| March 29, 2005
Dear Friends in Christ,
At the end of this month I will be retiring, after a little more
than 37 years as a missionary of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Before I do that I would like to thank you for your support during
those years and also let you know what is happening in my life
now.
First, I want to review my years of missionary service so you
can give thanks to God with me for the wonderful opportunities
I have had to serve the Church of Jesus Christ in Japan. I went
to Japan in 1968 to serve as an English teacher at Shikoku Christian
College, in Zentsuji, a small town in Southwestern Japan. I was
there for 13 years and made many friends who are still close to
me today. In the later years in Zentsuji I became more interested
in church work, so in 1981 I left the college to attend seminary.
Following a year at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in
Austin, Texas, I went to the island of Kyushu in southwest Japan.
After a four-year term in Kyushu, I returned to Austin for two
more years of study and was ordained as minister of the Word and
Sacrament. I continued serving in Kyushu from 1982 to 2003, first
as a regional missionary working with church planting, next as
a pastor, and last as the chaplain of a presbytery-sponsored retirement
center. During my years in Japan I lived in four different towns
on two islands and also had the opportunity to visit many more
of the islands of Japan as part of my school or church work. I
am very thankful to God for leading me throughout my life, and
especially so for God’s allowing me to spend so many years
in service in Japan.
My final term in Japan ended in September 2003. At that time
I moved from Nakatsu on the east side of Kyushu Island, to Austin,
Texas, to stay in missionary housing owned by Austin Seminary.
During my 16 months there I had opportunities to participate in
the chapel services, meals in the seminary dining hall, and also
to enroll in some of the four- or five-day courses which are offered
there. During that time I returned to Japan for a month to visit
as many people as I could. Each Sunday in Japan I was in a different
church, and I also had the opportunity to participate in a fall
event of Kyushu Presbytery and to attend the General Assembly
of the United Church of Christ in Japan, which is the cooperating
denomination of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
For close to 15 years I have had in mind that I would like to
retire in Texas, in Mission Presbytery, in a small town, within
two hours of Austin, and do supply preaching in one or more small
churches. During those years many towns have come up as possible
candidates, but around June of last year I decided on Cuero, which
has a population slightly under 7,000 and is just about two hours
south southeast of Austin. Some days I have made the trip in one
hour and forty-five minutes, but almost never does it take over
two hours. It is a lovely drive also. I have not been to Austin
for almost a month now, but the wildflowers are entering their
peak season, so I look forward to three or more trips to Austin
in April.
The first year I was in seminary, I came to Cuero to speak at
a Wednesday-night dinner at First Presbyterian Church, and that
is when the seed of an idea was planted. During the intervening
years I have driven through the town many times, as it is between
Austin and my hometown of Brownsville. Last August I came to town
to speak at a Sunday-morning service and looked around town for
a possible residence. I found my present residence in December
last year, and I have enjoyed getting settled and participating
in the life of the congregation as a choir member, circle member,
and last week as a substitute Sunday School teacher. However,
today I received information about a possible regular preaching
assignment in a nearby town, and there are also some other area
churches that would like a minister to come have Communion for
them, so my Sundays at the Cuero church will become fewer as I
get more involved in the life of nearby churches.
This will be my last letter to you as a missionary of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.), but I will welcome correspondence from you at
my home address above or at my email address, abbopris@yahoo.com,
which I can access from anywhere. I hope to continue involvement
with the Japanese church through visiting Japan and also through
hosting persons from Japan who come through south Texas for business,
study, or pleasure.
Thank you again for your support. Please continue your support
of the worldwide ministries of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God bless you all.
Sincerely,
Priscilla Abbott
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