Dear Friends,
Since we sent our last newsletter, something very historic has happened in Japan. For the first time in two hundred years, the reigning emperor of Japan (1989-2019), Akihito (age 85), abdicated, and on May 1st his eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito (age 59), became the 126th emperor of Japan. The start of a new emperor’s reign in Japan marks the beginning of a new era in the traditional Japanese calendar (which is used in addition to the Gregorian calendar).
The era of Emperor Akihito was Heisei, which means “peace everywhere,” and the new era of Emperor Naruhito will be called Reiwa, which can be translated “beautiful harmony.” As of May 1st, this current year is now called both the first year of Reiwa and 2019. The Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Abe, explained the selection of the new era name by saying that “culture is born and nurtured as people beautifully care about each other.” He added that he wanted it to be a new era filled with hope.
That, of course, is what we also want for Japan. The question is what will that hope be based on. We are here in Japan to share the message of hope for life now and after death through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are happy to report that, before we entered the Reiwa era, there were two individuals we have been working with who began their new lives of hope in Jesus Christ.
Mr. Sagami’s Baptism, March 20th—Second from left
Mr. Hideki Sagami, a lawyer in his late forties, attended our outreach meeting at the Yoshino church last October. He had seen a flyer about the meeting in the newspaper and decided to attend to learn more about the Bible, which he had become interested in through a friend who had talked to him about the Old Testament and Judaism. We got acquainted at that meeting and immediately set up a time to study the Bible together. After months of Bible study and attendance at Sunday services at the Yoshino church, Mr. Sagami made his confession of faith in Jesus Christ and I baptized him on March 20th. We continue to meet regularly for Bible study, and it has been a joy to watch him grow as a Christian.
The second individual was Mrs. Teruko Imafuku, a woman in her sixties, who had been attending Sunday services with her Christian husband at the Tarumizu church and periodically at the Yoshino church for over a year. One Sunday in February, after our Sunday worship at the Tarumizu church, she talked to me about her desire to be baptized. After studying together what the Bible teaches about baptism, she made her confession of faith at the Yoshino church on March 24th, and I baptized her on the following Sunday. I’m sure her husband had been praying a long time for this day to come. After her baptism, he said, “Now we are not only husband and wife but also brother and sister in Christ.” Please keep Mr. Sagami and Mrs. Imafuku in your prayers as they begin their new lives in Christ.
Mrs. Imafuku’s Baptism—March 31st
Let me move on to a brief summary of some of our activities during the past few months. Sunday evening, April 7th, ministers and leaders of our churches in Kagoshima gathered at the Yoshino church to begin working on plans for the 71st All Japan Christian Convention, which we will be hosting next year in August. We have decided on the date, venue, and theme, but are still working on choosing the main speakers.
Easter Sunday, April 21st, members of the Yoshino church gathered at the church mausoleum for an early morning service to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and remember our brothers and sisters who have gone on to be with the Lord. Our Easter worship service at the Yoshino church was followed by the annual congregational meeting to consider plans and a budget for the new church year.
Early Morning Easter Service at Church Mausoleum
May 21st, the ladies of the Yoshino church hosted the annual combined women’s meeting for the ladies of our churches in Kagoshima Prefecture. The guest speaker for this all-day meeting—held at a hotel at the foot of Mt. Sakurajima—was Ms. Shirao, the minister of an evangelical church in Kagoshima City.
Prefectural Ladies’ Meeting—May 21st
June 17th, I attended a supper hosted by the local Gideon chapter for ministers in Kagoshima to show their appreciation for the support the ministers and their churches have given to the Bible distribution ministry of the Gideons. The present director of the Kagoshima Gideon chapter is a member of the Yoshino church.
July 13th, our son Trent, his wife Libby, and their two sons, Amory (13) and Henry (11), arrived in Kagoshima for a two-week visit with us. Trent, who is a professor in the history department at Amherst College (Amherst, MA), brought his family with him for a two-month stay in Japan. Part of the time was spent doing research and preparation for some of his classes and writing projects, and part of that time was spent visiting historic sites and places of interest in Japan with his family.
Son Trent, with Libby, Henry (11) and Amory (13)
It was a real blessing to have this time with them. Their last trip here together was over six years ago. We had a lot of fun visiting the Kagoshima zoo, doing some hiking at a nearby national park, spending time at the Kamikaze Airbase Museum, enjoying the view from the awesome Yoshino park overlooking Kagoshima Bay, and eating lots of Japanese food at our favorite local restaurants with them. Most importantly, while they were here, they attended our Sunday services at Yoshino and Tarumizu, and we got to show off our grandsons to everyone. I should mention that Trent and Libby have been taking care of getting our newsletter printed and mailed out to churches and supporters in the States for a long time now—a tremendous help to us.
August 21st, five members of the Yoshino church and I flew up to the northwest part of Japan to attend the 70th All Japan Christian Convention in the city of Akita. Akita was chosen as the site for this year’s convention because this is where, 135 years ago, the first missionaries of the churches of Christ/Christian churches began mission work in Japan. Two families—Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Garst and Mr. & Mrs. George T. Smith—began work in Akita Prefecture in 1884. The church started by the Garsts in Akita City is still active today, and on the second day of the convention, the morning session was held in the auditorium of this church. At this convention, we were reminded of how God used the Garsts, the Smiths, and many other missionaries who followed them over the years to spread the gospel and establish churches in Japan.
All-Japan Christian Convention Session at Akita Church
We want to close by thanking all of you for your prayers and support, which enable us to try to follow in the footsteps of missionaries like the Garsts and Smiths.
In Him,
Walter & Mary