sims jonathan verla 1993 japan

8/12/2019 Sims Jonathan Verla 1993 Japan

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JONATHAN SIMS CIIUISTS AMBASSADOR TO JAPANAnd the things you have heard me say in the presence ofmany witnesses entrusted to reliablemen who will also be qualified to teach others Timothy 2:2CAJ REPORT (Volume 13 Number 1 F i r s t Qua r t e r 1993)

CHRI STMAS CELEBRAT ION

Chr i s tma s is a lways a t ime when t h e r e is a f e s t i v e mood in th eair a n d Christian families celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ int h e i r own way, whi l e o th e r s en joy th e ho l id ay s w ith cus toms o ftheir own. For th e first t ime i n twe lv e ye a r s I was away f romhome. Withou t th e u su a l J o e l Home Chr i s tma s Sunday Ch r i s tma sEve cand l e l i g h t s e rv i c e th e Chr i s tmas Day program a t a ho sp i t a l i nTokyo and a day o r two wi th mom and dad Ch ris tm a s s im p ly d id no tseem u sua l . The r u sh t o w r i t e and send ou t s e a sona l g r e e t i n g safter s end ing n i e c e s and nephews p r e s e n t s was squeezed o u t o f myc a l e nda r by a lo ad o f a s s ignmen t s to comp l e t e fo r g r adua t e s ch oo lc l a s s e s . When Ch r i s tma s a r r i v e d I was on l y ab l e t o s end a l im i t e dnumber o f c a rd s and letters and I d id n o t have much in th e way o fp re s en t s fo r f am i ly . I r e g r e t d i s appo in tmen t caused to dea rf r i end s whom I know app r ec i a t e Chr i s tmas g ree t i ng letters I mustc e r t a i n l y p l a n on a letter t h i s ye a r .

Al though I was away f rom J apan Chr i s tma s was wonde r fu l . Ineeded a two week b r e ak f rom i n t e n s i v e s t u d y . I was r e ady f o r arest Ra the r t h an r i s k d r i v i ng t o Iowa f rom C i n c i n n a t i in f r e e z i ngwea the r on i c y r o ad s to s e e one sister I r ode Greyhound . Both o fmy younge r b ro t h e r s a l s o went to Iowa, so I was ab l e t o r e t u r n wi t hone o f them. Our t ime t o g e t h e r was no i sy bu t fun . A few dayswi th many n i e c e s and nephews in one p l ace a t th e same t ime is abou ta s much a s any one would want . Everyone was t a l k i ng a t th e samet ime a s u sua l . We k ep t th e t e l ephone company i n b us in es s w i th ou rt r a d i t i o n a l t a l k wi t h mom and dad . They had t h e i r own s p e c i a lt ime bu t I am s u r e it seemed to o qu i e t t o them to have none o f usat home w i t h t h em . On th e way back t o C in c in na ti wi t h my b r o t h e rDan we v i s i t e d my sister i n I nd i ana fo r a day o r two. So I was ab l eto see all o f my b ro t h e r s and s i s t e r s dur ing th e Chr i s tmas break .

A FRESH START OF CLASSES

The Win t e r s e s s i on began on J anua ry f o u r t h . I a t t e nded ac l a s s on e t h i c s where we d i s c u s s e d Bi b l i c a l p r i n c i p l e s and how t oapply them to such t op ic s as abo r t i on eu thanas i a and gene t i ceng inee r ing . The week o f c l a s s e s was i n t en s i ve and th e homeworkt o o k s e v e r a l weeks t o c omp l e t e .

The Sprin g s em e ste r i s progress ing w ith an oth er f u l l load o fc l a s s e s . I n t e rmed i a t e Hebrew, th e P ro t e s t a n t Refo rma t i on Exodusand th e conques t and pa r t i c i p a t i o n in th conc e r t Jband_ -VJinds jc fPra ise i s keeping me out of t roub le . During th e Spr ing break t h i smonth I wi l l be t ak ing Genera l Ep i s t l e s squeez ing th e bookana ly s i s r epo r t s and twen ty - f ive page term paper i n to my scheduleo f assignments fo r the other c lasses . For the ten c red i t hours ofc l a s s e s I t ook in th e fall s emes t e r I managed to ma in t a i n a gradepo in t average o f 3 .9 and be inc luded in th e Dean s list This yearI wi l l t r y my be s t bu t wi l l not l i k e l y make th e same gradeaverage

Feb rua r y was no t a good month . There were two snow s t o rmswi th record accumula t ion and very co ld t empe ra tu r e s . A few Bib leco l l ege s tuden t s and a t le a s t one profe ssor have sus t a ined i n j u r i e sbecau s e o f th e snow and i c e . On Thu r sday F eb ru ary 1 8 t h e mensand womens ba ske t b a l l t eams went on a trip to Mich igan in two newr e n t a l van s . On t h e way t h e r e was an acc i d en t . Jill Rende l ou rnewly crowned home coming queen and first s t r i n g ba ske t b a l lp l aye r was k i l l ed when the womens team van h i t a patch o f ic e andwas th rown o f f th e i n t e r s t a t e in Mich igan . Two o th e r s su sta in edminor i n j u r i e s . On Fr iday c l a s s e s were cance l l ed because o f theweather cond i t i on s and acc i d en t b ut ch ap el was he ld a s u sua l wi thth e program changed to remember the lo s s o f a dear f r i end . OnMonday th e B ib le co l l ege c l a s s e s were cance l l ed so t h a t many o f herf r i e nd s and c l a s sma t e s cou ld a t t e nd th e fu ne ra l i n h e r home town inKen t u cky .


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On Friday th e 19 th th e Winds of Pra ise was scheduled to goon a weekend t o u r . None o f us r e a l l y felt r e ad y wi t h t h e s ad newsand chape l s e rv i c e still in ou r he a r t s . Yet we went and per fo rmedas b e s t we could under th e c i r cums t ance s . We had a s a f e trip t ot h r e e chu r ches i n I nd i ana to per fo rm a s e l e c t i o n o f i n s p i r a t i o n a lmusic over th e weekend. We p resen ted th e program aga in in Chapelon T uesday t h e 23 rd o f Feb rua r y .

S in c e t h e last r e p o r t two s u p p o rt in g c o n g re g a ti on s have d i scon t inued suppo r t and a no th er c o ng re ga ti on has cu t back . Budge tsa re t i g h t eve rywhere b u t it is d i s t r e s s i n g t o me t o l o s e f i n a n c i a lbacking . I con t i nue to f e e l commitment to th e work in J apan noma t t e r wha t s en t imen t s may a r i s e abou t th e economy and f r i c t i o nabout how Japanese manage t h e i r bu s i n e s s . The need fo r evange l i smin Japan is as g r e a t a s eve r . I i n t end to r e tu rn to J apan bu t mus tnow c o n s i d e r tw o c ou rs e s o f action I mus t now either e n d e a v o u r tor a i s e a l o t o f add i t i ona l suppor t in a very dynamic way o r I mustt r a i n fo r some marketable s k i l l which wi l l enab le me to supplementchurch suppo r t by working in Japan i n some way s im i l a r to P au lwho made tents sio that thp ilpc^l Christians would not be burdened-by-suprmx-tiiig him. There i s^^ TtiacirKrex^5cdr^nglish teachejrs^in Japarrwho have a minimum o f a Maste r s Degree i n Teach ing Eng l i s h a s aS ec on d L an gu ag e. I am a sk ing fo r adv i ce on T .E .S .L . I do no t knowmuch abou t th e programs a v a i l a b l e bu t w i l l soon f i nd ou t .

My first ob j e c t i v e is to comp l e t e my go a l o f e a rn in g a Mas te ro f Div in i t y degree from th e C in cin na ti Bible Semina ry . My c l a s swork shou ld b e comp l e t ed at t h e end o f J u n e . The r e will b e an oralexam over eve ry th ing I have s t ud i ed ( even t h e ma t e r i a l I s t u d i e dye a r s ago ) and th e con t e n t s o f twen ty o r so books . The exam isscheduled fo r September first Study a t C.B.S . i s ve ry cha l l eng ingand th e l e a r n i n g expe r i e n c e s and f e llo w sh ip a re good f o r me. I haveno r e g r e t s a bou t my s t u dy h e r e .

From J u l y 5 t h to th e 10 t h I w i l l be in Penn sy l v an i ap a rt i c ip a tin g in a camp with th e dean be ing J e r ry Holmes o f F i r s tChr i s t i an Church Big Run. I ant ic ipa te being in Pennsylvania fo rsevera l weeks. On August 8 I wi l l be a t th e Warwood Chr i s t i anChurch Wheeling , West Virgin ia . There wil l be othe r scheduledappo in tmen t s soon .

Thank you a l l for your continuing prayers and f inancialsupport. Pray for the Rendel family and a l l of us studying a t theBible col lege and Seminary. I appreciate you cont inui i^concerns asI ref ine my sk i l l s in p re pa ra tio n fo r fur ther minis t ry in Japan.

lAUREL AVENUE CHURCH OF CHRIST NON-PROFIT ORG.1126 LAUREL AVENUE U.S. POSTAGECHESAPEAKE; VA23325 PAID

CHESAPEAKE VAP ER M IT N O. 4 8

M i s si o n s Services ssociationADDRESS CORKECnON REQUESTED nLville 379


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L NGU GE SCHOOLThe Japanese language is one of the most difficult in the world to leam.Missionaries shed many tearsof desperation in trying to comprehend themany ambiguities of the Japanese language. It takes great effort tobecome fluent butasourcommission isto communicate theGospel ofJesusChrist to every nation wemustbear the burden of language study.Two years of intense brain strain provided a solid foundation forincreasing proficiency through years of ministry. The Lord givess^ngth forevery task not matter how difficult He also provides fmit indie timefor all of our laborsforHisKingdom andglory.T H E YOKOSUK MINISTRYThe first ministry of a preacher is always a test often under conditionshe may not prefer. Even so it is training which can provide valuablelessons for a life of ministry. I was asked to work to keep acongregation alive in and of itself a difftcult task for experiencedworkers not to mention a novice like myself. But I wasglad to be calledto a located ministiy and considered it a challenge to attempt. For twoyears thispreacher-in-training led theWorship fingered themelody thenalto then full harmony at the organ led in Communion meditation inaddition to preaching in Japanese. At most there were three or four inthe pews at the time. Change in leadership every few years in nevergood especially when a solid core of supportingChurches in the U.S. aJapanese preacher was called to substitute during the four months I wasin the U SFour months of furlough went quickly with quite a few unexpectedproblems. A UnitedAirlines pilot strike left me stranded for a night inChicago. Two root canal infections provided a dentist with enoughbusiness for probably a full tournamentof golf. A truck driverwho hadconsumed just one can of beer chose to speed up in the slow lane on aninterstate highway and totaledtheFordMustang 1 wasdriving giving mea minorwhiplash whichwill botherme the rest of my life. I was readyto get back to Japan knowing that the prayers of many AmericanChristians are lifting me up throughevery situationand that our Father inHeaven is answering those prayers in His specialway.The second four year term of service in Japan broughtmuch rejoicing.With the Japanese preacher sharing in ministry God blessed the work ina special way. Formermembersseemedto jump suddenlyout of bamboothickets to attend services. The Lord led four people to be immersed intoChrist. The Japanese preachermarried and God increased his family.There developed a litde bit of friction between us to immaturepreachersbut learning to get along with peers is important training. At the same


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time, some of my ministry skills were honed. But in what seemed anatural course of events his ministry increased and mine decreased.Some pride was lost but selfish pride is not necessary for effectiveevangelism.The second four month furlough was quite a bit different than the first Itfelt so wonderful to report the growth of the congregation in Yokosuka.However, due to an unhappy situation, I returned to Japan still abachelor. Seeking first God s Will is the only thing for anyone to do ineverything.T YOKOHAMA MINISTRYThree years in a new ministry in Yokohama has proved to be trying butpossibly the most instructive. Mr. Oka, a Japanese Elder in a sistercongregation called me to help in a new church planting ministry. TheJoel Home is a house with a meeting room for Sunday MorningWorship Services and Bible classes. Mr. Oka s adjustments of mysermons have been painful but my ability in the Japanese language hasimproved tremendously through the discipline of writing a fullmanuscript. I have learned many things about Japanese ways of thinking.Mr. Oka and I share the pulpit but English Bible classes and othermission work responsibilities have kept me busy. Let us pray for themany Japanese who have yet to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ to obeyHim in everything.It is furlough again. If it is God s will I will study at the CincinnatiBible Seminary for a year of full class load and I plan to fellowship andto develop more lasting friendships. I hope to return to Japan to continuea life of ministry to the Japanese people in hopes that some day soonthere will be a great victory for Jesus Christ and His Kingdom so Aat theland of the rising sun can become the land of The Risen Son. While inthe U.S. Mr. OImwill be preaching three times a month. The house willbe maintained by a Japanese newlywed couple for the duration of myfurlough. Pray for the ongoing ministry in Japan and for my studies atC.B.S. and hopes for tomorrow.Furlough AddressJona than S imsC/O Cincinnati Bible Seminary2700 Glenway AvenueCincinnati, OH 45204-3200Forwarding AgentLaurel Avenue Church of Christ1126 Laure l AvenueChesapeake Virginia 23325


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Jonathan SimsC h r i s t s m b a s s a d o r

to Japan

Jon performs an ancient Japanese melody on traditional bamboo flute sfiakuhachi during musi l program at tfie Joel Home in Yokohama


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Joel Home YokohamaJoel Home is a place designed for ibleStudy classes builtby a retired Japanese Christian on a piece of land he owned.Jon lives in an efficient apartment on the second floor. Heparticipates in classes musical programs and Sundayservices - alternating preaching responsibilities. Mr Okaorganized a relief effort to build schools in Bangladesh. Jondoes much of the office work in this effort.For the past several years other responsibilities includeteaching supply preaching keeping mission books andsharing programs with sister congregations.American Christian College was organized to equipJapanese young people with Bible and English languageskills In affiliation with Milllgan College several Tokyomissionaries share teaching responsibility.Each year members of the Mejirodai church bring aChristmas program and refreshments to the residents ofan old people s hospital where a member lives. Jon playedcarols on his clarinetJon also performed with an alumni band at ChristianAcademy in Japan


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Holy Land TourA group of 40 Japanese Christians including 10 preachersenjoyed a tour of Israel in February 1987. Everyone carriedlasting impressions of a land where history comes alive. ampShinshu Bible ampschedules sessions during thesummer and most holiday breaks including Silver ampforSeniors. Summer camp during school mid term break includesstudy times for students. Campers of any age enjoy thefellowship ible study and beautiful change ofscenery.


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resses

Forwarding AgentLaurel Avenue Church of Christ1126 Laurel AveChesapeake, Virginia 23325Furlough Address 92/93 School Yearc/o Cincinnati Bible Seminary2700 Glenway AvenueCincinnati, OH 45204-3200Field ress4-17-12 Rokkakubash iKanagawa-kuYokohama-shi, Japan T221Phone 045 413 2200


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CAJ REP ORTJONATHAN SIMS CHRISTS AMBASSADOR TO JAPANAnd the thirdsyou have heardme say in thepresence ofmany witnesses entrusted to reliablemenwho will alsobequalified to teach others II Timothy 2:2

VOLUME SECOND QUARTER NUMBER 2Spring Semester Is Finished

I t has been a challenge to ^ontinue a full load of graduate school fora second semester. Yet the struggles to learn have been well worth theeffort . I do not regret class work at al l Even though the readingassignments were heavy and the term paper research very demanding, theknowledge gained is valuable. I t is very helpful to gain fresh insights inclass discussions not likely gained simply by reading through a corranentary.Because of my struggle to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to peopleIn the Japanese culture there were some questions on my mind which wereinteresting to the class which are not usually discussed in an Americanset t ing

I gained ideas about how to relate to people in different cultures bystudying new findings which have been made about the cultures in which theOld and New Testaments were wr i t t en There a re some customs which havealways been mentioned in reference books but the customs do not seem aliveuntil we talk to people who live in a different way than we do. Peoplearound th e world can unders tand th e ible be t t e r when we communicate moreto them about the culture of the Bible. ew Testament Christians live^bya higher moral standard than the people around them, so often facedpersecution. We realize the struggle New Testament Christians faced intheir day we can be encouraged in our Christian l i fe today. The societyof that day was very corrupt and our society is not very differentbecoming more corrupt i t seems day by day. Let us keep on doing what isright so that all people can come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

I am very grateful to the graciousness of the professors. In allclasses I made better grades than I expected. In Protestant Reformation Ireceived a B In Exodus Conquest, Winds of Praise Intermediate OldTestament Hebrew, and General Epistles I received an A. y grade pointaverage came to 3.8 putting me on the Dean s List again. These are thebest grades I have ever received.There are two classes to complete this sunmier and a comprehensive oralexamination in September. The oral exams will be rough, but I am planningto make a special effort. I will need to review all the material I have

studied and read a l i s t of books to be updated on various subjects.DENTAL PROBLEMS

During the Spring break when I could have been relaxing like everyonee lse I decided to take a c lass I t was intensive. In one week a massof material was covered. We began early every morning and continued untilevening every day during the week. Then i t took several weeks to do thehomework assignments. A tooth started bothering me during the class but Icould not get to a dentist . I really did not know what the problem was. Ithought i t was stress at first because the pain went away But then thecap fell off and the pain became intense. I went to a dental clinic nearthe University of Cincinnati. I was informed that the top of the tooth hadbroken off and the tooth needed to be pulled. The tooth was pulled thenext day and I was put on powerful pain medication.


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Through the process of several dental examinations and a series of xrays it was discovered that I had several problems Two root canalinfections were discovered in teeth which had been treated years ago byJapanese dentists. Because of the complexity of the operation I wasreferred to a root canal specialist who then referred me to an oralsurgeon. One tooth was given no chance of survival and the other wasgiven only a fifty percent chance of temporary maintenance. But theoperation was predicted to give a very high risk of nerve damage I chosethe option of pulling the teeth.After several weeks of delay two teeth were pulled. One tooth wasbrittle and cracked when being extracted. The other tooth was difficult toextract because an arbitrary bridge had been constructed with severalcrowns welded together. The oral surgeon cut through the bridge to get tothe infected molar which was also the main support of the bridge. Theoperation was lengthy but was completed with a local anesthetic. Theintense pain is going to keep me from concentrating on my homework for

suiraner school classes for a few days. I am grateful that I will not haveany major dental work ahead for a while.SUMMER SCHEDULE

I am looking forward to several weeks of daily vacation Bible schoolin July after finishing the assignments for the two summer session classes.I will be visit ing congregations aga in to speak about returning to Japanlater this year. I am anticipating returning to Japan possibly inNovember.

I am happy to report that Alexandria Church of Christ AlexandriaKentucky has decided to support me on a regular monthly basis. I will behappy to hear of other potent ia l support as well.I am t i red from a ful l load of classes and assignments but I am

because of what I have learned and the good grades. I am looking forwardto the v ario us e ve nts scheduled in July and August.Thank you all very much for your continuing prayer and support. TheLord is providing me strength in all kinds of situations. I know that Hehas many blessings in store beyond what we can imagine. The Lord ismerciful and gracious and deserves all the praise and glory.

LAUREL AVENUE CHURCH OF CHRIST Non Profit Org.1126 Laurel Avenue U.S. PostageChesapeake V 33 5 PAIDChesapeake VDDRESS ORRE TION REQUESTED Permit No 48

M i s s io n s S e rv ic e s A s s oc ia ti o nB o x 4 7K n o x v i l l e TN 37901


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[2.^For office us e only;

P E R S O N L F I L E F O R M DateSont;/Hjg 2 D a t e Rec d;

Information from this form will appear In Horizons a n d o t he r infor- This form is prepared to help you give accurate background informa-mation formats published by Mission Services Association. tion about yourself an d your mi ssi on work.

Please type or print clearly D o not abbreviatePleasedo not write on this form anything otherthan that requested. Attach extra sheets for additional information you may want to provide.

Th is is not an application form. It Is not an official form endorsing yo u an d your work. It is s imply a worksheet designed to help us publicizeyour work t ha t m ay help produce ne w friends f or y o u, prayers an d financial assistance. If an y questions seem t o o p e r so n a l o r s ee m offensiveto you, pl ease feel free t o leave them blank.

Date{Month Day Year}

Nam e in full Spall ou t all namea First Name Middle Name Last Name

Complete address on field: i u WiX(Number Street City - Slate Zip number Country)VokA

Phone number on field: oM-J-M-G - |n Case of Emergency call : IS'Ask for: C Lee ôUoel Awfj/ First Middle - Last name and address) ^ÔCvÛ ^ V\V\ ^ /nVVYour complete address while in USA: //9^(d LQ.u>ê.l Number Street - City - State Zip)CIae j 933 JS

Your USA phone number: area code phone number

Name an d address of Livingiink church or churches:o dirti f Number Street //


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Full namo of church)City:

Numbe r Stree tS t a t e Zip

Please s end le t ters of recommenda t ion from th e e lde rs Inyour sponsoring churches which will encourage otherchurches to support yourmissionarywork. Certainly th ewords of these elders will help t o convin ce o th er sregarding th e worthiness of your mission work. Pleasehelp MSA to spread your news through HORIZONS bysending these elders le tte rs f rom you r sponsor ingchurches as soon as possible. MSA will be happy to helpyou c on ta ct t he se elders If you will send th e fulladdresses of the churches

Please ske tch a map direc ting visitors to your location o n t he missionfield. Where ar e you In relationship to othermissions an d to the nearestla rge c i ty?

Recommendations by Christ ian Leaders: (List names here and enclose a copy of each letter.)O oltiA VooJwctwl Number Street ~7 I AAt wgS State

NameCity: _Nam e

City _

Sta te

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City state ^ Zip Month) Day) Yaar)

Add date of arrival Month)

and natural izat ion date Day) Year)

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On an extra sheet please describe any details regarding your conversion which you might care to mention.,MARITAL STATUS:Married ^ Single Divorced WidowedPlease give the complete name of your husband or the maiden name of your wife [cjDate of marriage Auw iMorih)Who solemnized your wedding?

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List children byfull name giving the place, birthday, monthandyear inthe orderofyourchildren sbirthdays. If yourchildren have been adopted please indicate.) Incase you are single, please listyourbrothers and sisters byname inthis space.

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Please list places of previous Chris tian service and what service you did as a brief career summary. Giveapproximate dates:

P lace Position/\/a/ ^ y-WlnJ^ Co Serv i ce- olil


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PARENTS: - 1 /- /F a t h e r s n a m e an d his h o m e a d dr e ss :Living Deceased Number Street ^MiLLZ-iCity /Saw State f\ eJt>4~c< zip 5 ^ A.3 o Phone (al^~ S ljle-2^7-^His occupation g


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CAJ REPORTJONATHAN/AND VERLA SIMS J CHRIST S AMBASSADORS TO JAPANAnd the hrtn^i y^ ifa^heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrustto reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others, Timothy 2:2VOLUME 13 THIRD QUARTER 1993 NUMBER 3

A NEW LIFE BEGINSThe Lord is gracious and takes care of His people in His own special way.He provides far greater blessings than we sinful humans deserve. We simplyneed to t rust in Him to provide our needs to do His will.As all of you know, I was concerned about finding a help mate fo r manyyears. Missionaries are expected to be married, just like leaders of

Christian churches. Japanese society, as all of human society, expects peopleto marry. The Apostle Paul was single and effective in his missionary work,but many consider Paul to be an exception to the rule of church leadership.Friends tried to help me by sending names of people to write and/or date. Butthey proved fruitless. The only solution was to turn my desire to the Lord inprayer. My prayer unexpectedly changed from Lord, I need a help mate, toLord, how can I glorify you more fully? I will do whatever is Your will.At that point of submission, God answered my prayer instantly.HOW VERLA AND I MET

Four years ago, my niece Suzi Smith went to a summer Christian camp. Hercabin mom was Verla Schoelkoph , a very giving person who loves children.Suzi was very impressed with Verla, falling in love with her immediately.There is nothing more precious to a young camper than to hear a staff memberat camp talk about Jesus Christ and to see the love of Jesus Christ in thatstaff member s daily l ife. It was during that week that Suzi first suggestedto Verla that she should meet her Uncle Jon. But, i t was not until this Aprilthat Verla and I truly submitted to the Lord s will . Verla had been prayingfor years for a devout Christian husband. But she had just completed a SundaySchool class at her church on prayer when her eyes were opened and sherealized her prayers had been for selfish desires and not to glorify God. Itwas at this point when she totally surrendered herself to God s will.Interestingly, several days later she received a letter from Suzi and alsoSuzi s mom bringing Jonathan s name to the forefront for the second time. Iwas presently on furlough attending Cincinnati Bible Seminary where I wasstudying to be more effective as a missionary. I was seeking insights intobecoming a missionary who can train Japanese Christians to train others sothat the Church of Christ will grow more in Japan. In my own personal l ife Iwas almost ready to give up praying for a help mate, even though I knewmanrtage was an important part in God s plan. Verla c letter arrivedimmediately after I turned away from my selfish ideals to seeking His will.

Verla and I began corresponding, followed by lengthy phone calls. ThenVerla decided to take some vacation time from work as secretary at Iowa StateUniversity to visit me in Cincinnati between my summer school classes. Wefound many common interests and goals. The most important fact we both holddear is that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we both are intent on seeking and doingHis wil l in our l i ve s

Verla is a member of North Grand Church of Christ in Ames Iowa. She hasserved in the nursery many years as well as co-taught the 0-2 year old SundaySchool class for 8 years. She has also been very active in the choir, and hasperformed vocally as well as instrumentally (flute). She was born in RedwoodFalls, Minnesota, where her parents are active members of the Church ofChrist. Verla is a very loving and caring person. She is an excellent wife,and the mission work in Japan will be greatly blessed with her presence.THE MARRIAGE

Verla and I were married on August 14th at the North Grand Church ofChrist, Ames Iowa. Scott Weber, the minister there, performed the ceremony.Mom and Dad came from Japan to the wedding, and all of our two families were


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presenT:. Guests came from MinneS ota, the local congregation, Iowa StateUniversity, and from Ames who know and love Verla. There are a number of herdearest f r i ends who do not want h er to leave Ames. I t is rea lly praiseworthyfo r someone who has s a c r i f i c e d fo r o th e r s fo r twenty years in on e location tomove on to another. Surely Jesus Christ will be honored.SCHOOL WORK FINISHES

With th e completion of two summer school classes, th e work needed for th eMaster of Divinity degree at Cincinnati Bible Seminary was completed. All ofthe credits from the previous degree of Master of Religious Education I hadearned before were applied toward th e degree. In one cal endar year, th i r tyone c r e d i t hours o f graduate school study was completed. On September Is tth e comprehensive oral exams were completed. Verla and I stayed at th e guestapartment a t school so that I could finish study, and sh e c ou ld e nc ou ra ge me.asked questions by three prominent professors in thedid well and was given a blessing by a ll th re e. I willin absent i a on May 14 , 1994, as Verla and I a n t i c i p a t e

Japan a t t h a t time.

I w as honored t o b eg ra du at e s ch oo l. Ioff ic ia l ly graduatebeing in Yokohama,

A FRESH STARTVerla and I a re convinced t h a t God is leading us to Japan fo r severalreasons. 1 Japan is the leading nation of Asia, thus a strategic location toAsia look to Japan fo r guidance in

3 Less than 1 o f the Japanese populationfreedom o f r e lig io n , a t pr esent -- a f a c ta re jus t a few reasons God ha s placed in- - - - ...the Japanpsp peoplp. . In n>^fjar tQ._be ableto answer God s cal l Verla and I are in need of your encouragement, prayers,and a dd it io na l f in an ci al support. We as k you to share ou r work with friendsso t h a t more Ch ristia n s here in America ca n share in t h i s g re a t ta sk . Thank

you .

share the Gospel. 2 The people inm a te r ia l and p h il os o ph ic a l v a lu e s,are a ct iv e C h ri st ia ns . 4 There ist h a t may not always be t r u e . Theseou r hea r t s a s t.r o n o des i r e to r each

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CA J REPORTJONATHAN AND VERLA SIMS CHRISTS AMBASSADORS TO JAPAN

Ar]d the things you have heard me say in thepresence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who wiUalso bequalified to teach others, II Timothy 2:2VOLUME 3 AUTUMN NUMBER 4

PREPARATIONS FO R OUR N W START IN JAPAN

September was a veiy bu^ month for Verla and me as we spent many hours preparing for ourtrip to the mission field. We did not anticipate the enormous stress in our lives as we sold possessions,packed boxes for shipping, stored other large furniture items, and set our vision on the move to Japan.Normal work load for Verla at ISU s ee me d heavier tha n usual as she finished out her last days ofemployment there. Many people wanted to see us before we left, which was a great encouragement.But unfortunately, our time ran out before we had a chance to meet with everyone. A number ofdocuments were obta ined in readiness for travel I had work done on eleven cavities at the dentist onVerla s dental plan, while Verla made several trips to the chiropractor.

God answered many prayers during our packing. He enabled us to sell Verla s home and maiQrlarge pieces of furniture. He strengthened Verla during her sickness and early pregnancy. Eventhough Verla gave away many of her possessions, we still ended up shipping 43 boxes besides severalpieces of furniture. Packing was veiy time consuming as we had to list the contents and value of theitems in each box for Japanese customs. We thank God for my sister Sylvia s help in packing, as wewould not have made our deadline without her. As it was, we packed several boxes with the moversstanding 1 . We appreciate Verla s brother Irvin hosting us our last week in Ames and also agreeingto be our Power of Attorney.Most of October was spent traveling to supporting churches in Iowa, Michigan, Penn^lvania,West Virginia, and Virginia. We are so thankful for the warm hospitality shown us during our visits(meals, accommodations, farewell receptions). We left each congregation with renewed and newfriendships. Verla was overcome with the love shown by people she had never met before. We thankGod for all the prayers and generous support shown us. During our travels we secured our passports,visas, and airplane tickets. We spent our lastweek with our main living-link church in Chesapeake,VA. Before flying to Japan, we made a quick stop in California to visit my brother Dan and family.

OUR RR IV L IN JAPAN

After a two-hour drive to the LA.. Airport and 11 hours in flight, we were delighted to arrive atthe Tokyo International Airport on November 5. Mom and Dad were anxiously awaiting our arrival,and greeted uswith a big hug. We were delighted to see their smiling faces, butnot ready to face the2 1/2 hour drive to their home. After a light supper we retired for the evening at 8 pm 3 amCalifornia time). Simday we sang a duet at Dad s church. Verla was very impressed with theexuberant singing of the small congregation. They sang with conviction in their hearts. Following theworship service we were greeted at a welcoming reception put on by Mom. We were both asked tomake speeches. After I rambled on for an hour, they decided to have Verla make all future speeches.On November 8, Dad drove us to the Joel Home , where Mr. and Mrs. Oka were anxiouslywaiting to meet Verla, greeting her with a huge bouquet of flowers. They had only read tidbits in

recent letters about changes in my life. The Okas are veiy generous and endeavored to make us feelrelaxed in the house. We spent more time than anticipated getting ready for our shipment from theU.S. to arrive. We sorted through my things, throwing away a lot of old clothes and other things. Wemade room for our coming boxes, and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. The Japanese couple who stayed inthe house while I was in the U. S. moved into an apartment just before our arrival. Theywelcomed usby sending us flowers and gifts. We are amazed at the friendliness and generosity of the Japanese,touching our hearts. We are amazed at the gifts we ve received from Japanese people we don t evenknow

Even though I have lived many years in Japan, I am finding readjustment hard. For Verlaeveiything is different. She neither speaks nor reads Japanese, making it difficult for her to getaround. Even cooking, once thought easy, is now hard as she can t read the Japanese labels and/ordirections. She has no fondness for what the Japanese drag out of the ocean to eat (i.e. eel, squid,octopus, etc). But she has taken a real liking to some Japanese foods not available in the States.


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One week after being in the Joel Home we received our shipment from Towa. Tt took twomedium-sized Japanese trucks and four men two hours to unload. We were delighted that theydelivered every box to the appropriate room. After unpacking/sorting for three days we found a placefor everything. The only item out of place is our oven which we re still waiting to have instiled.People have commented on the cleanliness and prettiness of our home. Verla has a knack fordecorating.Just before leaving the U.S. we went to a clinic to check the progress of Verla s pregnancy.After an ultra-sound and other tests, the signs looked very good and normal. Tlie doctor

recommended that we check into a clinic as soon as we arrived in Japan. Unfortunately, it was noteasy to find a clinic on short notice, as many hospitals, already had beds filled through May and June.We finally found a hospital in our district, where a doctor agreed to see Verla on November 29th.After waiting hours (1st come, 1st serve basis), we finally saw the doctor, who performed another ultrasound. His prognosis was alarming. The doctor heard no heartbeat and found that not only hadgrowth stopped, but decay had been in progress for 3 weeks. Both of us were devastated by the news.Each of us had longed for a child for many years, and our dream seemed lost. The doctor prescribedimmediate surgery to remove the dead fetus as he considered Verla s health in grave danger. Verlawas admitted to the hospital at 2 pm on November 30. Being in a Japanese hospital was very scary forVerla, so I was with her at all times. Surgery was performed at 10:30 am on December 1. TTie doctorshowed me the mass of decayed fetal tissue. After bed rest the remainder of the afternoon, the doctorchecked her before dismissal at 5 pm. He gave us medication and indicated that after Verla s bodyproperly healed, there was no reason why she could not become pregnant again. Through all of oursorrow, we have seen much support from Mom and Dad as well as many letters and phone calls ofencouragement from Japanese Christians and missionaries.

We are now beginning preparation for our anuuai Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, for whichwe have been asked to sing a duet and each play a piece on our instrument as well as having a part inan instrumental trio. We thank God daily for His strength, guidance, and love shown us. Our prayeris that more Japanese will open their hearts to God s calling. We greatly appreciate the prayers andfinancial support you provided for us this year. May peace be with you as you celebrate this holyseason

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sims jonathan verla 1993 japan

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