FES 2 0 1231

A Monthly Report By The Mark G. Maxey Family

I
To The Friends Of The KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

Kanoya, Kagoshlma 893, Japan - Box 417, North Vernon, Indiana 47265

Linkletter No. 247

January, 1981

Dear Christian friends.

For you it's 1981. For us it's 56. The present Emperor has reigned that

long. It's also the year of the Rooster. May he crow happily all 3Sbk days.
It seems like we never left.30 years ago we arrived as strangers in a
foreign land. This time we returned to our own people and our own home town. We
are getting settled in. First we put down a new rug to replace the one the moths
ate up completely while v/e were gone. Then a wood stove all the way from Oregon.
With Japan having its coldest winter in 70 years, its feeling great already.Wood
replacing heating oil at $1.50 a gallon helps, too.

BAPTIZING SHINO NIDOME

Getting used to shifting all five gears with my left hand on my used
Nissan diesel car. It runs loud but it runs cheap - about half of what it would
cost for gasoline. Rides nice, too. While I was getting a fill-up last week, an
attendant opened the door, took out my floor mat: washed it and put it back in.
Likewise for the one on the other side
Then pressed the button on the car wash
machine. Done for free with a smile. Maybe it's this kind of extra touch that is
giving Japan an edge on its

competitors.

A typhoon wiped out our nicest tree, one I had planted myself, a week
before we got home. A week after we got here a second one did $2000 worth of
roof and property damage. That kind of welcome we can do without. But the wel
comes we have received everyplace else are great. Haven't gotten my fill of Jap
anese foods yet. Almost, but not quite.

I spent one week-end in Fukuoka(northern end of Kyushu) with Ben and

Nobuko Hirotaka. Really encouraged by their improved personal situation and the
fellowship at the Shime church. Sat in-the rain at the ball stadium that night
to hear Billy Graham. He was good. His interpreter was better. The "Love and Mer
cy" sect passed out literature to us as we left saying. "There is no God. Man is
the Supreme Being". Maybe that is why so few are finding the path that leads to
life - too many people like that standing in the way.

SHELLEY & TRENT -

DEC

Pauline and I attended the fall convention at Osaka Bible Seminary

and the college trustees meeting afterwards. Good to stay with Martin & Evelyn
Clark again. Pauline is not worse but not well. She sees too much to do and can't
resist doing it. She is having back pains. Cold weather is a real discomfort for
her. Continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. She goes with me to the
churches and taught the joint meeting of the women's groups in November.
I am preaching regularly on Sundays at Kushira in the a.m. and at Sueyoshi in the afternoon. They are an hour apart by car. Mr. and Mrs. Tamaki are
the mainstays at Kushira. It was a joy to baptize Miss Nidome there. Also to con
duct weddings for two of the young women of the church. One of them decided to
have simple country church wedding and cut out the customary extravagance. I en
couraged her to do so.

It was a delight in every way.

Keiko Hanada lives in the Sueyoshi church and works with it. The last
Sunday in November a dozen of us painted the entire church from the roof on down

Rf I-!

OUR 30th YEAR REMEMBERED

M
TEACHING AT WALTER'S WEEK-END EBC CAMP-NOV.8-9

ORPHANAGE CHRISTMAS DAY: PROGRAM-PARTY-PRESENTS

in one day. There was a paint brush for every hand and every hand laid on with
a will- The closing service from 4-5 p.m. was one of praise and thanks. In
other days I would not have spent a Sunday that way but I have changed my mind.
It was a joy to give two lectures to Walter's EBC camp on the theme,
"How to be a Beautiful Person." I had two points: l.You can try to be beautiful
on the outside, or, 2. You can try to be beautiful on the inside. The outside
job is expensive and won't last and the inside job cannot be completed without
the help of God. It was a great group to teach and share with.
It is not many people on this earth that have been guests of honor

at a party given by lepers, but Pauline and I were on November 14. They invited
us to spend the day with them at the city park. We sat on the grass for a morning meeting and had lunch together afterv>jards with plenty of time for visiting.
They recalled our coming to them with the gospel and without fear. But I was
afraid. The first leper I baptized was Tokofumi Fuji (extreme right, front row
of picture) now over 70 years old. He had two wooden legs. His face was not

pretty. I had to lift him into and out of the water in my arms. As I held him
I said, "Lord, I am afraid. But I am going to fulfill my ministry no matter

the cost so take away my fear." He did.I have baptized 27 of them after Mr. Fuji
and gone in and out among them on a basis of mutual love, faith and fellowship.
I do believe that Pauline and I have been a bridge for their acceptance by the

other Christians of our area so that we freely attend their meetings and they
in turn attend ours. We will never forget their testimonies and words of love
and gratitude on that day. It was a day to treasure forever.

SUEYOSHI CH. ALL-DAY PAINT-OUT

It

li I V'

Another great day was the annual area convention held in Kagoshima
City on November 24. Pauline and I were remembered in a special way for our 30
years in Japan. We in turn remembered Mr. limure and Mr. Motoyoshi who were our
first co-workers when we came to Japan-. Mr. Motoyoshi was the one who wrote the

letter of invitation that brought us to Kanoya rather than some place else in

Japan. I showed 400 slides

giving the beginnings of each church and the faces

of all those who had been involved. I worked many hours and looked through over
6000 slides to make the set but it was worth it. Later, Pauline and I had a

sukiyaki party for the men and their wives who were a part of our team in the
beginning years: Hideo Yoshii, my first interpreter and the first young man to
choose-the ministry, Takeo limure and Sadahiko Motoyoshi, mentioned above; Denzo Shimoda who built or rebuilt 14 church buildings; Katsuo Shimoda who worked
with him on those projects and is still with me at the Christian Center and

Ryoko Seguchi, baptized by Paul Cook and a faithful Christian every since. No
great work is ever done single-handedly

and this one was not either.

We were a part of 14 consecutive Christmas meetings and never lost

our Christmas spirit. In fact it improved on Christmas day as we attended a.m.
and p.m. meetings at the leper colony and were part of the annual Christmas
party at the orphanage. We were blessed by the presence of Walter and Mary,
grandchildren,Shelley and Trent; phone calls from our children and the many
expressions of your love. Be blessed in return. IN HIS SERVICE

IKEMURA WEDDING-KUSHIRA CHURCH

" ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO TOLD

ME YOU WANTED TO COME TO JAPAN:

This is the time to do it-Japan

Convention Tour;July 21 - Aug.4
Cost estimate: $1800 per person
Airmail your hotel reservation

@$100 each to me: Box 14,Kanoya

Kagoshima 893 JAPAN. DO IT NOWl

IN HIS SERVICE,

NON-PROm OHO.

U.S. POSTAGE

Monthly PuDiicalion u'

PAID

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may 1 ^ 190j
A Report By The Mark G. Maxey Family

UNKLerretv
To The Friends Of The KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

Kanoya, Kagoshima 893, Japan Box 417, North Vernon, Indiana 47265

LINKLETTER NO. 248

APRIL, 1981

Dear Christian friends.

We began the year in Taiwan which is not too far away but
inconvenient to get to from here. Harlan Woodruff took care of us in
Okinawa coming & going. He & I came from Manila to Japan on the same
C-54 thirty-five years ago and have been partners in the gospel ever
since. Our objective was the Taiwan Adventist Hospital. They repaired
my front teeth in one week. The same would take many weeks of appoint
ments in Japan. They also gave me a thorough physical. Verdict: too
heavy, too much chloresterol and too little exercise. So shape up and
eat more vegetables and less meat. At Japan's prices that should be

CONVENTION IN JULY-COMING?

easy for the latter.

We spent one week-end in Lo-Dung with Ted and Bev Skiles

who have an orphange there. Preaching and teaching on Sunday. Pauline
had handwork to teach and share everywhere we went. She is always a
loved and welcome visitor. She had two Chinese acupuncturctreatments
in Lo-Dung with positive results.

A day at Haulien with Verney and Belva Unruh, former mis

sionary neighbors in Japan. The next week-end in Taipei and preached
at the church there.

Wonderful hospitality by the Taipei missionaries.

A wonderful group who are getting and using the language as they
share the faith. Chuck and Molly Johnston shared their time and ener
gies generously in several projects I was trying to get done there.
Taiwan itself is a hustling, bustling country. Maybe the only one in
the world where every piece of mail is delivered throughout the coun
try on the day it is mailed. And they are making a profit on it. As
for building projects, everything is almost done but not finished.
The visit of Pope John Paul II to Japan was a signifigant
religious event. He was warmly received as the wonderful human being
that he is. When he spoke at the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima in
successive paragraphs he used Japanese, English, French, Spanish, Port

XAVIER MET SHIMAZU HERE

ugese, Polish, Chinese, German, Russian and ending in Japanese again

which was completely intelligible. His coming was a plus for the Roman
church without doubt (400,000 members) and possibly for the Protes
tant side as well (600,000 members). Certainly he set off a "Christian

boom" by his visit - books, records, radio and TV programs for example.
At the same time of his visit we were welcoming Prof. Lonnie

AXTONS TO JAPAN IN JULY

"v

Mings of Osaka Bible Seminary for our 19th Training Course, Feb. 21 to
March 3. His subject: Church History. His basic outline: The Early
Church, The Roman Church, The Reformation and our plea for a return to
the early church gave us a solid basis for understanding the things
with which we agree and the things with which we disagree with the
teachings of the church at Rome. Lonnie's lectures were treiiiendous,
his preparation thorough and his Japanese both written and spoken sup-

PROF.MINGS-CHURCH HISTORY

pTuUN^SSEniS^T AT SKILES HOME TAIPEI CHURCH OF CHRIST-JAN.4 WITH MARK &GREG SKILES

erb. Beginning with the four 2- hour sessions at Kanoya, he spoke 14 times in six area churches. I went with him
to the island of Tanegashima where we enjoyed the wonderful hospitality of Mr. &Mrs. Ikeda of the church there.

We scheduled our monthly preacher's meeting so he could go with us to visit the sites connected with Xavier's
first missionary endeavors in Kagoshima. It started to snow early in the morning and was still snowing as we ended
the day tramping through the fields and woods to the top of a hill where Lord Takahisa Shimazu had his castle. Here
on September 29, 1549, Xavier received permission to preach from him. The permission was rescinded a year later .
Xavier left
Kagoshima for Hirado but he will always be honored as the first to open the door for the Christian
faith to enter Japan.

Those who attend the All-Japan Christian convention.ir: Kagoshima, July 24-26 and the English{missionary)convention to follow on July 26-28 will get to visit some or all of the sites we visited. The 400 spaces for the Japanese
convention are almost filled. Still plenty of space for the English convention. We must have your deposit of $100

per person ($80 for children under 12) for each convention you want to attend by June 15. The $100 covers your room

and all meals. Join us for either one or both of these conventions. It will the experience of a lifetime.

We are happy to announce that Paul and Faith Axton will be coming to Japan for a full year beginning in July

They will be carrying out the preaching and teaching duties of Walter and Mary Maxey while they are on furlough.
Faith is our second daughter and has been teaching school the last two years. Paul is finishing his work for the
Masters and Master of Divinij^y degrees at Cincinnati Christian Seminary in June. They will leave for Japan soon af
ter visiting his parents in Phoenix, Arizona on the way. They are in need of support on a monthly basis for this
term of service. I hope you will find a way to assist them in this. Their address is PO Box 58128, Louisville, Ky.
40258. Phone: (502) 987-1469.

The days fly by. Vistors are always a blessing. Makoto Motoyoshi, now of Yokohama, brought his family by and
I got better acquainted with my namesake, Maruko. In preparation for the training course I went through every shelf,
stack, pile and book in the Christian center and threw away a ton. Found lots of things I had been looking for.
One or two nights a week I am out of town teaching a Bible class in Koyama or Sata or Tarumizu and one afternoon
at the leper colony. These names mean nothing to you but I know every turn,twist and bump in all those roads and
the faithful groups waiting at the end of the journey. Friday night and Saturday afternoon are for English Bible
classes in the classroom at the Christian Center.Mr. Shimoda keeps busy in the center. He sold 351 Bibles and
Testaments in January and February along with other books and items.

Travels todcme to Fukuoka for paper work to enable Korean brethren to attend the summer convention; to Osaka
for Osaka Bible Seminary board meeting; to Tokyo by train with Harold Sims on business. Got to visit the new build
ing that Mark and Lynn Pratt are building in Machida and to go with Harold to welcome Warren and Eileen Christianson back to Japan. Then back to Kagoshima by air. They are flying 747's on domestic flights now. The take-off and
landing is shown on a movie screen in the cabin for all to see. Will wonders never cease?

The mail brings good news and bad news. Many dear friends have left us in the past few weeks including Paul
Cook who was to be our featured speaker at the convention. He came to Kanoya as an Air Force chaplain after the
war and we wante-i to have him back again. He died within three weeks after an operation showed he had terminal
cancer.He was a kind,sharing and faithful man of God. One more we shall meet in that great reunion up there.Pauline
sends her greetings.She is disappointed that she is not able to do more but I am rejoicing at what she is able to
do. Because of the wonderful home that she maintains I am able

her complete recovery. God bless you all. IN HIS SERVICE,

TRAINING COURSE AT CHRISTIAN CENTER

to function and to serve. Continue to pray for

NAMESAKE: MARUKO

tlNKLETTEft

^0 ri

SAT.ENGLISH BIBLE CLASS-CENTER CLASSROOM

n-

NON-PROFIT OnO.

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PAID

Box 417

LOUISVILLI, KY.

North Vernon, Indiana 47265

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HUHiZONS

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KEMPTON

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i^n
A Report By Th Mark 6. Mxey FamHy
+Iarry

/LiNKLerrefi/
NTR

To The Friends Of The KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

J A

AN

Kanoya, Kagoshima 893, Japan - Box 417, North Vernon, Indiana 47265

LINKLETTER NO.

249

JUNE 1981

GOSPEL TEAM FROM SS LOGOS

Dear Christian friends.

Summer is already here and this is only the second letter you have received
from us. One of the problems is that we put our address list into a computer last
year. I have learned, as have many others, that a computer can be a fine servant but
it is also a hard taskmaster. It can only do what it is told to do. Lasttime nobody
told it to spew out our labels (at 2C each) and I didn't find out about it till a
month later.

Another problem is that the Post Office has become very strict about addres
ses. Even though the carrier may be your best friend, .his instructions are to bring

back all mail whose addresses are not exact. In addition the Post Office is contin

ually in the process of consolidating rural routes and making addresses more precise.
As a result we are getting back handfuls of returned labels for which the PC charges
254 each. Presuming that all those who get the LINKLETTER want to receive it, we are
asking you to send us a change of address card whenever your address changes either
by your moving or by its being changed by the PO. If you do not send us a card, we
must discontinue the LINKLETTER.

HEIDI, RUTH & PAULINE SING

The computer people charge us 164 to delete a name.

So the cash charge is 254 + 164 plus a lot of time consuming work to change addresses.
One other thing on this line. The Post office is not doing the publisher nor
the reader a special favor in handling 2nd and 3rd class mail. Most of the work at

the PO takes place in the morning and evening rush hours. 2nd and 3rd class mail is

handled in the time in between. Otherwise the PO would be a morgue most of the time.
In short, I think this material deserves better handling and consideration than it
is getting at the present time.

Did you read Time magazine's cover story for March 30, 1981: "How Japan Does
It: The World"s Toughest Competitor." This was preceded by two books which sold ten
copies in Japan to every one sold in the U.S. - Herman Kahn's Japan: Superpower and
very recently Ezra Vogel's Japan As No. 1: Lessons for America. These materials
need to be read with some reservations. They are not written by Japanese. Nor are they
written by permanent Japan residents. They are written by scholarswho come for alim-

BABY'S 1st TIME AT CHURCH

ited period of time- do their homework well , and return home to write their material.

All the best coaches may not be in the stands, but it is a fact that all the best ma
terial about Japan is being written in the United States by Americans.{In the same way
that all the best writing about missions is being written in the United States far re
moved from the

battlefield.}

I'll take a backseat to no one in appreciating the country of Japan and admir

ing its people. But the fact is this not Utopia. If it was. the writers would be liv
ing here instead of visiting here. Nor is the Japanese method of doing things readily
exportable to the U.S. and the western world. 120 million people living in an area the
size of California have worked out precise social rules for working and living togeth

er. People reared on individualism and wide-open spaces will be hard to fit into the
Japanese mold. We can learn from them how to produce and sell a superb product.We also
ought to learn to quit selling our technology and produce the product that results from
the technology. For example, Japan bought its first robot from the U.S. in 1956. It now
has more robots working in its factories than all the rest of the world put together.
That should tell us something.

BUDDHIST PRIEST-MR.MATSUDA

I'm TRVIN6 TO WRITE

PI6-PEN A NOTE, BUT I
PONT KNOW WHAT TO 5AV

DON'T PO it; sir .'DON'T

LET MIM KNOW YOU LIKE

him; force MIM to

make THE FIRST MOVE I

HOU) PIP YOU GET

TO BE SUCH AN
EXPERT /MARCIE?

^ALL THE BE5T

C0ACHE5ARE IN

THE 5TAW5,5\Ri

1980 tftiited Feature Syndicate, Irk.

Our hopes of having a group from the United States to attend the convention
have faded. The last of the twelve prospects sent her regrets last week. Mostly its

the money. The cost of getting here is not so bad. It's the $100 a day per person
after you arrive that throws a coldness on the meeting.
Visitors have continued to bless with their presence. Heidi Neeser and Ruth

Leuenberger, Christian girls from Switzerland spent a few days with us. Ruth was im
pressed with the fact that each person was allowed to take the communion cup in his
own hands and drink. Before they left th^ scrubbed the guest room and changed the li
ned. Ah, the Swiss! That's why their country looks so lovely. An unusual vistor was
Giko Matsuda, a Buddhist priest of the Tendai sect. He is spending a year walking arround Japan, sleeping under bridges and eating what is offered him. He enjoyed a cold
drink of water at our roadside fountain and came inside to meet the one who provided

it. We had a good visit and Pauline invited him for lunch. He was well-informed about
Christianity and religion in general. When he said he would go to Okinawa next I asked
him how? He said, "By ship - since I can't walk on water."
Nice point!

The good ship LOGOS,a ministry of Operation Mobilisation, Singapore, visits

the ports of Asia as a floating book fair & asabase for evangelism for its crew mem
bers, all committed Christians. They spent 10 days in Kagoshima. Alan Derksen with
his wife Lois of Canada and Larry Meza of Memphis, Tenn. spent a week-end with us.

They shared their faith and singing with my English Bible classes on Saturday night,
at Kanoya church, the leper church and Sueyoshi church and got them back to their
ship by 7. p.m. We almost ran out of steam beforehand by staying up till 3. a.m. Sun
day discussing Calvin's TULIP theology (Total depravity. Unconditional election.

Limited atonement, j_rresistible grace and the P^erserverance of the saints.) Calvin

spent a lifetime extracting these doctrines from the book of Romans and his succes
sors (Reform Theology) have improved upon it throuqh the centuries. It is the_ success
story of theology being the basic teaching of most of the evangelical community.
Their way of teaching,preaching, evangelizing and converting all find their source
in this theology. I'll stake my life on the assertion that the church at Rome under
stood Paul's letter when they read it; that Paul did not have the above points in his
mind when he wrote it and that he would be surprised at what has been extracted from

his letter today. The longer I am in the Orient the more I am convinced that systematizers do violence to the scriptures. Once the system is in place, then the scripture
has to bend to fit the system.

Two new babies have been born to Christian mothers in the Kushira church.

We rejoice with them.

Kushira church was also the place for the most unusual wedding

service I ever held. The entire wedding party and guests, properl> dressed for the
occasion came for the church service. After which the couple stood up for the wedding.

A short reception and speeches followed.

My sermon was, "Ten Things Christians Be

lieve", for the benefit of a largely non-Christian audience.IN HIS SERVICE,

f!

Tetsuro KONO & Teruko ARISHIMA WEDDING

KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN BRING FLOWERS TO PAULINE

tlNKUETTEft

NOM-PROFTT OMa.

U.S. P08TA0E

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SEP 2 4 1981

/^/y

A Report By Tht Mirk 6. Mixy Family

&

/LWKLerrefi/
To The Friends Of The KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

Kanoya, Kagoshima 893. Japan Box 417. North Vernon, Indiana 47265

LINKLETTER NO. 250

SEPT. 1981
KOREA :S.M. CHANG-R. HARTER

Dear Christian friends.

We have enjoyed{?) the busiest summer of our lives. That

heard from us recently and may not for awhile yet. Eventually.

is why you haven't

The summer officially arrived with the "Kentucky SONshine" singers from South
east Christian church, Louisville. They were led by Rick and Jena Houp and their indefa
tigable tour leader, Mark Pratt of Machida, Japan. One of their songs was, "I'm gonna
Shine... Only they pronounced it "SHA-HINE". I've been trying to "sha-hine" ever since
but the surrmer sun has done it better.

The "Sonshine" "shined" at Walter's EBC camp, at

Kanoya church and tfie leper church. Ttiey enjoyed Pauline's hospitality and good cookin'
plus a swim at the beach before continuing their tour.

CLARINET DUET WITH SHELLEY

For a year nine of us, including Walter and I, have been preparing for the an
nual convention of Japan Churches of Christ. It was Kagoshima's turn to host the conven
tion. We held it in late July because that was the only time we could get hotel & meeting

space. It was a great convention, well worth our efforts. 310 registered and more atten
ded. The biggest group was from Okinawa. Those Christians have a faith as rugged as the
lives they have had to live on those islands through the centuries. Bless them.

I was asked to give the opening address. Ah, the work of preparation! Bro. Yoshii helped me mightily with the Japanese. It was well received. It was a recollection
of things past
and a challenge for the future. Later I gave it in English for the mis
sionary convention. One of these days I'll get it printed for you to read if you wish.
S.M. Chang of Korea brought the convention to a stirring close on Sunday morning.

ON VACATION:

GREG

& BEV.

The 26th convention of Japan Church of Christ missionaries began that night

in the same hotel, only a smaller hall. We had 46 present including three from Korea,^
thr,ee from the U.S. and Ben Rees from Hong Kong. It was the best attended convention in
mapy years. Four of us, Walter and Mary, Pauline and I, were responsible for the program
and arrangements. We had a dicussion period on missionary interns; six devotions on the
"oiie another" sentences in Paul's letters and four Bible studies from I and II Peter.It

was first quality material. I was blessed by the depth, breadth and devotion of all that
was presented. Paul Pratt, former missionary in Kagoshima, gave an inspiring review by
message and slides of evangelism in Kagoshima. Hideo Yoshii, minister of the Kanoya
church challenged us to look to the future, to a Japan that is looking for "good news"
Evangelism has not ended in Japan, it is just beginning. Pauline ended the convention
fittingly with a message that left our hearts warm and our eyes wet.

During the Japanese convention we received news of the sudden death of Tsue
Sakagami, 63, a wonderful leper Christian. Bro. Yoshii left the convention early to

preach her funeral. Our family went a week later to a memorial service for her at which
I preached. Afterwards we had a meal with the Christians there and her relatives

TSUE SAKAGAMI MEMORIAL

The convention ended Tuesday afternoon. We got to Kanoya that night in time to
be guests at a party given in our honor by those who were young people when we first
came to Kanoya. I showed slides from those days to the amazement and enjoyment of all.
Ben Rees stayed all night with us before returning south. I spent a day showing our area
to five Korean brethren who had attended the convention. Kanoya church welcomed them
that night.

16-13.

A short breathing space and it was time for our 31st summer camp held August
Bro. Yoshii and I cooperated in arranging for a bus to take us there and back.

Kanoya church had 25, the largest group. There were ten from Kushira church, five from
my Bible classes and two from the orphange. Preparing for camp is hard work but
ADDRESSING ALL-JAPAN CONV.

26th MISSIONARY CONV. KAGOSHIMA-July 26-28,1981

32nd ALL-JAPAN CONVENTION-KAGOSHIMA-July 24-26

the joy of sharing your faith and being a part of the spiritual develop
ment of these young people makes it all worth-while. My class was 12
middle school students, full of life and mischief but ready to listen &
study, too. I had three 70 minute classes with them teaching them what
great characters of the Bible had said about God. The camp theme was,
"Makoto no Kami" (The True God) I preached one chapel sermon from Mark
12.27 on "Loving God With All the Heart."
This has been a family summer, too. We were hoping that the
entire family could be here but that was not possible for Paula and Kiyoto in Canada. Nor for Hope in suimier school at Indiana University,
Bloomington. Second son, Gregory and his wife, Beverly, both school
teachers in Greater Cincinnati saved and borrowed to spend two months
of summer with us.Gret got to eat his fill of all the Japanese foods
he remembered from boyhood and Bev learned to like them, too. Greg

KY."SONSHJNE" SINGERS-LOUISVILLE

kept the yard mowed and Bev lent a willing hand in the kitchen. They be
came so much a part of the family that the house has seemed empty since
they left.

Paul and Faith Axton (second daughter) arrived in Japan just

a week before convention time. Walter had just a week to teach them the
roads he travels and the people and places he teaches. I expect they

will get lost a few times even yet. I guess we had the most family time
at the convention sitting together and talking after the convention ses
sions. Also at meal time. One night the convention ate a Chinese meal
using the traditional round tables v/ith the rotating center. We had a
table for our family, all ten of us. We enjoyed the food h each other's
company. It will be some time before that is repeated again. Walter &
Mary with their children Shelley and Trent left for furlough just two
days after the convention ended. They v/ill be living In our home in
Pleasure Ridge Park, Ky (PO Box 58123, Louisville, KY 4025) till next
suimier. Paul and Faith will carry on their work at Yoshino church and
elsewhere till they return.
Pauline and Shelley had just began to enjoy playing the clar

inet together. Their duet was one of the highlights of the convention.
Pauline has been a tower of strength. Though often tired not complain
ing. Planning and preparing meals for many. Keeping a horie botfi attrac
tive and peaceful. Imparting of her faith and wisdom to all who come.
The family gathered around to give us a joint birthday party early in
August. So we passed Into the next higher bracket happily, even pain
lessly.
August ended with a short visit to Korea to meet beloved

friend and missionary, Ralph Harter, 34 years in India. We were the

guests of S.M.Chang and his lovely wife In the capital city of Seoul.
Six months ago he was elected a member of the National Assembly for a
four year term. He is the only ordained minister in the assembly so his
opportunities are great and his responsibilities are great as well. We
visited the national assembly building and had our pictures taken there.

FAMILY MEAL AT CONV.-NOW SCATTERED.

I
i

FIVE KOREAN MINISTERS VISIT KANOYA

42 ON BUS FROM KANOYA TO SUMMER CAMP

He showed us the best of Korea In the best of style.Thank you Bro.Chang.

My column, "One Man's Opinion" has been back In Horizons magazine since January of this year. It appears once a month. I will have
two articles on Korea In the October and November issues. Now would be

a good time to subscribe. $8.00 per year from Sox 177, Kempton, IN 46049.
It is a very attractive and informative magazine. Hopefully, my column

helps make It so. That's all for now. God bless. IN HI^^^VICEj

TEACHING JUNIORS AT CAMP-AUG.10-13

UNKtETTEf^

NON-PNOm OMO.

U.S. POSTAQE

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A Rport By Th# Mrk 6. Ma*y Family

/LyNKLerrefi/
To The Friends Of The KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

Kanoys. Kagoshima 893, Japan Box 417, North Vernon, Indiana 4726
LINKLETTER NO. 251

DECEMBER 1981

(Ipirism ends rd5)ut someone th-inks

arr
Id

ormm

j 'mms

tmes

THE CHRISTMAS STORY THROUGH JAPANESE EYES

Dear Christian friends,

That's right. This is the time of year when we ^ remember 'old days, old times and old friends.'
Many of you who read this letter are in that category. We do thank God for each of you and what you have meant
to us through the years.

We also remember new days, new times and new friends. Some of you are like that to us i

we are grateful for you. We are also thankful for the times, the days &the friends the Lord has given us in
Japan and that in the Christ, born in Bethlehem, we are all one family. That makes a blessed Christmas for us!
Thank you again for your faithful, loving support of this mission work. Let us mutually encourage one another in
the good New Year ahead.

Our family will be scattered but we are expecting Hope to come home for Christmas

and Faith and Paul

will be here. They are doing well and maintaining a full schedule of teaching & preaching.Pfe treasure their visits
on Mondays.
We cooperated in holding the fall EBC camp the last of October. David and Ruth Hinson came down
from Tanabe (near Osaka) to be our camp speakers. It was a good camp. The ministers and missionaries share our
various duties, one of which is manager for our annual summer camp. This year it is my turn for that responsibi
lity. We will be using our own campground for that for the first time. That means before summer we must build
outside showers & a kitchen to serve food to alarger group than we have served before. We have some money set
aside for that purpose.

Speaking of "old friends' reminds me that I should tell you we have a new Forwarding Secretary, Mrs.
Rozanna Hartwell. Rozanna and her husband, Cecil, were a young married couple in the North Vernon church when
Pauline and I were first married and serving there. She began her duties the last of September. The mission ad
dress remains the same as always. We sincerely thank Carol Couchman for her four years of faithful service. The
press of her teaching duties plus taking extension work at the University of Indiana made it impossible for her
to continue . Thank you,Carol! Welcome, Rozanna!
Recently I stopped at the storeof Japanese friend who had been long sick and inquired about his wel
fare. A clerk said, "He is here now.Upstairs! Please come in and see him." Since I had someone with me I said I
would come the following week. I did go exactly one week later - to his wake. He had died quite suddenly- I was
remorseful at my neglect.lt reminded methat any good we plan to do, we must do now. Tomorrow is not guarantied.
Many of God's good people have gone on this year. We expect to see them again in a better world than this one still the heart longs.
Bro. Tamaki of the Kushira church was hospitalized with lung problems for several weeks. I preached
every Sunday at Kushira while he was gone. Now he is well and back to his work and leading the Sunday services
as before.
Pauline continues to be both faithful companion and partner in our teaching and preaching. Except
for her blood pressure which does not seem to respond, she has been very active. She spent long hours preparing
her message for the joint annual meeting of the Kanoya church women and the Christian women at the leper colony.
She spoke on "cleansing" She noted that there are dozens
of cleansers in the store to clean our bodies,

homes and clothes but only the blood of Jesus Christ provides cleansing for the soul.Her message was a blessing
to al1.

On Sundays, I have started preaching through the Sermon on the Mount. It is some

thing I have always wanted to do but,so far, have only done so 'hit and miss." Maybe it will
take two years, even longer, but I will be the chief beneficiary. Stott named his book on
the subject,

Christian Counter Culture.

That it is.

In five different places I am going

through Sizemore's book, 13 Lessons in Christian Doctrine.

It is good, concise material

and the lessons can not be hurried. I spoke recently to the PTA at Oneshime on "Influences
that affect our children." The conments made were, "This is an entirely different viewpoint
than we have here. We need to think about what you said.'' Family life & discipline is break

ing down in Japan, though not as rapidly as in the U.S. Parents are concerned - concerned

OF A KIND?

enough to seek for new ideas and solutions.

Visitors come to bless our home. Ora and Lee Townsend from Onawa

Iowa arrived

October 17 for a three week stay. Mrs.Townsend had visited here 11 years ago not long after
she was seriously injured in a plane accident that killed her daughter and husband. She was
warmly welcomed but found the country greatly changed. Ora flew 35 B-29 bombing missions
over Japan from China and Tinian during the war but this was his first time to see this coun
try from the ground and meet its people, especially the Christians. He told some of his exper
iences at Rotary Club. Both there and at the church he met men who could have been shooting
at him from the ground as he passed over. After 35 years they could talk about it without
anger, even with humor, as a shared experience.

One day while they were here, Verney and Belva Unruh visited us enroute to a 30th
anniversary meeting of their mission. We have been friends for 30 years so always have much
to talk about. By afternoon, Paul and Faith and the four Hinsons were here - twelve filling
the front room. A modern restaurant called 'Groupe" has opened here recently. So we took our
"groiip" to their--Group5" for supperthen-came-home-for dessert. A-very nice day!
Ora Townsend was with me when a young mother failed to stop when leaving a small
side lane and crashed into the driver's side of my car with full force. Had we not been in

a sturdy well built car, I would have been writing this from a hospital bed. An ambulance
came to take me to the hospital but I declined the invitation. The housewife also was not in
jured but she was deathly sick from fright and worry that I had been injured. Her insurance

TOWNSENDS AT

company will pay the $1000 repair bill to replace the right side of the car.
We took the Townsends by car to the annual convention of Osaka Bible Seminary
on November 2 and 3. Also so I could attend the board meeting the following day. En route

they saw some of the sites of Hiroshima, Kyoto and Nara. We enjoyed the hospitality of the
Ftsuzo Kishis and the Lee Jones'in Hiroshima, Audrey West in Okayama and Lonnie and Coral

Mings in Osaka. On Thursday we bid the Townsencfe a regretful farewell at Osaka International
Airport as they returned home. Then Pauline and I drove the car on to an overnight ferry.
We had a good rest till it docked the next morning: just 30 minutes from our house, Now we
are at our tasks again full tilt. God bless!

IN HIS SERVICE,

AT ONEJIME

fi

THE "GROUP" IN OUR FRONT ROOM - OCTOBER 26

PAULINE SPEAKS TO WOMEN"S GROUP AT LEPER COLONY

LlNKLCTTCft

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KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

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