MISSIONS POSSIBLE

Volume 1 Number 01

January 1992

NEW GOALS

WHAT'S NEW!
This initial issue ofMISSIONS

Based on what has happened up to now in Niigata,Japan, and the USSR

POSSIBLE is intendedto help you

since 1984, wehave setgoals for the coming years. We hope by applying

get to know the people who are

serving overseas with NORTH

lessonslearned, for 3 of our familiescurrently in Niigata to be in 3 different

prefectures or areas within the next 3 years. Bill and Akemi Belew will
continue thework in Niigata. Joel and DebieLikins willcontinue building
the workin the USSR. Scott and Carmen LaRue, Linda Millard, andJerry
and LauraMortwilleach moveto a new prefecture. Besides learning how
to teachEnglish andrun a business, we are busy with language andcultural
study, Bible study training, and making friends. As some ofus move to new
areas, more families will be recruited to take our placesin Niigata. Each of
these families will share a life commitment to working in this part of the

EAST ASIA TENTMAKING

TEAM. Although we are from dif

ferent partsoftheStates,wethought
it would be good stewardship to
combine all of our individual news

letters into one joint newsletter.

Thus, you are receiving the first
issue of MISSIONS POSSIBLE.

We are thankful for the role you are

playingas faithful supporters ofthis
ministiy.

world.

Once in a new prefecture, the foundation for new schools or businesses

willbe laidandmore workers will be recruited. In eacharea, ourgoalis to

have recruited and trained 4 families committed for life within the first 7

A N.E.A.T.T.
NEW NAME
LastsummerNIIGATA CHRISTIAN

MISSION (NCM) became NORTH EAST

ASIATENTMAKING TEAM (NEATT).

This name change is simply a reflection of
the growth in people working together in
this region of the world and our shared
vision. As immersed believers in Christ, we

arecommitted toteachingandpreachingthe
Gospel topeoplein Japan,theformerSoviet
Union and China.

years. As aresult,by the year2000, we expect to have trained20-25families

for the North East Asia region. With consistent growth, we could have
MANY more families coming in the early 21st century.
Allalong, weintend to betraining nationals to assume responsibility for
their respective locations. Our present goal is to have Niigata prefecture
dependent on Japanese leadership for its future evangelization with in the
next 3 years or 10 years from the time the Belews arrived in Niigata.
Using this as a guideline, we hope to see 5 prefectures dependent on
Japanese leadership bytheyear2002. Onceagain withconsistent growth we
could seeMANY prefectures in Japan reached in the early 21stcentury.
Wehave committed ourlives- withthesedreams andgoals- to God who
specializesin doing theseemingly"impossible." We are confident God will
do "exceedingly abundantly above all that weask or think" (Eph 3:20).

Page 2

January 1992

The Belews

TO RUSSIA WITH

This profile is being writtento introducemyselfto the new peopleaddedto the mailing
list by the LaRues, Likins, Morts and Linda Millard.

LOVE

I was bom and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I graduated from Cincinnati Bible

In March of 1991, Joel and his family

Russia. They had originally, iin-

College in 1976. I served a youth ministry atForestdale Church ofChrist inSpringdale,

tended to slay a year and then decide.

Ohio and a preaching ministry at Glen-

They've decided. They want to stay. They

ming. After these ministries, I enlisted in

rejoice that they have committed themselves

to the ongoing Kingdom work in Russia.
Russia will be in good hands as long as we

and lefttheNavy a Lieutenant JO. I was

30have been baptised since I was there last

^
^

rock Church ofChrist in Glenrock, Wyo-

^ r'
>

the US Navy foraboul4-l/2 years. Iwas

' eventually commissioned anaval officer rememberthemta our prayere'More than

--ir i

1"^
f
m

1Xi^ ^
\

-1

wUl stay as long as they are permitted. We

''Jr

yC-

J assigned to ships in Yokosuka, Japan. It fall and one was immersed while Iwas there
I was there I met and eventually married couple of weeks ago. Ivisited Russia for

,-J

AkemiSakaguchi. Wehavetwochildren, 2weeksduringthemiddleofSeptember.lt

AkemiSalcaguchi.Wchavetwochildren,
was great to see some of the people I bap-

I Benjamin, 9years old, and Micah, 5years

old.

tlzed last year and how they-ve grown and

also to meet the new Christians. One thing

Akemi was bom and raised in Sanjo, theChristiansdecided whileIwas there was
..tuX-' Niigata. ShegraduatedfromKantoGakuin

that they needed to meet more regularly.

Women'sJuniorCollegein Yokohama. It Theywill have at least weekly meetings on

was during this time that she met a friend
of mine and his wife who were stationed in
YokosukanearYokohama. Wemetatthis

:?<

Sunday evenings. Up until now they had

just been meeting throughout the week in a
regular Bible study. This is a very important
step. Please, please pray for them. Two of

friend's house. AfterBenji was bom we

the missionaries in Japan, Lee Jones and

..

I retumed to Ohio for about 1 1/2years. In

Donald Burney, will be visitingthem later

Bill, Akemi, Benji and Micah Belew

Febmary of 1984 weretumed to Akemi's

month to conduct a short course in a

hometown ofSanjo to begin a new work. Sanjo is located in the center ofNiigata prefecture
on the west coast ofJapan. Until we arrived in Niigata, the entire west coast ofJapan had

Bible-related topic. If any of you readers

been neglected by the first 100 years of missions by the church of Christ in Japan.
Joel Likins and I co-founded English Communication Service (ECS) in 1988. ECS is
a communication service which reaches into some 13-14 cities a week throughout Niigata

East trip, to Japan and Far East Russia?

would like to visit Russia, let me (Bill)

know. We can work it out. HowaboutaFar

prefecture. We established a branch school in Khabarovsk, Russia in March of 1991. We

also sent a teacher to Birobidjan, Russia in September of 1991. We teach about 1200-1500
students each week with all of our teaching staff at all of our teaching assignments. Wehave
established regular Bible studies in three cities in Niigata prefecture. We have one church
in a fourth city in Niigata. There are two regular Bible studies in Russia. There are some
20-30 Christians now in Niigata prefecture and about the same in Russia.
I expect to receive a Master's in Education with an emphasis on Teaching in English as
a Second Language this year from Pacific Westem University in Los Angeles. I expect to
continue my education beyond theMaster's level. During my last trip to Russia, lastmonth,

I taught two Bible lectures in Russian. I plan to continue to study Russian and hope that
someday I can teach it in the university as well. I do not devote lime to triathlon training like
I used to. Time constraints prohibit it. These days, I do ultrarunning. We have organized
a couple of24-hour fund raisers for IDES. I plan to continue running although I do not intend
to let it control my life.
I am extremely pleased with the team that has been assembled here and the goals that
have been established. We're reaching toward the 21st century with lofty goals. God has
taken us far beyond any of my original dreams. I expect He will continue to do the same.

MISSIONS
PLANTING SEEDS OF FAITH WORLDWIDE

Linda Millard

NEW FACES
Jennifer Walters returned to America

in July. However, shedidn'tretum until she

was replaced by Elizabeth Gumbleton.
Liz is between her 2nd and 3rd years of
university in Michigan. She, like Jennifer,
came to us through the campus ministry in
Michigan. The campus ministers in Michi
gan seem to be doing a superjob. I hope they
keep sending us fine workers!
Another one-year intern will be coming
around January. His name is Jason Kraft.
Jason hasjustgraduated fromRoanokeBible
College. All of our intems now come with
a commitment for at least one year and a
promise to find their own replacement to
ensure continuity. The interns are becom
ing a valuable addition to the ministry.
Jason will replace Linda.

I was bom in Kentucky, and raised in Zimbabwe, Africa, where my parents served as
missionaries. In 19791 entered Kentucky Christian College and graduated four years later
with a B.A. majoring in Bible and Missions. I returned to K.C.C. and obtained a B.S. degree
in Elementary Education. After graduation, I spent one year in Liberia, West Africa, as a
teacher for missionary children.
In 19881 came to Japan. I taught grades 1-3 for one year at Kansal Christian School

near the city of Osaka. While I was working there I became increasingly drawn to Japan
and to the Japanese people. I wanted to
bccomc morc involved with work that

^ would give me the opportunity to work

fI

^ directly with Japanese people. In 19891

NiigataChristianMission.nowNorihEast
% Asia Tentmaking Team. Iteach English

'

^ moved to Niigata and began working with

L', "" *%s,

I
I

classes and take time toget toknow membersonamorepersonallevel, whichgives

. I'f
\iS3L'

chance to share our faith.

SinceImovedtoNiigata,Ihavebeen
studying Japanese. I am not up to the level

^ would like to be, and I am grateful to

I those of you who are praying for me as I

What is 750,000
"

stretch around the

'
1

earth 30 times, and

is getting 20 miles
longer every day?
Answer: The line of

people without
Christ.

LINDA MOVES ON

is now
time for to
meanto
move on.trying.
Soon IItwill
be moving
4 continue

miles long, could

'

'I

otherpartofJapan,Toyama prefecture, to
set up a new branch of our work there.
Toyama is south of Niigata prefecture.
There are no Church of Christ missionar

ies in this area ofJapan. We will establish

'
Linda Millard

a similarset up there,an English conversation school where we will also teach

Bible. I plan to have enough work avail

able to support myself and a Japanese friend who has decided to go with me as an office
manager. As soon as possible, I hope to be able to have work available for additional
workers.

My fellow workers and I are excited by what the future holds for us as we continue to
spread the gospel in Niigata and Russia, and as we make plans to move south into Takaoka
city, Toyama prefecture. We pray that you too are excited by what God has done and the
possibilities of what He can do in the future. I ask that you would continue to pray for all
of us, that God will give us wisdom and guidance to serve Him to the best of our abilities.
Thank you for your support in prayer. It means a great deal to me.

So, where is Linda going? She's not

leaving Japan, but is moving to Toyama
prefecture. Toyama is to the south and west
of Niigata prefecture. She will start another
work similar to ECS in Niigata. We're
excited about this. This is one of our first

steps in expanding throughout Japan. Linda

will move around the beginning of Febmary. One of our ECS members, Yasuko
Tamura,willbe going with her. Please keep
Linda and this new work in your prayers.
This is a big step for her and for us and
towards our future goals.

Did You Know...

3/4 of the world lives in less developed countries?

90% of the world lives north of the equator?
People in the U.S.A. are approximately 6% of the world's population?
Americans have approximately 35% of the world's wealth?
9% of the world's population speakds English?
90% of the world's Christians come from the 9% who speak English?
96% of the churches' income is spent on those who speak English?

Page 6

January 1992

The Metis

Br>

NEW ADDITIONS

Greetings fromJapan! We are Jerry

and Laura Mort. We came to Japan in
June of 1991. We keep busy teaching

This past summer there were 4 additions

to the family of God. Masayo Tomisawa is
secretary/office manager for ECS. She has
been around for nearly 3 years now. She is a

English conversation at our home in Kashi-

faithful and hard worker. We look forward to

wazaki and at several other locations.

her being the same for the kingdom.

Emiko Kobayashi is a high schoolsenior
in Niigata. She works part-lime for ECS in
Niigata and has been a member of ECS for
couple of years. Emiko is planning to attend

Besidesteaching Englishweare studying

hard to become fluent in Japanese so that
communication will be easier and espe
cially so that we can teach Bible studies

and win souls for Chgst.

Jerry was raised on a farm near the

CBS next fall. She is busy studying in hopes

of being able to keep up after she gets there.

small town of North Webster, Indiana.

Mr. Gocho was brought to Kamo church

After graduation from West Noble High

School, I attended Goshen College for 2

by one of Uiechurch members ilierc. He works

in the city office at Kamo and is married and

years and then tmnsf^red to Purdue Uni

versity. I graduated from Purdue in 1984
with a Bachelor of Science in the field of

Medical Technology. It was while at

tending Purdue, I made my commitment
to Christ and was baptized at Elwood
Church of Christ.

Jerry, Laura and Hannah Mori

ana.

Laura was bom in Indianapolis, Indi

My family moved several times

duringmy growingup years,butalwaysremained in Indiana. Aftergraduation fromWest

NobleHigh School,I attendedIndianaCentral University for 1-year, thenI transferred to
Indiana-Purdue Regional Campus at Ft. Wayne, Indiana. I graduated in 1985 with an
Associatesin Art degree. Duringmy college days,I attendedCorunnaChurchof Christand

has 3 children.

We look forward to him

growing in Christ.
YoshiyukiTaki also became aChrlsiian.

Yoshi's decision may appear to be the most

dramatic. Upon becoming a Christian, his
family disowned him. He is not permitted to
come home and hisfamily will have nothingto
do with him. He is 25 years old and was
enrolled in pre-law school at the time. He had
jus^retumed from a year's stay in America.
Hisfamily had covered all his school bills and
living expenses until now and had planned to
see him through law school. When he became

a Christian, his family forced him out of his

apartment and onto the street. They cut off all

was baptized there.

We were married in July of 1985 and became active in the youth ministries at Christ

Church at Georgetown. Japanhasalways held an interest andwe began to investigate the

possibilities of servicetliere. The morethatwe learnedof theJapaneseneedfor Christ,the
morethatwefeltcalled,sowhenwe wereinvited tojoin BillBelewinNiigaia wecamewith
eagerhearts. Although wearestilladjusting to thenewcultureandlanguage, wearecertain

his support, took his clothes and savings ac

count. He is now working part-time at ECS.
doing an excellent job. He plans to save
money until he can go back to America to
finish law school. He's a tremendous witness
and an excellent student.

the Lord will use us in the Land of the Rising Sun.

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BJbLuj

MISSIONS POSSIBLE
Volume I Number 02

THEVISION ANDTHEVENTURE
There is about one Christian Church/Church of Christ member for every 240
people in America. In Japan the ration is one member for every 60,000 people. In
short, Japan is still in need of Christian workers. In Tokyo, a square foot of land
costs about $36,000. In Sanjo, it is a whopping $1,900,000 per acre. For a
missionary to be fiilly supported by a church or churches in America, the churches
must be willing to put forth at least $40,000/year living link and again that much for
service link, or $80,000/year. Problem: a land in great need of Christian workers
and a tremendous price tag to send more.
In the eight years since Akemi and I came to Japan, our Christian work force
in Niigata and now Toyama and Khabarovsk has grown fromjust the 2 ofus to 13
full-time American Christian residents. How has that come to be?

Paul worked as a tentmaker in Corinth and spent every Sabbath trying to

persuade Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:2-3). We, NEATT, are modem-day tentmakers. We teach English to Japanese and Russians. And, we not only use every
opportunity given to us, we make opportunities to try to persuade the Japanese and
Russian. Thusfarwehave outreach in 2 prefecturesinJapan:NiigataandToyama;
2 districts in Russia; Far East, Russia and the Jewish Autonomous Region; and 15
cities. Regular Bible studies are now offered in 5 of thesecities, 3 in Japan and 2
in Russia, and two churches are meetingregularly, one in Japan and one in Russia.
Naturally, income is generated from our many English teaching assignments.
Consequently, ECS is devoted to providing for the physical needs ofall its Christian
workers. NEATT workers still have many responsibilities to the American
churches; reporting, visiting, encouraging and instructing in missions, newsletters
and overseas travel expenses. In these areas especially, any assistance from the
American churches: is appreciated.
Future issues of Missions Possible will attempt to explain in more detail the

'tentmaking' concept and specifically about ECS. Readers on our mailing lists and
supporting churches are welcome anytimeand are encouraged to send representa

April 1992

SPREADINGTHEWORD
Although all of us teach English to support
ourselves in Japan, our heart's desire is to intro
duce all ofour students to Jesus. Currently, there
are weekly Bible studies in 4 different cities.
EveryweekpeoplemeettogetherinKamo.Kashiwazaki, Sanjo, and Terao. In Kamo, different
Christians take turns teaching and leading our
worship time on Simday morning. At night in
Kashiwazaki, Jerry teaches Bible study and YoshiyukiTaki translates. Also in the evening. Bill
is leading a study ofthe life of Christ with a group
in Sanjo. On Wednesday nights in Terao, Scott
teaches from Matthew and Bill translates.
In addition to these studies we have re

cently completed a special 4-week study series in

Kashiwazaki and Sanjo. This series is designed
to teach what Christians believe about:

The

Creator, The Bible. Jesus' Resurrection, and Being

a Christian in Japan. Through the course ofthese

studies, each person is exposed to the Gospel.

After participating in our special study in Sanjo
and talking with a number of Christians, Tomonori (Tom) Nozaki was baptized in the Sea of
Japan. He is now attending college in the state of
Washington and will be there for four years. We
pray that through these efforts studies and per
sonal conversations that they will become dis
ciples of Jesus.
... SL

UPDATE

OPPORTUNITY

us here and look forward to visiting with you when any member of our team is in

From July 17th-???, about 2-3 weeks, I

(Bill) will be in the States. I will be more than
happy to come give an update about our work in
Japan and/or the work in Russia. Please contact

the States.

Debbie Bowers to arrange for a speaking date.

tives toobserve ourworkfirsthand. Wewelcome the opportunity tohaveyouvisit

Page 2

April 1992

BELEWS ON THE PERSONAL SIDE

TOYAMA E.C.S. BEGINS!

Thefamily isallfine and healthy andhappy tobebacktogether again. Akemi and theboyswere
in theStates foroneschool year, from 8/90 to 6/91. It seems like it hastaken usa halfyeartoget

Yasuko Tamura and I (Linda) moved to

Toyama Prefecture on January31st. We imme
diatelybeganto hand-outadvertisementflyersat

used to beinga familyagain. Micahwillfinish kindergarten in aboutthreeweeks. Hewill start 1st

grade fiill-time atanearby elementary school from thebeginning ofApril. He's very excited. Benji

schools andtrainstations, hangposters inshops,

put advertisements in newspapers, along with

is goingto Japanese elementary school part-time. He attends P.E.,Art and Musicclasses. He then other preparations for OPENING DAY which
doeshome schooling by correspondence. Carmen is his mainteacher. However, lately I've been was February 17th. Our first member was Miwako Sakabayashi. She has been a God-send.
teachinghimArithmetic and Spelling.He's a good boy and a good student.
Micah willstarthome schooling inSeptember. Weexpect tohavea teacher hereinNiigata for She was bom and raised in Takaoka and has
the specific purposeof teaching thechildren fromthe schoolyearbegitming thisSeptember Akemi introducedus to manypeopleandhelpedus inso
isbusywithherchildren's classes, beingamother andhousewife. Shetookupquilting andpatchwork many ways. She has already become a good
while in America. It may have somethingto do with being near Amish country. She continues to

enjoy it. I received my Master's Degree in Education from Pacific Western University in Los
Angeles. I havebeen accepted as a candidate into one of their doctoral programs; I hope to have

fnend anda vital part ofEnglish Communication

Service (ECS). I thank God for her. We have a
few members with several others interested. Mi-

myPhD this summer. Abigeventformethis summerwillbemy 20thyearhi^ school classreunion.

wako has introduced us to a group of business

I planto attendit whileI amin theStates. I'mstillrurming andplanto participate ina 101 kilometer
^

ran irTApril of this year.

Gone fishing, Bill, Akemi, Benji and Micah

men and women who have contracted with us for

LINDA M1LLARD...A PERSONAL WORD

In the lastnewsletter, we mentioned my upcoming moveto Toyama Prefecture. I am gladto
report that the move was accomplished. God has answered so many prayers in this matter. He has

providedforoureveryneed. I praiseHimforallHe hasdone! Wehada difficulttimefindinga good

affordable place to live. At the last minute, we found and rented a very good apartment at an
affordable price. It is very close to our office. The apartment is actually a house divided into two
apartments. We have plentyof roomforYasuko and me to live together, yet enjoyprivacy. We
are very comfortable.

lessons twice a week from April. These people

will be good contacts in the community. With
God'shelp,we are slowlymakingprogress. We
pray that things will pick up in April when the
new school year starts.

Yasuko was a member of Higashi Sanjo

ECS from just before I started teaching with
ECS. She was a substitute elementary school
teacher. When I aimouncedmy plans to move to
Toyama, she decided tojoin me. I thank God for
her. She has been doing well and is very enthu
siastic. I pray that I can teach her about God's

love and that soon she will accept Christ as Lord

ofher life. I askforyourprayers on behalfofthis

About a month ago I learned my mother was in the hospital. I was in the States from 3/12 to

new branch ofthe mission and the success ofthe

3/28,to visitmyparents. Atthemoment, mymotheris stillin thehospital in Miami. I askthatyou

Bible studies which I hope to start soon. Please

pray also that God will guide me in the decisions

will pray for her health and also for my father. I am thankful to God and my co-workers for the
opportunity to go and be with them. It is hard to be on the other side of the world at times like this.

My new addressand phone numberare:

558-1 Nomura Dai 2

Imustmake. All ofthis isnewtome. Ithankyou

foryour prayer support. It means so much to me.
Thank you!
,.. LM

Takaoka-shi

Toyama-Ken 933 JAPAN

Telephone: 0766-28-2506 (in Japan)

011-81-766-2506 (outsideJapan)

WALK-A-THONS
Many of our readers will remember the

AN INTERN'S PERSPECTIVE
Myname isElizabeth Gumbleton, and I amcurrently ajunioratLake SuperiorState University
in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. I am in Japan as a one-year intern and would like to share an
experience with you.

Recently, I wenton a ski tripto Hokkaido (the northern-most of the 4 mainislands of Japan)
withsixotherpeople. During thetrip, I became goodfiiends withMasakazu, a Japanese university
student. Bytheendof thetrip,wehadspent abouttwentyhourstalking witheachotheraboutmany
things, suchasfamily, school, sports, differences in thetraditions of ourcountries, Christianity, etc.
I learneda veryimportant truthfi-om thisexperience. The morewe talked,the moreI learnedhow
much we are alike. But I alsolearnedhowdifferentour purposesin life are and the differencein the
hand Riding us.
Beforethe ski trip, Masakazu had onlyheard that Christwas a man somepeopletry to make
otherpeoplebelievein. During the trip,helearnedthattherearerealpeoplewholivedailyforChrist.

Now, afterthetrip,heislearning even more, andI amveryexcitedtohavetheopportunity tocontinue

to share. Pleasepray for thisman andthemanyother Japanese peoplehere whomightbe open to
hearing the gospel and perhaps after hearing, accepting the Lord.

I hopethatthisbriefbutveryrealexperience is an encouragement foryou to speakwithand to

become fnends with those who might listen to the Word you have to offer.

walk-a-thonswe have done. We seek pledges

fi-om individualsof so many yen per kilometer,
any amount is fine. We then walk, record the

distances and collect the pledges. Two events

have been held: October 1990 and May 1991.
The first time out, 20 people walked and 5
finished 100kilometers. The second time out,65
people walked and 20 finished 100 kilometer.

The total amount ofmoney received from these

two events totals Yl,370,000 = about $10,500.

All money was then sent to IDES (International

DisasterEmergency Service). This is a Christian
Church/ChurchofChrist sponsoredrelief orga
nization.Our monies were sent by them to help
disaster victims in the Philippines,Bangladesh
andLiberia.Wehaveathirdwalk-a-thonplanned
for May 23-24th. The Clarence Church ofChrist

in Clarence Center, New York, is plaiming a

simultaneous walk as is a group in Khabarovsk,
Russia. Perhapsyou all wouldliketoplanawalk
and go out with us. Write to me (Bill) for details.

Page 3

April 1992

WHAT GOES AROUND

GREETINGS FROM THE MORTS

COMES AROUND
Not long ago Joel called me (Bill). I asked
him in passing, 'Are you getting enough to eat?'
This is a typical Russian greeting these days. He
responded, 'Things are tough. Parents are skip
ping meals now so they can feed their children.
And it's going to get worse before it gets better.
There will be no new harvest of food until
summer.' End of conversation. I sent a fax to

IDES explaining the situation. About a week

later, I received a call from my bank saying IDES
had sent me $5,000 to buy food to send to Russia
to be distributed to the Christians there. In the

course ofmaking arrangements to buy and send

the food, other people, includrng Japanese mis
sionaries, sent about $2000. On February 28th
the first of several shipments of powdered milk,
canned vegetables and fruits and canned meats
was shipped to Khabarovsk. In the meantime,
IDES has informed me they have sent another
$5000 for a second purchase and shipment of
food. That money should be here soon. Other
monies from other sources are trickling in, $150
by mail last night, a phone call this morning, etc.
We can't feed all the Russians, but, we can feed

These past few months have been filled with many rewarding moments. In December we held
Advent services, hoping to introduce our Sunday evening Bible studies. These were fairly well
attended and they did begin to open a door. On Christmas night we had a candlelight service with
42 in attendance! P.T. L.! Many families came that night and we pray that a seed was planted. As
of yet, none of these families have started attending Bible studies, but we continue to pray to this
effect.

During January and February our Bible study attendance has been a bit discouraging,however
there seems to be an interest and with the approach ofspring, the interest seems to be growing. This
continues to be a major soiuce of prayer for us and we hope you will join us in this effort.
Currently wearetrying to start a Sundaymorning service, alongwith the SundayeveningBible
study and an Introductionto the Bible study during the week. There are also plans for a Brunch on
EasterSunday. Thiswillconsistof a time ofexplanationandcelebration and endwith a fellowship.
These and other activities keep us busy, never allowing for a dull moment.
On a more personal note, Hannah's 5lh birthday is fast approaching (April 6th) andso her days
are filled checking for loose teeth, jumping rope and telling us that she will SOON be 5! Wewill soon
be officially starting our home-schooling which we are looking forward to with boUi eager
anticipation and a bit of hesitation.

Wearealso beginiiing tolook into possible locations forourcontinuing ministry. There areso
many areas that have no church or witness for Christ that the decision is difficult. We are in need

of your continued prayer support as we make this and other important decisions. Pray for our
Boldness towitness, Wisdom andGuidance in decision making, andthattheHearts oftheJapanese
will be opened to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Gone Fishing, the Morts

some of them. It all started when we set out on

our first 100kilo walk. Any readers interested in

contributing to this relief effort for Russia can
send money to Debbie Bowers, my forwarding
agent, or to IDES, designated for Russia.

LaRUES'VIEWS
As of March9th,we have been in Japanfor oneyear! After initiallystrugglingto adjustto the
Japanese way of doing things, we have come to view Japan as our new home. We still have a lot to

learn, but God has been very good to us. This is clearly evident by the encouraging letters and
packageswe receive from you, new friendships we have made with Japaneseand our co-workers,
and the joy and peace we have in serving here.

Carmen continues tohomeschool Benji Belew threedaysaweek. Theirgoalistofinish byJuly

soBenjicangotoAmerica withhisdad. I(Scott) havebeenable,with much helpfrom Bill, toteach
the4-week introductory Biblestudies inJapanese andEnglish. I usedamanuscript. I am stillletting

THE CHRISTMAS STORY

Christmas time in any country is a wonder
ful time to share the story ofJesus' birth. Japan
is no exception. During the holiday season, the
Japaneseseem very interested in learning about
Western Christmas traditions and customs.

NEATT used this interest as an opportunity to

witness about Jesus by hosting candlelight ser
vices. Past experience showed that interest is

great enough to make it difficult, if not impos

sible, to have the service in one location. This

problem was solved by having the servicesplit

into four locations.

The 118 Japanese who attended were able

to sing carols,listen to the Christmas story, and

enjoyhome-bakedtreats. The groupsat Kamo
Church and Terao added personal touches by
having testimonies fromtwonewJapanese Chris
tians,Masayo TomisawaandEmikoKobayashi,
and Scott. In addition, Kamo Church also had a

children's choir sing some favorite carols. It was

a warm and friendly time and one, we hope, that
will encourage our Japanese visitors to seek out
more about our Lord.

... JM

my ankle heal after spraining it last November. The doctor thinks rest is the best medicine for it. I

have finished myMaster's Degree andwillgraduate in absentia from Cincirmati Bible Seminary in
May.

We have purchased some needed household furnishings (Japanesc-st>Te bod, refrigerator,

washing machine, curtains, andkerosene space heater) withmoney wereceived from you. Yourhelp
is a big blessing. We movedto the ECS apartment in Terao, next to Niigata City, on March23rd.
Weareexcited about thischange andhopetoincrease thenumber ofstudents forEnglish classes and
Bible studies here. Our new address is
3F Nakaden Bid. 6-42 1 Cho-me

Terao Kami Niigat-shi

Ken 950-21 JAPAN

Telephone: 011-81 -25-260-533\^

Page-4

April 1992

LIKINS FAMILY

ONEYEAR IN RUSSIA

NEWS
March 15thmarked one-year in Russia, and whatchanges we have seen! It was Communist
Soviet Unionwithus havingto be careful whatwe said, all stapleswere in shortsupply, withlong
linesholding rationcards. People were hopeful of positive changes in politics andeconomy, and
When fu^t going to Russia, I reported that
eagertohearthetruthaboutJesusChrist. AfterbeingawayinAugust,weweregreetedatKhabarovsk life in Russia was as convenient as a camp out.
airportwith smiles like I hadn't seen pre-Augustcoup,saying 'Welcome back to FREERussia.'
Now I think I've been on camp outs more
We concentrated on channeling the scattered Christians into regular regional church/Bible convenient. Debi's life is very busy trying to
studies. We startedseeing secondgeneration Christians (broughtby our first Christians) join our scrape up enough food to feed us, take care of
family. ItwasthrillingtoseeourChristians comealiveandjoin inondieEvangelism. TheNewYear two active girls and managing with all the incon
camewith the official end to the Unionand the liberalization ofprices, and the beginningofMarket
Economy. This soon lead to the widespread despair as peoplecould not afford thenew prices, eight
to twentytiineshigher,whilewagesdidn'tevendouble. Wellthe lineswerealmostgonewithpeople
passingbyjust wishing they could affordto buy whatthey saw. Although ration cardswere issued,
we don'tneedtousethem exceptfora fewselectitems. Peoplebuy onlynecessities, wonderinghow
long their meager savings will carry them. As living conditions continued to'decline,so did the 'new
government's' popularity. No more optimismand feelinglike they've been betrayed again. It seems

asthough forthsfir^t-time inPoet-RevohitioaSy^^p^^Stpeople havegiven uphope ofseeing good

times in their life time. But people are still ea^fwhear the truth about Jesus Christ. The teaching

and speaking opportunities continue to spread me very thin. We have be^n joined by two single
young men who are anxious to evangelize this country. Dave Krumm has been in nearby Birobizhan
and plans to return for a second year after a summer in the States. Kevin Gjerstad came in later
February, recommended by Lee Jones in Hiroshima. I hope to work closely with them until we all
feel they're capable on their own. Uponmy return to Russia in late April, I plan to select the most

qualifiedChristians for a more intensive trainingprogramsothat theycan go outandteach,partially

relieving me of some of the smallHome Groupstudysessions that call almostdaily. I wouldlike
to combine weekly home studies with a central Sunday Worship Service, ifsuitable facilitiesbecome
available. The day before my departure to Japan in March, seven people were baptized including
several third generation Christians (brought in by second generation Christians) bringing the total
to over 60 Christians in the Khabarovsk area and a few others spread out through the former Soviet
Union.

We're looking for some more financial support in order to have a more effectiveministiy in
Russiaandwould alsobe interestedintrainingmore internsin the future. Yourprayersare of utmost
importance to us, so in the futureI'll tryto acquaintyouwithsome of our activeChristians so you'll
be able to pray specifically for them. If you have any charity ideas, especially with medicines,

-edical equipment orhandicap aids (i.e.. wheelchairs, walkers, etc.) Please contaq^e, preferably
)Ugh BillBelew,as the RussianPostal Systemdoesn'tseemable to deliveroverseas mail. If you
it to come see the work fust hand, you're more than welcome to visit/help anytime.

... JL

veniences. To think almost all Russian women

have to work fiill time besides. There is usually

a Grandmaand Grandpa to do most ofthe shop
ping and housework. Most children don't have
the luxury ofbeing raised by their parents. After
having learned Japanese, we all continue to learn
RussiarL Marisa, who is in Kindergarten, picks
it up quickly. Tasha still has limited exposure to
Russians except for Marisa's friends and tlie
Christians. We had a one-year contract for our
apartment for 250 Rubles/month. We were
unsure about an extension, but fmally negotiated
six more monftis for 2,000 Rubles and at that we

werefortunate. I continueteaching at Khabarovsk

RailwayEngineering Institute, teaching English
and lecturing. Regular Bible Studies and fre
quent speaking engagements with a lot ofradio,
television and newspaper coverage, I almost
ha^t&a celebrity standing. I am also involved in
charity distribution of clothes, food, vitamins
aml.medicines. I sent Debi and the girls directly
to the States via Anchorage because ofMarisa's
expiredpassport. I am now in Japan for about ten
days to prepare the house here for the Ikarashi
family to move in upon graduation from Osaka
Bible Seminary. I will join the family in Ohio
after about three weeks. I'll take the girls to
Russia through Anchorage, and Debi will go
through Japan for another braces treatment.

MISSIONS POSSIBLE

Non-Profit

Organization
U5. Postage

MISSIONS POSSIBLE Ispublished quarterly forthe missionaiies by OalcTree

Services. 7590Whispering Oaks Tran.TlppCity,OH 45371. Sendalladdress
changes to MISSIONSPOSSIBLE, do Troy Christian Church. 1440EastSote
Route 55. Troy. OH 45373.

PAID

Permit No. 223

Troy, OH 45373

Forwarding Agents:
ADDRESS RETURN

Belew:

REQUESTED

Mrs. Debbie Bowers

P.O. Box 296

Clarence Center, NY 14032

LaRue: M/M AlanLaRue
519 Cottonwood Drive

Salem, IL 62881
Liklns:

Jean Season
244 Hanover

Lexington, OH 44904
Millard:M/MMillard

5 Indialucia Parkway
SewalTs Point

Stuart, FL 34996
Mort:

MISSION SERVICES

HORIZONS BOX 2427

KNOXVILLE TN 37901

M/M Louis Jett

5233 Woodlea Avenue

Ft. Wayne, IN 46835

>vi!j!11111 it i111i 11

MISSIONS POSSIBLE
July 1992

Volume I Number 03

MOREABOUTTENTMAKING (TM)
Tentmaking is a good idea. English Communication Service
(ECS), by God's grace, is able to j)rovide sufficient income for its
nineTMs. Nine directsupportmissionaries would costthe churches
an estimated $400,000/year. ECS does not have that big a budget.
We are able to save considerably by combining resources for
mission expenses. However, all is not good with TM Please note
the following Pros and Cons andhow ECS fits in and how the church
can help.
PROS:

1. The burden of regular support placed on the churches is re

duced. The TM can be sent/received on the field at no regular
expense and sometimes no expense at all to the churches. Mission
committees torn between worthy causes can rejoice. The terms
reduced and regular should be noted. The TM does not ask the
churches for regular support. This is because the TM's income
comes from his/her work. ECS income provides for the daily needs

of its TMs. However, there are still mission expenses: travel,

Learn a new trade, if they don't already know it

Make time for professional study and growth
Study and prepare for Bible lessons
Recruit and follow up on more workers
Evangelism and outreach

Train national Christians

Calling and follow-up

Administrative affairs

Correspondence with family and friends

Teach Bible studies

Woric extra to have the necessary funds to provide for mission

expenses

Language study
Cultural study
Sit back and think about the adjustments they are making
Spend time with family

Relax

The conscientious TM can be crushed by the demands to accom

literature and time. It is often assumed because the TM has a regular

plish all of the above. In the local church, the ministeris paid to
accomplishmany of the above. The TM mustwork enough to pay

absorb all expenses for the mission work would be like asking one

themselves and then find time to do a full-time paid minister's

work. Is it possible? Something has to give.

income he/she does notneed any supportat all. Askingthe TM to

family to absorb all expenses for starting and operating a local

church. As the church (mission) grows, the burden is reduced. But,
until then, the TM can use all the help they can get.

2. Set-up costs may have to be met by the TM. Unless a

prospective employer is willingto pick up the costs, theTMmust

2. It removes the barrier of having to raise support to go. Many payfor ownplane tickets, initial housing/apartment rental set-up
people have spoken oftheir desire toserve overseas, yet&eydidn't costs, moving expenses, needed transportation after arriving, mis

feel they could 'go to churches to beg for money.' A ready service,
ready living quarters, and a ready steady income are very inviting.
This is not to say that the TM does not lean on God to provide and
to lead. The TM most certainly relies on God and he must. ECS has

arrangedforworkthatprovidesregularcontactwithmanyJapanese

sion service equipment and work related equipment. A conserva

tive estimate for these is about $20,000. If the TM's prospective

employer is not a Christian, the TM must consider whether the

employer will be considerate of the TM's real intentions andwill
allow time forsuch activities. Not every country is a free country.

individuals (regular income and regular service). Also, over the

course ofthe years ECS has been able to prepare living quarters for
all ofitsTM (ready living quarters). Consequently, it is much easier
to recruit and new workers are more eager to come.

ECS is a Christian organization. All of its full-time workers ^e

Christian in the most serious sense of the word. ECS expects its
workers to provide ONLY their own transportation expenses to
Japan and back, if they decide to leave. A family oftwo can come

CONS:

can and should help here.

forlessthan$2000. Afamily of6 obviously costsmore. Thechurch

I. There is a tremendous time crunch. The TM must work 40+ TheTMconceptcanbestbe learnedby observation or experience,
hours a week. Also, the TMmust fmdtimeto:
Anyone is welcome to come, observe andexperience the work.WB

Page2

July 1992

BELEWS ON THE PERSONAL SIDE

WALK-A-THON

Try as hard as we couldto teachthe boys at home and sendthemto Japaneseschool

part-time, itjust didn't workout Manyconsiderations comeintoplay. The end result
isbothboys aregoingtoJs^aneseschoolfull-time. Wearesupplementingtheireducation
with English studies. I am doing all ofthe teaching. I will be so glad when Kathy shows
up to take the baton from me. I can go back to just being a father then. Both boys
participated in a recent all school athletic festival. Both brought home red ribbons (1st
place). We were so happy to see them try their best and get good results. Akemi and I
willbeparticipatinginanareavolleyballtournament Weare on our neighborhoodteam.
Don't be impressed. They couldn't get enough people to join so they called us, I think.
We'll do our best. Akemi is alwaysbusy with her classes. She must be real busy these
days, she rarely quilts! When will all the business let up? Will it ever? I participated in
the 100 kilo walk by running in a 101 (63 mile) ultramarathon a month before. The
ultr^arathonhad a 14hour time limitandTmadeitwith some roomto spare. I was tired.
Finally I received my official statement of completion for my PhD in Education
with an emphasis on Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Pacific Western
University in Los Angeles. My diploma will come in September. I'm real happy to
have this study behind me. I'm also not anxious to run or hit the books anymore for
awhile. I need a break. See you in July.
Gone fishing. Bill, Akemi, Benji & Micah

Our third walk-a-thon is history. I have

no info from other walks. However, the
Niigata walkhad40 walkers includingyours
truly. Of the 40 walkers, 19 finished. The
average distance walked was 50 miles.
1,300,000 ($10,000+). When we add it all
up for all three walk-a-thons, we should go
over $20,000. All the monies go to IDES.
Nearly all of our walkers are high school
students and university freshman. Perhaps
you might want to try the walk sometime or

even organize one ofyour own.

WB

NEW WORKERS
Elsewhere in this newsletter, Scott and

Carmen have announced they are leaving

Japan. We are excited about diem going to
Far East, Russia. We are excited a replace
ment for them has been found.

Malissa

BIBLE STUDENTS

Richards of Roanoke Bible College was

introduced to us by Jason. Malissa will be
joining us a couple of weeks before Scott

Many ofyouhave met Seijilkeda. Seiji attended CBC for ayear. Hehasretumed
to his regular studies in Tokyo and takes a turn preaching once a month or so. We love
Seiji and look forward to him returning to Niigata.
Emiko Kobayashi will be traveling with Benji and I to America in July. Emiko
has enrolled in CBC and plans to attend for at least two years and maybe four. She
wants to graduatefrom an Americanuniversity and returnto Japan. She is uncertain
what she wants to do, but knows she wants to have a Bible foimdation to her life.
The Ikarashi family finished their study at Osaka Bible Seminary and returned
toNiigata. They are starting a new work. We welcome theirretum to Niigata and look
forward to the contribution they will make to the kingdom here. WB

and Carmen leave. Also, Kathleen Sackett

NEW CHRISTIANS

individuals who receive this newsletter. If

is expected to joinus in August. She will be

coming to Japan when Benji and I retum.
Her main purpose will be to teach the chil
dren ofTMs. They consist ofBenji, Micah
and Hannah. We look forward to her com

ing.

ONEGAI (request)
There are quite a few churches and

I wish it were the end ofthe month so I could write this in the past tense instead ofthe

indefinite future. At least two people will be baptizedthe end of this month. Etsuko
Kobayashi is the modierof Emiko Kobayashi who was baptizedlast summer. She has
beenattendingthe BiblestudyInNiigatafor overayear. Shefinallyreceivedherhusband's
permission. The other is Eriko Nakamura. She works for a company in Sanjo and has
beena memberofECSforabout3 years. You mightwonderwhywe don'trunto thebeach
as soon as they make their decision. This is my preference and each person who makes a
decisionknows the urgency. However,many like to choosea date, invitetheirfnends and
make a big deal ofthe event. This certainly has its benefits. In Japan, to not make a big
event ofbaptism is usually perceived as doing somethingyou're ashamed of. I impress on
them the urgency, but wait until they can get as many people together as they want Ifs
always a big day. Others are thinking about being baptized as well. Please remember
Etsuko and Eriko in your prayers.

there is a church or churches with a tape

ministry, could we be put on the mailing list
to receive the tapes on a regular basis? Most
ofthe preaching/teaching here is our own or
each others. This is usually a repetition of
the "elementaryprinciples." Additionally, I
spend 6-7 hours a week in my car commut
ing to my teaching spots. The other workers
spend a similar amount of time. We could
sue some "good listening" on a regular ba
sis. Tapes can be sent directly to Bill Belew,
18-37-6 Sakuragi-cho Sanjo-shi, Niigataken955 Ja^an I will see thatthey are rotated
among the workers here. Thanks in advance
for responding.

July1992

Page3

NS FAMILY

GREETINGS FROM THE MORTS

NEWS

Wow! It's hard to believe that summer is here and it's even harder to believe that

Marisa and Tasha had a wonderful time

indieStates. Theylovedthechanceto get reacquaintedwith grandparentsand aunts and

uncles and on down the line, and to see some
old fnends, too.

It didn't take long to get back into the

daily schedule in Russia. Marisa seems to
be doing a lot better at her kindergarten.
But, when we move in September, she'll
most likely be in a different kindergarten.
Also, we'll probably start Tasha, who will
be 3 the end of September, at that time.
We'll be starting Marisa's American
home schooling this month (June). She's

we have been here for a year. A lot has happened in this past year. It hasn't always been
easy, but it has been a time of learning and growing in the grace ofthe Lord. We have
mademanyfnends andwehavehadmanyopportunities toplanttheseedsofChristianity.
Weareleamingto communicate, slowlybutsurely. Andwearecomingtolovethepeople
more and more each day.

As we mentioned in the last newsletter, we have started a Sunday evening Bible

study. Currently the non-Christian ladies are attending on a regular basis. They almost
always have questions and are eager to listen. We also have had an Introduction To The
Bible Series which was fairly well attended. Also, we are hoping tobegin a daytime study
some time this fall.

SinceretumingtoKhabarovsk,Fvebeen
more adventurous and doing almost all the
food shoppingmyself. God, along with my
Russian lessons, has given me more confi
dence; so, I get out a little more than before.
Afterthe walk-a-thon, Joel was blessed

In April, the Easter Brunch was attended by 28 people. Jason Craft shared the
Easter Story and Yoshiyuki Taki translated. Afterward, we all enjoyed an Americanstyle brunch. It was a beautihil day filled widi worship, praise and fellowship.
In May, we took part in ECS's 100 kilometer Walk for the World. The even lasted
for 24 hours and was to benefit IDES. Laura worked at a mobile aid station that gave out
food, drinks and encouragement to the walkers. Jerry learned *'theagony ofdefeet" by
walking 70 kilometers in 14 hours.
We are looking forward to attending the Missionary Convention in Okayama
prefecture this coming July. The theme is "Let the Lower Lights be Burning" and will
put emphasis on letting our light shine before meiL We are anticipating the fellowship
with the other missionaries and the change ofpace and scenery. It should be a great time
for renewal and refireshment as we come together to exchange ideas and worship our

with 8 blisters and 4 black toenails!

Lord.

eager and excited about that.

He

walked 63kilometers under a scorching hot

sun on a poor route. And he wants to do

LaRUES' VIEWS

another one!

While in Japan in June, my orthodontist

said that we can begin thinking in terms of
months now for being finished with these
braces! I'm hoping and praying that this
takes care ofthe condition in my jawknown
as TMJ dysfunction.
We're looking forward to this summer

when it looks like we'll be having some

visitors, as well as the possibility of mis
sionaries coming early this fall.
WethankGodforthe chance to work in

Khabarovsk. This work has taught us so

many things, but especially how great and
powerful our God really is. He has contin
ued to bless us with good health, and every
thing we need.

From June 5th to 22nd, I (Scott) was in the U.S. meeting with churches, fiiends and
family. Thepurposeofmy tripwastotellpeoplefirst-hand dieplansCarmenandl aremaking
to join the work in Russia. We came to this decision after much prayer, fasting, and
discussioiL We sought die insightand wisdom ofour co-workersinNiigata, an elder at Troy
Christian Church, and our parents. We haveno problemswithwhatwe are currendydoing
here in J^an. In &ct, we enjoyour work and the many relationships we have. We desireto
have someone come to take our place here. Maybe you or someone you know would be
interested. Ifso, please contact us or Bill Belew.
We hope to moveto Russiathis September. Joel Likinsis helpingus find a university
thatwe can workwith in anothercity in FarEastRussia, maybeinthe cityofKomsomol'sk.
Throughdevelopinga relationship with a university,we wouldhave instantcontacts and
opportunities to witness. In addition,the universitymayprovideor helpus find a place to

live. We hope to have another Christian couldjoin us in^s area. Ihave talked with them
and they are seeking to visit Russia this fall.
BecauseofthepoorconditionoftheRussianeconomy, weareseekingto raisemonthly

support A niunber of individuals and churches have responded. We hope to have 4

churches who will provide our fiill support of$1000 amonth. Another way tolook atthis
"Slava Bog!" (Praise God!)

is to have 50 people giving $5 per week.

If you desireto know moreaboutour plans or to be involved in someway, feel firee to

You can write to us at:
Joel & Debi Likins

contact our forwarding agents, my parents, at 618-548-6323.

Certainly, there are manyuntoowns for which we are seeking answers, but trustthat
God will continue to lead. Thank you for your prayers.

do Takai Nakatak

BIBLES FOR RUSSIA

Shinei-cho 13-3

Kamo-shi, Niigata-ken
959-13 JAPAN

Ifyou would like tohelp purchase and send Bibles to be distributed inFar East |

Russia, you can send acheck to: First Christian Church - NEATT
1200 W. Boone St

Salem,IL 62881

I Puta memo on it:

'Bibles for Russia"

July 1992

Page4

ICi

VS NEWS FROM KHABAROVSK, RUSSIA

The end ofMay we held a 100km (about 67 miles) walk-a-tfaon

Weweresogladtohavea chancetovisitthe StatesinMarchand
April. It's always greattoseefamilyand&iends.Andespeciallythis for charity. We didn't know how well the idea would go over
time,all of you weresuchan encouragementto us. We just feel so because, as you can imagine,they can'trunto the store andbuy nice,
comfortable walking shoes. Even so, there was a sizeable number
of participants, and we raised about 40,000 rubles which was
donated to an orphanage in Khabarovsk. The only disappointment
was that tiie news media couldn't understand the concept ofit, and
so covered it as a race. Maybe we'll be able to explain it better for
the next one. We're thinking of doing another in the fall.
Also, the end ofMay and first ofJune, Don and Norma Burney
and Tasha's Soci^ Security cards were wrong, they needed their spent a few days with us. They have been missionaries in Japan for
shotsupdatedandwehadto look forand orderhome school material. many years, and now want to serve in Russia. They travelled to
Also, we had the chance to share about die work in Khabarovskwith Irkutsk and will be establishing a work there this fall. We pray for

blessed to have iiiends who care about us and the mission work in

Russia. Many share generous gifts for our work and life here in
Khabarovsk aswellas supporting us inprayer. You can be surethat
whenwepray,we always give thanksfor our friendsand families.
As in past visits to the States, however, this was not much of a
vacation because of all the things we needed to take care of. For
instanceMarisa's passporthad to be renewed, the names on Marisa

several churches - Clearfork Alliance Church in Bellville, OH;

the best for them.

CommimityChristianFellowship in Gambier, OH; First Church of

God in Princeton, WV; Galion Church of Christ in Galion, OH;
North Liberty United Methodist Church in Butler, OH; and North
west ChristianChurch in Tampa, FL. The response and encourage
ment we received was a real booster and certainly prepared us to go
back to work doing our best for our Lord.
Upon returningto Russia the end ofApril, we were once again
embraced by friends. God's family is truly world-wide. Duringour
absence,Kevin Gjerstadt taught the Bible studies. Kevin, a young
man from Seattle, came to Khabarovsk the end ofFebruary this year
andhasbeendoinga goodjob ofhelpingout here and there in Russia.
In May "dacha season" started. Dacha is the Russian word for
a country garden. Practically everyone has one. While it used to be
used as a place to relax on weekends and get away from the city, it
nowprovidestheir sustenance. They plant berries, small fruit trees,
and vegetables in every available space of their tiny plot of land.
Naturally, they do this on the weekends, so the Sunday morning
Bible Study attendance dropped drastically. So, we changed the
BibleStudyto Sundaynight, and asked them to come on their way
back from their dachas. Once again, our apartment is full with
people wanting to study the Bible.

In June, we got a visit from our landlady. She wants to move

back into her apartment by September 15th. That means we have
to start looking for another apartment now. Housing is really
difficult to find, so we'll appreciate your prayers for an apartment
that is in a central location where many can come to Bible Studies.
We are also getting a little closerto building our own building.
There is a long list of approvals needed just to have permission to
buy and build on the plot ofland we've chosen. The company who
will build it has agreed to let Joel design most or all ofit. We'd like
to have a large auditorium in it for church meetings, an apartment
for us (so wetion't have to be concemed with looking for another
place to move every year), apartments for others, andpossibly some
office space. We'd appreciate your prayers for wisdom and
guidance on this issue.
The family of believers continues to increase in Khabarovsk.
We give God Ae glory for all He is doing. It's great to be able to
witness first-hand tiie things He is doing here!
"Slava Bog!" (Praise God!)

MISSIONS POSSIBLE

In His Love,
Debi and Joel

Non-Ptofit

Organization
Zip+ 4

MISSIONS POSSIBLE Ispublished quarterlyforthemissionaries byOalcTree

Services.7S90WhlsperingOaksTran.Tlppaty.OH 45371. SendaUaddress

U. S. Postage Paid

changes to AtfSSlONS POSSIBLE, do AJ LaRue. 519 Cottonwood Drive,

Salcm, IL 62881-1199

SalenvIL 62881.

Forwarding Agents:
Belew:

Mrs. Debbie Bowers

P.O. Box 296

Clarence Center, KT 14032

LaRue: M/M Alan LaRue
S19 Cottonwood Drive

Sa]em,IL 62881
Likins: Jean Season
244 Hanover

Lexington,OH 44904
MUIard: M/M Millaid

5 IndialuciaParkway
Sewall's Point

Stuart, FL 34996
Mort:

M/M Louis Jett

5233 Woodlea Avenue

Ft Wayne. IN 46835

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