Dear Friends,
Kagoshima City made international news when our local volcano (Mt. Sakurajima) had a massive eruption, sending a record three-mile high plume of ash into the sky on August 18th. Successive eruptions continued, and the wind direction brought the ash to Kagoshima City. It took about three days to clean up from these combined eruptions, which heavily coated a large part of the city. The record-breaking eruption was the 500th eruption this year for Sakurajima, located across the bay from the city and (ignoring the power lines) perfectly visible from our house.
Successive eruption-August 18th
While big eruptions get media attention, some more important things have been happening here which did not get media coverage. One of those was the 64th All Japan Christian Convention held in Kagoshima City from July 31st to August 2nd. Our ministers and churches in Kagoshima spent a year getting ready for this convention held at the Shiroyama Hotel, which has a fantastic view of the city and Mt. Sakurajima.
As president of this year’s convention, I met regularly with the executive committee for over a year to assist with preparations. It was truly a team effort. Mary designed the poster, and the church ladies made small gifts for those attending. God answered our prayers and blessed us with beautiful weather (in the midst of typhoon season) and a large number of attendees. It ended up as one of the best-attended recent conventions.
The theme for the convention, “The Blessing and Ministry of Reconciliation” (from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21), was developed in messages by our three main speakers: Brother Ikuma of Tokyo, Brother Chida of northern Sendai, and our son Trent, associate professor at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Trent spoke about the impact Christianity has had on Japan, where the church in Japan has failed in sharing the gospel of reconciliation through Christ, and what it needs to do going forward. Our special thanks to all of them.
All Japan Christian Convention-Kagoshima City
The convention program also included lots of singing, special music, testimonies, group discussions, activities for the children, and special sessions to bring everyone up to date on how our churches throughout Japan are doing. It was our hope that this convention would be a time for everyone to be refreshed spiritually and challenged anew in carrying out the ministry of reconciliation that has been entrusted to us. From the feedback I have received, I think those goals were achieved.
Trent, who had flown over just for the convention, was able to spend the weekend with us afterwards before returning to the U.S. It was special to have him here, and we are grateful for the solid contribution he made to the program. We were also happy to have my sister Paula and brother Greg in attendance and to be able to have some family time with them following the convention.
Mrs. Setouchi’s Baptism
Another very important event this summer was the baptism of Mrs. Ikuyo Setouchi on August 18th. Mrs. Setouchi attended the May 25th outreach concert at the Yoshino church and indicated on her visitor card that she was interested in becoming a Christian. She was contacted, and I began a series of Bible studies with her. At the end of our two-month study series, she said she wanted to be baptized. She was seeking forgiveness in her life, and she found it in Jesus Christ. Please pray for her as she begins her Christian life, and that she will be able to witness to her husband and to those at the nursing home where she works part-time.
Let’s back up now and quickly review some of our other activities of the past few months. The middle of April, Mary and I began a new academic year at our respective schools: Kagoshima Prefectural College (Mary) and Kagoshima University (Walter). Interaction with students and staff at these schools provides us with unique opportunities to witness. April 23rd I flew to Osaka to attend the trustee meeting at Osaka Bible Seminary.
May 14th, Mary drove to Kanoya with ladies from the Yoshino church to attend the annual meeting for the women of our churches in Kagoshima Prefecture. Over fifty ladies attended this all-day meeting featuring Brother Araki, a Christian counselor, who brought two very helpful messages. Special music and a sharing time were also parts of the day of fellowship.
Prefectural Ladies’ Meeting
The evening of May 25th, the Yoshino church held an outreach concert at the church with a well-known Korean Christian professional flutist, Song Solnamoo. He is widely known in Japan for the music he has composed and performed on very popular Korean TV programs (dramas) aired in Japan. The concert, which was advertised with flyers in our local newspapers, was attended by over forty people--enough to just about fill up our small auditorium. What made this concert so special was not only the music (most of which had been composed by Brother Solnamoo) but the way in which he shared about his Christian faith. God’s Word was firmly planted in at least one heart that evening, resulting in the baptism of Mrs. Setouchi on August 18th.
Music Outreach Program
The first Sunday of June, I began a book-of-the-month sermon series at the Yoshino church. Each month we will be focusing on one book of the Old Testament, and everyone is expected to spend that month reading that book. At the close of the service on the last Sunday of each month, I give them a brief true/false quiz over that month’s book. So far, everyone seems to be enjoying getting into the Old Testament in this way.
On the Sunday afternoon of August 11th, nineteen of us from the Yoshino church gathered at our campground in Tarumizu for our summer picnic. After enjoying our boxed lunches, the adults relaxed while the kids went for a swim in the nearby stream beside the campground. Unfortunately, due to a very dry rainy season this year, the water level was too low to allow for much swimming, but there was enough water for the kids to splash around in. We closed out the day with some delicious watermelon for all and my short Bible message for the children.
Cooling off at the Church Picnic
It has been a very full and somewhat hectic summer for us this year, but we have been encouraged by the way God has blessed many people through the convention and especially in the way He used our May outreach concert to lead Mrs. Setouchi to Christ.
Thank you for making our ministry here possible through your faithful prayers and financial support.
In Him,
Walter & Mary