Covenanter Witness Vol. 54 - Rparchives.org

ones."
commentaries."
Excerpts From A Circular Letter
By David Hansen
We have just finished another communion sea
son and two young ladies, having confessed their
faith in Christ, were baptized, and entered the
church. Another young lady has transferred her
membership by letter from a Kyodan church. The
Kyodan is the group of Christian churches which
submitted to the pressure of the government dur
ing the war and found themselves united without
regard for denominations or beliefs. Now they have
no distinctive principles and virtually no Chris
tianity in the Bible sense of the word. This young
woman, by her own testimony has "found" her
Christian life again in this congregation where
Christ is Lord indeed. The membership of the
Ichinotani congregation now stands at 33 commu
nicant members and 20 baptized members, with a
dozen to 15 non-members attending Sabbath serv
ices. Of course we reach a hundred or so others in
smaller Bible study groups during the week but
these groups are always varying with people coming
and going. As long as the congregation is growing
steadily we know that our witness is bearing fruit.
The U. N. service men in Korea are allowed to
come to Japan on R.&R. leave (that's Rest and
Recuperation) and many show up here in Kobe.
The Chaplain out at the base together with some
of the missionaries in Kobe have a program for
them a couple of times a week. It gives them some
thing to do and helps to keep them out of reach
of those leeches who drag them into bars and
nouses of prostitution. At the meetings there's
singing, a gospel message, and then the rest of the
evening is given over to refreshments and games.
The other night there was a special treat when
two men spoke to the soldiers. One was DeShazer,
the man who came here first as a member of Doolittle's
bombing raid at the beginning of the war.
He was taken prisoner when the plane ran out of
gas and while in the Japanese prison he became a
Christian. Six years or so ago he came back here
as a missionary. He works near here and we have
the opportunity to meet and talk with him now
and then. The other man who spoke has the name
Fuchida. He was the pilot who commanded the flight
of Japanese airplanes which bombed Pearl Harbor
and destroyed so much of our Pacific fleet at the
start of the war. He related his experiences and
told how he had come to know Christ as his Sav
iour. His English is rather difficult to understand
but he has a real testimony to give about God's
saving grace. It was a pleasure to hear those two
speak and somehow or other it gave me an added
pleasure of confidence in the ultimate victory of
the cause of Christ when I saw both DeShazer and
Fuchida who had been members of opposing forces
just a few years ago and now united in their work
for the glory of God.
But we see that same thing taking place in the
lives of the people around us and we thank God
for an opportunity to have a part in it. Please con
tinue to remember the work here in your prayers,
for it is only in God's strength and by His grace
that anything at all is accomplished.
Also please continue to bear in mind that we
need more help
out here. When Miss Adams went
February 2, 1955
home the work that she did had to be dropped for
lack of a person who could take it over. A single
lady missionary is very badly needed one who
can spend practically all her time conducting Bible
classes. And when Miss Huston goes home we will
need to replace her also, which makes two that are
needed. These Bible classes are essential for the
work here because practically
all the Christians
in the congregation made their first contact through
a Bible class. When you see the joy
of Christ shin
ing in the eyes of the one who has found Him as
Saviour you will know that it is worth all that it
costs. Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send
forth more laborers into this part of His Harvest
field.
Covenanter Book Room News Letter
By Rose A. Huston
Like the Preacher of old, we have "sought to
find out acceptable words, and that which was writ
ten uprightly, even words of truth;" and we are
thankful for the saints of God who have searched
the riches of His word and explained them for the
edification of the Church. Here are a few samples
of words of appreciation we often hear,
"It is wonderful to come in here and choose a
good book without having to search through piles
of worthless
"This Book Room is becoming known
known and is much appreciated by Japanese pas
tors."
and well
"We cannot afford to buy many books, and we
know we can get the best books here."
"In our Seminary we had no such good books as
these; now I cannot preach without Calvin, and I
hope some day to be able to buy a complete set of
his
"We students are so thankful for the Cove
nanter Book Room."
These and similar words encourage and inspire
us, every book goes out with a prayer that it may
become a foundation stone in a strong Christian
Church in Japan.
We are now able to stock a greater variety of
good books in Japanese. A translation of Machen's
"Christian Faith in a Modern World" recently came
off the press. "What is Faith" by Machen, "What
is Roman Catholic Teaching" by Hodge, "Intro
duction to the New Testament" by Thiessen, and
many others have been published during the past
"Christianity"
six months.
by Rev. Mr. Okada of
the Reformed Church Seminary, and others by the
Reformed Church Seminary Staff are being pub
lished from time to time. Other publishers have
put out many new books which we are glad to keep
in stock.
The Rev. Mr. Ogawa and Mrs. Ogawa have
made a good beginning on the translation of "The
Child's Bible Story" by Mrs. C. Vos, and we have
secured permission from the publishers, to print
it in his monthly magazine of Bible studies. If it
proves acceptable, it may be published in book form
later. For some months, Mr. Ogawa has been buy
ing Commentaries on the Psalms, and current is
sues carry comments on the Psalms for daily read-
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