assist her coming to the

ladies meetings and then to the evangelistic services. On the day of the great
typhoon Re allowed the tyrant to meet with a friek accident. His hospitalizaticn
was concluded just a few days after she had been baptized. We are still hoping
that our calls at the hospital helped to humble him. pray for the old gentleman
and for her as well.

Ten years is a long time to serve without pay.

But that is exactly what

Polly and Ernie Wilkinson nave~done in behair oT~feis work. Their task is certain
ly not limited to record-keeping. They serve as our liaison to the churches by
correspondance, by traveling across the miles taking time to tell our story, we
count ourselves doubly blessed to have them as brother and sister in Christ and

to be on the receiving end of their valuable service. But the reward they seek
is what they shall eventually receive, their Father's kind "well done thou good
and faithful servants".

Display maps are still available with pictures, if you request our D.V.B.S.

material, please specify whether or not your church has used the map. Also, let
us know your zip code if you want to receive the "Epistle".

captain' Mary

^ ;i/ CO^IK
faults

Bpistle

Quarterly letter of the paul s. pratt family in japan

Aaaociated with the Kyushu Christian Mission
IT.S* Address

Japan Address

23769 West Edison Road

South Bend, Indiana, 46628

PaiLL ft
CC Kathleen Pratt

Iffay f *67

Vol.10, jff2

1210 Kamikasuya,
Kamikasuya, isehara
isehara cho
cho
1210

Kanagawa Ken,
Keu japan.
Japan.
Kanagawa

Dear friends,

Thanks to you who prayed , the Kajiki church kindergarten has a Christian

teacher.

Miss Shizuko Kikukawa went 'down from Tokyo* after telling her Lord "I'll

go where you want me to go".

In this land only those who are sent make the move

away from the 'Center*. Thus it was surely with a sense of being sent by His will
that prompted her going.

Speaking of *going to Kagoshlma *, Koichi Moriyama returned to his home there

from Tokyo (over 1000 miles) by bicycle. This same type of spirit helped him to
enter waseda univ. He spent one year in prep school, all the while saving money
for the fees by delivering milk and newspapers, yftiile yet unsaved, he attended
church regularly with prayer to God to help him pass the enterance exam. Giving
God the glory he was baptized into Christ at camp last summer. The spirit of Kinjiro Rinomiya (japan's Abe Lincoln symbol) is still alive here.
James tells us that 'the trying of your faith worketh patience'.

zaki became a Christian last November.

TadashiYama-

After a few short months of growth he was

called upon and gave himself as God's man.

His married brother had been stricken

with a rare disease. The demands placed upon him cancelled any plans he might have
had for his two month vacation. He learned how to pray and to depend upon the word
during those long bedside watches,

our prayers were rewarded when last week's tele

phone call reported his steady recovery. TTaise the Lord for testing and for His
ear that is bent to hear his children's prayers.
Wiss Qnuki of isehara and Miss Nlrei of Ka.liki have finished the Bible corres

pondence course. Miss Onxiki was challenged"to study when she was given a tract
with the application form by one of our youth here,
cision for Christ.

as yet, she has not made a de

Miss Nirei entered the study as a new-born babe in Christ.

A MAJOR CONCERN OP EVERY MISSIONARY IS THE EDUCATION OP HIS

OWN CHILDREN,

During their elementary days we operated a 'one-room school' in our dining room.
With their own mother as the teacher the simple expense of books and permission to
use the calvert course was all that was involved.

It was quite different when one by one they passed into high school,

communi

cation with other students, extra-curricular activities and more elaborate equip
ment were needed.

THE CHRISTIAN ACAD.WY IN JAPAN has provided all this and more.

iSiey admitted our three to their school dormitory and are providing Christian train
ing for them as well, while the school, as a missionary enterprise, is much more
reasonable than other private schools, it coats a great deal more than our free
school system stateside,

we had hoped to be able to contribute toward the vast ex

pansion program (total cost $455,000) which has literally transformed the campus.

But we find ourselves, at present, xmable to pay for the children's schooling.
Proffl the very beginni^ until now our children have been an important part of
our witness in jap^"! If tne youth of today are tomorrow's leaders, we feel they
are an important investment.

None of them can at present predict his future course

But as of now, Mark, Lydia and Mary all hope to enter the Cincinnati Bible seminary
upon graduation. We understand that unless we can pay off the present $1400 due on
this year's schooling, the children will not be permitted to enroll for the '67-'68

school year. Then, of course that year of schooling must be provided.

C-A-J- Knights vters 2nd In league play

Jrd in the ?ar sast Toumey

Kark la no. 24

Mark - C-A-J.'a 'Most im

proved player' goes for two.

Klea J'ikl Klral

or Kajlkl
coBpleted tba
Correa. cource

C.A.J. senior HiBb choir

C.A-J< Junior nigh choir

Rated 'Superior* at a R.S. peetlral

Mary sings soprano

Ijdla ie alto, Mark la 2nd tenor

we propose the establishment of a children's Education pund by the following

meanss (1) Requesting loans from indiviauais orcongregations in amounts of $500,

$1000 or more in order to be able to meet immediate obligations and to enroll them

for the coming year. (2) Requesting individuals or Congregations to pledge regular
support toward the pund in order to make possible the repayment of the loans. (5)
Requesting individual contributions toward the same Pund. since we are presently
making plans to return to the states following Mark's graduation in 1968, the cost
of their education there will be less.

yaul David has chosen the wars Hill Church in Indianapolis as his home congre
gation. The family made this our 'home church' during furlough anrt Kathleen's sis

ter Mary lou and family are members there.

They have faithfully provided regularly

for our work. Paul also made known at the time of his response to the invitation
his earnest desire to "be used by the lord as He shall lead".

It is just twenty years ago this month since Kathleen and J exchanged our vows
at the Wars
wars Hill chxirch^ rEat
That was only the beginning of real happiness
hanniness for us and
four others have come along to add to and share in our love.

It seems like only

yesterday vmtil we see our offspring moving toward those mature years.

'Natsukashii' is the Japanese word for it. Paul David was born during our 21/2
year student ministry at the Branch Hill church, Xoveland, Ohio,
sons we have not been able to visit the church for 18 years.

por various rea

But, paul is speaking

to our friends there on May 7th. since he was only 10 months old when we left, I'm
sure the folk will forgive him if he doesn't remember many of them.
Have you ever heard the like*?

A.bout the time of our six baptisms last fall a

certain ;)unior high student who often attends our meetings declared, "I'm to be bap
tized for the second time at the church downtown on Christmas day", curious, we in
quired, "HOW'S that?"

"Well," he said, "My mom tells me that she was sprinkled

few days before I was bom, and now that I've made my own decision, I'll be baptized
again". Much persuasion on our part failed to influence him to be immersed.
our Sunday school at Isehara continues its momentum.
attendance and of inviting others prevails.

The spirit of regular

These are both rare items in japan.

We

have installed fusuma (Japanese sliding doors) so we can divide the classes. Miss
Mary Harding's S.S. Workshops in Tokyo gave vision and know-how to o\ir students.
Matters for prayer?

The National Christian Convention and Missionary Gathering at xagoshima May 16

to 21st.

The Kajiki Kindergarten

The camp season at Karuizawa and at Motosu Xake
por the safe arrival of Hitieko (Tabiku) Domen's expected child
Sufficient amount to be supplied toward the "Education pund

The National Missionary convention at Dodge City, Sept. 26 - 29th

CHIIDREN'S

BDTICATION

^bscription

PDND

porm

Dear brother paul,

Name

would like to have a part in your children's education,

(1) $
$
(1)

Address

please count on us for the following:

as a loan toward the pund which i understand wi.

paid within the year of its date at 4 o/o interest

(2) $
S
(3) %'

as a monthly
, yearly
pledge from
as a cash contribution to the'"Fund from

Epiatla

Paul'a
Po_ jTi

no te-gaml

StP

Quarberly le'bter of iiid Paul S. Rrafrb femily in Japan

Asaociated with, the ^uahu Christian Uissicoi
Japan Addreae

U.S Address

Vol. 10, Ho. 5

25769 West Edison Road

Souldi Bend, Indiana 46628

August, 1967

Paul & ^tbleen Pratt

1210 Kanilcas^ya, laehara Cho

Eanagswa Sen, Japan

1. Birttamy & Uazey faadly sondoff

2. latematlcml Caji^: Stephen Elliotts on way

to Indian, Mary Harding oloslng F.E. servioe,
C.ff, Callaways on way for furlou^
3. Isehara S.S., Youth A Adults at beaoh pionio
4. Intezn Missicoiarles, Janet ^itteoore) A Alan
Bemo with Elizabeth, homeward bound

5. Kajild. Correspondent, near planning on Osaka

^ 4 Bible Seminary
^ '6. Eagoshima Orfhanage director's daughter

7. Kaihleai, with Jqyce Warrick and orphans

8. Nxirse Kitahara wiih now, devout, oorrespondant. Miss Tokudome, now convalescing
9. Eajim. Kindergarten studente with teachers.
Miss lOkawa and Miss Yanauohi

|l(X Ikul, with rlghtbandHsan, Hideto Toshil