December 2004

To our Friends and Supporters:

Greetings from Japan! The Christmas season has already begun, and we are already behind. We’ve gotten off to less than an auspicious beginning, as Juji’s treatment ran up against some scheduling problems that delayed her discharge from the hospital, and Tim came down with a bad cold that laid him low for a few days. Juji will get out on December 4, and Tim’s cold is well along the way towards being forgotten. So, along with getting this Christmas newsletter out a bit late, we have to now begin our decorations, Christmas cards, etc., as well as prepare for the numerous events we have coming up this month. So, we would certainly appreciate you prayer support for strength and health during this season.

We’re already thinking ahead to our upcoming home assignment, as we’ll be on the plane in just over a month from now. It is always with mixed emotions that we approach our home assignment times. It is a disruption in our work here in Japan, as we have to put so many things on hold, but at the same time, it is an important part of our overall ministry, as maintaining contact with our supporting churches in the United States is vital to the overall mission of the church. Of course, we also look forward to seeing family and old friends as well as meeting new friends wherever we visit.

We leave on January 4 for Honolulu and from there on January 10 for Los Angeles. We’ll be based in Pasadena until February 25, when we fly to Atlanta, where we are based for the rest of our time. Our last Sunday will be in the Washington D.C. area, and so we fly up there on March 30 and then leave on April 4 for our long flight back to Japan. Our church visitation schedule is pretty well worked out now, though we still haven’t finalized some of our March schedule in the East. Having to contend with Easter being in March does complicate things somewhat, as Holy Week is not exactly prime time for a presentation on missions. But we look forward to celebrating Easter somewhere in the Atlanta area then.

In previous letters, we have mentioned our work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which Tim helped get started in Japan more than 10 years ago, and where he still serves on the board of directors. Last week, Tim made a major presentation to a group of medical personnel who were gathered from all over Japan for a conference on death and dying.

There was an excellent response to the 20-minute presentation, with lots of questions. It was interesting to note that four of the participants in the overall program of the convention were from Yodogawa Christian Hospital in Osaka, where Tim is now serving on the board as well. YCH began Japan’s first hospice service and continues to be a leader in the field. It certainly is gratifying to see how God is working to make these kinds of connections. Where this will all lead, of course, we do not yet know, but it is certainly exciting to contemplate the possibilities God seems to be leading us into.

The overall mission in Japan is in a period of great change. The “Japan-North American Commission on Cooperative Mission,” known as JNAC, has been in existence for more than 30 years and has consisted of several North American mission boards along with the Japanese church. It was designed to facilitate cooperation, and it served its purpose well. However, the cost of maintaining the system has begun to outweigh the benefits, and so it is being replaced by a much looser arrangement that won’t require staffing. “Restructuring” and “downsizing” are terms we often hear in the corporate world, but they apply to church bureaucracy as well. Such transition involves pain and struggle, but we pray that the final result will facilitate the fulfillment of the purpose of our existence, namely, the proclamation in word and deed of the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Tim has helped with translation work during the initial meetings and will be flying to Louisville in January to help with the final dissolution meeting. We give thanks to God for the vital role JNAC has played over the years and we ask for your prayers for his continued guidance as we prepare for the future.

One need we have is to procure a car while we are in California. Our plan is to buy a car for our use and take out family insurance, and then to pass that on to Jennifer, as she needs to get a car for her use. We’d like to get a dependable, fuel-efficient car for under $5000, so if any of you have any leads for us to follow up on, that information would be most appreciated. We hope to see many of you over the next few months. May God richly bless you all during this blessed Christmas season!

In Christ,

Tim and Juji Boyle

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 92