November 29, 2004

Dear Friends,

As we approach the close of another year we are again reminded of those who have so faithfully supported our mission in Japan for nearly 20 years. It has been a blessing to witness the power of the gospel in this place. Your prayers and gifts have made it possible for us to minister in this land of so much opportunity and challenge.

The primary focus of our mission continues to be new church development in a community just north of Kobe called Nishitani. Our partners in this work to organize a new congregation of the Reformed Church of Christ in Japan are an elder and his wife, the Kondos, who live in Nishitani and serve the community through their medical practice. Their ties to the community have been invaluable as we share the gospel together.

The opportunities for sharing the good news in Nishitani, a community that has never before had a Christian witness, much less a church, continue to surprise us. The 10-year-old daughter of a local Buddhist priest attends Ann’s English Bible class on Sunday afternoons. In faith we believe that some day the seeds of belief that are being planted in her life will come to fruition.

Recently an elderly gentleman visited Dr. Kondo’s clinic with a surprising self-diagnosis. He said what he really needed more than medical care was “care for the heart.” He had heard that Christians were good at providing such care and wanted to know how he himself could receive it. After counseling with this gentleman Dr. Kondo invited him to come to our Sunday morning services where he is hearing the gospel for the first time.

A man and his wife, both artists, have retired in Nishitani after careers in teaching and have been attending our services faithfully for over a year. The husband’s specialty is creating bronze sculptures of fish, so he was fascinated to discover than an ancient symbol of the Christian faith is a fish. Now his art has taken on new meaning.

A young Christian woman and her father (whose Christian wife passed away eight years ago) have been worshipping at our chapel for a couple of years now. While his wife was living the man neither attended church nor showed interest in the faith. Now as he learns about Jesus Christ he is being embraced by the fellowship of believers. We are praying that he will request baptism soon.

A major focus of our outreach to the people of Nishitani is holding seasonal events to which friends and neighbors are invited. In the spring we have a firefly-viewing picnic, in the summer a barbecue, in the fall a harvest event at which we dig sweet potatoes, and right before New Year’s Day, a rice-cake-making event. Bill gives a short gospel message and extends an invitation to Sunday services. We are able to get to know the people of the community better through these events, which have been well attended. Mr. and Mrs. Morita, who were baptized at Christmas last year, host these events in their yard.

We continue to count on your prayer for our work and family. Preaching in the Japanese language week in and week out to a congregation that includes those who have never heard the gospel as well as those of mature faith remains a challenge to Bill. Pray that he will be perceptive to the needs of both the seekers and believers who attend. Please pray that the seekers who have been attending will be open to receiving the faith that God desires to give them. Also pray that Ann’s English and Korean language classes will continue to be an effective way of outreach.

Our family in Japan is becoming smaller. John, our eldest, is studying industrial design at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. Paul, a high school senior, is looking forward to starting his study of film somewhere in the United States in the fall of 2005. Sarah will be leaving us in the fall of 2006. Please pray that plans will be made in God’s will and that we may all adjust well to the changes.

We also continue to count on your financial support through the PC(USA)—without it our ministry would not be possible. We are grateful for your partnership as we share the good news of what God has done in Jesus Christ.

May our Lord richly bless you during the Christmas season and into the new year.

In Christ,

Bill and Ann Moore
Mission Co-workers, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

The 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 251