A MONTHtV RePORT BY TH MARK C. MAXEY FAMILY

^'i.iwKLerreR.TO TH6 FRNOS Of= THE KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONKANOVA. ISqOSHIMATm MfAN - BOX 4,7, NORTH VIRNON. INO. 47265

Dear Christian A'iends, March, 1978We must begin with the sad news of the death of Shirley

Smith, our faithful secretary for over nine years. She had fivehours of continuous blood transfusions trying to overcome a hem-orage but it was a losing battle. She died at 12.01 January 17leaving her children Joy and Tim, and husband, Cecil, faithfulChristian and elder at the North Vemon Christian church. Ourchildren in Cincinnati were able to represent us at the funeral.

Her selfless contribution to this mission will not beforgotten . We are so glad we were able to enjoy the company ofShirely and Cecil for two visits last fall. And we are gratefulthat Shirley was able to help us find a new secretary and helpher get est5tlished in her duties in spite of her own pain.

A picture of our new secretary, Carol Couchman, andher family will help to introduce them. Larry is a deacon andBible school teacher at the North Vernon church. Carol teachesa '1st and 2nd graders class in Bible school and the youth onSunday night. They have two daughters, Cindy, in the 3rd gradeand Patty who will soon be 5. We are very grateful that this fineChristian family will be sharing with us in this work.

We have been back in Japan about three months. It washard getting started again but now it seems we haven't ever beengone. All of a sudden Christmas was upon" us. In spite of the overwhelming activities coirpassed into one week and a Sunday there isa special brightness about Christmas in Japan. For one thing itis church-centered. And for another the Christian observance contrasts so favorably with the non-Christian way. We shared in fivechurch observances and appreciated them all. It is always a joy,too, to prepare Christmas for the 75 children at Osumi Gakkusha.This treat is provided every year by the church at East Orange,New Jersey. The 25th was a full day from morning till night sofor the first time in our lives we postponed our family observance until the 26th. Walter and Mary, grandchildren Shelley andTrent, joined ug then and with daughter Hope it was an outstand-ing family day. Special thanks to many of you who made it so.

The New Year, the year of the Jlorse, galloped in onSunday. I got up before five to make it in time for the 6 a.m.sunrise prayer meeting at Sueyoshi. The church was cold buthearts were warm as we prayed and studied together, sang together and promises to God about our spiritual life for the coming year. There was time for tea and sweets before going on tothe next service. It was an outstanding way to begin the year.

It seems like I've spent a lot of the New Year goingto the airport. At an hour and 45 minutes for the one way tripit makes a long spell at the wheel round trip. I told Paulinethat next time I was going to build our house at the end of therunway. All kidding aside, it only proves that Kanoya is a placeon the map that people want to come to and we are honored andblessed by all who come.

Trip one was to send Hope back to school on January2. She spent the first five days of her vacation in bed very sickso she wasn't ready to go back yet. Nor were we ready either.

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have fellowship with the church at Shime,started by Ben Hirotaka.In his absence Kenneth and Ruth Fowler are giving a year of theirretirement for missionary service. All praise to them. Later theyand Bro. Kawazu came down and spent a night with us bringingtheir blessing to us.

Trip three was to welcome Bro. S.M. Qiang and son Mikukfrom Korea for a three days. I kept him busy preaching and we gota lot of talking done in between before he continued to Hongkong.

Trip foiir was to greet Harvey and Helen Beard of PacificChristian College, Fullerton, CA. Helen spoke to a women's meeting at the Kanoya church and Harvey spoke five times in Kanoya andKagoshima on "God and Man' using Genesis One. He also spoke forour monthly preacher's meeting on the prophet Habakkuk. They werewith us five days before going to to Korea and eventually to Australia for sabbatical leave and teaching at Kenmore Christian Col.

Trip five (made by Walter) brought Bro. Fumio Sato ofthe Kamiochiai Church of Christ in Tokyo to conduct our 18th annualwinter study course. He used his own slides, charts and artisticability to illustrate his lectxires on the Bible and the Holy Land.He .spoke four times in Kanoya, twice each in Kushikino,Kagoshima,Sueyoshi, and Tanegashima and once each in Yoshino and Kajiki. Healso spoke for our preacher's meeting in Tarumizu summing up hisown life's experiences as a minister and of his days with us.

From there we travelled up the valley three or fourmiles to see a prospective canp site a retired dentist has forsale. The location is primitive, the building is fine but the priceis out of reason - 32 million yen, (over $130,000) for 1764 sqxiaremeters of land. Less than an acre I believe. So we are still looking and expecting to find the site we need. The money received issafely in a savin^account in the Kagoshima Bank in Kanoya. He askyour continued prayers and si:5)port of this project. We have askedthe churches that support us if they would not make the can^) themissionary project for their VBS this year. Would you encourage it.

During the last three years I have preached slowly andcarefully through Romans and Janies. Now I am starting on Philip-ians. I expect to take about a year to finish. I have 86 studentsenrolled in 9 English Bible classes in Koyama, Sueyoshi and Kanoya.I am writing a 35 J.esson text book on Acts, one lesson a week emdteaching it in Japanese in Sueyoshi on Thx^sday night and at theChristian Center in.English on Friday night. It's a diallenge whenyou are writing for students who know neither Jesus,Jew nor Jerusalem. I continue writing my bi-monthly column, One Man's Opinion,in Horizon's magazine. At present I am writing an extended serieson "Who Is A Missionary?" I think you woyld find it interesting.(?4.00 per year. Box 177, Keni)ton, IN 46049)

The local Rotary Cliib asked me to talk on the Yen-Dollarproblem and U.S.-Japein relationships. I confessed incon^etence onboth points and then talked for half an hour anyway. The dollarcontinues its dreary decline in value and Japan's huge trade surplus with the U.S. is straining the friendship of the past 30years. How Japan could possibly buy and consume 12 billion dollarsworth of goods from us each year I don't know. And how Japan canexist as a nation without trading with us I don't know. I do knowthat God takes care of His own so I can be at peace about "things."I also know that Christ is the answer not only for spiritual problems but for material problems as well so I am at peace in proclaiming His Good News. May it be so with you I IN HIS SERVICE,

FELLOWSHIP WITH PROF. HARVEY BEARD

m '91 aFUMIO SATO LECTURES ON BIBLE & BIBLE LANDS

18th ANNUAL WINTER STUDY COURSE - JAN.1978

APROSPECTIVE SITE PRICED^^T '^'^ ^

NEW FOWARD'G SEC'Y,CAROL COUCHMAN & FAMILY

Non-Profit OrganizationU. S. POSTAGE

PAIDLouisville, Kentucky

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UNKLETTBRMonthlyPublication ofKYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONBox 417North Vemoo, Indiina 47265

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KEJ.iPTON. IN 45049

KAOOSHIMA CHRfSriAN M1SS10MISSIONARIES:

MR. & MRS. WALTER M. MAXEYYoshino Cho 913-18Kagoshima 892. Japan

FORWARDING SECRHTARItS:MR. & MRS. ROGER L. FAUSTP.O. Box 574Fairborn, Ohio 45324

Published monthly by Kagoshima Christian MissionSecond Class Postage Paid at Fairborn, Ohio 45324

i'lay 1978

JAPAN

No. ^

Dear Friends,Sumner is here and "June is busting out all over." It's supposed to be the rainy sea

son, which nearly everyone dreads but endures, but this year we're enjoying clear, beautiful skies nearly every day-- in spite of the fact that this year we needed the rainy seasonto be a rainy season, Bainfall for the year is below average almost everyr^here and somecities are rationing water, Kagoshima may soon be turning off the water during certainhours of the day if rain doesn't come soon. Korea is especially hard hit with drought.Usually during the rainy season, Japan can expect several landslides. This year, becauseof little rain, there haven't been any yetbut I have been trying to climb out from underthe idea that a landslide fell on me! This is i'lary and I have been so behind with everything and yet have really been wanting to write to so many of you for so long that I havemanaged to talk Walter out of this newsletter in order to share some family hapoeninpswith you.

I will need to go back a little to bring in all the major news. April found us vrork-ing hard to finish up the final copy of Walter's thesis for the Master of Arts degree inJiast Asian Studies at Indiana University. He had completed all the classroom work duringour furlough and had set this April as the deadline for completing his thesis (even thoughhe officially had longer.) So, April became a "race mth the calendar," but thanks to helpfrom friends in Bloomington who handled the details there, the thesis is in and Waltershould have his degree this month. I had the honor of typing it, but I also learned a fewthings in the process. We are all proud and happy to know all the hard work is over.

Right after that, we left for the All-Japan Church of Christ Convention and missionaryconvention in Okinawa. The week was a real inspiration, but to me the fellowship was aneven greater blessing. Shelley and Trent had a terrific time playing with American friendsand going up and dovm the elevators between the meeting rooms and our room on the 9th floor!Shelley was old enough this year to feel the sadness of parting with her special friend,Karis Pratt, when the convention was over, though, and she had a real genuine cry that afternoon. It seems like there is never enough time just for visiting, but the "young" missionarywives did get to share some iSrma Bombeck columns, which has become an annual highlight 1

After returning home from the convention it was time to startpreparing for the annual combined women's meeting of all the area I Hchurches, I was asked to be speaker this year and decided to ^share some of the insights and blessings I had received from at-tending a women's seminar in the States during our furlough,Preparing for the meeting brought back many special memories of ^our fellowship with the church in Ellettsville, Indiana, and the W W ladies I had attended the seminar irith. In recent years in Amer- ^ W . nica, many good books have been xmtten and seminars developed on Mfamily life. But little solid help is available to the Japanese ^concerning family life, so anything v^e can share is alv/ays appre- o ^/rT^T^nn-TTnelated. Our women's meeting began at 10:30 a,m. and ended at COMBINE WOI.iK S M_,^TING3:00 p.m.--a day full of fellowship, sharing, and a delicious noon meal prepared by the ladies of the Kanoya church.

Our ladies group here in Kagoshima has recently divided into two groups (the dovrntox-mgroup and the Yoshino group here) and each group meets separately now because of schedulingdifficulties. Most of the ladies in Yoshino work and can meet only at night. We are studying Spirit-Controlled Temperament now and the ladies are very interested.

Shelley and Trent are growing like weeksalmost before our eyes,it seems. Th^have learned more and more Japanese and can play withtheir Japanese friends fairly easily, even though there are times vjhenwhat they want to say is not what they say--like the time Shelley thought . 'Jf /she asked a boy playing here at lunch time if it wasn't time for him tobe eating, too, but had really asked him if he wouldn't eat with us. Theboy was overjoyed and ran home to get his mother's permission before he "joined us! Shelley and I have been working on a home correspondence kin-dergarten course since last fall, but, due to my failure to set up a reg- ^ular^ schedule, we are behind and are now trying to catch up and finish. ^She is a good student and learns easily, so the teacher really should be n trying harder! She will start a first grade course this fall. Trent ' L iloves to attend school, too^ so I usually have two "students" and he ^ jtakes part in almost everything. Shelley has also started taking group I I . *%organ lessons at the Japanese kindergarten on the next corner and is en- [ j Jjoying it very much. The Japanese start teaching music at around four i '^years of age, which seems to bear good results. Ue hope Shelley vdll W If imaintain her interest. j

Since last fall, at their invitation, Shelley and I have been driv- ' - 1 Iing-across town one morning a week to a Japanese k'indergarten to teach DRSSS-ALIKthe children simple English songs and words to help them become "accus- MOTHER'Stomed" to foreigners. It has been interesting and fun, and vro even had the opportuniappearing on a local TV station, but it has demanded time and \:-3 will be quitting ne:-:

ES FORDAY

r.yjrt:.Trent is convinced he isn't doing anything quite as exciting as Shelley,but ^he^ sure keeps us on our^^t^^ He^s^^a ma^t^^

SHELLEY - ^TRENT - ^

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i 9 f - a / X h.4 I T oI 2 iS T -s -J > =' -0 * fL *12 I KYUSHU.4 < -

HELPING THE ROAD CPlS^/I

HOKKAIDO

SHtKOKU

KAGOSHIMA CHRISTIAN MISSIONMR. & MRS. WALTER M. MAXEY

Yoihiiio Cho 913-18 KiKoshima W2. JapM

tN USA:Box 574, Fairborn, Ohio 45234

I think this catches you up on nost ofthe news here. Please know that we renenberand pray for all of you having a part in thework here through your interest, prayers, andsupport, v7e give thanks often for your faith,vision and love. Hay the Lord bless you all*

" In liim, i/alter and r.arv

SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAIDAT FAIRBORN, OHIO

I^lssion Sei'^rieeaF. 0. Box 177"Kj^pton Indiana h6o^

TO THE FRrfNDS OF THE KVUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONKANOVA. KAOOSHIMA 893. JAPAN - BOX 417. NORTH VERNON. INO. 4726!>fLINKLETTER NO, 236

NUMBERS FOR 219 - JulUNNUMBERED 220 OctLINKLETTERS 221 - Dpp

19731975

222 - Feb

223 - Apr224 - Jul

216 - June217 - Sept

1974218 - Mar

225 - Oct1976

226 - Feb227 - May228 - Jun

229 - Aug230 - Nov

June, 1978

1977

231 - Jan

232 - Apr233 - June234 - Dec

1978235 - Mar236 - Jun

MESSAGE TO MISSIONARIES

Dear Christian friends, Summer is here in all its warmth and beauty. We havea gardenia tree in full bloom. Hundreds of blossoms fill the air with the fragrance of God's gifts to us.

Look carefully at the map in the upper left- I've always claimed thatKanoya is the "center" of Japan. Now with the help of Fumio Sato, minister andartist in Tokyo, I have invented a map to prove it. The cross rests on the cityof Kanoya on the island of Kyushu. Kyushu is in the center of the map surroundedby Hokkaido (left), Honshu (right) and Shikoku (bottom). My apologies to allcartographers.

My apologies for the poor pictures in the last LINKLETTER. Picturesand printing have to be photographed separately and then combined to get goodreproduction. For the first time the Kanoya printer failed me in his usual goodservice. He photographed them all together- Trusting him I did not even look atthe negative before sending it off. My inattention ruined a lot of pictures. Ata later time we will run a good one of our new secretary, Carol Couchman andfamily.

Getting the LINKLETTER to you is a complicated process. We prepare itin Japan then airmail the negatives to Dave Cordrey, minister of Shively Christian Church, Louisville, Ky. There Allan Veech makes the plate and runs themoff and Nancy Hawkins, church secretary, mails them out. We pay for the paperand the postage. The rest is a service of the Shively church and a real serviceit is. Our thanks to them.

While writing a LINKLETTER on furlough in 1973 I didn't have a copyof the last letter with its proper number before me. So I did not use a numberand have not since that time. This was no problem except that without the numbers you could not be sure that you had received all the issues. Now with thehelp of Pauline's cousin, Helen Pethtel of Cambridge, Ohio, we assembled a complete list of numbers as printed at the top of the page. This is No. 236 and wewill keep it going from here.

The first 202 of these letters were condensed, edited and published ina giant book called WAY DOWN HERE (at the southern tipof Japan). We know it isa memorable story because we lived it ourselves. We don't believe it will everbe possible to reprint the story of our first twenty years in Japan again.It is still available from GO YE BOOKS, 147 Ave Cota, San Clemente, CA 92672 at$10.50 postpaid. Hiroshi Inoue, a man I baptized many years ago and now an Eng-ish teacher is putting it into Japanese. He says it will take five years.

y In the last LINKLETTER we talked about a prospecfTve campsiteTpriced"Ttoo4iigh at 33 million yen ($130,000). Our committee looked at it but were forced;to tell the owner that the price was too high. We did offer him 10 million yenf($45,000) which he refused. Now, four months later he has accepted. He is anxiousi to move back to the Tokyo area to be near his son. We have accepted and the titlei will be transferred June 30. We will pay 6 million yen (5 million which you have'i sent and 1 million that the local churches have raised) and borrow 4 million yen^($18,000) which we will pay back in monthly installments for four years. Remaining funds and future funds received will be used on the monthly payments in conjunction with the local churches and for buildings and improvements.

Like it is with everything attempted in Japan, getting this far in theproject has taken longer than we expected. Also it is not cBbig a piece of landas we had hoped for. It does lie, however, near a large recreation area develop-

PROF.HERB WORKS TEACHES US

KINDERGARTEN BRINGS FLOWERS

SHELLEY-GRANDPA-TRENT-HONDA

TOYOTA - WOUNDED BUT RUNNING

ed by the state. Also it is adjacent to a beautiful mountain stream. It has a one-lane paved road running by it,adequate water, electricity, telephone and a modern building which can be used Immediately for small groups. Fromthis we can expand slowly and build the facilities we need for larger groups. Meanwhile the immediate cost iswithin our means so God has blessed us with a suitable place. Thank you to all who have shared in this projectin the past and will do so in the future. We will continue to keep you informed.

Our three oldest children, Paula, Walter and Gregory have wedding anniversaries in June. So this monthis always a reminder of their advancing maturity and our ongoing years. We keep in touch by mail but we have therare privilege in Japan of getting to see Walter and Mary and grandchildren, Shelley and Trent, almost every Monday. Walter and Mary just had their 10th anniversary, a signifigant milestone.

Around town I use my trustylittle Honda motorcyle to beat the traffic and parking problems. Out of townI use my aging Toyota, now in its 9th year. It serves'me well but sometimes I do not serve it so well. Runninglate on the way to a monthly Bible study at the home of the Tsuchimochi's in the hills IJ5 hours south of here Itook a curve too fast. The brakes didn't come to the rescue of my bad driving so I slid Into a stone wall. Thewall was the winner. I hitchhiked on to the Tsuchimochi's at the top of the mountain. They came back with theirneighbors and a small truck. Eventually we got the fender pried off the front wheel so I could drive home slowly.I thought I was going to have to junk It but the insurance company said they would pay for its repair. We founda similar model in a junkyard and used It for parts. After getting the front torsion bars replaced, the wheelbase alligned and the brakes relined it is running better than before. One more year before its retirement.

Hope has finished her junior year at Christian Academy near Tokyo. Because of the distance we have onlyvisited her rarely and never seen her in any school activity. Pauline remedied that in May by going up to see herin theannual school play. She saw it every night for three nights,spent the week-end-with Hope and then returned --to Kanoya to ten us all about it. It was almost as good as being there ourselves, but not quite. We are sendingHope to the U.S. for one month this'summer at our own expense. She is a Japan girl born and bred. We think thisvisit will help ease her transition back into American life after she graduates next year. She also wants tovisit some college campuses to see if she can find a place she would like to study. She will go to Cincinnati,Ohio first where Faith and Greg and Bev can help her and take her around.

A great event in the spring of every year is the annual, convention of the Churches of Christ in Japanfollowed by the missionary convention. This year the 29th convention was held In Okinawa from April 28-May 2.Thiswas the first time ever in this area. The Okinawa brethren rose to the challenge. They planned carefully and wellfor a year and staged the best convention ever held by our people in Japan and with a record attendance . 466 attended the Sunday morning service, a victorious gathering. This was also the 30th anniversary of Harlan and Eme-line Woodruff's beginning the work of the Okinawa Christian Mission. A fine delegation from their sending churchesin Oregon and Washington came out to be a part of this convention and to honor them. Over 31 years ago, December,1946, Harlan and I came on the same aircraft from the Philippines to Japan as military chaplains. We both return-to Japan in adjacent areas. So Pauline and I feel a special closeness to Harlan and Emeline and were very happy wecould join in this anniversary gathering In their honor.

We went from Kagoshima to Naha, Okinawa by ship, a 24 hour journey, and back the same way. It was nicewatching the wind and waves, the birds and Islands go by but sleeping and sitting on the floor that long is not sorefreshing. One reason for going this way was that we could take boxes of books from the Christian Center Bookstoredown at no additional cost. Everybody pitched In to help carry the boxes and we had a very successful book table.The Oklnawans especially were hungry for Christian books and Bibles with the result that we came back a lot lighterthan we went down. It was a lot of hard work but well-worth the effort.

For the opening session of the missionary convention, Harlan asked Pauline to read the scripture andme to lead n\y 30 minute non-stop song service consisting of the first verses of about 40 favorites of our childhood days. As Harlan said, "We get a whole year's singing done at one time." I don't think the people from the U.S.thought that much singing was all that great but I was hoarse with joy myself. Carolyn Barriclow at the piano hada permanent crimp in all ten fingers for 24 hours afterwards.

Herb Works, Professor of Missions at Northwestern Christian College, was our special speaker. Usinghim as the subject matter, I wrote some special verses to be sung to the tune of "Work for the Night is Coming."After we all got through laughing, we were all relaxed and ready to listen to Herb lead us in some serious thinkingrelated to the subject, "The Church of Christ in Japan - Its Past, Present and Future." I had the next to the lastmessage talking about the church's future. After only_119 years of effort I concluded that the nation of Japan mightbe saying to us what King Agrippa said to Paul, "In this short time do you think you will make me a Christian?"(Acts26:28). As God writes In the sands of time, the preaching of the gospel In Japan has just begun. In that sense, thefuture of the church in Japan is very bright indeed.

Herb and Marilyn works spent three days with us in Japan as they returned to Oregon. He spoke to ourpreacher's meeting, at the leper colony, visited other churches and homes, had a meal with Walter and Mary and sawall the scenic spots of our area - all the while we kept a running dialogue going about missions as it relates toJapan. Now we are all fired up for another year. God bless you all. IN HIS SERVICE,

UNKLETTBRMonthly Publication ofKYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONBox 417North Vernoi^ Indiuu 47265

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* MONTHLY R6P0BT BV THE MASK G MAXV fAMaV

/umLexrea/TO THE FRKMOS OF THC KVUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

KANOVA. KAQOSHIMA tt3. lAPAN - BOX 417. NORTH VERNON. IND. 4726b

LINKLETTER NO. 237 SEPTEMBER, 1978**29th Year of Publication - 1st Issue,Sept.1949

Dear Christian friends,It's been a crazy summer - crazy with the heat; crazy

with the typhoons, crazy with the money and crazy with activities.The heat has broken 40-50 year records throughout

Japan and likewise the lack of rain. Fourteen typhoons have beenspawned so far this year. When #12 headed our way, I shut the stomidoors, put away everything outside that might blow and checked ouremergency lights. "How do you know it will hit us?" Hope laughed atme. "I feel it in my bones," I countered. That typhoon turned towardChina, stopped short, headed north to Korea, paused, made a U-turn,rested, headed south and then turned toward Kyushu landing on thewest coast of Kagoshima a full seven days after my prediction. "Sothere!" I told Hope.

About the money, I'm sure you've already heard. Columnist Stanley Karnow arrived in Tokyo and went to a hotel arrangedby a friend at a special price. It cost him $110 a night and themorning coffee was extra at $3 a cup. "Some friend," said Karnow.It now cost 47(t for each issue of the Japan Times which arrives atour house every morning a day late. Maybe I'll quit reading.

Three churches and one individual have reassured usof the goodness of God's people by sending special offerings to helpfill the gap. In addition three Japanese families have brought usgenerous platters of beef in the last month which at Japan prices islike a gift of gold coins. One woman made a two hour round trip bybus for this purpose. He have been absolutely amazed and both ourbodies and souls fed by this generosity.

The Japanese economists say that the U.S. must whipinflation and curb oil imports for the dollar to firm up. They neversay that the U.S. must also reduce imports from Japan. I believethat also must happen and it is going to hurt here when it does.

Hope successfully completed her trip to the U.S. andback well taken care of by family and friends. Special thanks toKenny and Gertrude Hanson in California for their efforts on her behalf. Hope, Mary and Walter prepared a special party on August 7 asPauline and I had a joint birthday. All the kids sent cards and Paulaphoned from Canada and Faith from Cincinnati. The passage of anotheryear was not only painless it was pleasant. 1 can't wait till nextyear.

Our 27th annual summer camp was held at the KagoshimaEducational Youth'Center which we have used in previous years. Thedates were August 9-12. We had 82 campers, less than other years, butthe most teachable group we have ever had. These campers studied,played,sang, ate and slept 100%. I was camp song leader and it wasfun. I taught them a new English chorus every day plus new Japanesesongs as well. The camp theme was "The Life of Prayer." I turned thataround for my class of middle school students to say that "All oflife is a prayer offered to God." I prepared a study book on thethat theme using young Timothy as a model.

Prof. Saito of Osaka Bible Seminary was with us aschapel speaker and teacher. There were over 30 decisions to followChrist but these must be followed up in the local churches and inthe homes of the campers to be translated into baptisms. Martin ClarkSeminary president was also with us and taught a class. The campersgave him an offering of $163 for the Seminary.

On August 14, the Monday after camp, we made joyoushistory of sorts for us by having the first gathering at our newcamp ground. All the ministers were there plus Bro. Clark and Bro.Saito. Bro. Clark spent the morning outlining his plan to extend theoutreach of the Seminary by extension education.Then we took picturesplanned for the future and rejoiced. Our sign is up, the difficultpaper work completed to register the property in our religious incorporation in Japan and we will knock out one wall between two large

BitIB I

1st TIME TO USE NEW CAMP - AUGUST 14, 1978

LEADING 'singing FOR OUR 27th ANNUAL CAMP

FIVE live-wire campers

TEACHING MONTHLY CLASS AT LEPER COLONY

rooms to give us a meeting place for at least 30 people.Then we will beginto slowly equip the building and develop the grounds. Each of us felt areal thrill of accomplishment in having reached this far in the camp project after over a two year wait since we began. We are praising God forthis victory and the part many of you have played in it. Please continueto share in it, if you will, as we continue the payments and make improvements.

Just to prove that joy and pain are twins , on that same day Iburned out a valve in my car engine, a tire went bad, the shaft on the airconditioner compressor broke and when I went to get the car from the garage a week later the mechanic said, "You also need a new battery." Everything is fixed except the air conditioner which will stay broke. I won'treally feel all the pain till the bills come in.

Meanwhile, Martin Clark, contributed the use of his Honda Accord for the Sunday meetings at which he preached, to take me to my regular class at the leper colony where.he sang and I taught and to help methe first night of the revival meeting at Sueyoshi by hauling the equipment up there and driving through the town advertising the meeting withroof-mounted speakers.

Bro. Saito was the evangelist for the three day meeting at Sueyoshi and the three day meeting at Tarumizu which followed. At this mom-ment we can say we had few visible results in Sueyoshi and excellent results in Tarumizu where Bro. Homori also assisted us. Both churchesbadly need new Christians and new life. We believe these meetings haveprovided the beginning of both. Preparations began well in advance withspecial sign boards, personal invitations to all possible prospects and8000 tracts printed with map of the church location, invitation to themeetings, and a return post card on which requests could be made for aBible, Christian literature, a visit in the home or a desire to attendchurch. These were inserted every day in the various newspapers servingthe communities. These request cards are beginning to come in and weare encouraged. We must wait till another time to tell you of those whowere confronted with-.the gospel and who now face the problems that willcome to them if they obey it. Suffice it to say that the Word, the Spiritand the Lord are at work in the hearts of people here. Pray for theirprofound effect to take place.

Pauline has kept the home fires burning while I have been outand away. She has enjoyed the company of Evelyn Clark for ten days, having grandchildren, Shelley and Trent, for a week, singing in the Mother'sChoir which meets in the Kanoya church each Monday and teaching them howto sing'Wonderful Words of Life" in English; teaching at women's meetingsincluding two at Sueyoshi. Always the purpose of Pauline's teaching is toteach the women to know and to use the Bible for their own lives. Herpreparation is so thorough she has become a Bible scholar. Nowadays whenI have a biblical question, I ask her first and look at the books later.

A high point for me was her speech at the Kanoya Rotary Clubon her life in Kanoya as wife, mother and Christian. She marked out herstate, Pennsylvania, and my state, Washington, on large map as she began.For the first time in my memory, not a single member went to sleep duringthe meeting. "Best speech I ever heard," one man said. I knew it already.Pauline send her greetings with mine to each of you. IN HIS SERVICE,

UNKLETTBRMonthlyPublicationofKYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONBox 417North Vemon, Indiana 47265

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Linkletter NO.#238 November,!978

WISHING each of youthe joy of a CHRISTMAS with Christ present and the peaceof a NEW YEAR underGod's love S care,

Christ\N^ the ,chuRch s futuRe

in jamnKyushu Missionary Mark Maxey has served with the Church of Christin Japan since 1950. The message that follows was given at their AnnualConvention at Naha, Okinawa, on May 2, 1978. Its content is of interestto all JAPAN HAR VEST readers.

It was the final exam before theChristmas holidays and the studentwasn't prepared. He checked an itemhere and there and at the end of thepaper wrote a note to his professor:"The Lord knows the answers tothese questions, I don't. MerryChristmas!" He picked up his examas the new semester began andquickly turned to see what the professor had to say. He read, "TheLord gets an A, you get an F. HappyNew Year!"

Uncertain future

I am not being flippant in theslightest when I say in regard to theChristian future of Japan that "theLord only knows; I do not." Thehopes of 119 years' for a brightChristian future in Japan have notbeen fulfilled. I am not yet ready todiscard my goals but at the same timethe future is not at all clear to me. Icould easily be depressed by thedifficulties and overwhelmed withproblems if I wished. Still I could notlong remain a missionary in Japanwithout an optimism that enduresand a faith that overcomes.

Why Quit NowIt hurts me deeply when I see

missionaries with theirhopes blightedin Japan, looking for other places toserve, mostly involving a return totheir homelands. I wonder whereinlies the fault. Is it within their ownfaith and their own conmiitment? Isit the fault of the country of Japan,its culture, its background, the natureof its people and their way of thinking? Is it due to the way the missionary has proclaimed his message orthe way he has lived it out before thepeople? Certainly the fault cannot

lie in the gospel. We can never doubtits power, the unfailing presence ofGod, and His assurance of ultimatevictory. But still we tremble becausewe think we can not see that thesepromises are being redeemed by uspersonally and in our time. My ownconviction is that the promises ofGod are being redeemed before ourvery eyes, but being blinded byunfulfilled expectations, "seeing, wesee not."

Regardless of our personal feelings, however, the future of thechurch in Japan must be perceivedin terms of where it is now.. If theentire modern day Christian witnessin Japan is now at the ripe old age of119 years, and if the church in Japanis now "healthy, wealthy and wise,"as I think it to be, are we to supposethat its future will be any differentthan its past? Humanly speaking,radical changes in thinking and lifestyle seldom occur in senior years. Itis possible but not probable. Boththe possibilities and the probabilitiesof the church's future in Japan aretied, then, ultimately to our faith andto the faith we pass on to those whosucceed us.

No Room for Negative Thinking

There are those, of course, whoare saying that Christianity has nofuture in Japan: that it is impossibleto really disturb Japan with themessage of Christ; that Japan andthe Japanese are just not made thatway in regard to religion; that theyare concerned with other things theyconsider more important and thatif the Japanese do receive the Christian message they will change it,absorb it and probably discard it.

In Japan, the modem Christian

MARK

novelist, Shusaku Endo, has madethis theme the center core of extensive writings, the most important ofwhich is his novel, Chinmoku {Silence).^ In this novel he has thepriest, Ferreira, who has alreadyapostasized, talking to the priest,Roderigo, one of his former studentsnow on trial. Ferriera says lo him,".. .Our religion does not take rootin this country. This country is aswamp. In time you will come to seefor yourself. This country is a moreterrible swamp than you can imagine.Whenever you plant a sapling in thisswamp the roots begin to rot; theleaves grow yellow and wither. Andwe have planted the sapling ofChristianity in this swamp."

Later Endo retells his novel, Chinmoku, in the form of a play called,"Ogon no Kuni"^ (The Golden Country). This time it is Ferriera who ishearing the same ideas presented tohim by the inquisitor, Inoue, whosays, "When it comes right down toit, it wasn't by me that you werevanquished but by this mudswampcalled Japan. But the swamp, too,has its good qualities. If you will onlygive yourself over to it, you willeventually grow accustomed to thecomfortable warmth of the swamp.The doctrine of Christ is like a flame.Like a flame it sets a man on fire. Butthe tepid warmth of Japan willeventually nurture gentle sleep."

This kind of writing has propelledEndo into a highly popular novelistbecause he has written about Christianity not only in a way that manynon-Christians feel about their faithbut also in a way that many Christians in Japan perceive their faith tobe - a sinking cause. My son, Walter

Maxey, has analyzed Endo's "mud-swamp" idea at length.'* His conclusion is that it would be wiser toassume that Endo has written auto-biographically of his own Christianpilgnniage rather than of the entireChristian witness in Japan. For myown part, I think it would be veryunwise, very unscriptural and veryungodly to think that God hascreated in Japan a nation of peoplewhoseheartsareeitherso pliablethatthey can not retain the Gospel, orwhoM hearts are so hard that thfedynamiteof the gospelcan not crackthem open. This stirring conventionof Japanese Christians that we havejust experienced, isproof enoughthatthe Japanese are no such people.'

Any missionary who agrees withEndo that Japan is a "mudswamp"for the gospelcannot leavetheJapanfield too soon. On the other h^d,any missionary-who belicvcs^as Ialways have and always will that theJapanese are fully capable of receiving the gospel, of applying it toall areas of lifeand of livingthat faithin a victorious wayany one whobelievesthat is equipped not only tostay but also to learn that Godindeed has a great future for thechurch in Japan. It will not be easy.It may not be soon. But it will surelybe!

Goals Essential

This is not the place to discussspecifically the difficulties that facethe church in Japan. They are numerous, they are real and they arenot going to go away simply bytalking bravely. I do wish to focus,however, on one particular problemwhich I think both underlines andoutlines all the other problems. Thisis the tendency to replace primarygoals with secondary ones. It is awell known psychological fact thatwhen a person feels he has no hopeof attaining his original purpose, hewill not completely abandon thatPHfipose. Rather he will select anotherpurpose which compliments the primary one and which, he believes willmake it possible for him to attainhis original-purpose at some time inthe future. In the Japanese idiomthis would be, Isogeba maware - ifyou are in a hurry, take the long wayaround.

In my opinionveryfewchurches,missionaries and Japanese ministershave spent a life-time walking in thefootsteps of Paul in practicing^ "butone thing I do."(Phil. 3:13) "fiiat is,they, have not devoted themselvestotdly to the primary task of evangelism and church planting in Japan.I myself am one of those who has

tried to find other ways to by-passthe cliffof direct evangelism in Japanrather than face the terror and possible failure of attempting to go up thesheer face.

This is also true of the church inJapan. Since earliest times it hastried education and social causes asevangelistic thrusts. Educationallyand socially they were outstandingsuccesses; evangelistically they werenot. In one way we who preach inJapan today are blessed becausethese noble efforts have providedrespect for thehigh ethical principlesof Christianity in Japan. In anotherway we are cursed because theJapanese nation still exists us toapproach it with the Christian message in the same way today. As aresult of this past and continuingmethod of approach, this nation canenjoy the fruits of the Christian

-message without having to grow thetree of faith. I am convinced personally that education and socialbetterment can never succeed in thiscountry as an effective way of propagating the faith.

Education, however, remains as amajor effort of the local church,especially at the kindergarten level.Effectively used, it can be a means ofattracting families to the church andto the faith. Seldom is it so used. Wecan say that these educational effortsare etUcal ih content, conformist tocustom, and financially supportive ofthe church and its ministry in a waythat destroys the need for sacrificiidgiving. The latter the church musthave if it is ever to launch outevangelistically. When Christ said,"where a man's treasure is, therevrill his heart be also." He wasspeaking about the church as well.

What about ourselves as missionaries and our pursuit of secondarywaysto achieveprimarygoals?Whatabout myself?I teach severalEnglishBible classes each week using textsbased on the Bible' and with eachfnember both owning and using theBible. I am alsa engaged in writingand distributing Christian literaturebelieving that "the pen is mightierthan-the sword." I love both to-preach and to teach the Bible andI am doing so faithfully on weeknights and on Sundays, but sometimes I wonder if I can call theseactivities direct or primary evangelism. I am sure I am speaking formany of my contemporaries as theyconsider their own activities. Thewarning needs to be made. It is onlya step from many of our goodactivitiesdone to serve the Japaneseand to attract them to Christ to thenext step which can be to continue

them for financial income until theybecome necessary for our livelihoodin Japan. In other words, the secondary goalcan becomeour professionsand the primary goal our sideline.When that happens, the danger oflosing our calling is very real indeed.May God help us!

As to the church's future in Japan,I am as full of ideas, suggestions andsolutions as the next man. But deepin my own soul I know that there isno future for me as a missionary andno future for the church in Japaneither unless we together focus ourGod-given talents and energies onone thing - the "in season, out ofseason" proclamation of the gospelas our primary task and the subsequent establishmentof the church asour second. If, and I emphasize theif, we can recapture that solitarygoal, then the church of the presentcan break-out of-its-settled-downmold and enter into the bright futurefor which we pray - a future withinsociety, vrithin tfae church itself andwithin the gospel.

Many Positive SignsWithin society there are plus fac

tors of change that open tte possibility for an openness to the gospelthat was not there before. Within thechurch we can move from a waitingchurch to a going church, from ataught churdi to a telling churchand from a church largely servingitself to a churdi serving its community with the Good News. Withinthe gospel we can turn from anintellectual message to a Biblical,loving and personal gospel. We canchange from a "nothing-can-be-done" attitude to a determinationthat by any means and all means wecm win some.

Can this happen to the church inJapan as it looks to the future? Ofcourse, but it must be the Lord'sdoing and our doing. That is, theLord must lead and we must bewilling to follow. We must have anopenness to His will. His wish. Hisword. His promise and His Spirit.

There is a sign in a General Motorsplant that reads: "According to thetheory of aerodynamics and as maybe readily demonstrated throughwind tunnel experiments, the bumblebee is unable to fly.This is becausethe size,weight and shape of his bodyin relation to the totd wingspreadmake flying impossible. But thebumblebee, being ignorant of th^scientific truths, goes ahead and fliesanyway - and makes a little honeyevery day."

It would not take much of a historian to prove that the church in

Japan is theoretically like the bumblebee. Not only has it never flown,it will never fly. And if it makes anyhoney it is only just enough tomaintain itself, nothing more.

Using the same metaphor, theGood News that God loved'us andsent His Son to save us, know^nothing at all of the facts of historyand the obstacles of race, culture,languageand geography. God's loveenabled by His Holy Spirit anddemonstrated by a living, dying andresurrected Saviour refuses to beearthbound. In every age and ineverycomer of the world it has confounded its prophets of gloom byfacing the opposing windsand soaring aloft to victory. I believe thechurch in Japan is a "bumblebee"poised to do the same.

To change the metaphor, if I wereto put words into the mouth of thenation of^Japan-whidi had to wait 1,500 years the first time' and 1,800years the second time to hear thegospel from latter day Pauls, Iwould have them say too, as KingAgrippa said to Paul at the end ofhis impassioned defense, "In a shorttime you think to make me aChristian?" (Acts 26:28). My ownparaphrase of this would be, "Doyouexpect to convert me with suchashort speech?"

As God writes in the sands oftime, the proclamation of the gospelin Japan has just begun. "In thisshort time, do we think to makeJapan Christian?" That is our hope,of course, and the hope of those whoare praying for us and sending ushere. But God has other plans.Rather, "it has pleasedGod throughthe folly of what we preach to savethose who believe." (I Cor. 1:21)And, "To those who are being saved,it is the power of God"

Let's be about it! With God'spower fully applieil, thefuture ofthechurch in Japan is verybright mdeed.

FOOTNOTES

Tbe fint Protetunt minionaiy to Japan airivtdat NaguaU. May 2, 1859.

'SlUnct, ChaiUs E. Tuttle Co, Tokyo, 1969.Translatedby William JohMton, pp. 236-7.

>Th* GoUmCountry. Oiarto E TuttleCO. Tokyo^1970. Translated ^ FrancisMatthey. p. 127.

Un AnalysltofEiub^usaku's iiudmamp Thesis,WalterM. Maxey, April 1978. UnpuMished thesis,University of Indiana,Bloominston.

'29th All Japan Christian Convention, Naba,Okinawa, April28 - May 1, 1978.

The first miMionary effort in Japan began withthe arrival of the Jesuit, Frances Xavier, in Kagoshi-ma, August 15,1549. It ended 88 yearsUter.

Scripture quotations from tbe Revised StandardVersion

Reprinted from Japan HarvestVol.28. No.3,1978, pp. 19-21

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