February

1975

Report from
Ernest and Neva Faber

North 49 East 15 Higashi ku, Sapporo 065 Japan

Dear Friends in Oirist,

of the Higashi ku Ch\lrch^of Christ here in Sapporo. "The preparations of the heart in man
and the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." We encourage you to continue to pray for the sai^/ation 01 so\ils here. Already we have seen what the Lord has brought about through the ir-avers cf Obristiansf fox he has prepared a people to give ear to His word.
li'ie house of the Lord was finished and ready for dedication on December 19th. It

It is with joy and praise to the Lord that we sit dov7n to tell you of the beginnings

vas a Stor1:1}' night "but 16 people case to praise the Lord for his provision and offer prayer
for guidance in the work. It was a joy to have the preacher from Toroakomai bring the mes sage and -co see Christians from the work in Obihiro and Tomakoraai as well as a fine group cf old friends from the Moivrashita Church of Glirist. I-tr. Suzuki brought a greeting and

these fc,it.hful folk brought along a hundred dollar offering (in yen) to assist in the
furtherance of Gvoc.'s kingdoin in this capital city. We are indeed grateful for the fellow ship of ou:c sister church which was established under the leadership of w^esley Walker,
We hs.d a bit of excitement d-jring the dedication. There was a small child in atten dance and hs began to resist being held so Neva slipped over to the house for some toys for the nursery adjoining the ^neetiYig roc.Ti. Sut when whe entered the house she immediately smeiied ioine-'ihing burning. The men vrho hooked up the gas lines the day before did not carefully check their wvork and tvo good si^ed leaks were burning like blowtorchs having been ignited by the even pilot. The main leak was harmless since there was asbestos iini:;g tni vail but the second leak caused by a careless bending of the line reached over to the til&d -;.re-d arid had 'already turned the tile red hot. Because it was propane gas' it was easy ro sj^tinguish the flames but Neva missed most of the message while she cooled the red hot tiles w5,th wet towels since there was danger of igniting the thin plywood back of the tiles. The guesxs came over to see the house after the service but we were unable to serve the traditional gTeen tea since there was no way to heat water*

Suiiday afternoon of Deeenber 22nd 3^ children from the area gathered for Chil.drsn'-'c Christina?-. Kiss Fujii, a graduate of the Osaka Bible Seminary and convert of the

Obihiro >:ork who lives here in tcvrn, assisted in registering# preparing the program, and greeting parents. .Among this group were seven Junior High students. A college youth new >rork-;--,2; .ir;. the ;-oiw".shita churrch spent a good part of two days preparing posters and ' helping with the cleaning and preparation of the building. This young man/ Masaini'Gofiachi, was our first .S^-inday School pupil in Obihiro nearly 20 years ago.

ne iniierted an announceiuent of the opening of the church in the local newspaper and had severrceen people in attendance for a ChristmHis eve candlelight service. Mrs. Nakayamap
who lives-about two blocks from here, had been waiting for the church to be built having seen o^xs: ^igin posted near the property. Mr, Harata, a member of a Menonnite church across tc.wn, Oc.p.e saying he desired to worship with us part of the time since his church is so far away. An elderly lady and two young girls came but would not tell us their names. It vras their first time to hear the gospel. Since then an elderly man who lives about'
eleven blocI^B from the- church has started to attend. Ke has a Christian home but his wife

is a shut-in and unable to attend.

the

Besides .^iss Fujii, who has placed her membership here,

ohree adults mentioned have all confessed a faith in Christ in some denominational

church a-id join js reguls-rly In .orship

of our Creator.

It is much easier for new people

to 002:8 snd 5 great addition to the service to have beleivers who join in the praise,
fror: th^-. Moiv.-ashita Churcn who live in North Sapporo have also been to church.

feray

for us as v.-e try to le?.d the;n -.ccording to the will of the Lord', They also add to the.^itness with regular offorings. -nA by leading children into the Sunday School. Two members
We loliowed up the children vith personal invitations to VBS held from the 5th to the 10 oh of January, We enrol3.ed a total of seventeen children with an average attendance of t.vslve, Gur total enrollment for Sunday School is now eighteen. We have reached 28 chil dren through VBS ajcd Sunday School. One of these will soon be entering Junior High and

She has no^ siissed a meeting.

and Iveva. "

At present the full teaching load is being handled' by Ernest

On January fouz'th it was Srnest's pleasure to conduct an engagement service for one of Tor-iakomai^s members. The two families gathered to hear the young people announce their vlans for.establishing a Christian home. Following the service we had a sm^ll reception at the house, .

We appreciate and give thanks for your faithful support.

Support that we are depend

ing upon to clear the building debt this year.

that you nad -i^o wait so long for them.

Your receipts are enclosed,

VJe are sorzy ;

'

Yours in lUs service,

March

1975

Report from

Box 173f Adel, lA 50003

Ernest and Neva Faber

North 49, East 15

Higashi ku, Sapporo

Dear Friends in Christ,

time we wrote the snow was up to tlie vrindoors.
through aaults, En:ro.llinent is around

JAPAN

shining. Spring is here and weloone. The paved road in front of

neighborhood children irregardless the traffic, ihe weather reminds v;s that its time to write again as the last

school year which in Japan is April. There are seven classes for kindergarten
school attendance is vepr irreg-alar. ' The '4-th-6th grade class (now
present.

to English classes are now in session. They began with the start of the new

include- a couple oi uunic-r Kigners) h-,s the steaaibst attendance. Korning wor-

^oes
S our things

nIH

his membership in the Higashi ku Church of Christ. In February a ^ neighborhood began attending and last Sunday a 37-year-

Mr. Yanada, a foraer member of Obihiro's

brought two girls for Sunday School and then stayed for church serago Ernest with the help of Mr. laMda dismantled the prefab stor-

Tomakoitai. It is being erected on the property here in Sapporo and

remain in the yard under a tarp.

erection is completed some of

est rftes'^^ho!!<.^r" fluffish last year but the government has lowered inter""" available houses are going ud. From iSt Sfr/ sight-household apartment hoi^e has this uSk? ^ ^ Private house is to be built just east of the church in

5/8 of a mile north'^f the Smi^l the turn irfrmrf in front of the 43th, th^tu^ ti: church rather than turning around at ^ North extended to make
property. The contractor has been very gen-

week ago the city transportation office checked the area preliminary to

SS^d^t
vear^^^o

"*""" " " "

"

widower, chose to marry here at the church toest performed the quiet, private wedding on March 28. Their adult children were to Chvla+tri+ Christians but both were introduced
jrt?drXo ago

through Christians kindergartens that their children attended

Ei^nest, with the aid of Mr. Suzuki of Southside Hoivashita Church of Christ has been working on the incorporation of the Higashi ku Church of Christ It has

tS TomffeomI? ^ is ^corporation be of approved within the next week or so. Tomakomai ^ church also in the should process incorporating,
Your receipts are enclosed and with them we send along our heartfelt thanks.
Yours in His servj

S a^o^r Tf'r

the papers ha^^ beef submitted to anotSr ofkoe f^'

^ ^

Report from

July

1975

Ernest and Neva Faber

T. no-i Adel, lA TA 5 '^000'^ Box 173, 3

North East 13 Higashi ku, Sapporo

065 JAPAN

Dear Priends in Christ,

^
meaningful contacts.

n;s'iv.ais

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wards .

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meeting with onlv temporary assistance from the mission. They <are also Paying

Although the group is s.^11 they are faithful ste

1.W=.

IS ;s:=c.3rSx

K.bi.

~ :fss s

1... ein.. .. Mi of tt. l.=or,.llo., . .pprm.

a EN on June 27. Linda will be raaxrled to Gary Worcester of Hill City, Kansas, July iyr fViavles and Allan recently completed thelx second and first year at Cincinnati Biole

College. Tbey Sre now living at Grandmother Faber's farm home at Minbum, Iowa. They
have slides of the work if anyone is interested.

Besides her English and Sunday School classes Neva goes to School every Wednesday to take care of the library during thesuimer.

camrthirSet EmZt borrowed the church bus from Moiwashlta

Christian Acadamy High School.

The Hokkaido International School's Junior High department, -his fall he will ta

took the scouts out Monday. He will pick them up Sa^ay noon

one JeS^co^S from University of Nebraska's High School Division and then go to Tokyo s
The following information was recently noted in the English Malnichl 2S^J2|J:.

Thirty-three percfnt of married women in Japan have ted abortions. Among the Ibb c^ie^
Asahlk^wa, Kushiro, Sapporo, and Obihiro. There are only four Churches of Christ in Hokkaido and none in either Asahikawa or Kushiro.

of 100,000 people with hl^h crime rate Hokkaido has four among the

We became acauainted with two little second graders at winter Vacation Bible School. They did not continue In Sunday School but in early spring we talked with them while they were playing in the area. They have been, regular in Sunday School since ^

SSter re^L ftr^cfwrLd left in the home. The other girl told her mother to go to the
meeting. The result was that two neighbors met at the
little child shall lead them.

her SS leaflets with her 2i^ year old sister and encouraged her to come to church after her

had an interest in Christ. The sister comes regularly and the mother ocoasionally.

cle, "Winter Vacation Bible School In Japan," and sent an offering with a request to be put on the mailing list. She visited Hokkaido a few years ago. Thanks for your faithful support and prayers. Pray especially for the Christians and
thOwOC: who are seeking Mis way.

We welcome to our list of supporters the Christian Church at Brioknel, Indiana. The^ irilLs is a friend of ours. Alady recently wrote that she saw Neva's arti

Yours in His service,

81915
September

--^

^2 . /7

Box -^Adel, lA173^ 50003

065

1975
report from
THE FABERS

North 49, East 15

Hlgashi fcu, Sapporo

JAPAN

The telephone rings. On the other end a young nian asks, "How do we go.about having a church wed ding?" It was Saturday afternoon but Ernest imme diately set aside time for a conference with the couple. The law requires only their signature and those of two other persons. But the couple chose to make their vows to one another in a simple pri vate ceremony at the church. He is a graduate of a Christian high school and she's a nurse from a city north of here, They had found the church through the recently published telephone directory
which listed the church's name for the first time.

We pray they will desire to continue to follow His leading.

Vacation Bible School was held at the Higashi ku Church of Christ from July 28 to August 1. Miss Yooko Fujii, a Bible college graduate and local member spent the mornings of her vacation week teaching the largest class, the Beginners and Pri maries. She was assisted by Miss Okazaki, a young woman who attends regularly. She helped the Begin ners with handwork and kept the attendance recoitis.
Neva was assisted by to*. Yoshihiro Yahata, her

first Sunday School pupil in Tomakomai who is now a high school Junior and member of the Tomakomai Church. They taught the Middlers while Ernest was responsible for the Junior class. Mrs. Kimura, sister-in-law of the Tomakomai minister, was in charge of the girl's handwork the two days she could be present. Donald lent a hand with the boy's craft Mrs. Nakayama, a denominational member who attends regularly, was on hand each day at the close of the session to clean the church. These and other busy hands helped with the advertising and preparation
of visual aids. The enrollment was 27 with an aver age attendance of 23. The VBS week closed with a

picnic at a nearty park.

After VBS the Sunday School attendance hit an all time lowin fact the next Sunday for the first time no one showed up. Family and recreation programs kept the children active in other things. With the beginning of school we sent a reminder and nine children were in attendance on August 31. Various

activities and lack of parental encouragement always affects regular Sunday School atten
dance .

Even the worship services were not well attended during the summer months. Mrs, Naka yama, Mr. Muyari, and Miss Fujii are a source of encouragement. They are usually paresent and all three have made pledges for the work here, Mr. and Mrs, Kimura do not attend
every week but Mrs. Kimiara comes every Friday morning to do the weekly cleaning. She

rides the bus 3^ blocks each way to give this service to the Lord,

Mr. Oofuchi, the first

convert in Obihiro, works outside the city but writes a poster with the title of each Sun

day's sermon which is placed in front of the church. Ther were eight adult Japanese in the services last Sunday ranging in age from 25-68. Ernest has been printing an outline

of the sermon with the -scriptures in each Sunday's bulletin to as sist those who attend and to pro vide a home Bible study for those who cannot attend. Pray for the
witness here,

A word about the family,

Don

'

is now a tenth grader and study-

ing at home in a University of

Senior

il 1 ^
^

yy

Nebraska extention program.

was recently elected

He

her hom^ since her July 19th wedtake place Charles gave the bride away in
place of his Dad, Charles

preached at Indiapola, Iowa, dur

ing 'the summer, Allan preached his well received sermonhis firstat the same place his

Dad preached his first sermon 26 years ago.

cinnati Bible College.

Allan and Charles have since returned to Cin

We would like to. encourage you to set aside a day to emphasize in a special way our

needs.

We must pay the contractor $4000 by the end of December.

Your special contribu

tions at this time will be of immense help and encouragement to us.

At the monthly church meeting it was decided to use 1^ of the offering toward repay
ing a portion of the funds spent for the buildings here.
pay toward the final payment on December 31st.

The English classes have contri

buted $480 and together with the church's contribution we hope to have another $1000 to
The picture showing the interior of the church building was taken during the evange listic meeting with Mr, Nakano in May. Miss Fujii arranged and contributed the large
floral arrangement.

A new one-family dwelling is going up next to the church building.

Its shape and

heigth largely limit the access of light to our classrooms. The carpenter's hammers gave us some competition during DVBS, In fact one day during classes they decided to break up
the wall and enlarge the window areajust njne feet away. But we rejoice that the area is growing. The other building is an eight-family apartment building. Down the street a block a five-room house is being built pn a small lot and is for sale. They have priced

it at over $50,000 and the construction does not compare to the quality of the church and
house heare. Other houses are also going up in the area and with the increase in popula tion we now have the convenience of bus service with a bus stop at our front door, A large portion of the local population comes daily to the very doorstep of the church, and our activities are well observed by the community as the people wait at the bus stop. We
are planning a bulletin board to announce services and to provide a silent witness from the Word of God, It will be attached to the wall under the sign which gives the church's name. You are a part of this witness.

Yours in His name.