Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Kashiwagi, who attends my Sabbath morning Bible class,professed her faith in Christ and asked to receive baptismand become a member of the church.A son, Kohei Chan, was welcomed to the Yamashitahome the first week of February. The following dayKatsuyo Sonobe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nitta, alsogave birth to a baby boy. In each home there was one littlegirl. Pray for wisdom for all our young Christian parents asthey teach and train the children entrusted to their care.Jim Pennington is now busy with various "farewells"and making the final preparations for his return to theStates. He will certainly be missed in Japan, and all arehoping that it will not be too long before his return hereagain. We look forward to welcoming Eleanor Faris backto Japan soon after Jim's departure, as he leaves March 2and she is expected back in early March. We are thankful,too, both for the Board of Foreign Mission's provision andthe Boyle family's willingness to return to Japan again inSeptember. Pray for the witness here in Japan and foreach one of us, the Spears, Oreta Everett, myself, and theones to come, that we might each be faithful in the taskwhich the Lord has given us to do, and that we mightmeet in the most effective way the opportunities whichare before us here in Japan today.Sincerely,Orlena LynnReport FromJapanMrs. Gene SpearKasumigaoka Church -1+1After many "till we meet again"s, Mr. Penningtonleft us on March 2, and Miss Faris arrived this morning,March 11. So the Kasumigaoka parsonage was not emptyvery long and will continue to be a place where people arewarmly welcomed. The members there are working faithfully.They teach the Sabbath School class and lead goodBible studies after the worship hour and are becomingmore free at entering into constructive discussion. Mr.Fukui and Mr. Kojima take turns presiding for theworship hour. Mr. Spear, Mr. Masunaga, and Mr. Matsudaof the Japan Reformed Church will share thepreaching until the Boyles come at the end of summer.Higashi Suma Church ProgressI called Mrs. Masunaga to see if they have news foryou, and she told of various encouragements. MissKashiwagi, who is graduating from college this month andwho attends Miss Lynn's Bible class, has said she wants tobe baptized, so Mr. Masunaga is teaching her everyWednesday night before prayer meeting. They are pleasedwith fifteen or so gathering for prayer meeting weekly.The women's group is studying Beyond Ourselves and hasa new project of taking turns two at a time cleaning thechurch on Saturdays. Mr. Miwa is helping the youngpeople's group get off to a new start. They are praying forMr. Miwa's friend, Mr. Soya, that he might believe.Japanese Christians are actively opposing a plan tomake Yasukuni Shinto Shrine a publicly financed nationalmonument to the war dead. If this were done schoolchildren, government employees, and others wouldeventually be expected to honor the dead in an idolatrousway.Keiyaku Church NewsHere in Okamoto the church is planning a specialevangelistic service for April 2. Last Sabbath the youngpeople passed out a thousand church newsletters andinvitations to the homes of this community. One youngman stopped the work he was doing and sat right downand read it. Another called to ask if he could come to theFriday English Bible class. A man on the street asked,"Are you the ones sending out those letters? They havesome good things in them!"During his vacation between school terms, Mr.Muto is helping us with writing letters and many otherthings that need to be done. This is a real blessing andanother evidence that God supplies all our need.We have Promotion Day on March 28, so SabbathSchool teachers and students are busy preparing aprogram. Mrs. Nagai has written a clever skit about theWidow's Oil for the little class. Elisha will be played byTatchan Ohigashi who has come since he was three and isfinally ready to be promoted out of the smallest class as hegoes into third grade. We trust God has a special futurefor him.A series of heart-expanding sermons on Exodus arereminding us anew of God's great plan and provision inthe midst of overwhelming physical and spiritualproblems. God is so merciful and gracious and we arealtogether too unthankful and short-sighted. The membersare taking turns, bi-weekly, writing a letter containing ashort summary of the sermon to send to out-of-boundsmembers and others who didn't come to church.We trust this news gives you a blessing because ofyour faithfulness in prayer that God's glory might beshown in Japan, too.Had my Saviour been God only I might have trustedHim, but I could not have come near to Him without fear.Had my Saviour been man only I might have loved Him, butI could not have been sure that He was able to take away mysins. But my Saviour is God as well as man, and man as wellas God. God, and so able to deliver me; Man, and so able tofeel with me. Power and sympathy are met together in thisone glorious Person.j Q Ry\ e6 COVENANTER WITNESS