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	Letter from Christian & Kay Zebley in Japan

	March 1, 2006 I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. John 8:12 NRSV Dear Friends, Blessings of love and peace for 2006 from Kamakura, Japan. This year marks our eighth year of service as Presbyterian mission co-workers in partnership with the United Church of Christ in Japan. Giving thanks to our Lord who goes before us, we are encouraged by your continued prayers and support of our ministry. 2005 brought darkness to many in our world through natural disaster, war, and terrorism while roughly 50 percent of the human population continues to live on less than two dollars a day. If the media had the final word, one might conclude our world is controlled by the darkness of human suffering. At Christmas our worship centered on the “light of the world” becoming one of us and dwelling in our midst. The light of Emmanuel will not be extinguished and surrounds us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Living on the mission field, we perceive God’s light in many ways: in a child who brings daily laughter and praise, building Habitat houses with Japanese students in the Philippines and networking with Japanese church leaders and youth seeking to share the good news with a new generation.

	Anna Elizabeth Zebley is now 2 years old. A natural communicator in both English and Japanese, she has really deepened our local neighborhood relationships.		Anna Elizabeth kept us very busy in 2005. Turning two on December 5, we celebrated the big day with a homemade Winnie the Pooh cake. Like most little girls in Japan, Anna loves Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Hello Kitty. We are humbled by the impact little Anna has made on our community in just two years! People who never even glanced our way in the past now happily stop to chat with Anna. As her English vocabulary thrives at home, she quickly learns Japanese from friends and neighbors. For example, if she sees a picture of a duck, she will immediately say, “duck” but instead of “quack, quack” she prefers the Japanese “Gwa-Gwa.” It is fun to observe her budding bilingual ability. When she greets people at our doorway, she likes to bow and say, “domo.” (thank you).

	She can also be quite the evangelist. A few weeks ago, she was invited to dinner with the older couple next door. As they prepared to begin the meal with the traditional expression “Itadakimasu” (I humbly receive this), Anna blurts out, “Amen. Momma, Daddy!” Still recovering from Anna’s outburst, they told us they may start to pray before each meal! The exciting news is that Anna will become a big sister in March. She loves to kiss Kay’s belly and say “baby, baby.” It has been a good pregnancy as we anticipate becoming a family of four. Please keep Kay and the new baby in your prayers. Kay continues to serve as the editor of the “Kyodan Newsletter” a bimonthly publication sent out to UCCJ partner churches and theological libraries worldwide. She also does translation work for the UCCJ and supports Nippon Rowa Gakko, the Japan Oral School for the Deaf founded by Presbyterian missionaries in 1921. She frequently leads children’s worship at our local church and participates in a local advocacy group for the homeless.

	Christian Zebley with a group of young pastors and theological students of the United Church of Christ in Japan. He is encouraging leaders for the growing national youth movement in the UCCJ.				Christian has been very busy with the emerging UCCJ national youth program. He is a frequent preacher in mission high schools and churches. In July, he traveled to Taiwan with Japanese delegates for a youth conference hosted by the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan. Just a few days after returning from Taipei, he helped lead a conference titled “Youth Mission 2005.” Students came from UCCJ districts to join a delegation of youth from Germany. It was the first time Kyodan youth have met on a national level since 1968.

	As a chaplain at Presbyterian-related Meiji Gakuin University in Tokyo, he speaks regularly in chapels, develops contemporary worship services, and hosts “Peace Café,” a coffee house ministry for students. In August, he led a group of 15 Meiji Gakuin students to the Philippines for a Habitat For Humanity work camp. In nearby Yokohama he organized a team of four short-term missionaries for a Thursday-night program at the Greenhouse Youth Center. These English teachers bring their students to the former church parsonage for games, singing, a Bible talk, and dinner. Christian translates the discussion into Japanese. The Greenhouse Christmas Party hosted 30 students from four local schools. In April, the missionary team will continue the program as Christian introduces this youth ministry model to other mission school communities throughout Japan. Recently, UCCJ national leadership decided to host “Youth Mission 2006.” Fifteen youth delegates from the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan and other partner churches will join 20 UCCJ youth in Tokyo this August. This is a major breakthrough. Christian is now recruiting youth leaders from church districts and working directly with the National Women’s Society and the Education and World Mission Committees of the UCCJ. After five years of grassroots organizing, we give thanks and praise our partner church is officially conducting youth ministry on the national level. On August 5 we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in Honolulu with Anna and both sets of grandparents. It was very memorable to have the family together for this event. We are now looking forward to the birth of our second child and another busy year of youth programs. In January 2007 we will return to the States for mission interpretation and continuing education. We hope to see you in person next year! May the Spirit of God dwell in your hearts abundantly in 2006. Grace and Peace, The Zebleys The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 252

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