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Not-for-Profit Corporation
FORWARDING AGENTS
Roger & Beryl Johnson
3320 Westgate Parkway
Rockford, XL 61108
815-399-3690 January 20,1989
Dear Friends and Fellow Workers,
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OSAKA BIBLE SEMINARY
MISSIONARIES
George & Ethel Beckman
Jenann Beckman
2-415 Kiyoshikojin
Takarazuka, Hyogo Pre.
665 JAPAN
Phone # 0797-86-1261
"He who sits upon the throne says, 'Behold, I am making all things
new.'" (Rev.21:5.)
At the beginning of this new year, we are very conscious of new things
and events. We are deeply grateful for your prayers and support that have
made all this possible and we pray that this new year is as exciting and
challenging in the Lord for each of you as it has so far been for us.
We have a new worker on our team to begin the work here. Mr. Daiki
Kishimoto graduated from Ibaraki Christian College in March, 1988 and
became a student of Osaka Bible Seminary. He preached his first sermon on
Christmas day to which sixteen people came for our first Lord's Day wor
ship. He will preach three Sundays a month and George will preach one
Sunday. Mr. Kishimoto is a very zealous young man with a winning personal
ity.
As most of you know we have been planning and looking forward to
moving to a new area and beginning a new work for the past year. That dream
became a reality when we moved to our new location on December 19, 1988.
That move was so much a bigger undertaking than we had dreamed that if it
had not been for the help of many friends we never would have made it. We
had dreamed and planned to be here in plenty of time to get settled and
begin work with a Christmas meeting, but because of the many days of rain
last summer the construction had been delayed so that we were unable to
move until Monday, December 19, and still there were workmen around trying
to get things finished. They finally finished by four o'clock Saturday
afternoon so that the meeting room could be cleaned and furniture put in
place in time for the Christmas Eve meeting we had
planned.
On the twentieth Mr. Kishimoto and four seminary students distributed
tracts in the neighborhood telling of the meeting to be held on Christmas
Eve. Before the day was over one of our neighbors came to the door saying
that she wanted to come to the meeting and begin attending Ethel's Bible
class and worship on Sunday.
Our hearts rejoiced when thirty people, most of them our neighbors,
gathered for our first meeting. We showed a video of the Christmas Cantata
"A Christmas Glorious" produced by the Southland Christian Church, Lexing
ton, Kentucky. So that the people could understand it we prepared a booklet
with English script on one page and Japanese script on the facing page.
The evening was not without other excitement as well, for when we
returned home we could hear water running somewhere in the house, but we
could not find where it was. Finally we looked under the floor and found
several inches of water there. The joint to the pipe leading to the second
floor had given way. We received buckets of water from our neighbor to get
us through the night and the plumber came the next morning to fix it in
time for us to get ready to go to worship.
New Years is always a big three day holiday in Japan. Many people go
to the temples and shrines to worship in order to gain favors for the new
year. In spite of that there were six of us in praise and worship to the
Lord our God. Each Sunday since then we have had an increase in numbers.
Not only do we have a new year, but we have a new era in Japan as the
emperor died on January seventh and the crown prince was made emperor that
day. The name of the reign of Hirohito was called Showa meaning harmony and
enlightenment . The new era of Emperor Akihito is called Heisei, literally
meaning achieving peace. During the long illness of Hirohito, there was
much controversy over the role of the emperor. Since Hirohito's death many
people are speaking out and opinions are being stated, which no one would
do as long as he lived.
Ethel's English Bible class has begun the new year with three new
members from this area: Mrs. Tanaka who had come twice to Koyoen to the
class, Mrs. Ikehata who came to the door in response to the tracts and Mrs.
Asano whom we had met one time when we came to see the house.
The church at Koyoen had their last meeting in the house on January
15, and work on demolishing the house began the following Wednesday. They
are meeting in a small tutoring school building while their new building is
being constructed. Pray that they will be able to reach out in that neigh
borhood in a greater way.
We want to express our gratitude to all of you who are making the work
here possible through your prayers and support. We especially thank all of
you who remembered us at Christmas time. May you be richly blessed of the
Lord. V
Please note our new address and telephone number.
2-4-15 Kiyoshikojin,
Takarazuka, Hyogo Pref.
665 JAPAN
Telephone 0797-86-1261
We will be waiting to hear from you.
f
Yours in Christ,
tcLL
George, Ethel & Jenann
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^iioit, oj* ^meric^^
Not-for-Profit Corporation
FORWARDING AGENTS
Roger & Beryl Johnson
3320 Westgate Parkway
Rockfordy XL 61108
815-399-3690
May 1, 1989
jdll
OSAKA BIBLE SEMINARY
MISSIONARIES
George & Ethel Beckman
Jenann Beckman
2415 Kiyoshikojin
Takarazuka, Hyogo Pref.
665 JAPAN
Phone # 0797-86-1261
Dear Christian Friends:
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. We continue to thank God for the
fellowship that we have with you in proclaiming the Gospel here in Japan. In the four months
that we have been living in Kiyoshikojin we have been constantly reminded of His grace in
leading us to this place to work.
After we had become almost settled so that the house began to look like a home Ethel
invited the neighbor women in for tea one afternoon. So far one of these women has been
coming regularly to worship on Sunday mornings.
On March 12, Ethel received word that her youngest sister had gone to be with her Lord.
Though Stella's body has always been handicapped, she had a great love for people and for
her Lord. She never complained even though the last months she was in pain.
On March 21 over eighty people gathered to help us dedicate Grace Church of Christ (Megumi
Kirisuto no Kyokai). Many others who could not come sent congratulations and gifts to the
new church. The architect who designed the church said that he wanted to build a church
where people could find reset for their souls and strength for their lives, and everyone
who enters the small and simple room says that is the atmosphere they feel. The windows
on the west side of the room face a grove of green trees; this ad_ds_ to the beauty of the
room. Of course, the peace and rest they find here will depend on the people they meet,
and it is our constant prayer that they will find the love of God that gives this rest and
strength reflected through us.
On March 24 two young women graduated from Osaka Bible Seminary. Miss Sachiko Oshiro
returned to Okinawa and she began working as a chaplain in a Christian hospital. Miss Hiromi
Iwaasa returned to her home in Tokyo; she will look for work to support herself and plans
to help in her home church.
The All Japan convention of the Churches of Christ was held at a new hotel in Okinawa
from March 28 30, with over 400 attending. The theme of the convention was taken from John
15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit." Jenann and Mr. Kishimoto
went from Grace church.
Five new students entered Osaka Bible Seminary April 11, the beginning of the new school
year, bringing the total enrollment to eleven regular students and two auditors. Mr. &
Mrs. Shimabukuro come from Okinawa, Mr. Hiroyuki Sakasegawa from Tanegashima, an island
off Kagoshima, Mr. Shinya Matsushita from Kagoshima, and Mr. Shiro Tanaka from Wakayama.
From May 21 Mr. Matsushita will be coming here to help in the Bible School on Sundays.
The semi-annual meeting of the Kobe Women's Luncheon was held on April 19. Our speaker
was Dr. Keiko Fujii, a pediatrician in Hiroshima. In her search for the meaning of life
she had studied Buddhism and become a Buddhist nun, but found no answer there. When a church
moved into a new building next door to her home she began attending and there found the
Truth, the answer to her search. Since then she has won all of her family and many relatives
and others to Christ. Although she is a very busy doctor. Dr. Fujii travels many places
to tell her story.
Special items for prayer:
1) The people who have been coming to church, especially Mrs. Fukuoka who also comes to
study Saturday afternoons with Mr. Kishimoto.
2) For guidance in trying to reach our neighbors.
3) Please pray for Jenann. One of her living link churches has asked her to look for some
other church(es) to supply the support they have been giving her. She does not want to
go on furlough to raise more support right now just as we are beginning a new work.
4) The new students in the seminary.
Yours ministers to Japan,
George & Ethel Beckman
New Students of Osaka Bible Seminary - April, 1989
Mr. Matsushita . Mr. Tanaka . Mr. Shimabukuro
Mr. Sakasegawa . Mrs. Shimabukuro
Dedication of Grace Church of Christ
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^iioiL, oj* ^meric^^
Not-for-Profit Corporation
FORWARDING AGENTS
Roger & Beryl Johnson
3320 Westgate Parkway
Rockford, IL 61108
815-399-3690
Dear Christian Friends:
November 4, 1989
p/f
OSAKA BIBLE SEMINARY
MISSIONARIES
George & Ethel Beckman
Jenann Beckman
2-415 Kiyoshikojin
Takarazuka, Hyogo Pref.
665 JAPAN
Phone # 0797-86-1261
"I don't know about tomorrow, but I know who holds my hand." How often have we heard
Martin Clark sing this song that he loved so well. On May 9, 1989 Martin attended and had a
in the funeral of a Christian friend and neighbor. After the funeral he was telling us
how trim and fit he had kept, saying, "See this black suit I have had so many years still
fits around the waist." The next morning he had a light heart attack and was admitted to the
coronary section of Yodogawa Christian Hospital. Though he seemed to be recovering, after a
series of three severe attacks he was called home by the Lord to his reward. Martin is
greatly missed not only by the faculty and students of Osaka Bible Seminary, but by mission
aries and Japanese Chritians throughout Japan.
Paul Clark, Martin's son, was made acting president by the councillor body of the Sem
inary just before Martin's death and was officially made President at the meeting of the
councilors on November 2, 1989.
We were again made aware of the uncertainty of life on this earth when we received
word October 25 of the accidental death of the two-year-old son of Gary Jones in Hiroshima
and grandson of Lee &Sandra Jones, our fellow-missionaries in the same city. Our hearts
sorrow in sympathy with these families.
We Joined the missionaries in July for the annual all Japan Missionary Convention held
this year in Kagoshima, Kyushu. The hosts for this year's convention, were Walter &Mary
Maxey, Mark &Pauline Maxey and Afred &Rhonda Juve. We were challenged and encouraged by
five messages on the theme: "I Am Not Ashamed" brought by Charles Faber. Two discussion
periods were centered on the questions, "Where will the next generation of missionaries
come from?" and "Where will the next generation of Japaneses preachers come from?" Evelyn
Clark went on the plane with us while Paul and his family drove and camped along the way to
the convention.
Even before Mr. Kishimoto began to work with us in Takarazuka, he had promised to take
care of the work at Mejirodal while the Simses were in the States during July and August.
While he was gone students from the Seminary and George preached on alternate Sundays. Like
most other churches in Japan, the attendance was down during the month of August; but it has
Built back up and Increased in September and October until the average for the last two
months has been almost double that of the months before August.
Two very hot days Seminary student Mr. Sakasegawa came and distributed tracts through
out our neighborhood. Jenann helped him the second day. Then in August with his help Jenann
held a vacation Bible school for three days.
From October 13 we had an enjoyable week as Marge Robinson from the Central Christian
Church in Waukegan, Illinois, visited us. We were sorry we did not have time to take her to
see more of the sights here. Ethel took her on a tour in Kyoto on Tuesday. She went with
Jenann and George to the Seminary on Wednesday and visited Ethel's English Bible Class on
Thursday. After class we ordered in lunch and had a time of fellowship. Then two of the
members took Marge to the botanical garden In Nishlnomlya.
Then again from October 31 until November 6 we were greatly blessed by the visit of
Willard &Janice Kelley from Central Christian Church, Rockford, Illinois. They had been in
the Philippines holding evangelistic meetings for two weeks and stopped here on their way back
to the States. Here we kept them busy, too, as Willard gave two lectures for the annual
Tanemaki Kai at Osaka Bible Seminary November 2 and 3, and preached for Megumi (Grace)
Church of Christ on Sunday. Janice also spoke to Ethel's English Bible class on Thursday.
We were able to squeeze in one day of sight seeing Kyoto on Wednesday, where we saw the Nijo
detached castle, famous for Its nightin-gale floor, the golden pavilion, and the handicraft
center. Since the coronation palace was under reconstruction we were unable to see it.
The theme for the Tanemaki Kai this year "The Church in the New Age" (in Japan),
George spoke on "Evangelism: The 50's, The 80's, and the Future" on the morninc of the
3rd.
Sunday afternoon we went to see the church building in Nlshinomiya that was being built
on the site of our old house. It is scheduled to be finished by November 19, and dedication
has been set for November 23, a national holiday.
We want to thank you for your continued support In prayers and concern for the work in
Japan. We thank God for a wonderful student body and faculty at Osaka Bible Seminary, and
for their cooperation in the transition since the time of Martin's death. We have great
hopes for the future of the Seminary, our only preachertraining school in Japan.
We thank God also for Mr. Klshimoto, our young preacher, and for the many opportuni
ties we are having in making the Gospel known in Kiyoshikojin. We are grateful to Rockford
Central Christian Church for letting Willard and Janice have the extra week to come here to
help and encourage us. It has been a real blessing to us.
May the Lord bless you as you also serve Him and witness to others. May you grow in
Spirit and in love in the Lord.
Yours ministers to Japan,
GEORGE & ETHEL BECKMAN & JENANN
A NOTE FROM THE KELLEYS
It was our pleasure to visit with George, Ethel, and Jenann on their "home" ground.
What a thrill to see their new facility (both house and church building), its fine location
and good construction, and the enthusiasm the Beckmans have for this new work. We visited
also the site of their home for 40 years, the beautiful new building under construction
which will house the church that met in the Beckman basement for so many years. We Just
pray that both facilities are only a shadow of the stable and secure church bodies which
will meet in them for many years to come. It was equally rewarding to visit Osaka Bible
Seminary, to meet the faculty and student body, and witness the enthusiasm for Kingdom-
building manifested there. The Beckmans lead a busy schedule. We pray for their strength
& health in the good work they do.
WILLARD & JANICE KELLEY
Vacation Bible School, Megumi Church of Christ
Aueust 1989
Paul Clark being introduced as the new President
- * of Osaka Bible College,-
Students of Osaka Bible
Singing at Tanemaki Kai - 11/3/89