A MONTHLY REPORT BY THE MARK G. MAXEY FAMILY

uNKLerrefiTO THE FRIENDS OF THE KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

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

Dear Christian friends. February, 1975

For all you readers born in 1903, 1915, 1927, 1951 or 1963 this is youryear - the year of the rabbit. He is known in Japanese folklore, not for beingprolific, but for his good deeds to those in need. That is well worth imitating. This is also the 50th year of the reign of the present Emperor. No otherJapanese monarch has equalled that record. We write the year 50 on our Japanese checks and other such documents.

Though the year is over a month gone, the memory of your sharing and yourgood wishes at Christmas time linger on. We felt very much a part of yourfaith and your concern. Thank you! Pauline wants to send her special thanksfor Che cards you sent and the prayers offered on her behalf while she wassick. She is much better than she was but the effects of the fever are stillwith her. 1974 was a rough year for her. May 1975 be better.

Christmas, too, is past but not foigotten. The day began with preachingat the leper colony at 8.45 a.m. We lingered to visit with the brethren there.Back home, we cranked up the old truck and headed for the orphanage with aload of goodies provided by the Bible school at East Orange, N.J. Again Ipreached and we sang carols together before gift time. The administratorwanted me to leave the gifts for the younger children with him so he couldgive them to them during the night as a gift from Santa Glaus. I said a kindly"No, sir!" to that idea.

Finally at noon on Christmas Day we were home and the long series ofChristmas gatherings, preparations and sharings were over. Each year we thinkwe can not live through another December but when it is past we can look backwith real Christian joy and satisfaction. Then we had some time to enjoy thepresence of daughter, Hope, home for Christmas vacation from her school inManila. Also grandaughter, Ifegumi Pauline Yanagimoto, who came with her. Bothhad so many things they wanted to do and foods they wanted to eat that Pauline and I had a lot of pleasure in obliging . Walter and Mary were with uswith children, Shelly and Trent, just a month old. Joseph Rosamilia, RotaryExchange student from New York State was very much a part of the family. Gregand Bev and Faith called from Ohio and Paula and Kiyoto from Manila. So inone way or the other we were all together.

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

The classroom in the Christian Center has been refurbished with new tablesand chairs, an overhead projector and a new spirit duplicator. The Christianliterature ministry of the bookstore is enjoying a slow but steady growth. Itis a satisfying work that reaches out all over Japan. Bibles and hymnbooks, asalways, are the bread and butter of the trade. The numbers that are sold inthis non-Christian land is a never ending source of amazement. Katsuo Shimoda,who has been with us since he was a boy of 15 spends half his time in thiswork and the other time in maintenance work of which there is never an end.

Floors have fallen through in both the Center and in our house. We hadan invasion of rats in the house that was unbelievable and after they had gorged themselves for a week on the poison we put out we had a smell that was unbelievable. The house roof is looking and leaking like a sieve. The lowestestimate we can get for a new one is $3000 and the highest was $6000. Considering we bought the whole pre-fab 25 years ago for $500 I can not swallow eventhe $3000 price - but I may be forced to do so before the torrential rains ofthe early summer. Considering the work and the money involved I can not facethe thought of starting again from scratch.

NEW GRA.NDSON - TRENT ELLIOTT

HOPE, SHELLEY AND MEGUMI

r

WALTER'S BIRTHDAY CAKE-JAN.18

HISTORY OF THE

PHILIPPINE MrSSIONChurches of Christ and Christian churches-

by Mark McweyDo you know why ond how direct supportmissions begon and grew? Here Is 40 yeorsof detoliiedand fascinating history of Its development In thePhlllppine Islands. Theorgonizedwork, the crisis, the division and the growthand ongoing of free missions-with Leslie W?lfethe central figure. To know the post is to uf-derstand the present ond to contemplate thefuture, $3 95 p|ys 30 cents postage

(Please send money with order)GO YE BOOKS

147 Ave Cola, Son Clemente, CA 92672

CHRISTMAS AT ORPHANAGE

HAPPY CHILDREN WITH GIFTS

PROF. NAKANOLECTURES ONTHE RESTORATION MOVEMENT

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Getting home an^d-'-tfOice organized as wel as sthe chaff in oi^.-etffngs has gone more slowly jmis time than .Bveris not done-^-ir^ign of aging no doubt. Ourand that has made putting away the same wayand o^

A MONTHLY REPORT BY THE MARK G. MAXEY FAMILY

TO THE FRIEMDS OF THE KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONKANOYA, KAGOSHIMA 893, JAPAN - BOX 417, NORTH VERNON. IND. 47265

APRIL, 1975Readers of the LINKLETTER know I rarely ask for money. If I do it is usually

on behalf of someone else. Here is one of those rare occasions.

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

Second, for the missionaries' sake. Their family has grown to four. They, needmore room. The children need to put their feet on the ground. Walter and Mary want to continuechurch building efforts outside,the city. A separate location will help make that possible.

Recently, Pauline and I went with them to look at possible sites. We found onein particular that all agreed would be the size neighborhood and direction from the citymost advantageous for their evangelism. Negotiations have been started to buy it.

Timing is important. Land is like gold in Japan and increases in price dailyBecause the U.S. dollar is declining in value our costs go up here by every point it declines.On both points, the longer we wait the more costly the project becomes.

The land area is 309 square yards. Each yard costs 33,333. At'an exchangerate of 285 per dollar the price comes to $117 per square yard.

At this end we are selling a strip of land off. the mission, property in Kanoya.The proceeds to be used for the Kagoshima project. All possible funds in our general fund will'be used. But we need your help to make possible this permanent mission site near the capitalcity of our prefecture.

(This land and building will not be held personally. It will become a part ofthe Kyushu Christian Mission Juridical Person, a non-profit religious incorporation underJapanese law with three Japanese and three missionary trustees.)

We are asking your mission fund, your mission group, your Bible School,your Sunday School class, your youth group, your Faith Promise rally, your summer youth camp,your vacation Bible school and yourself if you would not give enough to buy one or MORE unitsof this land at $117 per square yard. 309 units are needed.

Now that you have prayed about it why not make up your mind to do it. Make outthe check to the mission and mark it "land." Any amount received beyond the cost of the landwill be applied to the building. We will keep you fully informed. ^

Thank you for listening, caring and sharing. Mark G. Maxey

Dear Christian friends, April, 1975Spring is here. I've made one round with the lawiimower already. That makes it official. The cherry

blossoms have blessed us and now their petals have turned the yard pink.

Prime Minister Miki's government is congratulating itself for having kept last year's inflationwithin 15%. That's praiseworthy? Election are on for the prefectural assembly. Candidates in their soundcars creep through the hiways and biways,shouting over and over, "Thank you for your favor. Thank you!Thank you!" That's a very polite way to say, "Vote for me" but I don't think their super decibel speakersare polite at alL.

The mission house,now has a n,ew roof 'built over the top of the old one. That gives us both a senseof peace and a feeling of-dryness. I never was much for sprinkling anyway and certainly not through the roof.

CambocHa. hafe fallen and Viet Nam has its back to the wall. The massive human suffering now, the ,segmingly wasted effort, the lives lost bqth present and past, including sons of friends dear to me, and thecapture of -the entire continent adjacent to us (our house is only 500 miles from Shanghai) to the communistsgives mq a personal'malaise unexpfessible.

/ :

Thank God for Resurrection day. "If in this life we who are in 11^Christ have only hope, we are of all men to be pitied." Right on, OPaull I'm with you. I-expect to sit down and talk these things over Swith you in the Future. r

Brief trips have taken me afield for both sharing and blessing. To Fukuoka for an overnight stay with the Ben Hirotakas, Pmissionaries recently come to northern Kyushu. Across the Tsushima *Straits to renew fellowship with Bro. and Sister S.M. Chang after an nabsence of two years. Because of the present turmoil my visa was not Hgranted. I went at the last moment without permission and received I"permission to land." (Good for 48 hours.) I

I missed my speech for graduation exercises of Busan IChristian College, of which Bro. Chang is President, but spoke forthe dedication of the Busan Church of Christ on Sunday and for a .faculty prayer breeOcfast at a downtown hotel on Monday morning. Un- ^known to me the secret police were listening in the next room. After-wards he presented his card to the meeting chairman with the crypticcomment, "Good speech1" Thank you, Sirl Compliments frota your branchare rare.

Pauline went with mej^ the quarterly trustees meeting of _Osaka Bible Seminary. Along the way we preached and enjoyed the fellowship in Hiroshima of the Etsuko Kishis, Bill Turners and Lee Joneses.p

At last I feel like I'm fully back in the harness again.Things have gradually gotten reorganized, repaired and functioningagain. A schedule of teaching and preaching has been establishedwhich gives joy to me and a response in the hearts of those who hear.

In my Sunday preaching I am going through the book of Rom- Hans. Slow, tough going but satisfying. I think I'm getting most of Ithe blessing. Just before going on furlough we got the Visualized HBible Study Series published in Japanese. Now I am getting my first "chance to teach it in a series of 15 classes at the leper colony andat Sueyoshi. Here, no matter whom I call on to answer a questionthe whole class ansy^ers in unison, some with the right answer andsome with the wrong answer. I would love to see a religious education ^expert try his technique on that group.

In week night classes at Kushira and Sata I am surveying the Old Testament book by book. There's a gold mine in every one but Isome of the nuggets will have to wait. In the Takenoshita home in 5Koyama it is the Gospel of Mark, an author after my own heart, of course. Saturday English Bible Classes at the Christian Center areusing my text, "Fifty Lessons in Luke." Each student must own a Bibleand do some memory work each week. I want them to know English butI want them to know Christ more. |

_ We are busy, blessed and waiting expectantly for the harvest ^that seed sowing produces. One of my students, Mr. MTzogiichi, a middle ^school teacher, came to call last week. He said, "I. am in need both for myself and for the students I am teaching. I want to knock at the Vdoor of the church." I gave him a Bible and we learned how that knock ^-1could be heard, the door opened and he could enter in. He left with gdnew hope and an important decision to be ma(^ IN HIS SERVICE. |

BEAUTY OF OUR ONE SNOW OF THE WINTER

UNKLETTERMonthly Publication ofKYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONBox 417North Vernon, Indiana 47265

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JAPAN

A MONTHLY REPORT BY TH MARK 0. MAXEY FAMILY

UNi^Lerref^TO THE FRIENDS OF THE KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSION

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

THE MAXEY FAMILY ASSEMBLED JULY, 1975

jmi ITUSHU

""wuiiiai 1-4/^

1444

Oj*'

KtGOSHiM

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

Hope, Walter, Gregory,Mark, Faith and KiyotoYanagimoto with Tamon.

Front row; 1. to r.

Shelley, Mary Maxey withTrent; Megiimi Yanagimotowith Temujin and Taka-nobu in front, Beverly,Pauline and Paula Yanagimoto.

WHERE THEY ARE:

The Kiyoto & PaulaYanagimoto family are inManila, Philippines withJapan Air Lines.

Walter & Mary Maxeyand children are missionaries in Kagoshima City.

Greg and Bev are employed in Cincinnati,Ohio

Faith is a third yearstudent at CincinnatiBible College.

Hope is a freshman atChristian Academy, Tokyo.

It took some doing but it was worth it. After an absence of four years, our family came backhome in mid-July for a grand reunion. Some of the newer members had not yet met each other. We enjoyed talking together, eating Pauline's delicious meals, visiting the churches, seeing nearby placesthat had important memories from their younger days, and laughing ourselves sick as we looked atslides of their growing up years. All too soon it was time for the farewell hugs and the silenttear as their airplanes faded from view. Faith and Hope were the last to go - in late August. Walter^nd Mary are still in Kagoshima City, 35 miles away. Their furlough is next year.

There were only four of us (Paula was 6 and Walter was 4) when we sailed from San FranciscoAugust 30/ 195.0. - twenty-five years ago. Our freight and jeep arrived on another ship, September 21,nine day^ a'fteifour own arrival in Yokohama. Harold Cole and I left for Kyushu September 21.It took^ive days to complete the 750 miles over unimproved roads. We arrived in Kanoya, Saturday, September30. Our family arrived in Kanoya, October 20. A prayer service was held on the newly purchased ^mission land November 9 and on January 5 we moved into the_completed army pre-fab building which ^still remans o.ur Jiome. Somewhat like Abraham, we had gone out into a land (Kyushu)where we hadnever been to live among a people we had never met but our faith has been rewarded by a people ofGod of growing importance here and throughout Japan. (Please read the entire story of our first20 years in Kanoya in the book, WAY DOWN HERE. Hundreds have read it and told us of the blessingit gave them. Order from Go Ye Books, 147 Ave Cota, San Clemente, Cal. 92672. $6.95 + 30

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

We can not pass on without saying a heartfelt "thcink you" to all who have supported us thesemany years. The average length of overseas missionary service is ten years. I do not know the average number of yeairs our churches support a missionary but I do know this - the supporters who arestill with us(some since 1949) are way above average. You have blessed us. May God bless you!

The last LINKLETTER went out in April.We regret the delay. Sk;^rocke;y^g_maili^ forced ^us to change printijQq.-and-roailiaq- from Japgn. j:othe process'inany names from our mailinglist did not get placed on the new list. Now that problem has been solved. Shively Christian Church,Louisville, Ky. will be printing the LINKLETTER and assisting in its mailing. Thank God for this!On the financial side, Shirley Smith, our forwarding secretary, has been-,ilX,^^dJiad siygery. Pleasepray for her that she may have complete recovery from a cancer possibility.

Our house ha^a new roof Imlt right over the old one. We have had an unusually wet and stormy^ar - but nary a^^eaKr-%t-'s" a good feeling. Many of you shared in this.'Thank you! In our last letter we asked you to share $117 each to buv land and,'house for a mission home for Walter and Mary inI^gpshima City. We rejoice that ,S14.500 has been received on a goaj^of $36.0T>571?i^have sold thre^smallTTots on the back side of^ '^^ ^Se '^llassTpn'site in Ke^ to, apply oiTth^^Eotal projectA^^ddition-

alj?17,000 will put a roof over their heads.' Please keep the;project in your thoughts and stewardshipHope finished her school year in Manila in April. Pauline and I went'down to help her wind up,

pack and bring her back. At the same time we got to visit our family there/ many of the missionariesand to attend the 75th anniversary convention of the Philippine Churches of^Christ. I was asked tospeak briefly to the gathering of many hundreds of believers sitting under a canopy of b^ana andpalm leaves and singing the hymns of the faith in Tagalog. It. was a specialthrill to me to be theirsince I have had a vital interest in the church there ever since I wrote a history of it many yearsago. . . ' '

The next week we were attending the annual convention of Japan Churches of C|irist in Tanabe,near Osaka. The contrast between the two conventions in size, setting, facilitie^, f2>od and programming was remarkable. The faith and the fellowship was the .teaches the 'Good News, there is no joy equal to the decision, committment and obedience in baptism of those whom

Pauline has had the most strenuous summer of her life keeping a houseful of family and friendsbedded, well fed and clean-clothed. God has given her a special measure of strength. She has beena blessing and inspiration to all who have been in our home. We were both a year older in mid-Aug-ust. We paused briefly to celebrate but not to count the year's. to^close. ^Until the next time,"May the Lord watch between me and thee." IN HIS SERVICE,

unkletterMonthly Publication of ' ^KYUSHU CHRISTIAH MISSIONBox 417 NorthVemon,Indiana47265 3c:?.ViC3 Aco/^

BJX 177 'Return Requested ir; 46049

Non-Proflt OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLouisville, Kentucky

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Gleanings ( Octo 2, 75

Marl: and Mbso Pauline Kaxey,

Sianoya, iiagoshima 393 Japan .have a

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

Their house is a pre-fau building

dating back to th-iir arrival about

Augraso 5-0, 1950, Taej report anunusually wet and storsiy je-dx - butnarj a leak a goou leeling^i

Kow uhej, are concerued about }X2 theirson' y ije'SQ. a.ox* a xii 'JaT-'cin o.j.S0e

V/aitcr and IjuSo j''a.L*;5' I^ai>.ey i?..Kagc;'Si::.iiSo Oity, &;-0 Japan

|?G,COO lor land and ::i7,000 r:>rs Luildineo .i.e{]oice bliat,

V'.'.Ti.G r^cea.vfcc bcv/ax'u t'livrj

need in a rec6}]t ioc^obIj. Co,luore. help is rjeeded to GOjiix:let'^ > thisbass xor mi6i:ionario>fs. Walter's

fori;ardino; agent.-' are; llagoohima

C3:lIi^itian Mission, Ilr ami ra^3i-> ! 1 . , ' M T> . - - n' TivC'ger j-i x aui'L'^ 0Fairborn, OH

il^:4 Ga-eaninss HM

Dear Christian friends

A MONTHLY REPORT BY THE MARK G. MAXEV FAMILY

TO THE FRIENDS OF THE KYUSHU CHRISTIAN MISSIONKANOYA, KAGOSHIMA 893, JAPAN - BOX 417. NORTH VERNON. (ND. 47265

ff/l'is

(yjimunJ

KJ160SHIM

October, 1975

There are two months worth waiting for in Japan - May and October but October has beena let down. Rain every day. The grass loves it though and I am still mowing.

To review a little. Our 25th annual summer camp was held in August. 125 attended and 15confessed their faith. Paul Clark of Lake Tahoe, Calif, was the camp speaker. I was song leaderand tauaht one course. Previous to camp, Paul preached for three one night meetings at Sueyoshi ,Kushira and Koyama. The Koyama meeting was held in a huge ancient Japanese house that now servesas a community gathering place. The attendance and interest was good. From it new prospects arenow attending the Bible class there.

Paul,his father Martin Clark of Osaka Bible Seminary and myself spent 15 hours overa week's time in cin intensive study of the history of Christianity in Japan. Hard work but rewarding. I am thinking of conducting an annual seminar every summer on this and related subjects.

Katsuo Shimoda, in charge of property upkeep and the bookstore, was in the hospitalfor 4^ months. A lot of things had to wait till his return in mid-suTnmer. Last year he had builta new rest house on the sidewalk in front of our Christian Center. It is right next to a busstop. The show windows advertise Christian books and classes, the Kanoya church and a largescroll of a scripture verse which is changed each week. The seats are always in use. On hot summernights an occasional drunk sometimes sleeps it off there till morning. We have relocated ourrefrigerated drinking fountain just through the gate in the center of the rest house. About 200people enjoy a cool drink of water there each day - in Jesus' name.

After 18 years the classroom floor in the Christian Center fell through. Was it myheavy teaching, my hearty footsteps or dry rot that "done it in?" No matter.It has been replacedwith a solid concrete floor covered with linoleum. At the same time we put in a new ceiling & acouple of fans on each wall. It is a fine class room. It is in constant use in connection withthe book store and for Saturday Bible classes.

English Bible classes are an important means of service & evangelism.I teach a totalof 8 hours each week in Sueyoshi, Koyama and Kanoya. The students' primary interest is English.Mine is Christ. We make these interests meet by using English-Japanese New Test^ents which allstudents must read through during the course. And by using Bible related textbooks which I havewritten. A bible verse must be memorized in English each week. At the end of the course eachstudent will know the essentials of the faith and have made remarkable progress in English. Totie these classes together Walter has a week end camp three times a year. We had a successfulpicnic at our house recently for the same purpose.

We have had some sorrows. Tomiyoshi San, A Christian of six months at Sueyoshi, has renounced his faith. Last week-.at Thursday night Bible study one of his friends asked God's forgiveness because he had not been able to dissuade Tomiyoshi San from that decision. At Kushira, OmineSan confessed her faith in camp on Friday and was to be baptized on Sunday. Her father would notpermit it. He said it would break the unity of their Buddhist family. We cried with her and prayedfor her. On Monday he said she could be baptized in March but she has not been to church since.

On the health front, Mrs. Smith, our forwarding secretary has received a negative physical report and is taking medication and cobalt treatments twice weekly. Pray for her.X-rays showedthat Pauline's long seige with terrible back pains was due to a lower vertebra out of place. Twoweeks of chiropractic treatments by Dr. Bray in Osaka has relieved her headaches arid greatlyimproved her back. She is back home now and able to do her work with time out for daily heat andoil treatments and rest. We are hoping to find a way for continued treatment in this area.

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

M /

'i

COMPLETELY COVERED UP

SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF. M72 GO YE BOOKSWATCH BAND CALENDARS - $1.00

A metal calendar for your watch^or each month of the year. AllTifid in an. att-ractive folder. Eamailable >n an ordinary envelopUseyou-r-se-tf-. , Gi-ve to your- frieand associate^ as a year roundminder of yoyr care and concernnow! 10% Seduction for orders omore.

mim.s.iM-.>jta

^ L

0'-*< *-;S ttflf*";'- jB* ,. ^3

KAOOSHfMA CHRISriAN MISSfON

Vol. 5

MISSIONARIES:

MR. & MRS. WALTER M. MAXEYArata 1-29-1 Kagoshima 890. Japan

FORWARDING Sl^CRETARIES:

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

Published monthly by Kagoshima Christian MissionSecond Class Postage Paid at Fairbom, Ohio hS32h

November 1975

Tohyc

JAPAN

No. 11

Dear Friends,As we find ourselves nearing the end of the year, we can look back and see the many ways

the Lord has provided for, led, and blessed us. We hope that each of you can do the same.As always, the month of December comes quickly, and we hope and pray that, amid all the busyness of the approaching Christmas season, each of us can keep our thoughts on the Christ ofChristmas. Just this week Shelley wanted to hear some Christmas music, and the theme lineof one of the songs really struck me because of its truth and simplicity:

"Hark, now hear the angels singA new King bom todayjAnd man will live forevermore,Because of Christmas Day."

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

To bring you up to date with some good news in the workthe month of November broughtsigns of the end of one phase and the beginning of a new phase of our work in Japan. For thepast 3h years I have been assisting the Kagoshima church as an interim minister, besidespreaching and teaching in other places. All this time we have been praying thax God wouldlead the Kagoshima church to call their own Japanese preacher and be completely independentof all missionary assistance. This prayer was answered this month when the members of theKagoshima church voted to call Brc^l^r, HQmori to be their full-time minister beginning inJanuary. -

Their decision means that my responsibilities as interim minister of the Kagoshima churchwill end December 28. From January, vre will be able to concentrate on the new preachingpoints we have established in Yoshino and Kokubu. Vfe will, of course, continue our fellowshipwith the Kagoshima church in various ways. Mary will continue to work with the ladies' groupand I will continue my weekly English Bible Class for Kagoshima University students at thechurch.

Another sign of the start of a new phase of our mission work was the beginning of theconstruotion of ourjissi^^^^ On Friday, November 7, a brief ground-breaking

"^rsfflony"was held^al the mission property in Yoshino. Several members of the Kagoshima churchattended, along with my parents and representatives of the Sekisui Housing Company, fatherremoved the first spade of earth. By November 11 the foundation had been poured and construction on the fr^e began on November 21. If the construction continues on schedule, we will bemoving to Yoshino sometime near the end of January, We are rejoicing and thanking God for thedecision of the Kagoshima church, and for making it possible for work to begin on the mission

FOUNDATION LAID - NOVEMBER 11GROUND BREAKING - NOVEMBER ?

There are a few other highlights of November we would like to sharewith you, Sunday^ November Miss Ritsuko Hidaka was baptized intoChrist at the Kagoshima church. Miss Hidaka, a junior high school student, is the daughter of Mr, and Mrs, Hidaka who are faithful members ofthe Kagoshima church. We rejoiced with her parents in Ritsuko's accepting Christ as her Saviour, We are praying that God will use this Christian family in a special way for His work here,

November 22 was Trent's first birthday. We celebrated with my parents in Kanoya. Trent had a big timeeating with his hands the cake Grandma and Mary madefor him. It's hard to believe one year has passed

TRENT*S 1st BIRTHDAY

Rn Kffli

A A#

OA. 5 'J AB 9 9 B y4 9 I T V f - O1 2 i a r3 J >2 ^t^KYUSHU;

KAGOSHIMA CHRISTIAN MISSIONMR. & MRS. WALTER M. MAXEY

Arata 1-29-1, Kagoshima 890, Japan

/N USA:Box 574, Fairborn, Ohio 4S324

HOKKAIDC

HONSHU

SHIKOKU

NEW CHRISTIAN,since he was bom. He has taken his first steps and HIDAKA (right)can say "da-da" and is working on "bye-bye" now. He and Shelley are areal joy to us. They open the way to friendship and witnessing among theJapanese because of their "uniqueness" (light hair and blue eyes) andfriendliness. Of course, they also keep things moving and interestingaround the house!

On November 2h all the Churches of Christ in Kagoshima prefecturemet for their annual convention. About 100 people gathered at a hot springs hotel in Tarumizu,The theme-was Romans 1;16, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel", and was developed in semons byguest speakers, Bro, S,M, Chang from Pusan, Korea, and Bro, Ben Hirotaka of Pulcuoka, Japan,During the afternoon program my mother and father were honored by the churches for their 25years of mission work in the Kagoshima area. We all left the convention challenged to standfirmly for the Gospel,

We w^t to thank each of you for the wonderful support you have given us this past year.We appreciate the trust and faith you have in us and hope we vd.ll merit your continued.supportin the year ahead. We pray that God will richly bless you and strengthen you in the New Year,

In Him,Walter and Mary

SPECIAL NOTE ON THE BUILDING PROJECTWe want to mal^e one final request for help with our project in Yoshino, We are very thank

ful to those who have given generously to enable us to come this far. Construction has begun onthe two-story structure which will serve as our home and mission center, with space for my officeand a meeting room. The building is located in the heart of a housing complex with a populationof over 6000 people. The final payment of $6000 is due on January 20, Right now we do not haveenough money on hand to complete the final payment. We do not want to go into debt if it can beavoided. We want to ask those individuals and groups and churches who have not yet shared inthis project if they would consider making a special effort at Christmas time to help with thisbuilding fund. Any amount sent directly to us by the 20th of January would be a great help forthe work here. Please give this your prayerful consideration. Thank you.

Walter and Mary M^ey

SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAIDAT FAIRBORN, OHIO

Mission ServicesP. 0, Box 177Kempton, Indiana ii6