1953 Spring NewsletterSatsuma Churches of Christ

KYUSHU, JAPANMrs. Isabel M. Dittemore

and Mother, Maude B. Maxey

Third Rally of Satsuma Churches of Christ

"Feed My sheep". . ."And other sheep I have whichare not oi this fold. Them also I must bring." Jesus

U.S. Address;Miss Margaret McGinnBox 245Church Street StationNew York 8, New York

Japan Address:120 Ue Arata ChoKagoshima CityKyushu,Japan

M.other ISlaxey Spea UsWHEN WE RECEIVE apersonal letter from you, our first impulse

is to sit right down and answer it. But, alas for our good intentionswe put off until tomorrow what we should do today. Soplease consider this a personal letter.

CONVENTION IN OSAKA

N THE 29th of March, I took a 19-hour trip to attend the FifthNational Convention of the Japan Churches of Christ in Osaka,

It so happened that Mark and Pauline took the same train the nextday, while Isabel and Janet came the next. When asked why we didn't all take the trip together, 1 told them that we were afraid thatOsaka could not stand the shock of all the Maxeys at once. Thefactis that Janet was just recovering from the measles, and we did notknow whether ornot she could make the trip at all. I had to goearly to be on the program the first day.

At the Rally last year, there seemed to be a feeling amongsome ofthe Japanese leaders that the missionaries were taking toomuch authoritythat they were exercising undue oversight of thechurches. This attitude defeated the spirit of the convention, andleft all of us with a feeling of sadness and perhaps of failure on ourpart.

This bit of background will help you understand thegreat spiritual joy we had this year. Among the Japanese Christians, especially those in Tokyo, there has been a true spiritual revival duringthe last year. This has spread to other places until it found fruitionin the meeting at Osaka. The feeling ofChristian love was manifested in a sweet fellowship that gave us amutual understanding, not

Cover Picture

THE THIRD RALLY of the Satsuma Churches ofChrist was heldat Kajiki on May 31st, with 30 in attendance, in spite of a downpourof rain. This picture was taken in the rain, and I wonder how thephotographer dispensed with the raindrops. ExleFultz of the ChristianRadio Mission in Osaka, was our challenging guest speaker. TheTheme was "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation."The girl In the back at the right made the confession that day, andhas since been baptized in Kagoshima Bay in a beautiful service.Hers is the 75th baptism and she is the 90th Christian in the Satsumachurches as they complete nine months of existence.

only of the high motives of the missionary, but the longings andproblems of our Japanese brethren. It seemed to me that our positions had been reversedwe came over here to bring Christ to theJapanese, and theythrough their spiritual revivalhave broughtChrist closer to us.

After one of the night meetings, a prayermeeting wasannounced for six o'clock the next morning. Sixty-three people met in anearby park. Among other things, all of them prayed for BrotherMuto and the evangelistic meetings which he held for us in Kago-shima ken. The prayermeeting idea tookhold and spread. The youngpeople went back to their churches and held such meetings there.Last Sunday morning in Kajiki, one of our preaching places, theymet at six o'clock on the beach at Kagoshima Bay and there baptizedtwo young ladies.

"PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. . . "

ON Wednesday night, April 6th, as Brother Muto and Mrs. Dit-temore (Isabel) were driving back home from the evangelistic

meeting, they had a flat tire. They were miles from homeandnei-ther of them had ever changed a wheel before. After working hardand long to no avail, they finally decided to have a prayermeeting.After that, the jack did not slip and the wheel was put on withoutany more trouble. I don't know any better place to have a prayermeeting. If you have ever wondered how you could obey the Biblical injunction to "pray without ceasing," just try riding over one ofthese rough, narrow and twisting Japanese roads In a Ford and youv^l have the answer.

FOREIGN (U. S. ) FOODIDON"T SUPPOSE you ever thought of amissionary as a"hoarder?"

And the queerest things toolike a box of com Hakes, a can ofpineapple or a piece of cheese. In ourpart of the country these thingsare not easy to come by. We also try to keep things on hand for thewelcomed, occasional guest. When one is used to running to the corner grocery for needed supplies, it takes a long time to really develop this miserly trait of character. However, we have a goodchoice of Japanese food vN^ich proves adequate to our physical needs.

Recently in Janet's prayer at the table, she closed by saying"Heavenly Father, we know that you love us and we love you too."We feel that we too can close our letter to you in the same way. Welove you and hope that youlove us too.

Sincerely. MOTHER MAXEY

Spring 1Q53 Newsletterby MRS. ISABEL M. DITTEMORE

HOW many joys and how many heartaches there are on the mission field. Each new Christian, coming out of idolatry is like

a new child of my ownto be nourished, fed upon the milk of theWord and helped up when he fallsalways with loving care. Andthetask seems too much for my spirit to take, sometimes when Satanhas succeeded in snatching back one of these little lambs from thefold. I feel then that I have not done my part. The tmth is, I needhelp. Eighty-nine little sheep would not seem to be too many if theywere all in one community. But they are widely scatteredin fourtowns and some all alone in other towns. And they are all so youngin the faith. We need Japanese leadership here badly. And we needmore missionaries. The population ofthispeninsula isapproximatelyone-and-a-half-million. We are praying the Lord of Harvest that HewUl saad more laborers into His vineyard, here in Kagoshima ken,Kyushu. Please add your prayers to ours.

EVANGELISM

But in spite of all the heartaches, what joys we have had also.Last month, we saw 15 new babes born in Christ and more are

being added week by week, this month. BrotherJohnMuto of Tokyocame down, with the consent and backing of the Mabashi Church ofChrist, andheldfivemeetingseachfivenightslongin (1) Higashi-Ichiki, a new place; (2) Togoa new place, but near Tori-Maru;(3) Sendai; (4) Kagoshima City; and (5) Kajiki.

Brother Muto is as fine a Christian man as I have ever metanywhere and he is a man of prayer and a keen Bible scholar. Hetruly loves His Lord. And to pray and work with him was a real blessing to me and to the churches.

Yesterday, a letter from him was soheartwarmingthat it mademe want to "press on" again. To show you what I mean, lam printing excerpts from it on the next page:

LETTER FROM JOHN MUTO (IN PART)Mabashi, Tokyo

May 23, 1953

Dear Sister Dlttemore:

Greetings in the name of a wonderful Savior Jesus Christ. lamso happy to get a chance to write to you because I have been justthinking about it but I could not do it. I praise the Lord to hear fromyou that He is continually blessing you and your work down there.

First I would like to tell you what the Lord has done for medown there, that is, what I have learned as an evangelist.

(1) This evangelism was really under His leading. Istilldonotknow why you invited me to yourwork (but)... thisevangelism cameright after I had been convinced that I must be an evangelist, notmerely the pastor of a church... Now we are a little surprisedto knowthat one of our most earnest Christian families is going to move loa suburb of Tokyo vnthin this month. So we are planning to open anew work as soon as they move. He is really a prayer-answeringFather. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His wayspast tracing out!"

(2) God has taught me that the preaching of the Gospel is HISwork, not OURS. I realize that so often I do not trust in Him to doevangelistic efforts and so often I want to glorify myself. The evangelism is the evangelism of the Spirit of God.. .Our Heavenly Father always treats our souls so carefully, doesn't He? If there wassomething done, therefore, while I was working there, all gloryshould be given to the Spirit of the Lord. "Nevertheless in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject imto you; but rejoice that yournames are written in heaven." "For if I preach the gospel, I havenothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me, for woeis untome,if I preach not the gospel."

(3) The Lord of the harvest showed me the field white unto theharvest to stir me up again to the work for the Master. In the citylike Tokyo where there are pretty many churches, we are liable tofail to see the field.

(4) I could see the work of Satan so clearly sooften down therewhich we can not see here because it iswell-covered bythebeautyofhuman activity. And also, this leads me to believe in the power ofprayer more convincingly. I have already given our church servicesthe testimonies of how God answered our little prayers.

(5) I was so much encouraged by the vital work in Kyushuwhich put me in the deep consideration on the method of evangelism of the New Testament Church and also on the work of an evangelist. This is a great revelation to me.

(6) I realize how much I love the congregation I am servingand how much they love me and pray for me. To do the workoftheKingdom being supported by the fervent prayers of the church is sowonderful. I cannot think of any greater job for men 'to do on thisearth.

(7) "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goethforth and weepeth, shall doubtless come again with joy, bringinghis sheaves vath him."

These are only a part compared vnth His spiritual blessingsgiven to me.. .1 am taught by you that we as preachers must alwayspoint out Christ and doeverything for His glory. THANK YOU VERY,VERY MUCH!

In His great service,JOHN MUTO

SET-BACKSYes, Ifeel like giving up, sometimes, though Ido not intend to

do so, Satan fights so hard and the battle is so long and ourbodies and souls grow weary. Financial set-backs have made it necessary to give up an interpreter. But 1 am sure the Lord's hand was inthis, as the man had one of the biggest idols in his home that!haveever seen in a private home, and I only discovered it this month,four months after his baptism. Then, when I faced him with this sin,he refused to give it up.

So the interimvrithout an interpreteris hard and all I cando is to hold on for a while, in prayer for another and for the meansto support him.

SUMMER PLANSLike my brother, MarkMaxey, I feel I must not continue to

lean on an interpreter, and so, for the summer months of Julyand August, we are moving to the language school near Tokyo andwill live in the summer cottage of the Harold Sims family (who are

leaving on furlough). Our mail will be forwarded from here, soplease continue to write to us at the usual address.

During these months, three students, home for the summerfrom Osaka and Tokyo vrtll be in Satsuma carrying on the work forus. Perhaps it will thrive under their enthusiastic leadership. I prayso and I pray that I may come back able to talk and understand thelanguage well enough to carry on the work more efficiently. Motherand Janet are going to studyJapanese toowith me. Janet wants somuch to be able to go to a Japanese school and perhaps this fall shecan do so in the aftemoonafter getting her Calvery school workfinished in the mornings.

JANET'S BIRTHDAYON Monday, May 25th, Janet celebrated her 8th birthday (May

24th) with 26 little friends. Her cousins, Paula and Markie andGregory were here, as well as three Baptist missionary children. Itwas a beautiful day and the party was a real successthough theJapanese children were so late getting here from school.

It was the first birthday party the Japanese girls had ever attended. Pauline and the children stayed over and went home onTuesday afternoon, so we had a good visit.BRIEF SUMMARY OF SATSUMA CHURCHES

SENDAI CHURCHConduct three classes and one service each week.Church conducts two Sunday schools and one service. Membership23.

TORI-MARU AND TOGO CHURCHConduct one service each week.Church conducts own Sunday school. Membership10.

KAJIKIConduct one class and one service each week. Church conducts ovm Sunday school and one service. Membership22.

KAGOSHIMAConduct three classes a week and one service. Mother conducts one service. Church conducts ownSunday school.Membership31.

HIGASHIICHIKIConducts own Sunday school. Members meet forLord's Supper and Bible study once a week. Membership3.Each Friday night, I attend a monthly business meeting and

party of one church. All the Sunday school teachers study vrtth methe lessons prepared by Mrs. Mark Maxey. Once amonth, Ivisitandspeak in a T. B. Sanatorium, and, recently, we have visited andtaken clothing to 21 families in a War Widov/s and Orphan's Homeand to 15 families in a Repatriate village nearSendai. This clothingwas some which had been sent to the Mark Maxeys for distribution.The churches are now working on a clothing offering here for anearby orphanage and are making bedding for 30 babies in an orphanbaby home in Kagoshima City.

R O B E R T W E S T ' S V I S I T

M r . R O B E R T W E S T , o f t h e M a b a s h i M i s s i o n i n T o k y o , c a m e

d o w n t o h e l p u s f o r s i x d a y s , d u r i n g B r o t h e r M u t o ' s m e e t i n g s .

H e n o t o n l y h e l p e d b y d r i v i n g t h e c a r , p u t t i n g o u t a d v e r t i s i n g a n d

b e i n g a M r . F i x i t f o r m a n y p U e d - u p c h o r e s , b u r h e s p o k e t o t h e H i g h

S c h o o l s t u d e n c i n e a c h p l a c e o n S c i e n c e a n d t h e B i b l e d i s p r o v i n g

t h e E v o l u t i o n a r y t h e o r y w h i c h i s d e e p l y e n t r e n c h e d i n J a p a n . A s a

S c i e n c e t e a c h e r , h e c o u l d d o t h i s w i t h a u t h o r i t y . H e l e f t f o r K o r e a

f r o m K y u s h u a n d t h e p e o p l e o f t h e s e c h u r c h e s h o p e t h a t h e a n d h i s

w i f e w i l l c o m e a g a i n p e r h a p s d u r i n g t h e s u m m e r .

A n d s o w i n d s u p t h e n e w s f o r M a t c h , A p r i l a n d M a y . G o d

h e a r s y o u r p r a y e r s f o r u s a n d w e d e p e n d o n t h a t . A s I p r a y , I a s k

H i m t o a n s w e r y o u r p r a y e r s t h r o u g h u s . G o d h a s s l o w e d u s d o w n , f o r

a w h i l e i n p r e p a r i n g a n d p r i n t i n g m a t e r i a l s , b u t t h e r e i s a n e w v i c

t o r y f o r C h r i s t n e a r l y e v e r y w e e k i n t h e c h u r c h e s . A n d w e k n o w a n d

b e l i e v e t h a t " a l l t h i n g s w o r k t o g e t h e r f o r g o o d t o t h o s e w h o l o v e t h e

L o r d . "

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