}9t.

MISSIONS POSSIBLE
September 1993

Volume 2 Numoer 07

AN OPEN LETTER
To: Bible College Presidents, AcADE^^c DeaiNS, Missions Professors, Campus Mlnisters, Chluches
SUPPORTING Bible Colleges aindCampus Ministries,Students and all those seriously interested
IN REACHING THE WORLD FOR ChRIST.

There is a desperate need for qualified, committed workers to come/go to foreign countries as teachers of English
asaforeign language. In the last month,Ihave received requests forteachers for Kamchatka. Sakhalin and Birobidjhan
in Russia, plus Harbin and Peking in China. Requests have also come from Taiwan and Indonesia.
A magazine I receive asks for teachers in Poland, Hungary and Turkey. Practically every country in the world
(especially developing countries, former East Bloc countries and Islamic countries) that does not have English as its
primary language is looking for qualified teachers.
What can youdo, Bible College Presidents, Academic Deans and MissionsProfessors? Wouldyou please consider
expanding your curriculum to include courses which would offer your graduates credentials in TEFL or TESOL
(Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)? Then, would you personally challenge several individuals in
your school to go overseas as a teaching "tentmaker?" Workers can be sent to nearly all the world. The world is indeed

within our reach. Do you have the vision? I would be more than happy to meet with you to discuss details for
establishing such a program on my next visit to the States, if you are seriously interested. You can contact me by mail,
fax orE mail.

What can you do. Campus Ministers? Please check to see ifthe university/college where you serve offers courses
in TEFL/TESOL. If so, personally encourage members of your fellowship to take courses to prepare them to work
overseas. It can make a real difference in their lives and the world.

What can you do, Churches? Ask your Bible colleges if they are offering such courses. If not, ask them whynot.
Ask your campus ministers if they are encouraging their fellowship to go overseas. If not, ask them why not. You
can also pray for workers for the harvest.

What can you do,students and others seriously interestedin reaching theworld for Christ? Please considera career
(emphasis on lifetime) in working overseas as aTeacher of English as a ForeignLanguage. Presently, TEFL positions
are being filled overseas by opportunists trying to make a quick buck, or to use the opportunity as a steppingstone
to some other job. Not many are interested in the eternal well-being of their students. What about you?

WB

Page 2

SeDtemCsr 1993

BELEWS SPEWS
The family is back. Banzai! They arrivedhome on June ZSth. The boys have reruraed
to school. The better news is Akemi has now tmished teaching and is officially "retired'.
She will become a full-dme mother and homemaker. This will be an interesting transition
for her. She has caught ever since we returned to Japan, meaning she has balanced her
teaching load with her home responsibilities. The boys and I are looking forward to her
being a full-time mom.

Micah joined a baseball team when he was in the States and now it's eat, sleep and
drink baseball. He even wears Atlanta Braves outfits. That could be blasphemous, me
being a native Clndnnacian. What can I say? He does wear a Reds cap and warmup jacket.
Go. Cincinnati! Benji finished the fifth grade while in New York. W"hat a champion! He
started the fifth grade in America with less than three months to go. He caught up and
finished the year with honors, in his second language! I am a proud father. Both boys have
slid back into the Japanese school and are working to catch up AGAIN. The school year
is already three months gone. It's quite a burden on the boys to go back-and fofth berween
the two countries and two school systems. But, until now, they have managed with no
complaints.

I was recently designated 'representative' of the church. That''s*an exact English

translation of the word used inJapanese. That brings with it many responsibilities, one of
which is doing the weekly preaching. I am also leading the weekly Bible study in Sanjo
on Sunday evenings. All is well.
Running,
Bill. Akemi. Benji, Micah
ComouServe Address 101163,2634

AN OPEN DOOR TO CHINA

The dooris creaking opento China. No kidding. It seems a real possibility that we
will be able to start an ECS in China sometime next year. AND we will be able to include

Bible teaching in our program. Weare looking for teachers to work at this new ECS. Are
you interested? Is there someone you know who might be interested? Can you put them
in touch withme(Bill)? Soon! Iplanto visit China early next year to investigateand follow
up on leg work being done as I write. I would like for this person or family to go with me.
Teaching English and Bible in China-it's possible, but hasn't happened yet. Please pray
diligently for this to become a reality. Imagine having permission to teach Bible up front,
no one looking over your shoulder. It can happen! Will you or someone you know be

LIKINS NEWS FROM

KHABAROVSK,
RUSSIA
We are now in the USA. Debi and the

girls came at the end of June through Japan

so that Debi could have another dental

appointment. I had to finish up at the Uni

versity and wanted to be with the Church as
long as possible before everyone disap
peared for the summer. I lined up speakers
and made sure all the services and Bible

studies were taken care of in my absence. I

then came home via Chinasince it's so close

and I wanted to find out if it is possible to do

the same type of work as we are doing in
Russia. I was in both Harbin and Beijing for
several days and found a great interest in
what we are doing. Now we need to find
qualified Christians to fill these endless
possibilities.
We have all recovered from jet-lag and
are enjoying our families and visiting with
old friends. Our girls have 19 cavities that

are being filled (ouch). I have speaking

engagements every Sunday as well as 2
VBS's and many meetings, so I'm quite
busy on our "vacation". We are trying to get
caught up on nutrition and to expose our
girls to American culture. Thus far weather
here in north-central Ohio has been very
mild and even cool. We intend to return to

Russia through Japan on the 7th of Septem

ber. This is a very brief account of what
we're currently doing and more details will
follow.
Joel and Debbie

CompuServe Address
74200,2601

involved?

KAMO CHURCH

EXCEL PROGRAM

REVIVAL
The Kamo church is planning a revival

Our second EXCEL program is underway. Nine students and one sponsor. Masayo
Tomisawa, fromECS went to upstate New York on July 25th and will returnAugust 15th.
We hope this program goes as wellas the first one, which was quite a good exchange. As
a result of the programs, four members of the Clarence ChurchDebbie Bowers, NCM's
forwarding agent for the last nine years and teacher of the first EXCEL program. Lois
Honsberger and Karen Rowiinson. who both hosted students and taught, and Julie Swan,

a high school student whose family hosted a Japanese studentwill come to visit Japan
from October 22-November 15of this year. We look forward to their visit. While .Akemi
and the boys stayed in the States, Akemi taught Japanese to some of these ladies and many
others who hosted Japanese students. Perhaps a real bond has taken place between our
Japanese students and some Christians in the States.
W'B

for this fall. Harold Sims, veteran mission

ary for over 40 years to Japan, will be our

guest speaker. It is interesting that Harold
can claim to have been in Japan longer than
most Japanese. The aim of the revival is to
invite everyone who has ever been involved
in the church and is still in the area to come

back and give the church new life. This is

a first for the congregation.
appreciate your prayers.
WB

We would

Page

SeDtember 1993

LaRUES' VIEWS

KOMSOMOLSK
KORNER

We've been in che U.S. for the summer and have seen many of you who read this.
.After we (the LaRues) returned to the
Faces and figures change, but fortunately, friendships continue to grow. Having the
chance to see you again has been greati Our summer has been filled with a variety of good U.S.. Scott and Cindy Lund continued the
things. We have talked to many groups of people including VBS kids, ladies' meetings, Bible studies in Komsomolsk. They were
Sunday school classes. Sunday worshippers, and Wednesday Bible study groups. Among excited to tell us that the Lord has added 3
those people we visited: Troy (OH). Flybranch (KY), Ben Davis in Indianapolis (IN), more to His church on July 2nd: .Andrey.
Cyntheanne (IN), Salem (IL), Bryan (OH). Lake James School of Missions (Angola. IN), a 17-year-old man who is faced with po
tential 2-year military service: Irina. a
and Ema Green (IN). We did go to the North American Christian Convention and made
third-year computer student; and .Albina.
contact with people interested in the work in North East Asia. We've been ordering
a
middle-aged wife and mother. Please
videos, purchasing Christian books, children's materials and other tools for use in
pray
for these new Christians by name!
ministry in Komsomolsk.
Since
July 9th, the Lunds have also
Besides tending to ministry concerns, we have had some good relaxing time with
been in the U.S. Before leaving, they
both our families, from grandparents to nieces and a nephew. In between visits with
churches, we have crossed paths with friends from our days at Cincinnati Bible College. encouraged the Christians to continue
Add to all this some visits to doctors, stops at McDonalds and Pizza Hut, and a few spons meeting on Sundays for worship and fel
lowship. The other Bible studies will
excursions, we've had a good summer.
begin
again in the fall after some evalua
By the end of August,we will board the plane back to Russia. Recencnews repons
tion and decision on what direction we
have discussed legislation being passed to ban foreign missionaries from working in
Russia apart from connection with existing churches in Russia. We don't anticipate this need to head.
It's possible that by this fall a young
affecting our status, however, because of our ongoing relationship with a Russian
Christian man from the U.S. will join us in
institute. For official purposes, we are viewed as teachers.
In talking with Bill Belew in Japan, we learned thatTaki. aJapanese Christian, will Komsomolsk. He is considering working
be attending Indiana University. We are picking him up at Indy's airport and then taking with the local public school for a year
him to I.U. We hope to introduce him to Christians in Bloomington. IN who can help him teaching the Bible.
Other opportunities in Birobidzhan.
get settled. Taki has shown great faith and is going to be a good Christian lawyer!
Blagaveshchensk, and Khabarovsk are
We hope to be assisting some new faces to join the work in North East Asia. We
havetalked with several people about helping tomeetcurrent opportunities. We trustGod still waiting to be filled. Who will step
forward to stand in these gaps? Contact us
will lead in all this.
directly by CompuServe or through our
Thanks for your continue interest in God's kingdom in North East Asia.
forwarding agents, if you are ready to
Made New in Christ,
Scott & Carmen

answer God's call to these areas.

SL

CompuServe Address 71043,2240

WALKATHON
Ourfourth walkathon is history. Thirtynine walkers from four countriesJapan,
America, China and Iranparticipated.
There were 25 finishers overall; the average
distance walked within our 24-hour time

limit was 55 miles. We totaled 510,856 in

contributions, and once again this was sent

to International Disaster Emergency Ser

vices. We are looking forward to hearing in
what way IDES uses this money. We have
gathered over 534,000 in our first four
walks. .All of this money went to DDES, who
in rum used it in different parts of theworld.
Perhaps you would like to organize a walk
Some Christians in Komsomolsk. Upper left are Cindy and Scott Lund

to assist others in need.

WB

September 1993

JAPAN NATIONAL
MISSIONARY

MORT REPORT

CONVENTION

Happy Summer! Hopefullyyou are all enjoying your summer. For us it has been
rainy and a bit cool, although very humid. We have yet to make it to the beach, much

toHannah's dismay, duetoourbusy schedules and the weather (Murphy's Law). There

AUGUST 10-12

is always much going on in our lives, so let me fill you in.

This year's convention, to be hosted

by us here in Niigata. is less thanone week
away as I write this. We have 39 registra
tions. The speaker. David Faust, and his
family of fiveare staying withus for about
11 days. He is assistant professor of
apologetics at Cincinnati Bible College.
More than half of the participants are
Niigata people and their guests. By the
lime you read this, it will be too late for
you to come. We wish you could have
been here! Next year there will be an allAsian Missionary Convention in the Phil
ippines. Is anyone interested in attend
ing? I have information about it.
WB

Both Bible studies are going well. In the evening study, Jerry is doing a great job
with the Japanese. I did start a Ladies' Study in May and our average attendance is 5
ladies and3 children. Westudied some background information ontheOldTestament
and finished that on July23rd. Aftera family beach party and a break durinsAuaust,
we will resume in September and begin studying in the New Testament. It has been

areal challenge. I have been fortunate in that most oftheladies who come have a fairly
good understanding of English which balances my very poor Japanese. So far the

materials have been in both Japanese and English, so weare doing fine. Ourbiggest
distraction has been the children, but Jerry has now agreed to beavailable for "rus rat
patrol,"so I'm hopeful that things will go much more smoothly. Wewouldlike to have
a story time for the kids if we can get them to cooperate.
Other big news has also been developing this summer. We signed an agreement
on July 18th to purchase the Kashiwazaki E.C.S.! We will officially take over as of
September 1st. This has been a decision full of prayer and careful consideration and
we feel very confident with it. By our oversight of the Kashiwazaki E.C.S.. Bill will
be freed todo more work in other areas and it willallow us toexpand Into the southern
part of Niigata. In fact, we are currently looking for another teachertocome work with
us. Are you interested? If you would like to do a one-year internship or even consider

long-term, PLEASE letus know. There are so many souls toreachwe need your help!

INTO 4//

Youknow thesaying: Tt never rains butitpours'. Weil, beside theE.C.S.decision,

the Bible studies, andjusteveryday life, we have been looking into the possibility of
adopting a Russian baby. We are still waiting for all the red tape to clear and for the

Russian andJapanese governments to give the okay. It has turned intoa longdrawnout process, but we remain hopeful that we will be allowed to proceed. The baby
(David) was bom January 6th. He is the sixth child and his mother wants him to have
a better life.

Thank you for your continued prayers and suppon. We would love to hear from
you anytime, so drop us a line. Ajid think about coming to work with us!
Still Fishing,

PRUCH THE GOSPaj;

The Morts
FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
1200 West Boone Street

Non-Protit

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SaJem, lllinios 62881-1199

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