Figueroa Christian Church 4.55 W.

57 St, Los Angeles

No, 5

NOVEMBER

1950

MISSIONS NEWSLETTER

VIRGINIA FLEENOR WRITES

Dear Figueroa Family:

October 10, 1950

As the ship pitches and rolls and nothing but water can be seen for miles in every direction, we very definitely are beginning to feel that our work in Japan is about to begin. We were thrilled at the boat to receive 22 telegrams and farewell letters, and even a large bouquet of chiysanthemums. We were delayed one day in sailing and so pushed out from San Francisco at IsOO P. M. Thursday, October 5th, We were no sooner

out of the Bay area than the seas became very rough and have consistently become
more and more rough so that the Captain has changed the course of the ship farther to the south than originally planned. It was their schedule that we were to arrive

in Yokohama in U-g- days| now we plan to land October 20th, Yesterday we made only
10 knots an hour. ;

Julius was seasick about 4. days. The first night I foimd it very difficult to feel the proper amount of sympathy for him when he left the table and I had to eat not only my own New York cut steak, but his also. However, as of today, we are all

feeling very cheery and well, Stephen and I never miss a meal and have our sea-legs
and stomachs already.

There are 11 passengers aboard ' 5 Nuns, 1 Philipino nurse, age 26, 1 business man, 1 American boy going to Japan to marry a Japanese girl, and we three. There are about 15 officers of various kinds and colors, and a crew of about 50, Our steward entertains Stephen a good bit of the time, and he is a general favorite among all of the crew and passengers. The Nuns seem to enjoy him especially, I will write from time to time on this letter and finish it in Tokyo.
October 22, 1950

We were met at the boat at 4-00 P. M. when we arrived, by a group from Mabashi Chup:ch of Christ. It was a thrill to meet them,. Then the long ordeal of going thru the customs. However, they did not open all of our things (because we are mission aries), which saved time. That night when we arrived home at Grace Farnham's house they had a welcoming prayer service for us and sang one hymn in English and one in Japanese. The very next morning Grace and I left at 10 A, M. and went to Tolyo on the railcar which

took an hour, and got my money changed into yen. I got 258.4. yen for every dollar,
so every time I buy something I figure that 1000 yen is $2.70, I bought some things yesterday in the Mabashi district and had such fun trying to figure out what I was paying. After going to the bank, Grace and I went to Yokohsmai we had to change
twice from Tol^o to get there. At Yokohama we visited the Church World Service and

then went to the pier to get our freight and the big baggage. We got it all finally
except one trunk which had some of my most valuable things in it. The Church World
Service is going to trace it for me.

Yesterday they delivered our things so we slept last night in our own bed in

the tvjo rooms we have in the church. By the end of next week we hope to be complete ly settled. Yesterday I bought a lovely cherry wood chest for 489O yen, $10,00, and a tricycle for Stephen for 65O yen, $2,00. We had a large crowd watching us buy it, as we are a real curiosity here because I am so tall and Stephen so blonde. Many touch his hair and say "It is pretty". Great crowds of children follow Stephen when he goes to the playground across the street. Next door there are 2 Baptist mission aries who arrived last month and are going to study with us. Friday night Julius and I had a real thrill ; we led an English conversatioi), class for English Bible. All 6 of the young people there vjere college graduates or students. It was thrilling to esiplain to them the wonders of the Word of God, They
are so anxious to leam. Two were Christians but four were not. One who is an engi

neer prayed the Lord*s prayer in English when we. had closing prayer. All but two
prayed in Nihongo, which means the Japanese language. Even two who were not Christ ians prayed. One asked "must one be baptized to be a Christian?" That was difficult to explain.as many Cliristian gro'ups in Japan do not teach baptism. So Julius told
them that if a Christian was to be obedient to God* s Word or revelation and that i t

said in Acts 2:38 "Repent and be baptized", that gives the answer. They read two chapters in English from the book of Acts in English which has the Japanese trans lation at one side. Then Julius gave an illustration"^omke it more clear, and one said "Oh, you have made a clear metaphor". The they all said "you teach clearly". They flatter a lot, but because Julius referred to and compared Buddhaism and Shintoism, they were helped greatly. They appreciated the fact that he had studied the religions of Japan, One said, '"since our god failed us and we lost th6 war, all the Japanese are confused and do not believe in any god". It was a joy to see so plain ly that they are hungry to know God.
Muto San, the pastor here, is a wonderful Christian. He tells us that Julius impresses the Japanese so much because he knows so much Japanese already. He says

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NOVEMBER IHSSIONS LETTER

it is v/cHsderful that a great scholar like Julius should come to Japan when he could

be so famous in America, He doesn't realize that scholarship is not as popular as it

should be in Amsrica.

Julius is learning so quickly and talks with everyone he meets. He goes out in to the street and talks to everyone that passes by, I am sure that all Ifebashi will soon know he is here for he talks to everyone. Grace says that that pleases the
Japanese so much,

October 23, 1950 This Sunday morning they had a welcome service for us in the afternoon after the

church service. Many expressed in English and Japanese their appreciation for our
coming from America.

During the young people*s meeting in the evening they had Julius give the tes4imoi^ of his life as a Christian and Muto San translated the message. They were im pressed as Julius had a very wonderful healing when he was in College and the doctor who had been a missionaiy who attended him in Eugene, Oregon, said that it had restor ed his faith in God, as medically speaking, it was impossible for Julius to live in
the condition he was in at that time.

This letter is rather rambling but I have so much to say and yet right now I have 3 other letters I must write and have to take care of many house-hold matters
while getting settled.

has as many as four classes on one day and there are so many interruptions. Some come

I want to say that the work Grace Famham is doing here is very exceptional. She

begging who are professional beggars, and one must decide whether or not to give. So

many come calling. Then she calls on sick, and has classes away from the church. Two

members hold large Sunday Schools some distance from here and she helps them in mat erials and so forth. It is wonderful for us to have her help us.
We had a baptism last Sunday and I took some colored slides. I wish I had a wire

recorder so we could send back to you what goes on in our English Bible Classes.
would be thrilling for you to hear it as it was to us.

It

Ma^ people asked us in America will you like it there in Japan? What if you don*t like it? Well, we love the Japanese people so much| they all have so very little that we feel very rich and wish we could help them more. Warm used clothing would be so helpful. If any groups could send them in burlap wrapping in 6 lb. packages, I do not think it would cost too much and there are so many who can use these things, I must close as I have to register at the counsel office and get my ration card^ All Americans get ration cards for buying in the 0. S. S. stores. Only Amerericans
can but there. Things are very high there but we can buy powered milk and rice and

made also ass ail the tables here are so small and low. The church building loolcs like
modern architecture since there are windows all around the terraces.

sugar in 100 lb. quantities through the Church World Service, I have to have a table

I will write a letter at least once a month and oftener if possible and will
have some slides to send to you very soon also.
Your servant in Christ and much love,
Virginia Fleenor.
MS. EMMA SCHAEFER

be admitted. However, those we already have we must take care of properly, |10.00 a month could feed a child. Could your church be one who would take the responsibility
of one child or two? We have 150 children in our Home here. They are the ones who
will be the Gospel spreaders of tomorrow,"
DOROTHY GUSTAF5QN

have a great problem of how to properly feed and house the children in our Home here. It IS not easy to curtail the number but we have to turn a deaf ear to new pleas to

A letter from Mrs. Emma Schaefer of the Central Provinces India Missions tells people were waiting to greet me in Bilaspuri we are always glad to meet the older Christians as well as the children of the Children's Home. We

more precious souls, one of the girls in my Sunday School class and her step-mother,
^een, due to the Russian Catholic priest saying they will die if they come to the
Church of Christ."

DOTothy writes from Dillingham, Alaska; "We-rejoiee-inrtbe^ salvation-of two

e consider this a great gain for the church here as conversions are few and far be-