^

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29 June 1956

NEW WORK BEGUN IN SKVA.W'V^^^ 1

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FROM Tokyo, Japan Miss/Graqe Farnhain sends word that Brother Itagaki who graduated from

Tokyo Bible Seminary Ws veay^nd who has been helping with the teaching at Mabashi church,
"has found an excellent location for a new work in the nerby prefecture of Chib^. We have rented

a house in^town of 40, 000 population where there is very little Christian work being done. The section
where the house is located is a new housing area with new homes in every direction and apartments
soon to be built by large companies for their employees. In a new area the people will be mure easily reached than where there are only big old homes with families who have lived there for centuries. These are younger people with families and they have broken from many old fami^ traditions in many cases and are more willing to listen to a new faifti." He will need $50 a month support for himself

and family. Address Miss Farnaham at 4-500 Mabashi, Suginami ku, Tokyo, Japan.

9?o]cyo, Japen October 12. 1956

Dear Friends:

As the Jleenors have been busy getting r^ady to sail for Japan we are sending a mimeographed sheet again* Perhaps by ne^it issue w can have the Japan Joiu:n^
again.

We have some encooiraging things to report. The Bible School is showing a gradual increase in attendance. There are more women coming to the Wednesday women*^8
meetings and some are again attending the morning church services since the sermons are not so long and difficult. There are new people coming and some of the former Christians are showing more interest.

Mr, Paul Ito, who left our seminary to enter the Union Seminary a year ago last spring, has again returned to the Tokyo Bible Seminary. We are happy over this and since he made the decision himself, we feel that he will now make a faithful preacher
of the gospel. The Union Seminary has many denominational teachers and some of them
are modernidti&w.

The Christian 9adio Mission had some of the radio stations in Japan. organist, to play the Hammond organ. bashi Seminary student, Mr. Sugiura.
carried to thousands.

a request for some short devotional programs by They asked Harold Sims, who is an accomplished The scripture and poems were read by the Ma^ These will be used by a nuipber of stations without charge and by this means the gospel message in music and scripture vdll be

I visited the Itagakis at Kashiwa last week. I was surprised at the nev/ homes that have sprung up all around where they are living. This means more people to be
reached for Christ. Mr, Itagaki said that here there is a greater interest shovm in
the services. Mrs. Itagaki has a new position in a kindergarten in the same tovjn, as Mr. Itagaki v/rote me in English, ^'fifteen minutes, leg go fast" from their home.
As the former kindergarten was Buddhist, we are glad of the change where she can be freer to give a Christian witness.
This is the festival time when the ^Omikoshi" is taken out of the shrines and

carried about the streets by young men all dressed in the same kind of blue and white cotton kimona. The "Omikoshi" resembles the ancient Ark of the Covenant and many

Japanese scholars think they have Jewish background. They rush here and there chant ing as they go followed by a crowd of onlookers. Then they rest and drink sake

(Japanese wine) in one of the shops that has been decorated for the occasion. Often
there are tiny "Omikoshi" carried by small boys. Everyone has a gay time because it is the festival celebration. Sometimes I receive a gift of special food. It has not been offered to the gods but I would prefer not to receive it. As usual the devil chaser comes offering to chase the devils out of my house. He is surprised that I refuse. He carries a mask with a cloth attached so that when he puts on the mask the cloth drapes over his clothing. A woman who has a small shop said that he came many times to her shop (evidently he did not do a good job the first time) because he
wanted the coin \Mch she gave.

Mr. Koto, a church deacon, has been in the hospital for two months from the after effects of pneumonia. He is able to return home but v/e have Just received word that Mr. Haruta, a former deacon, is in the hospital. He has had lung trouble and has been overworking. The dang? climate and lack of good nourishing food causes much T B.

year.

Send us used Christmas cards, at once, as we have none for the hospitals this We can buy them here but cannot afford such pretty ones. Do not send comic

cards nor those without pictures. Do not cut them but paste a seal or a picture over
the writings

An offering from the Hov/ River, Oregon, church will be used for giving gifts perhaps New Testaments - to the Bible School children, here. The Mabashi Bible School always takes a Christmas offering and sends it to the little Bible School in the
mountains.

The Los Gratos California church, which has been sending $50 per month towards my living link salary for the past nine years, write that they will discontinue t}iat support from the first of January. They plan to double the amount and give it to an other cause. I appreciate their faithful support and the love and interest which they have shown by their prayers and gifts on special occasions, I realize, too, that there are many calls and people are interested in Liany places where the Lord's work

is being done. Hov/ever, to have this amount cut off while I am in Japan will cause
some difficulty. It is not possible to live on $50 per month as we did for a few

years tefore the war. May I suggest to other churches v/ho are giving living link support to a missionary, that you make every effort to continue the support of your missionary. If it is necessary to make a change, do it v/hen the missionary is on
furlough.

I vdsh to thank all those who have given offerings in the past three months and
are continually remembering us in your prayers.
Your missionary,
G-race Slarnham

aRACE rAENHAM FINANCIAL REPORT

July Ist - September 30th

Recei-pts Excenses

Oregon
Salem, Court Street $3^.11 Salem, Coiirt Street Jr. Teacher 28.00 Mr, & Mrs, R, Miner 15.00
Rov; River Church 20.00

Living Link Salary

Court St, Church, Salem, Oregon First Christian Church, LosGatoa
California

$ 300.00

Japanese t'forkers:

Mrs. Maspka Kuninaka

Jr, Dept. Salem, Oregon Church, Rov; River, Oregon

75*00 5000 75*00

Coquille 0, V/, F.
Yoncalla Jr. G-irls Total
California

3^.21

$ 478.82

Mrs, Fusako Kongo

!4r3, G-reen, Geort^ria

Mr. Sa i4rs, Peter Itagaki

25.00
100.00

William V. Barney
Los Gatos Total

125.00

Kansas Sublette Total

Staj^on, Oregon Rent for Kashiwa work 33.00 Birthday G-ift used for clothing 55*00 jiJiDies urom luna aonatea lor iiibles)lu.uu Printing of last Paper 17.00
TOTAL EXPEJISES
Cash Received

15.00

$ 615.00
$ 678.82 1309^07 $1987.89
61^.00

Indiana Danville Total

TOTAL CASH RECEITO)

60.00
60.00

Cash on hand, October 1st

GRAIID TOT/iL CASH

Expenses

$ 678.82 BALA2ICE October 1st, I956

$1375.89

grace FARNHAjM
C/0

1835 N.

G.I V E
"the: united wa

N0V5

'966

Harold I'cFarland

Box 96S Joliet, Illinois