23

^983

for the "...th msn, CHRIST JESUS..." January 1, 1983 addresses:

Japan Exie Fullz, Missionary
2709 Kofuma

Higashiura Cho TsunaGun. HyOQOKen 656-23

Teiephone: 079974-2199

To those.

who are loved by God the Father

ys.A.

and kept by Jesus Christ:

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance (Jude 1: 1,2)

^,dh.,cone,
ForwardinflAgents

now and throughout 1983.

Fairview^Heighls. IL622O8
Teleohone; (618) 398-5095

New Year's Day 1982 I wrote you that the most time-comsuning task that I
had done in 1981 was the collecting and editing of scripts, written by missionaries, for a devotional book "Gleam of Dawn. . . Light of Day." But the 'light' of the first new 'day' of 1982 'dawned' on an unfinished job of editing. I very much wanted to lay aside the work on the book and move on to other things, but the value of its contents was greater, it seemed to me, than that of the time required to finish.
Then came nights when, as I turned my head on my pillow, waves of dizziness would sweep over me. On getting up I would reach for a door, or the wall, . until the dizziness ebbed. I learned, on a visit to the doctor, that it was

"vertigofrom too much stress."

Since my doctor here on the island is a

member of the Free Methodist Church and since some years ago he was on the staff of the Baptist Missionary Hospital in Kyoto, I found myself telling him
about the work on the devotional book, then added, "But I want to finish it

for God." And he said, "yes". I did take time for rest and the work on the devotional book did wind down. (Recent word from the Publish-Committee, Betty Turner, Harold Sims and Paul Pratt is that it will be printed in 1983.)

The Monday before Easter I thought my right eye seemed a bit cloudy, but

'^ust a wee bit.

Mid-week the cloudiness seemed to have increased adding

I mentioned this on the phone to

'flashes of lightening' within the eye.

Daynise Halloway. Her quick response was, "Get yourself to the doctor. It could be detachment of the retina." Driving to my appointment with the doctor on Good Friday morning the weather was pleasant, the view of the bay
was lovely. All things seemed good with the Easter Sunrise Service and breakfast to look forward to. It was a good day until the doctor said,

"Can you get to an ophthalmologist today or tomorrow?"

Since "tomorrow"

was Saturday and an unlikely day "today" became the day.

Though I protested

that I had to teach a class at 4:00 p.m. and couldn't get across the bay and back by that time, the doctor phoned the Kobe Municipal Hospital for an appointment for me and sent me on my way. I didn't get back by 4:00 p.m. but was brought a little later by Martin Clark who helped me get my car from
the Port Building Parking lot and helped lock and secure the house for a planned three weeks, or more, absence. Hasty calls were made to cancel all

classes and Easter Services, then back across the bay to Osaka for a night

/at the Clarks.

The next morning I checked in__at. the_Kobe Mum'ripal Hospital

/ a_little after 10:00 a.m. scheduled for surgery for retinal detachment the following Tuesday.
Surrounded by prayers of missionaries and of good folk back home, and with a skilled surgeon and very pleasant nurses, my 10-day stay in the hospital was not at all unpleasant. The detached area was not large and healed faster than expected. I experienced none of the long hours of immobility in bed that is so often necessary in such cases. After leaving the hospital
I was a few days with the George Beckmans and then back home. I had been away only about half the length of time that I had thought I would be.

Summer '82 brought an answer to what could be called a thirty-year-prayer.

A small classroom with a basement-storage-work space became a reality. Funds were mostly from Japanese offerings and loans. One Japanese Christian

..,al CORDS-OF-LOVE BIBLE PLACE, Awaji Island, Japan

business man and his wife loaned $7,500, interest free.

Payments of

$200 per month (as as he said, "whatever you can pay") are to be paid quarterly with the first payment this month. Truly this is of the Lord and is of a great delight to me. For the first time in my missionary years I can hold all of my classes in some place other than my living quarters. pray with me that the debt on the building can be quickly dissolved.

August brought another forward step in the work when four third-year Junior High students went to Shinshu Bible Camp. Our group went to Osaka Bible Seminary and joined four other students and Martin Clark for the trip to
cam'^in a mini-bus that Martin had rented. We shared the expenses of the trip. The Cords-of-Love Bible Place students returned wanting to go again

in *83.

Pray for them and the other younger Junior High students who will

be eligible to go.

The first Sunday in September I woke with a slight slur in my speech and unable to write legibly. Again to the doctor the next day. He assured me that it was transient but admonished, "Before you get too tired, quit."
November 3rd was Tanimakikai the preaching conference at Osaka Bible Seminary. Two of the girls who had gone to camp went with me for the evening of the 2nd and the morning of the 3rd. The night of the 2nd, Leone Cole, Betty Turner and I shared sleeping quarters and recalled that thirty

years earlier on that day Betty (then Yarbrough) and I were on high seas,
on different ships, sailing to Japan and she on to the Phillipines. My ship had sailed from San Francisco the day before hers and she and Leone, then on furlough, came to my ship to see me off. Two car loads of San Jose Bible College folk were there too. A prayer circle was formed abroad the ship. I was especially impressed when Leone prayed to the Lord

for me, "Give her many souls for her hire." Sailing into Yokohama 17 days later (my arrival in Japan was Nov. 6, 1952) I learned that Betty's ship
had docked the day before. We were welcomed to the Orient that night by the Tokyo missionaries with a prayer-meeting dinner. Betty went on to the Phillipines but ten years later she and her husband. Bill Turner, became
missionaries to Japan.

On November 17, 1982 a small group of Christians met in my home for luncheon and post-luncheon dedication service at the new classroom building. It had been postponed a couple of times but was a meeting full of warm, Christian fwllowship which made it a very special day for me. November 19 I saw the ophthalmologist again. Blook that had entered the eye before the operation had moved from the upper part of the eye down into the line of vision causing the vision to worsen. It may move elsewhere. This is the doctor's hope and my prayer. If it settles where it now is it will set up an opacity that can only be removed by another operation. Pray with me about this matter. I am to see him again in August. Before that, the Lord willing, I will be home on a three months furlough.

Two Christmas programs were planned and carried out a candlelight service for the Junior High group on Christmas eve, and a flannelgraph - telling tlie story of the birth of Christ by the elementary school students to a group of mothers on Christmas afternoon. From Christmas to January 9th is vacation for the students. For me a time of catching up a bit on correspondence, and preparing for the opening of classes.

Furlough is planned from mid-April until mid-July.

Easter Services are planned

for here and, the Lord willing, I will leave that same week for San Francisco.

I plan to be in the San Jose area the week-end after Easter and in St. Louis the following week-end. I would like to visit as many old friends and churches as possible and tell of the work that is unfolding here for witnessing of the Lord. Write either to me here or to Frank and Hazel Conner. Though I am driving my car here I will not be driving in the States. Please consider
this and give me some information on how to roach you.

This day I look back over my 30 years as a missionary to Japan and marvel at the Lord's guidance. I look forward to continuing the work here on the island knowing that He will guard me in all my ways (cf. Psa. 91;llb).
May He also guard you in yours.
Exie Fultz