6akyo Church Wedding

Mr. Se Mrs. Shintaro Nishijiwa

January 31, 1959
n
Seminary Instructor
Mr Hideo Yoshji
31-6 chorae, Nakamiya-cho.
Asahi-ku, Osaka, Japan
bear Co-labors- with Christ;
January 1 is the beginning of a new year and the day for making
resolutions; many just to be broken. Mr. Satoo on Tsushima made his
resolution, not on January 1, but before he went to Tsushima. He was
resolved to proclaim the Gospel to the people of the island- This
January 1 he baptized one of the islanders into Christ.
With the introduction of a commercial Xmas following the war the
year end festivals in Japan have increased so that for many it is less
religion and greater revelry. The native language dailies as well as
English language dailies i.ave made comments ab ut the season and its
abuses. There have been some signs of rebellion and the first concrete
evidence that I have seen is in the old conservative city of Kyoto. On
the buses and street cars and other places were signs urging people not
to become drunk. A certain easily remembered telephone number was made
public. If a person became intoxicated to the point of becoming a
nuisance, anyone could di?;! this number and quickly police would appear
to escort the obnoxious drunk to a place where he could sober up, in
jail, if necessary.
Japan has been known as the "drunkard's paradise" as Sake (Japanese
Whiskey) has been an excuse that was a passport to almost any kind of
vice, including murder. It has been very difficult to get a stiff
penalty on anyone committing any crime while drunk. New laws are being
written and more authority has been given to the police in regard to
drunkards. This change has been badly needed. More changes are needed,
but progress is seen.
-2-
We are not here ai> politicions or government diplomats and thus
have said little ahout the government. But the approaching wedding
of the Crown Prince is or such major consequence that we cannot keep
quiet about it. The manner in which the choice of a bride for the man
who is to become the next Emperor was made as well as the approachinff
wedding is breaking so many centuries old traditions that it cannot
go unnoticed.
There are those who want to go to extremes, either to the right
or 10 the left. The fact that the Emperor System was misused by some
in the past cannot be denied, and there are some who would like to
return to those "former days". There are some who would like to
abolish the Emperor System suddenly and c-mpletely. If either
condition were to come to pass, proclamation of the Gospel would
become more difficult in Japan.
The fact tfat tne Crown Prince was allowed to have so strong a
voice in choosing his bribe and tie fact that he chose a "commoner"
may not be acceptable to all but it may be the turning point that
will permit the retaining of the Emperor system and at the same time
nelp prevent the rise of ultra nationalism and permit the more rapid
democratization of Japan, and as a result make it possible for more
of the Japanese to become Christians in less time.
The Crown Prince's action has been the topic of discussion by
many, including missionaries. I was with a group of college men last
month when it was discussed and they all expressed the desire to
choose a woman they loved for a wife but were afraid to because of
the traditions of their family. Then one of them made a significant
statement.
This young man, although not a Christian, has read the N. T.
both in Japanese and in English and he said, "If I wanted to tell
a girl, whom I wanted to marry, that I loved her, I would use the
English word 'love' instead of a Japanese word." When asked about
it, he explained that from the N. T. t-e learn-sd that the English
word "love" had a very high and noble concept and he felt that the
expressions in Japanese had not been used in a way to convey that
feeling. He felt that the expressions in Japanese implied a little
"dirty" feeling, and he didn't want to talk that way to his future
wife.
The picture of the bride and groom on the first page was taken at
the Sakyo Church in Kyoto. When we went home on furlough, we left the
work of the Sakyo Church in the hands of Mr. Takafuji, now in Sendai,
but he had been sick and we were a little conci-rned about his health
and the amount of work repu.ired to carry on the Sunday School and the
church services. We had net figured on the help he would be having.
-3-
Miss Matsumoto of Tariabe had come to Kyoto to take nurse's
training. She had "been a sincere Christian in Tanabe and brought
her Christian sincerity with her and was a very faithful and capable
helper in the Sunday School of Sakyo Church all during her nurse's
training. Therefore, when she requested it, I was willing to unite
her in marraige with Mr. Nishijima n January 4, 1959. On that day
I couldn't help but think of a day in June some eleven and a half
years ago, because this was my first wedding to perform, and it had
to be done in Japanese, a language not my native tongue, and on
foreign soil. I thought of my own wedding, because Dr. Nakarai, then
an alien, united Ethel and me using a language not his native tongue
and on soil that was foreign to him. This was Dr. Nakarai's first
Christian wedding ceremony.
What's in a name? Is the name important? If you were to send us
a check for $10,000.00 to build a new house, but the check were ma,de
out to some other person, we could not get the money necessary to go
anead to build the needed house The name is important! Mr. Hideo
Yoshii was Hideo Gasha until this year. It will be hard for us to call
him by his correct name for we have known him by his former name so
long. He came fi cm Kyushu and was a student in the seminary and holds
a BTh. degree from the seminary apd has been a seminary teacher half
time since his graduation almost three years ago. The other half of
his time is spent as minister of the Moriguchi Church which is near
here and where I preach about once a month so we see him and talk to
him frequently. "Gasha" is a rather difficult name in Japanese and
his father was born in Naha, Okinawa, which is not a part of Japan
now. The "honseki" or home address of a Japanese family is quite
important- Therefore, to get an easier name and a "honseki" inside
Japan the Gasha family decided to change their name and chose that of
the mother. So, from now cn this, the youngest and newest of our
native seminary teachers, is known as Mr. Hideo Yoshii.
The quonset hut is here on the campus. There are problems to be
solved and decisions to be made before it can be reassembled where we
can use it. We have some blue prints of a proposed plan for using it,
but have gone no further. The average Japanese contractor has not
erected such a building and would need instructions about getting it
back up right. This would take my time. Since we hope to use this
building only temporarily as a home, we do not want to put very much
money into it. One way to save money would be for me to do as much
of the work as I could. I have 18 weeks of intensive teaching coming
up in 2 weeks and won't have much ti'De to spend on such work. We
don't have the necessary money so continue to live where we are.
MAY GOD Your ministers to Japan,
BLESS YOU . . 0
AND KEEP YOU //,
The BecKmans
APR 1 8 1958
Sakyo Church. Kyoto. March 29. 1959
PASTOR Matsushita a miss yamaguchi evangelist
EVANGELIST TANIYAMA NEXT TO HUTH
April 9, 1959
31-6 chome, Nakamiya-cho,
Asahi-ku, Osaka, Japan
Dear Co-laborers-with-christ;
Osaka Bible Seminary closed the school year on March 27, with a special
service that included the annual recital of the speech class with four par
ticipating besides, Mr. Clark, the leacher. Since there were no graduates
at this time, there was no graduation service, but a special closing day
service after the speech recital. We had special guests as Judy and Janet
Davis's high school Bible classes from Nagoya were on the campus from the
day before visiting the school.
The new school year begins next week. April 14, but we will wait with
most of the details about that until next time. We are expecting to gain as
well as lose in this new year. We are exp-cting some new students on the
gain side and Mr. Yoshii, whose picture was in the last letter, has resigned
to return to Kyushu and accept the pastorate of the Kanoya church. He has
been persuaded to stay witn us for the first six-weeks period to help us
because we have been unable to get anyone to do the interpreting that he was
doing. I am relieved thai he is staying this first six-weeks as he is to
interpret for me in the New Testraent Background course I am supposed to
teach then. The second six-weeks I will be teaching Non-Christian Beligions,
but will be using a different interpreter. The second six-weeks we can get
along a little easier without Mr. Yoshii as Mr. Kawamura will be teaching
Gospels and doesn't need an interpreter.
From March 26 to 29 the Sakyo church in Kyoto had an evangelistic
meeting with Mr. Kichi Taniyama doing the oreiching. By American standards
the services were a little long. Two of the nights the services started at
7 and closed just a little after 9. Each night after the first the preacher
spoke for over an hour. The people, however, did not go to sleep and came
back the next night if they had no obligations elsewnere. These people have
so far to go before they can become Christians ihat it is necessary to have
long services to accomplish very much- Many tines these people feel that^
after they have taken time to leave their h:me or work and come to a service,
the service should be long enough to be worth while.
-2-
The 10th anniversary service for the beginning of the Sakyo Church
and our first arrival in Japan was postponed from the January date as
had previously "been announced to be held in conjunction with this
evangelistic meeting. It was not, as definitely decided in the con
gregational meeting as I had thought it was. January weather here can
be somewhat unpleasant and so it was thought best to wait with the
meeting and anniversary service until better weather. (WEATHER WAS
GOOD UNTIL 3 HOURS AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE MEETING) The church folks
asked me to preach the morning of March 29. After the service one
made tne good confession and was baptized, which made us all happy.
Then we gathered around a small table and ate our lunch while we
recalled events and people of the past 10 years. Mr. Taniyama closed
the service with a message for the occasion.
A note about the evangelist will be of interest to you. Mr.
Taniyama is from Tanabe and is now living at Minoo and preaching there
regularly and helping at the Miyakojima Church in Osaka. He entered
Osaka Bible Seminary almost 10 years ago. Before he had studied very
long, he became ill and we had all of the students checked by a doctor.
When the chest X-rays were developed, the doctor brought Mr.
Taniyama's film to Mr. Nielsen and said this man should be dead. Most
people with TB as bad as he had it would have been dead for some time.
He was very sick and very uncomfortable for a long time and did almost
die, but recovered enough to get up '=ind found work helping another
missionary and gradually gained strength and moved back to this area.
He is not "cured" of his TB and must be very careful, but is very
active and has conducted some very successful evangelistic meetings
since he was supposed to be too sick to be alive.
From March 31 to April 4 the churches of Christ tn Japan held an
hnual convention at a summer resort south of Nagoya. The first part
was in Japanese and there were about 140 registrations. At the close
of that part there was one baptism in the ocean. The last part was in
English and there were 89 registrations. There were missionaries from
India, Thailand, Korea, ant Miyakojima (Ryukyu Islands) as well as from
Hokkaido to Kyushu attending this last part of the convention- There
are no resolutions, no excommunication^, etc. at these conventions.
There is preaching, praying, discussing, descriptions of what has been
attempted with results and failures. There i.s a general exchange of
ideas in an effort to help all to win more to the Christ. All go home
with less money and body more tired and aware that it is God who
giveth the victory. We are His co-laborers. Some remained for an
English service Sunday morning and at the close of it Irene Davis made
e good confession.
%
-3-
All of us are growing a little older. The children seem to he
happy about it as they anticipate life as older children. Johnnie.
Jenann and Mary had some vacation from school but are back at work
again. Johnnie continues to make the long trip to school and is doing
quite well in school. Ethel continues to teach the two older girls
in a formal manner and Ruth in an informal manner. All are learning,
including Ethel. Ethel has been having trouble with a shoulder, but
has been trying to eat what she should and get as much rest as she can
and keep up with the necessary work.
My father passed away February 27, after an extended illness. He
first suffered a stroke in 1943, but was able to be up and care for
himself most of the time until two years ago. From then until death
he was bedfast. Now our children have no grandfather as Ethel^s
father passed away during our first term.
SPECIAL NOTICE: The information on page 8 of HORIZONS, March 7,
1959, is incorrect and should be corrected. The Beckmans are NOT
erecting a quonset hut on the campus of the Seminary for temporary use
as a home. They have a dismantled quonset hut stored on the campus,
but have land in Takatsuki, half way between Osaka and Kyoto, and hope
to build on it. The Beckmans are NOT renting at present. They are
living in some of the present seminary buildings. George goes outside
anb downstairs to study. Ethel goes through the women's dormitory to
wash clothes. Both go to another block to get to their storage rooms.
This is very inconvenient and uses space that should be open for the
eminary to use
May God bless you.
FINANCIAL REPORT
Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 1959
DISBURSEMENTS
Seminary - - - - $ 111.92
Exchange cost - - 4.10
Postage ^ - 54.84
Travel - 96.86
Printing ----- 4.17
Tax 24.17
Evangelism - - - - 5.08
Tuition (children) 150.00
Misc. supplies - - - 3.38
To furlough fund - - 75.00
Current Expenses $ 529.52
Your missionaries to Japan,
The Beckmans
Previous Deficit $ 959.91
Current deficit - 529.52
$ 1489.43
710.49
Total deficit -
Less Receipts - -
Freeent deficit $ 778.94
In furlough fund ? 247.50
Osaka Bible Seminary
APRIL 14, 1959
June 15, 1959
vj
oil 1
Decorated Streetcar For
Crown Prince's Wedding
31-6 chome, Nakamiya-cho
Asahi-ku, Osaka, Japan
Dear Co-workers-with-Christ:
Greetings in the Name of Jesus, our Lord and Christ. We thank you very
much for your support of us hy your money and prayers.
We rejoice that we are ahle to work more freely here than missionaries
are able to in some countries. When we read of the travel restrictions
placed on some missionaries, we are glad we are able to travel freely.
Sometimes I feel that some restrictions might save my health- June 6th all
of us except Johnnie went to Tanabe, because the Christians there had asked
me to preach for them the next morning and we wanted to visit with Vivian
Lemmon. Right after the morning services I f^.te the sandwiches that Miss
Lemmon had prepared for me and hurried to tne train ahead of the rest of the
family. Three trains, a bus, and six hours later I was at the Sakyo Church
in Kyoto for my Sunday evening Bible class. The rest of the family came to
Osaka on a later train so that they could stay in Tariabe longer and visit
with Miss Lemmon. I came back to Osaka later that night.
The seminary is operated on the intensive system and we have s-me come
as auditors. Some of these auditors study quite hard because they want to
learn the material taught in that particular class Sometimes an auditor
or a regular student may skip one class and therefore, the number of our
students varies through a school year. At present the total number studying
regularly is 17.
There have been a number of changes in the faculty. Mr. Yoshii returned
to Kyushu to accept the ministry of tne Kancya Church. As a personal item,
he was married to a Christian in his home church a few days after he returned
to Kyushu. Mr. Yoshio Baba who studied for a time at San Jose Bible College
has joined the faculty. He has noi. taken Mr. Yoshii's place, although he is
filling an important position. Mr. Kawamura is not able to continue with
the school and we were hard nressed for a teacher for a time. We are very
grateful that Mr. lijima, who formerly taught in Tokyo Bible Seminary, was
willing to come and help us out in this emergency.
-2-
Whsn Mr. Baba first carae back from America, I asked him if Japan
had changed. He said that it had not but he had forgotten two things
about Japan: 1. The stinking toilets. 2. The large masses of people
in such a small place.
The faculty and counselor body of the seminary had discssed some
the type of building needed for the seminary and obtained some temporary
drawings. At the convention last March-April in Nagoya these plans
were presented to the people. The response from both Japanese and
missionaries was good. It appears that the time has come for us to
build the first unit of a more pemanent building for the seminary.
The present steel barracks buildings are rusting badly and part of
them will become unfit for use before too many years. Some of them
are in better shape and we intend to use them for some time. We have
hopes of raising between 25 and 30 thousand dollars by next April and
start construction from that time. The Japanese have said that they
will try to raise one thousand. This detemination forces us to go
ahead with the plan. If the supporters of each different missionary
family could raise one thousand dollars, we would have enough to
build. There is one caution. This should not reduce the regular
support to the point where normal operation of the seminary becomes
impossible just to get a new building. Please pray that we may use
wisdom in trying to raise this extra fund. If you are interested,
please write for more information.
Jenann and Mary have started their summer vacation from school.
Johnnie starts his vacation the last of this week. This will give
Ethel a chance to try to get some things done around the rooms here
that have had to be postponed for some time.
My vacation from school starts the first week in July. This six
weeks I have been teaching a course in non-Christior. religions- There
are reasons for teaching such a course. It is true that many of the
Japanese are Shinto, Buddhist or both simply because their parents were
or are. Such people do not know much of the teaching of their religion.
There are others who are more sincere and do understand some of the
things taught by their religious leaders. One purpose is to give the
students some knowledge of what the living religions of Japan actually
teach They can be better prepared to present the Gospel in a
convincing manner. There is another important factor. We are finding
that the disciples of every founder of a religion soon began to change
the teachings and practices of the founder so that today the religion
bears very little resemblance to the original religion taught by the
founder. This is a very important lesson for us as New Testament
Christians.
May God bless you.
Your ministers to Js^an,
BAPTISM IN KYOTO
YESTERDAY! The Beckmans
(isaka ItbU i'^ntmarg
WHAT PEOPLE THINK!!!
What people think is not always vital, but it is a barometer for
consideration. Osaka Bible Seminary was represented at the Japanese
convention by twelve former students representing work in all parts of
Japan. The convention planning committee was made up of four men. Two
of those men hold the BTh. degree from Osaka Bible Seminary and one a^
certificate indicating two years of acceptable study. An awareness
these facts was evident in the conversations and remarks of the people
at the convention.
FACULTY CHANGES!!!
ABible College on foreign soil has problems! Oh, I thought you
did not know that. Anyway, we do have a few tnat are different. One
is the turn-over in faculty which results from furloughs. The Harold
Coles are leaving for furlough after another five years of service in
Osaka Bible Seminary. Their address, in case you want to try to get a
date, is 1829 Oregon Avenue, Long Beach 8, California.
WHAT IS THE SCORE!!I
Twelve graduates have received the Bachelor of Theology degree
from Osaka Bible Seminary in seven years: 1951 - 1957.
Class of 1951 - 4 graduates 1 - Teacher in Osaka Bible Seminary.
1 - Main minister in Nagoya city.
1 - Minister in pioneer work, Tsushima.
1 - Denominational minister, Hokkaido.
Class of 1952 - 1 graduate 1 - Minister, Osumi peninsula, Kyushu.
Class of 1953 - 1 graduate 1 - Minister, Koyoen Church, Nishincmiya.
Class of 1954 - 1 graduate 1 - Minister, two churches, Hirakata.
Class of 1956 - 2 graduates 1 - Teacher in Osaka Bible Seminary and
Minister of church in Moriguchi.
1 - student in San Jose Bible College.
Class of 1956 - 1 graduate 1 - Minister, Kushikino Church, Kyushu.
Class of 1957 - 2 graduates 1 - Minister on island of Tanegashima.
1 - Minister, Hyogo Church, Kobe and
Employee of Christian Radio Mission.
Ti" 12
This chart considers ONLY the four year graduates. Two year grad
uates and those who attended without graduation are not included
although some of them are doing equally good work, such as Mr. Takafuji,
who is working in Sendai, Northern Japan.
V
p.
$c iElhpl iprkman $c iFamtlu
31-6 CHOME. Nakamiya-cho. Asahi-ku. Osaka japan
,1,5^Co-workers-with-Christ: August 12, 1959
Greetings in the Name of Jesus, our Lord and Christ. We thank you
very much for your support of us by your money and prayers.
From June 22 - July 3 Ethel directed a Daily Vacation Bible
School for the missionary children of the churches of Christ in
this area. There were 3 classes with Pauline and Karlyn Clark and
Carol Mings teaching and 2 Boulton children from Kobe, 4 Pratt
children from Koyoen, Dale Mings from Hirakata and our 4 children
making up the classes. At the close the missionaries and seminary
students gathered together to attend the program presented by the
children. This was the evening for the regular missionary meeting
and this program was the program for the prayer meeting.
Summer is the time for camp. The churches in this area united in
conducting the annual camp at Ncsegawa camp grounds from July 25 - 31.
There were a total of 143 registrations, 1 baptism and 4 others who
made the good confession.
We were happy about all of the confessions, the baptism and the
spiritual enrichment of all who attended, but we were especially happy
about one who made his confession. Toshiki Shorakui had studied with
some Mormon missionaries in Kyoto for some time and was willing to
accept what was said when it agreed with the Bible, but he felt that
the part about Joseph Smith was only some kind of a tradition and had
no appeal, in fact was a hindurance to his believing the gospel. Mr.
Shorakui went to camp and stayed all week, and at the end uade his
confession. He was baptized in the Sakyo Church, Kyo-^o, Sunday. He
is a first year student at Rltsumeikan University, Kyoto, and has
started attending ray Sunday evening Bible class. He may be the person
that can lead many others to to the class and the church and eventually
into the church of Christ.
Thanks to some of you. we have been able to get the outside of
this building where we are living painted and new screen wire on the
donstairs. Both were badly needed and it has improved the appearance.
Both Ethel and I had hoped to get much studying don this summer.
Ethel will have to teach two classes and I four before we leave for
furlough next July. Both of us had hoped to get some more studying
done on these and I, especially need extra preparation for one class
because it is the first time it is to be taught in the seminary and I
have never taught it before. It seems that camp, regular preaching,
little chores around the house, plain, ordinary living and the heat
have all combined to keep us from getting much done in the way of this
needed preparation.
AMERICAN ADDRESS: Your mininsters to Japan,
%Oden E. Brown gp U AO D
Stafford Avenue, Route 3 //
Carbondale, Illinois The Beckmans
WHAT WE HAVE;
Badly rusting steel buildings.
Noisy, hard to heat, dark, unat
tractive, temporary(7 years ago).
WHAT WE NEED:
The proposed building pictured above.
Easier to heat, easier to illuminate, easier to preserve, worth preserving,
more permanent, more attractive, a better tool to help accomplish our goal.
WHAT WE GET:
DEPENDS UPON YOU AND GOD!
HELP
O^aaka Itbb ^-pminar^
OSAKA, JAPAN
(See attatched sheet
DATA CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF
OSAKA BIBLE SEMINARY'S MADDEN MEMORIAL BUILDING
BUILDING COMMITTEE
Martin B. Clark - Seminary Administration; George H. Beckman - Seminary
Faculty; H. Sugano - Seminary Counsellors; W. Ray Mings - Osaka
Christian Mission; T. Kawahara - Alumni
DESCRIPTION
Construction - steel re-inforced concrete throughout with flat concrete roof
Foundation ~ adequate for future expansion to three stories if necessary
- first unit of two stories with approximate floor space of
4650 square feet
Floor - concrete with water-proof tile surface
Ceiling - perforated acoustical fiber board at lowest height permitted
Windows - steel sash {south side mostly window space)
Heating - central forced air with oil fired furnace
Hallways - open corridor to the south
Lighting - large windows on the south and flurescent lamps
- Structural concrete except for door between chapel and study
Blackboards - covering three walls in class rooms and two walls in chapel
and study
Library - conventional stack room with reading and study room adjoining
Prayer room - convenient and appropriate room for individual devotions
COSTS
Building as described (4650 sq. ft. $6 per sq. ft.) $27,900
Central heating plant (oil fired funace) 3,000
Ducting for forced hot air 300
Oil tank of 2 ton capacity for furnace 500
Septic tank (no public sewage system in Japan) 1,500
Furnishings (desks, chairs, library shelving, etc.) 1,800
TOTAL $35,000
FINANCING
We need cash in hand by April 1, 1960, in order to begin building.
We need assurance of obtaining this cash by January 1, 1960, in order to
give the Architects notice to begin drawing the working blueprints.
We have already received $2,000; another $5,000 or more has been promised
by the foreign workers in Japan; and most encouraging of all is the fact
that the Japanese Christians volunteered to give the first $1,000. Any
surplus in funds will be retained in the building fund for future exoansicn.
*Send funds to: or write for further information to:
George H. Beckman OR Oden E. Brown
31-6 chome, Nakamiya-cho Stafford Avenue, Route 3
Osaka, JAPAN Carbondale, Illinois
Designate - "MADDEN MEMORIAL BUILDING FUND"
RIGHT: Ethel
a HER DVBS
Left; George.
John a his friend
ATOP mt. Fuji
31 6 -home. Nakamiya-cho. Asahi'KU. Osaka. Japan
Dear Co-laborers-with-Christ: October 16, 1959
The so-called "big powers" of the world have been boasting and threatening
and generating a lot of heat and displaying a lot of power. They seem to be
trying to convince the smaller nations of the wisdom of following them be
cause of what they can oo better, bigger, rnd before any other big power can
do It so that the smaller nations should fear these big powers unless they
follow them. While these big powers have been doing this, God seems to have
been trying to demonstrate to Japan, one of the smaller nations sought after
by the big powers, that HE can produce a little heat and power, too. This
summer has been one of the hottest summers in meteorological history of Japan.
/Typhoon No. 15 (Vera) was one of the biggest ones recorded in Japan. 41 of
the 46 prefectures of Japan were terrorized as Vera passed over Japan with
winds of typhoon strength in a path almost 450 miles wide. Statistics are
cold, dead and uninteresting, but so are the dead, injured, homeless and
missing. Statistics now at hand as a result of the initial impact of Vera
are: Dead - 5,436; Wounded - 16,503; Missing - ? (1,009); Houses washed away
- 3,692; Houses completely destroyed - 30,537; House;- ^ destroyed - 92,275;
Houses flooded -419,063; Affected familie?
1,492,008; Property damage - $280,000,000.
,number who lost their minds because of the
lent in darkness, strong wind and rain on roof tops or floating debris,
ind the sudden loss of loved ones.
- 325,510; Affected p^iople -
This does no c. include the large
shock of the -.error of a night
The hardest hit area was Nagoya district be-oause of the densely oopu-
m\\\
iated areas on land reclaimed fror^ the sea and supposed to be protected by
an "unbreakable" sea wall that was br ken. A Western newspaper reporter
made a trip to Nagcya the day after Ver;i hit and r.f*er seeing the destruction,
death and suffering wrote, "the sight would sh-ock a b'.ttle-hardened soldier".
A foreign buyer in Nagoya said, "I fought in the K^iean war, but I've never,
never seen anything like this."
The missionaries, native Christians and o-i.hers have responded well to
help and more will be given later. All eyes have been turned toward Nagoya
because of the extent of the suffering and damage there, jDut please
remember to pray_ for the pthec thousand.^ who ^o.st..their It^ed ones, "rice-
earners", and all their earthly possessions and are just as cold and sick
and hungry as those in the Nagoya district.
-z-
When we think about such things visiting Japan each summer, we are
more anxious to build strong seminary buildings and houses. If the
center of Vera had passed over here, these temporary buildings with
our bodies may now be elsewhere.
To return to the idea stated in the first paragraph we note this.
While the so-called big pov/ers have been trying to show Japan what they
can do and the advisability of following the one that can produce the
most heat and power, God has been saying, "You had better follow ME,
because I can produce heat and power far greater than any earthly power."
/^EVEN THE GRAND SHINTO SHRINE AT ISE FAILED TO WITHSTAND THE FORCE OF
VERA AND WAS BADLY DAMAGED, ) We are here and will do what we can to
help physically. But our.raain purpose here is to teach these peoples
^ to depend more upon God than any earthly,power.
Theseminary is open again after the summer vacation and 17 are in
school We are grateful for the opportunity to help these prepare to
better serve their Master. The week before school started this Fall
was "work-week" this year. Much needed work was done in spite of the
rain that hindered some. The number helping this year was smaller but
we are grateful we were able to accomplish what we did.
We regret that Yoshio Biba did not continue with us. This has made
lis remain short of workers in the Seminary, and makes the amount of work
to be done by each worker greater. We don't mind the work, but with
less workers less work is done and there is so much to be done in a
land where so few are Christian. We have been searching for gn extra
good interpeter-teacher for some time, but without success. Please
pray that we may find one. >
-TETTait- "weelc ih'Tlugust I went to Tsuhima taking Yoshio Baba with me,
and we spent 4 nights in Izuhara the port city where the Satoo's live.
We had a meeting each night and each of us spoke each night ;n an effort
to strengthen the Christians against the efforts of some of the new mil
itant religions of Japan. Of course we were seeking new people, too, but
some of these new religions are very nationalistic and, therefore, vio
lently opposed to Christianity, and so the Christians need strength. It
was good that we had planned to spend all of the time in Izuhara so that
Mr. Satoo could be near home all of the time we were there. The day we
left his mother, 73, died of tumor the doctors feared was malignant.
.-^thel is very busy now as she spends her mornings teaching Mary first
"grade and Jenann second grade with help and interference from Ruth. She
spends afternoons teaching History of Missions in the seminary. She has
help in the home only on Monday and part of Saturday, so she has almost
n of her normal household work plus the teaching.
rbhnnie keeps busy with his travelling to and from school, the actual
school work, and piano, which he practices every morning before he goes
to school. He does very well in school but does become tired of the long
trip each day.
THANK YOU FOR Your ministers to Japan,
YOUR SUPPORT!
MAY GOD
BLESS YOU! The Beckmans
lour ministers to Japan,
George
Jenann t John d
Ruth a Mary s
immbpr. 1059
i'pasmtfi O^rptltnga
This newsletter was actually started in 1959, hut due to the
special effort made to help the Typhoon Vera victims and normal year
end extra acti/ity, it is 1960 before it will be completed and sent.
The Sakvo Church in Kyoto made an extra effort to try to get all
members present at one meeting on December 20, so the whole family
went in the moaning and stayed to eat rice curry with all those who
attended the morning service. On December 24, in the evening, George
and Ethel went over to a special program for adults leaving the child
ren at home because it would be late before they could return. On
December 31. the missionaries of this area, plus the Claude Likins
family, gathered at Koyoen for their annual oinner. At this time the
teen-agers and under brought messages in word and song. On January 1,
in the evening we went to Kobe to the home of one "f the seminary
students to eat their traditional New Years' special foods.
In general we didn't try to keep up with the ret of the people
in all the "celebrations". We didn't want lo, -md there w-^re other
people who didn't want to, either. Some of these people were actu
ally trying to hinder some of the "celebratioos". There were some
people who stood on streets and passed out hand bills urging the
people to spend the year end more quietly at home with their fami
lies. An editorial in one of the large native newspapers was trans
lated and printed in its English edition- It was entitled "Unholy
Night" and was very accurate in describing the thinking of the masses
of T:he people. Xmas to many people is just one more holiday for
"wild living" and when the head of the house uses the money he earns
for such activity the "Yuletide becomes Crueltide". For most of
Japan Christ is a "god of commerce" that is especially worshipped
at Xmas time. There may be some people who want to try to put Christ
back into Xmas. but here it may be better to try to rescue Him from
such a "mess".
-2-
/W
Tiie madden Memmorial Building Fund is growing some, but is rather
slow. December 31, 1959, there was a total of $2909.34 recorded on
the treasurer'o book. There have been promises from some to try to
help raise more, but actual promises of money coming have been far
too few. We seem to have the sympathy of a number of people but
their arms are too short to reach across the Pacific Ocean. It may
be that it will take a little longer than anticipated to get the arm
extended this far. We have not given up as yet, and don't intend to,
but we have difficulty pressing forward without adequate tools to do
so. We certainly need your prayers in this matter, so please help us.
This six weeks Ethel and George have a rest from the seminary
class room except for some afternoon Advanced English two days a week
for George. We need this breathing spell to get ready for the work
of the rest of our term. Ethel will have one more six weeks course
and George has three more such courses. In addition there will be
the extra work of getting things packed and stored somewhere (don't
know yet), so that we can leave here for our second furlough early
in July. Our future plans have not been decided. Please pray that
we may have the wisdom to know what to attempt to do and what not to
attempt to do. One may be as important as the other. The mission
ary's furlough sometimes may be more important than he or his
supporters realize.
The children are getting anxious to "visit" America for a year.
They keep talking about the time when they will come back "home" to
Japan from America. They think of Japan as their place to live and
America as some place to visit and spend a year away from home.
Johnnie remembers some about America, but Jenann and Mary don't re
member any of it because they were too young. And Ruth has not been
to America so her desire to go is a result of what she has heard
others say about America. Since she is a good traveler and likes
to travel, she looks forward to the trip.
We want to thank you for all you have done for us because we
certainly do appreciate it all. We especially want to thank vou for
your prayers and your physical assistance because without both this
work would be impossible. MAY GOD BLESS YOU.
(grnrgr $c lEtbrl Irrkmait S:
31-6 CHOME. Nakamiya-cho. asahi-ku Osaka. Japan