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October 2001
Dear Friends,
As we sit down to write a belated newsletter, it has been almost
a month since the terrorist strikes in New York and Washington
D.C. When the planes hit, we were just getting ready for bed after
our late evening English Bible study. It was 11 p.m. and we were
tired. Tim flipped on the TV planning to watch for just a couple
of minutes hoping to catch the ball scores, and we stared in horror
as the plane was flying into the second tower. Neither of us got
much sleep that night, and we wished we could have gone to sleep
in ignorance to find out about it all the next morning instead.
Needless to say, this event has had a major impact here just
as it has all over the world. While mourning the death of thousands
and the destruction that this event has wrought on our way of
life, we nevertheless have been heartened by the way we see the
hand of God bringing good out of this unspeakable act of violence.
Our work schedule suffered for the first few days after September
11, as CNN very successfully competed for our attention. Seeing
all of the prayer vigils and uplifting messages being given by
Christian leaders was certainly an inspiration. This inspired
us to call together members of the international community here
as well, and so on the first Sunday after the event, over 70 people
gathered at the Tsukuba Church for an English language prayer
service. It was a healing experience for us all.
By the time you read this letter, the expected strikes against
bin Laden and the Taliban may very well be in full swing. We are
thankful that our government has not lashed out in immediate anger,
and we pray that cool heads will continue to prevail. We pray
that God’s wisdom will be given to our leaders to move in
ways that dismantle the terrorists ability to do future acts of
terror without simply fertilizing the ground that breeds terrorists
in the first place.
We were fortunate to have already returned to Japan this past
summer after our home assignment in the United States. It was
great to be able to touch base again with so many of you as we
visited supporting churches, family, and friends. When we see
how many travel plans were disrupted by the attacks, we feel fortunate
indeed that we didn’t have to experience that.
In recent newsletters, we have reported on the status of Tim’
s book, Bible Stories Hidden In Chinese Characters. It is finally
in the publishing phase and will be available by November. Sample
copies will be sent to supporting churches as a token of our appreciation
for the support we receive, and anyone else who would like a copy
can order it from us directly by e-mail. Tim is now working on
a new book in his spare time entitled, Japan: The Land Of The
Hidden Cross. This book is already out in Japanese, and Tim is
rewriting and editing it in English. It details the numerous evidences
proving that ancient Christianity was transported along the Silk
Road into various Asian countries, including Japan, and had a
profound impact on the cultures and religions of these countries.
The focus of the book is naturally on Japan and how the "standard"
view that Japan’s first contact with Christianity came in
1549 when Xavier landed simply doesn’t square with the facts.
The importance of this subject is that having an appreciation
for their true history will open Japanese hearts in a way that
simply importing Western Christianity has not been able to do.
Japanese history has been highly manipulated by the powers that
be, and thus many aspects of its true history have been lost—but
not completely. Enough evidence remains to show that Christian
churches existed in Japan well over 1000 years ago. When Xavier
came to Japan, he was already aware of this to a certain extent,
and he was able to bring about a revival by building upon that
base. He was so successful, in fact, that it is estimated that
at its peak around 1600, as many as 25 percent of the population
had become Christians! Few Japanese realize this, and one thing
that hinders church growth in Japan is the view that one must
retain the faith of one’s ancestors even if one doesn’t
believe in faith oneself. Thus, knowledge of the surprising Christian
history of Japan has the potential to open up people s hearts
to the faith that many of their ancestors actually had.
You'll have to read the book, of course, to get a good sense
of the evidence that is being uncovered and its importance to
evangelism in Japan. It is far too complicated and involved to
detail in a newsletter, of course, but it is a fascinating subject
that should be of interest to many of you. This book should be
ready early next year, but if you are particularly interested
in a preview, we can send portions of the developing manuscript
by e-mail. We promise to get a third letter out by Christmas time,
and so we will give you more details at that time.
Lisa and Jennifer are both doing well in school, being in their
senior years of college and high school respectively. By next
year, our "empty nest syndrome" will be complete, as
both will be studying in the U.S. Please continue to uplift the
work the Lord is doing through us in your prayers. Juji’s
health is holding out as well as can be expected, but she will
need to undergo a new round of treatments in November, and so
your prayers in her behalf are most appreciated.
With Love,
Tim, Juji, Lisa and Jennifer
The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 185
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