Our Japan trip for the spring of 2026 is coming to an end. Our last three Sundays were spent with three congregations in Shizuoka, Chiba, and Ibaraki Prefectures.
We first went to Shizuoka to have lunch with brother and sister Maeda. They minister to the Nakada church started by his father with the help of Hettie Lee Ewing. We first met them at Ibaraki Christian College in 1969 as college students. It was good to visit with them and an opportunity to learn a little about the history of Ewing’s mission activities. They have been caring for brother Maeda’s older sister at home for several years and had recently moved her to a care facility.
The next day, we studied a little about the history of Shizuoka. This is the area that Tokugawa Ieyasu retired to in 1605 after uniting Japan and making Edo the capital instead of Kyoto. Edo was renamed Tokyo when Emperor Meiji came to power. The Tokugawa family had a great deal of influence, and their rule resulted in a period of peace and isolation from the world. In 1614, Ieyasu issued a nationwide edict prohibiting Christianity, expelling missionaries, and ordering Japanese Christians to renounce their faith. The ban remained in effect for 259 years and was removed in 1873.
That evening, we had supper with William and Randi Adams, their daughter, and Angel Alcantar. These are the new missionaries in Shizuoka. The Adams arrived last November, and Alcantar arrived in April. They are both now involved in language study as well as ministering to the Okitsu and Oiwa congregations.
These two congregations were started with the help of Sarah Andrews. The last member of the Oiwa congregation died in 2024. The Adams immediately started English Bible classes and an English worship on Sunday afternoons at the meeting place of the Oiwa church. They were joined by Angel Alcantar this spring. They now have regular meetings each Sunday afternoon. On Sunday mornings, they meet with the Okitsu church where brother Shinozaki ministers.
On Sunday, we had a joint worship at the Oiwa building. Three congregations gathered for worship. Two were started by Sarah Andrews, and one by Hettie Lee Ewing. All three were started before WWII. Andrews was from Dixon, Tennessee, and Ewing was from Cleburne, Texas. Andrews remained in Japan during the war because she was not well enough to travel. Her grave is in the city of Numazu.
After one day back in Tachikawa, we went to the Shinshu Camp in Nagano Prefecture for the joint minister’s three-day retreat. The topic was encounters with God through baptism, worship, and the Lord’s Supper. It was a good time to fellowship and encourage each other. Twenty-five gathered, which included an intern from Harding University and the Noguchi’s children, who are students there. During the meeting, Japan was experiencing a typhoon, so we had heavy rain and some wind.
Returning from the retreat, we regrouped and prepared to visit the Matsudo church for a second time on this trip. It was another encouraging time to worship with them. After worship, those who wanted to have a meal together walked to the 7-Eleven konbini to get lunch and returned to the building for a time of fellowship lasting almost two hours.
The next three days were filled with visits and meals with different people. On Monday afternoon, we visited with a Uenohara church member, where we ministered from 1980 to 1986. Her son, Takashi, visited us in Memphis shortly after we returned in 1986. He died suddenly in March. She brought a photo album with pictures from that time. It was so good to be with her and rehearse the past together. She mentioned how her son changed after returning from his visit to Memphis. He became more diligent in his studies. He was a faithful Christian. He was baptized at Motosu Camp by brother Obata.
Tuesday, we had lunch with two members of the Tachikawa church, a mother and daughter. They took us to a tempura restaurant for lunch. We shared photos and encouraged them. The daughter’s son is an artist and was recognized by a French exhibit. They had recently been in France for that.
Wednesday was a special visit with our former landlord. We rented an apartment from the Christian Literature Crusade for our last three years in Japan. Her husband was over that ministry in Japan. Our second-floor apartment was just over their first-floor apartment. Her son, David, and our son, Jonathan, became good friends and were in school together at Christian Academy in Japan. It was good to talk about our time together and our children. She was in Japan visiting her son and daughter-in-law, who teach in the elementary and high school on the Yokota Air Base. Her grandson graduated from high school.
In the midst of these, we began doing “last times” in preparation for leaving. This was the last Thursday, last Friday, … of this trip. You get it done now, or it will not get done in Japan. There was also prep for the memorial service for brother Obata and our time with the Tomobe church.
Brother Obata Shiro’s memorial was Saturday afternoon at the Ochanomizu church building. There were over 200 people present to remember him and encourage the family. It was good to see several we have not seen on this trip as well as to say a last good-bye to several we had seen previously. It was a meaningful tribute to a person who had touched many. I know he has meant a great deal to my family and me. His wife died last year, and we were able to attend her memorial. I was asked to lead the closing prayer. The service lasted for two hours with good words of encouragement and memories.
We immediately left the service and headed to Tomobe, two prefectures north of Tokyo. When we arrived at the Tomobe station, the bottom dropped out, and it poured rain. We sat in the station watching it rain and trains come and go for about forty-five minutes. Once it quit, we walked to the Tomobe church building about a twenty-minute walk away.
When we arrived, the Let’s Start Talking team from the University of Texas had begun a party for their readers. We got there just in time to eat a bit before the games started. It was a good fellowship of about twenty people. The three lady college students did a very good job of involving everyone and creating a relaxed atmosphere of fellowship. Though tired, we enjoyed the interactions and participated. We finally got to bed a little after 10 and quickly fell sound asleep.
Sunday was spent with the Tomobe church. Marlin and Jean Ray were asked to re-establish the church there in the summer of 1985. They celebrated their forty years last summer. Worship went well with twenty-five present. I preached about the difference between thanksgiving and praise from Psalm 138. Following worship, we had a potluck together. It was once again a blessing to connect with this congregation. We pray that the seeds planted by the LST group bring a harvest.
Our sixty-six-day trip with nine Sundays has come to an end. We were thankful for the opportunity to minister and to encourage those in ongoing ministries here. The Gospel is being shared. We continue to pray that those seeds of God’s words of Good News will fall on hearts that are good and honest to bring forth fruit to the glory of our Father. Thank you for giving us this opportunity.