nineteen hundred and forty-six - Amazon Web Services

FOREIGN MISSION BOARD 245
After mentioning the death of his soldier son, President Mizumachi said:
"I feel that he died as a part of the sacrifice we are paying for a new Japan.
In the last letter I received from my son he quoted his favorite hymn. Would
you like to hear it?" He began to sing and, though I did not understand the
words, I could understand the look on the bereaved father's face. I knew we
were standing on hallowed ground. The last stanza he sang was something
like this—
"With Thee (in me) the lonely isle seems,
To be the heavenly home,
Thanking thee for thy bounteous blessings,
I receive the light everlasting."
When he had finished there was a long silence and then the father again
said slowly, as though he wanted all the world to hear and understand. "We
do not hate America."
With this holy atmosphere permeating us all, I asked one more question.
"What message do you have for Southern Baptists?" President Mizumachi
thought perhaps a minute in silence and then slowly dictated four sentences.
"The present miserable condition of Japan was caused by the lack of a
strong Christian spirit among the Japanese people. It is time we proclaimed
the high standard of Christian living and let all the people know what the
kingdom of God really means. Nothing could give us more joy than to receive
a number of qualified missionaries to work as yoke-fellows with us. We need
missionaries now—I pray that Southern Baptists will send them quickly."
EXPERIENCES IN JAPAN
(Excerpts from a letter from Chaplain Aaron L. Rutledge)
I visited Seinan Gakuin Baptist Church in Fukuoka, Jyushu, Japan, where
Shuichi Ozaki has been pastor for ten years. He studied at our Seminary in
Louisville. This was my first pleasant surprise, but much more was in store.
They have a nice little building, splendid organ, and cushions on the pews.
The membership is about 100, but attendance is small now. The pastor was
drafted into the army and has just resumed his work. He also teaches in our
school here.
I felt as if I were on holy ground, viewing for the first time direct results
of mission moneys I had helped raise.
SEINAN GAKUIN
Pastor Ozaki took us next-door to the Baptist high school and college—
Seinan Gakuin (Southwestern School)—where approximately two thousand students
are enrolled, two hundred and fifty of them at the college.
We were ushered into the president's office where we met a neat, snappy
young man who introduced himself as Sadamoto Kawano, chaplain of the school.
I presented Chaplain Earl Sidler (Northern Baptist), and told our denomination.
Kawano grabbed our hands and shook them over again, beaming with
delight. When he found I was Southern Baptist, handshaking took place again.
But when he found I was from Louisville Seminary, handshaking did not suffice,
and I found his arms planted firmly about my shoulders. He graduated at
Louisville in 1937. He called the professors by name, inquiring about them and
about the school's progress. .
We had hot tea, strong and straight, served m beautiful Japanese cups.
During tea the president arrived. He is Y. Mizumachi and has served the school
for twenty years. Eighteen years ago he studied at the Louisville Seminary
for eight months. Their gift to the guest was a gorgeous white tea cup,
decorated with blue Japanese characters which, we were informed, were phrases
from their Alma Mater. . ,
The students begin here at about fifteen years of age (or high school), and
may continue through college. Formerly there was a theological seminary, but
now Bible courses are offered in the College. Some Bible study is required of
everyone. Ument shows the high standing of the school, as students
pay tuition to attend here rather than public schools. About ten per cent of
the students are Christian, and fifty of the.one hundred teachers are Christian.
We were invited to attend chapel exercises, which are held daily. Entering
the auditorium'with the faculty, we found the student body seated. Someone