Seedtime and Harvest

JAN.

FEB.

VOL.

11

For wide is the gate.. and broad is the way..

that leadeth to destruction.
Matt. 7:13

wit^ -ssl'Ic/' and cs^at^usxiu. cH'UC^ini.

IN THE

RYUKYU ISLANDS

ESTABLISHING SELF-SUPPORTING. SELF> PROROGATING NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES

YE HAVE DONE IT UNTD ME

Christmas has come and gone to warm our hearts against the chill dawn of a new year. The 26th of December has for many years now been our sec

ond day of Christmas on which our family seeks out the poor and gives to them in tle Name of Christ to celebrate His birthday. This year we went
to just one home--that of a mother ant! two ctiildren in need.

Each of our six children had a little money to spend for the needy fam ily in any way they wanted to. 'Ve went to many shops and there was lots of indecision, but they finally made tlieir purchases: everything from shoes for a little hoy to something pretty for a little girl's hair. They chose what they would like to have had for themselves, and wrapped the gifts in the prettiest way they knew how--even the two little boys. The three older children are able to write liirapam,so they tagged each
gift with the word for boy and girl since we didn' t know their names.

From there we went to the food store. After explaining that we wanted to buy food that a poor family would need and enjoy eating,we asked the storekeeper to help us choose what would be best. She was hesitant,so I

ashed about various items: the hard,dried fish called katsuo bus.hi,would
they like that?

"Oh, no, Okusan. That is too expensive for poor people." "But we thought everyone used it in their soup." "Oh, yes, Okusan, everyone does, but the poor."
I reached for a can of plain sardines, fourteen cents, butagain the storekeeper said, "No,not that fisi),Okusan, it is too good for the poor. They eat this." .She handed meatiny can ofnanieless fish for seven cents.

We agreed that rice would be good to give them, butwhen I asked for the best rice the store woman said, "The poor eat only the worst. This is too good." At the next shop we didn't tell them who our purchases were for, and we bought pickled things in little plastic bags to go with the rice, hlack sugar, applesand oranges, cookiesand the !iard salty peas that these people love--rich or poor.
We wrapped everything in paper and ribbon and put it all,along

with used clothing.in a box that

the cliildren decorated with old

Christmas cards and cut-outs from

Wrapping paper. In the top of the box we placed a New Testament.some tracts and a Bible picture. The sewing girls who told us ab out the family went along to show us the way. To our great surprise
their directions took us not many

blocks away down a narrow road to

the sea where the children and 1 had walked many times. Beside the road, almost hidden by tall grass was a tiny house that we had never
noticed before.

In the one dark, dirty room of that home was an eleven year old glfl
and her mother. The mother had worked al 1 di.y on the road and was now trying to do her housework; at the moment sorting through a pile of ragged clothing. It seemed as though wc had seen her before,but it must have been only that she looked so much like the other wotaen who work on tlie road and construction jobs: who have bent and strained and lif ted until they scarcely look like women--in order to earn their piti

ful eighty cents a day which provides sweet potatoes and miso and a
few clothes for their children.

The sewing girls explained the purpose of our errand, but the woman couldn't seem to understand. She said, "But I liave not money. I can't buy these things." The sewing girls laughed and said, "Oh no,aunt,they don' t want you to buy them, they are giving them to you."
The woman looked incredulous. "You mean all of this is for me and

my children?"

We tried to explain about the love of God, and our own love because
of Christ. We showed her the New Testament and asked her to read it.

The woman covered her face with her hands and laughed for joy. The sad faced girl even smiled and couldn't help peeking in the box. Her name

was Kiybko (Key-yoh-koh) and her brother's name was Gendei (Gen-day)such pretty names. I always think there is some hidden loveliness in a woman, no matter how unlovely she may seem, who has chosen a beautiful
name for her child.

This woman will go back to work on the road in the morning, but she won't be hungry,and maybe she will tell other young-old women that there is after all a little joy and kindness left in the world and that there seems to be Soraeone--a man called Yesu.the Son of God,who is perhaps a Person one would want to know better. While wc were there,the two little boys,Robin and Ronley,looked up
into the woman's face so intently 1 knew what they were thinking. They had asked repeatedly for weeks before Christmas, "Mommy,is it really, really true that it we give to the poor we are giving to Jesus on His birthday?"

Were they looking for some sign of Him in that dark face? Perhaps with the soul-seeing eyes of little children, they did see Him.

THANK

YOU

Ke greatly appreciated your cards, gifts and letters this Christmas. It was so good to hear from you! May the Lord bless you.
This paper is published quarterly in the interest of Mel and

Marguerite Huckins, Missionaries to the Ryukyu Islands. All gifts should be sent to Lloyd Sapp,407 Prairie, Norfolk,Neb. SECOND aASS MAIL PRIVILEGES AUTHORIZED AT NORFOLK. NEB.

CONSTRUCTION OF STUDENT CENTER BEGUN

December 13 was a busy day at Iraadotuari when the salvaged quanset materials were cleared away from the Student Center building site,
sorted and stacked for immediate use. The site was staked out and

ground broken by noon to commence the building work. It wasn't long

until a horse cart started delivering rock for the foundation and footings and sand for the concrete. Then came a truck load of crushed

gravel from a new rock crusher in the district--a far cry from sift ing gravel from a small river bed by hand and carrying it to the building site in baskets with a cross pole! As men began digging the fooUngs trench,Brother Nashiro,the head carpenter and I went off to Toguchi to order the cement,reinforcing iron rod,tie wire,lumber and miscellaneous items for the Job. It was well worth nor 180 mile trip from Miyako to Okinawa to see this work begun.

For three days Brother Nashiro labored together with the carpenters
while I searched for construction materials in the South and took

care of various items of business. Work was suspended for one day as
the car. enters cut their sugar cane,and then a sudden rain storm

stopped the work for another three days. However, by the time I re turned to Miyako eight days later,the work was back in full swing. I briefed Nashiro San on the construction plan and blueprints,checked out the head carpenter on details and left to resume the Riiyako work,
trusting the final construction to the Lord. This project was begun with $300.00 on hand; $100.00 from the Ima-

domari Church treasury and $200.00 that I suRilied from personal funds,not having yet received any response to the appeal so shortly

before sent out in Seedtime and Harvest. We know this work is of the
Lord and that He will sugoly, so we await your response.
LAST MINUTE NEWS
We just received word from Brother Nashiro that due to increase in prices construction material alone amounted to $390.00. The carpen ters have not been paid and now the estimated total cost will be $500.00. We counted the cost before building,but figures do not al ways tell the whole truth,and in the Orient prices quoted yesterday do not necessarily mean they will be the same today. NOTE FROM FOSWAROING AfXNT: Since the above item was written by Mel, we have been able to. send him $400.00 which came in during the Chri stmas season,as extra offerings,not designated for any special pro ject. If offerings are yet received designated for the above pro ject, the other money will be diverted to other needs. Thank you for your part in answering our prayers.

XXX
A DDRESSES

Hirara City, Miyako

Ryukyu lalands

Mel & Marguerite Huckins Aia Higashinaka Zone 95

Christian Mission

Norfolk, Nebraska

(Dtristmas 0atliennG
One-hundred forty people from Hirara,the eight country villages and the Island of lerabu,gathered in the Hirara church Christmas day to rememoer the first coming of the Lord.

The building was decorated simply and beautifully with an arrange ment of poinsettas in a deep red bowl on a white cloth. Nothing else
was needed. The Christians wore Christmas on their faces and they re

flected the wonder and glory of Christ more than the synthetic display
from the west.

After the singing of the Christmas songs,the Scripture and message a number of the Christians gave their testimonies which they had pre pared and which ted been mimeographed and distributed beforehand among

all the people. The first man to speak,from the village of Miyaguni,
told of his ordeal with cancer of the tongue,and although his speech was thick we could understand him,and the people wept as they heard him praise the Lord for sustaining him through thesurgery and for his healing. Dr. Shinjo,whom we are trying to win,was there to hear it, praise the Lord! Each testimony told what the Lord had done,and be cause they came from sinple farm people and from those in positions of authority,it was the voice of everyone. Anyone who supposed he stood
alone in the faith now knew that a multitude stood with him.

^ltccial Music followed the testimonies. EachChtirch came up and stood around the little organ to sing two verses of a Christmas hymn. They don't have to be urged for these people love to sing. In conclusion, the young people of the Hirara church sang the Christmas carols in parts that they had sung for the service at the Air J8ase. It was very
beautiful.

The refreshments were brought by bicycle from a restaurant:1ittle boxes made from thin-shaved wood containing small cakes and pastries. These were served with gallons of tea that disappeared from little

round cups with amazing speed. The polite nibbling lasted a long time
and then the small boxes with most of their contents still remaining

were carefully folded in furoshikis and taken home.

After refreshments there was visiting and volley ball,and the lerabu people stayed the day and night,catching their return boat home the next day.

It was a gathering that will warm the hearts of these people for a whole year,although we hope it will not be that long before they get together again for the worship and p-aise and fellowship that is the life of the Body of Christ--the Church.

Make checks payable to RYUKYU CHRISTIAN MISSION

^01/6 0^ ike '^fietbfien

Out of seven names sent to us in response to our request for names of the bretliren stationed in the Ryukyu Islands,we are sorry to say that only one family responded to our visit. In some cases we made
several calls but to no avail. We were unable to contact one brother

due to bis isolated off-island place of duty. We are grateful for the opportunity to have met these people,even though a close fellowship
was not established.

Please continue to send the names of the brethren stationed in these

islands and we will continue to contact them. The fellowship from such contacts can be mutually wonderful.

In this connection we would like this opportunity to express our appreciation for the fellowship enjoyed with M/Sgt. Herman Austin and

family during the past two years. Clothes passed on from their daught
ers were a wonderful help to our large family.as well as to some of the Christians. The Austins now change to a duty station in Cheyenne,

Wyo. May God bless them as they continue on in their new place of
service.

Our fellowship with such brethren does not end with their change of duty as has been proven in the case of Lt. Col. and Mrs. John Laybourn and family,now of Laramie,Wyo. Our enjoyable fellowship continues thr ough an exchange of letters and boxes of used clothing which they send frequently for the work. This friendship,begun during their three year tour of duty in Okinawa,also included the parents of Mrs. Laybourn in Longmont,Colo.,and the parents of Col. Laybourn in Denver. Through the contact with Mrs. Lay bourne's parents the women of the Lmgmont church became interested in this field and have supported the work faithfully. Since last summer the other half of our family,i.e.Mom Huckins and the three older children,have had the happy pleasure of knowing Sgt. Tom and Mrs. Fern Bowers and family of Kadena Air Base,Okinawa.
The Bowers family live in the same neighborhood and have "adopted" a Grandma (Mom) and some extra kids (Con, Tim and Deanne). Tom Bowers sees that the storm shutters are up and the house kept in repair,while Fern Bowers sees that everyone's birthday is magnificently celebrated,

and all the other special days remembered in some lovely way. The boys have fun with 6th grade Mike and,of course,Deanne loves little Nancy
who is almost to become a toddler.

Wonderful for our family to have these Christian friends,to say the
least.

A wonderful friendship with S/Sgt. Merlin Madson of Sacramento,Calit

began at the Miyako Air Base chapel service,when we announced there would be no service the next Sunday in view of my monthly trip to Okinawa. A tall airman said quietly, " I will take the service for yoif.' He did and has in all my monthly absences.

We helieve the Lord sent Brother Mat to ^liyalio to bear a strong wit ness at the Rase, in the l^llyako church.and to encourage your iRlssionaries with his enthusiastic,all-out for Christ life.

To conclude our introdticfiop of these friends in Christ we might re peat the old cliche, "'^'hat a small world",hut we feel constrained to say instead, "''hat a great love!" was so rernarkabJe about the first Christians? " Rehold how they love(ed) one another!"

Our good friend

M.A. Contos

TIME

...

TO

REAP

As noted in onr last issue of Seedtime and ffarvesf,seed planted up

Praise the Lord? It is a joy to have even a small part in tiie planting and watering and to share in the reward as the Lord brings in the increase. to ten years ago is finally bearing fruit.

There have been 11 new births in Nakijin this past year bringing the
total to 7S Christians. In le Shima the number of Christians has in

creased to 85. During the past three months of our labor with the Miyako brethren, 19 have been added to the Lord. Tliese are not great gains from the standpoint of numbers,but they
are rmrvelous gains wlien the opposition and strangle-hold of the past is understood. We do not claim these all as a result of our personal

labor,but it is blessed to realize a part in the process of their

conversions. And it is no less a blessing to pass the news on to you

who have.in fact,labored with us for their salvation. You,too,nay hold them up before God as your sacrifice of praise and evidence of your labor for the Master. "VVe are laborers together.." God bless you all.

TTiMI [i^ll
It is the eve of the New Year. Today everyone caw into the ol'i city of Taira to buy the amazing mercbaiuUse the ships brought in this month to the merchants. The coimtry people went ri^ht on with their su^ar cane harvest,waiting for the lunar calendar to get uroitn'' to the Nev, Year at its proper time,but for the city neople excitement, as well a wintry cold, was in the air.
The well-to-do nile their purchases decisively and witl' an -tir of nonchalance and disregard for the price. But it was Mot so for tlie city's poor. It was painful to watcli theni--the tiret^tl-in worien witti heavy babies on their backs,nervously asking the price of the hotter Quality thineis.and then settlinj; for the cheapest fhi!e in tne store; and the children,unused to shoppirjg.who <!id not asl; for anything aivl only stared with big,incredulous eyes until they stumbled over their dragging feet and were pulled on past the toy stores.

I wish,oh,I wish that all the ill-clothed children 1 saw today will have something nice and new to wear tomorrow in the New Year's parade,
but I know for some of them nothing miraculous will hanpen toniuht to make it so--even though they v.jRh it core t'lixn I f^o.

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Sad

that this

bell

does

not truly ring out the

old and ring in the new

Seedtime and Harvest

JULY AUG. SEPT.

Vol.

11

1 963

No.

Blessed
beside

are
all

ye
waters ...
Isa. 32:20

that soii'

IN THE

RYUKYU ISLANDS

ESTABk-lSHiNG SELF-SUPPORTING. SELF. PROROGATING NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES

RETURN

FOR

MEDICAL

CARE

NECESSARY

The Lord works slowly at times and it seems this is particularly true when we are waiting t^on Hio to know His will for us, but in His own time we are given an answer and a clear understanding of what we
should do. We have continued working and souls have been saved these past months while we have waited earnestly upon the Lord for His guid ance in our future work. We have always believed in the promise of

Isaiah 30:21 A,id thine ears shall hear a word behind thee.sayinf^ This is the way,walk ye in it,when ye turn to the rigfit hand,and imen ye
will for us to return to the States for medical treatment in September.

turn to the left'. Accordingly, a conviction has come that it is God's

Many of you have known of the terrific head pains that have contin ually increased in intensity and frequency of attacks during the past two years, especially. For some reason,unknown exactly,the Lord has not seen fit to remove this condition. Medical treatment here, though very limited, has not helped. I am presently on triple and often quad ruple medicinal doses in order to get even temporary relief from the condition which lasts as long as four days at a time. It is rare to have two days in succession free from pain. Consequently it has been and is difficult to do the linguists work which is necessary to carry on this work under the influence of such strong medication. Another accompanying hindrance is that of tonal hearing loss which makes speaking and hearing the language and the various dialectical tone variations increasingly difficult to detect. There is undoubtedly a

relationship between the two difficulties; perhaps the latter induced

by the heavy medication. At any rate the only medical help available here is inadequate and Stateside treatment seems imperative. We feel
certain the climate greatly aggravates the condition and it is possi ble that a change of field may be necessary. We have labored on in spite of this condition in order to strengthen the Nakijin work to the end that our leadership would no longer be needed. The past year has proven Brother Nashiro's ability and he is able to go ahead on his own. This is the realization of the goal that we have constantly worked toward. The fellowship among the sister Churches of Christ is strong now and we feel the time is right for the proposed return. The outer island work has also been opened up and
Brother Boulton will carry on with this.
Of course we do not know what the results of the medical examination will be nor what treatment will be required. We understand that the

Washington State university Medical School in Seattle has done consid

erable work in this area and so I may consult with them.

I have given thirteen of the best years of my life and I believe God has used them for His glory to declare His praise in these islands. At

the present time I do not feel able to carry on any longer without re lief. I am just thankful the Lord has given strength to continue until
the time was right.

Please give our need at this time prayerful consideration. The miss ion repatriation fund stands at only $500.00. The cheapest.return fare

is $2007.00 not counting cost of freight. We will need $1500.00 more to get our family to the States plus about $200.00 more for freight.
We will keep in touch with you and let you know of further develop ments and plans. In the meantime. Brethren, pray for us.

WHAT HAS

THE

LORD

WROUGHT

Since 1950 the Lord has led us into six islands of the Ryukyuan chain, covering an estimated area of 350 miles from the northern part
of Okinawa to the last island of Yonaguni only 40 miles from Formosa. We have co-labored with fellow missionaries and Okinawan leaders in

the previously established work in 21 villages. The Lord used us to lead in the opening of new work in 25 villages After beginning our
in Okinawa in 1950 we worked with Brother Yoshimitsu lliga in taking the fiospel to le Shima in 1951- The following year Brother Cho7,0 Ishimine and I surveyed the island of Miyako in preparation for (he coming of ^Ir and Mrs. H N, Rickerson and the establishment of the !\liyako Christian Mission in 1953. This work reached out to the island of Irabu in 1958 and in this year of 1963 Brother Hejiro Taira and I were priveleged to open antoher new field in Uie distant Island of Yonaguni. work

True to the parable of the Sower,

the Lord has continually added to Bread cast upon the

II is church during these past thirteen years, In some areas the con verts number in the hundreds; in others, very few. No effort has been

lost or wasted and no labor for the Lord in vain

water has always and is presently returning increased. It has taken

(en years

in some cases
from all

for seed
this work

sown to be harvested.
ber of converts

The total num

of many who have carried on after us

is unknown as the results of the work

4,

included tlie Miyako areathework has

lincreased to a combined total of 43

This past ^

have
-Sunday -School

weekly meetings

in 17

villages on

in Nakijin

four islands,

reaching nearly one thoLsand peo |le, Tlje immediate result

has been 63 additions to the Lord. The fortlicoming summer camps will

undoubtedly result in more as we join with our co-workers in that phase

of the work

We do not claim this work as ours.

It is the Lord's and we have only

been co-workers with Him, with you and the Kyukyuan brethren. We can all rejoice together that so many who sat in darkness have seen the Light ^ _

This paper is published quarterly in the interest of Mel and Marguerite Huckins, Missionaries to the Ryukyu Islands. All gifts shauld be sent to Lloyd Sapp,407 Prairie, Norfolk,Nebi
SECOND CLASS MAIL PRIVILEGES AUTHORIZED AT NORFOLK, NEB.

Qmge&Qiic
to Southern Island
After nnny weeks of waiting for the China Sea to finish her winter churning, we were able to make the long-anticipated trip to the south ernmost island of Yonaguni (Yoh-naw-goo-nee) only a short distance from Formosa. We left Miyako on May 7 by small inter-island boat and 7 hours later at the island of Yaeyama where we spent the night in a small hotel and the morning of the next day visiting a missionary of the United Church work to get some idea of the possibility for work on that island.We learned newcomers could not be exactly welcome although there is much to be done. The militant anti-God Buddhist sect of Nichiren is very strong.

We boarded our boat for Yonaguni at 9:15r after waiting two hours at

the port for it to leave. The first three hours were calm but once past
Iriomote Island the seas became rough. The boat was heavily loaded

with passengers; our small room had 25 sprawled on the wooden plank flooring and sleeping was uncomfortable to say the least as it was necessary to remain doubled up. Brother Taira was violently sick.
We arrived at Senai, Yonaguni at 5:45 A.M. onMay 9th. Bro

(the home of leper Christian couple at Nanseien) on the other side of

ther Taira was too ill to walk so we took a taxi to the Awakura home

the island in Higawa village. After we arrived Brother Taira rested while I had breakfast of boiled rice, bamboo shoots from the mountain and tea. After breakfast I took a walk through the village, met and talked with other members of the Awakura clan, arriving back at the Awakura home at noon to find Brother Taira feeling better and able to

sit up. After dinner (same as breakfast menu) and another two hour
of Kobura where we visited with still more relatives of the Miyako Christians. Several neighbors came to join in our discussion m Christ
rest for Brother Taira we walked the 2Vi miles to the nearest viUage

ianity and agreed to have a meeting the next night. Toward evening we returned to Higawa, ate sumier and prepared for the evening meeting.

The meeting finally began at 9:30 P.M. with twelve adults attending. Brother Taira and I taught for about 1^ hours and sang hymns for them. After the close of the meeting at about 11:00 P.M. a teacher and his

friend, also a college graduate, discussed Christianity and philosophy

until nearly 1 A.M. We were able to show them some of the fallacies of

the philoso i^ies that deny God as well as the importance of planning
and intelligent design in the universe. The discussion was clinched for the evening when 1 explained that the Christian looses nothing if
there should be no God, but that the non-believer looses all as well as suffers God's judgement if there is a God. We all went to sleep on the floor of the large house--some just where they happened to lie
down when the hour became late.

We awoke at 6 A.M. on the morning of May 10 and had a breakfast of

rice, tea, noodles in a fish-flavored broth and fried egg plant. We

nei^bors in preparation for meetings during the next trip to Yonaguni

--perhaps in July or August. We met Mrs. Awakura's sister and mother
as well as several neighbors. The Mother is 86 years old but extremely healthy and spry and has a low strung voice. It was a joy to talk with her through the daughter interpreting fron the island dialect into Japanese. We then walked the three miles tck to Higawa over the an
cient but seldom used mountain path. Our walking not only surprised

then went to the port village of Sonai to meet more relatives and

the people but pleased them to know that we accepted the common mode
d travel as they.

papaya seasoned with dried fish, noodles in a fish broth, canned fish

Back to Higawa just in time for dinner of tea, rice, fried shredded

cakes, and boiled sweet potato. Brother Taira's trade as a clock repair man was put to good use when he fixed the ancient wall clock of the family--much to their surprise and happiness. This trade has been used to the glory of God to open many doors to Christ and this home will undoubtedly not be an exception. We noticed with interest that guests are served first and separately with the head of the home, and with the family, on some occasions, patiently engaging the guests in con
versation while they eat. After the guests leave, the family eats,

We walked part way and rode part way to Kobura that evening, We took
time to look aroind this fishing village, bought rice to replace the

supply of the Awakura home and also a fish for a raw fish snack before the evening service. We dipped the pieces of raw fish in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar and red pepper. This was most delicious along with sliced cucumbers and small pickled onions, the odor of, which remained
for ({uite awhi le!

The meeting, lighted by a small kerosene lamp, was attended by a

dozen adults. For two hours we reasoned with them concerning Christ's

salvation. These people, as most fishing folk and seamen, are harden
ed in their life to the worst of sins and unashamedly speak of gross

immorality in mixed groups. It seems that any conversation eventually

ed the subject back to spritual matters and could see their expressed interest grow in a life better than they could comprehend or had ever
seen exhibited. The meeting finally came to a close and we returned to Higawa about midnight where we took a bath at the well before turning in - or turning over - on the floor, (to be continued) We gratefully received an offering of $63.59 for the outer island
work from the First Christian Church of Okinawa who have so generously

turns to such talk and this meeting was no exceptiai. We merely chang

been assisting the work here. God bless this new congregation of mili
tary personel.

63 Conue/itg in
The number of immersed believers has increased to 63 in Miyako since Sept. 1962. We will report on the total number including Nakijin in the next

Among these new converts was the

woman from Nishibe who was so anxious

- ^

came pounding on our gate and repeatedly came back until a Bible class
was started in her home. This woman's

to /
bV
.

daughter and two others were also

Other converts were almost all the members of an entire family except

for the youngest children: a Mother, Father, son and daughter., (picture at right.)

On June 23rd our 8 year old Deanne made her good confession and on

the night of the 26th was baptized in the East China Sea. We rejoice
in this child twice-born.

uiliat'g m a name ?
Brother Sawada ofMiyako was quite excited when he rcached the llirara

Church from his country village, and rightly so when he explained that today, June 17, he was to ofticiato at the naming of his newest grandchild Part ol' his cxcitement was due to the fact that he did not have

enough names to choose from. Brother Ishimine hurriedly searched the Scriptures for names to add to the required number from which the baby's name would be chosen. Brother Ishimine and I were then extend ed the honor of being the only guests outside the immediate family to be present at the ceremony.
were seated and served the traditional

Upon arrival at the humble home of Brother Sawada's second son we green tea and chunks of hard

sugar Then as the seven-day-old baby lay beside us on the floor mat the baby's father, the mother* s father, Brother Ishimine and I sat and

sipped tea while Grandfather Sawada prepared small pieces of paper upon which each name would bo written The charcoal ink was then eixe^ the writing brush prepared and Brother Sawada began to nervously write the selected names;Naomi (Naw-o-me), Midori (Me-do-ry),from the wonl green referring to the auiet and peaceful green pastures of Psalms 23), Kaori (Ka-o-ry,a sweet fragrance as the prayers of the saints), Matsu
a pine tree, and so on.

on the paper, refolded it and returned it to the tray This shaking, reading marking and replacing went on for about a dozen times until

nie seven name papers were then folded into tiny wads and placed on a tray which Brother Sawada received reverently, held quietly for a few seconds and then began to shake untill a name wad tumbled off=The father carefully unfolded the paper, noted the name, put a small mark

one name had three marks on it. Very simply it was announced, "The

child's name is Naomj." Hereupon Brother Ishimine was asked to oiler a

prayer of thanksgiving for baby Naomi's birth and toask Rod's blessing on her and her family that they would come to know Christ and raise
in a Christian home. her and her two brothers

Now it was time for refreshments--a bottle of soft drink, a saucer

of fried bean curd and fritters, a bowl rf pork tripe soup, more tea-and it was time to leave^ but not before saying something nice about the baby: she was beautiful, she looked like her mother, or may she become a beautiful woman, have good health, etc. The child's name was then written on a large paper and hung in a conspicous place in front
of the home.

"You quilted the larui

with patchwork"
(Village of the Joshi)

VILLAeE OF

TME
Chapter 10

J0S4-II

*'Goodbye"

We may never see you again so we have climbed the rocky, winding
road of the Joshi to a favorite spot under the pines for one last long look. We have come here many tiines--for slight wounds to heal, to fig ure out what to do about you, Village of the Joshi, and yessometimes even to escape you for a moment. Now we have come here again so that we will never forget how you wore green and brown and blue; how neatly you quilted the land with patchwork and beribboned it with lengths of shady path; how you hemmed your skirt with the white ruffled edge of the Sea and appliqued small brown houses here and there.

drums, but found the things you gave us wouldn' t fit in--the plot of ground where we built Kyokai-ya (we forgave you for forgetting to men
tion that snakes lived there first). We found no container large enough for your hospitality: the steaming cups of tea around your tables, the laughter and kindness and charm. There was nothing deep enoueti for your gratitude expressed with new rice, freshly butchered pork or freshcaught fish: something to eat or something to wear and sometimes just
a word or gesture to remember. There was no place in all our collectof things to put the peace that covered everything at nightfall like a

We have packed most of our belongings into boxes and crates and

S^ft down quilt; nothing wide enough for the panorama of rice and si^r cane fields, horses and carts, the bare brown young and the bent,
kiiBonoed old.

What did we give you? We brought-not plowshares to your village, but a sword that divided households and clans; that created two separ ate ways. It divided the children of the village so that the teachers
at school knew which ones attended Bible School and which did not. It

divided the young people of the village for some of them refused to

dance the pagan Q)n odori. It divided the women because some would no
longer follow the iriestess of Nundwruchi-ya to the shrines and holy places, and it divided the men, for religion is a woman's worry, not
man's. Most of all it divided the young from the old for tradition and
superstition and fear are tatooed on the souls of the old even as the

hands of the old women are marked forever to show that they belong to
a man.

0-ffmi isstillyour first love and you are proud when pilgrims climb
the Joshi road in endless procession on your holy days. But there is a

disturbing shadow at the foot of 0-garni: Kyokai-ya, House of Church,

and even when we are gone it will still be there to remind you of the great God of Heaven who healed your sick, helped your poor, brought comfort to your sorrowful, was kind to your mentally ill, and who off ered freely the water and bread of life for your salvation. You will forever be unsettled by the Spirit of the Living God for He is among
you--the mountains tremble with His power. He is in the Valley of the shadow, and His path is in the waters. Oh, we would have gathered you. Village of the Joshi. from every thatch and tile roofed house to a place beneath the Shadow of our Rock in the heat of the day, to our Refuge in the time of storm, to the Water of Life in the time of a drought, but you would not. We are both leaving home and going home for " In Christ there is no

East or West; in Him no North or South. But one great fellowship of

love throughout the whole wide earth." Surely because we came to you there will be Seed from the East in the Kingdom of Heaven and we will
s i t down together once more.

cju's cmvm
The need for water on Okinawa is growing every day- It is rumored that if the water situation does not get better, they may have to send Some military dependents home.
We almost had some rain when Typhoon Wendy nearly hit Okinawa hut
veered off and headed for Taiwan. It would have brought a lot of badly needed rain! The rationing lasts all day now and we only havr^ water

from 5:30 P.M. to 11:30 P.M, The water shortage is getting bad for the Okinawans, too. It is so dry that one farmer claims his cows are giv ing powdered mllkt and fishermen say it takes young fish six weeks to
learn to swim..

Here's an item of interest concerning labels on export goods,,

All

exports such as clothing have been labeled "Made in Ryukyus", but be ginning in August they will have permission to label things " :*lade in American Ryukyus". This will help distinguish between Japanese atKi RyuUyuan goods,
The Government of the Ryukyus Health Hepartment has listed a total

of 70 cases of encephalitis with 15 dead so far- One case of malaria has also been reported in Naha--the first case in 16 years. The last
case of malaria was in 1947,

I think we should all take time to pray about the water shortage
I t is serious,
--Conrad Huckins

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Seedtime and Harvest

"Bat thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us

in triumph,

and through us spreads the fragrance

of the knowledge of him. everywhere."

witk

and <^ax^usxUe. c^ikjckim.

IN THE RYUKYU ISLANDS

ESTABLISHING SELF-SUPPORTING, SELF.

PROROGATING NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES

We left our homeland for the Ryukyu Islands on September, 1950, with buried our tiny second son in the Little Central Washington valley
where we met, fell in love and were married. We waved goodbye to halfgrown brothers and sisters and to parents not yet turned grey. We
never looked back--we were too young and eager and anxious to go.
On September 8, 1963 we returned to America, for perhaps the last time, landing at the same airport we took off from exactly 13 years before. The 'little' boy was much taller than his mother and he wastf t
alone for three brothers and two sisters had joined him. It was no hero's welcome home. In our illness and haste in leaving no one was

one little boy, just a year old. Less than two weeks before we had

informed of our time of arrival. Only one person was waiting, the
missionary's mother, quite grey now but still knowing such things as when to expect a wandering child to come home.

We fenjoyed a good trip via a non-scheduled airliner to Hawaii and by Pan Am to Seattle, which was the cheapest mode of travel for our family. In Hawaii we were entertained by a fine Christian missionary family,the Charles Luttrells. We greatly appreciated their hospitality and the transportation to and from the airport.
It was wonderful to come back and move into a house all warmed and

ready for us, even to a supply of food in the cupboard and refrigera
tor thanks to our loved ones here in Seattle. The Claire Boulton

family moved into our home in Okinawa the day before we left and we
moved into their home here the day we returned.

No one can truly appreciate his homeland until he has been away from it long enough to get homesick--that peculiar sickness of the heart that makes it leap at every remembrance of home. A friend in Okinawa

said, "America won't be the all the way now." In a sense greatly and is so much faster life of an Okinawan village,
ity.

same when you go back. It's Highway One it is true. The pace has accelerated so in comparison to the placid, slow-moving
but even Highway One is wide and clean

with great sweeping views of this beloved land, uncluttered by human

The narrow boundaries of an island must be continually pushed back

by one's vision and dreams to keep them from encroaching, but the out skirts of America are rarely seen. Near the border of this state of Washington we recently looked across at the rugged snow-covered moun tains of Canada. It was the end of one thing--a state, and the be
ginning of another--a country.

It is wonderful to be home, but oh, the memories that crowd back and the call that still rings from those islands of the sea with all of their foreigness. Where does one thing end and another begin?

Summer

Camp
Shortly before leaving Okinawa we again held summer camp at

Shinzato by the sea.

Including

the faculty, a total of 80 att

ended camp this year. Of that
number 27 confessed their faith

in Christ and were immersed.

Faculty and Student Body of Shinzato Summer Camp.

We were happy to have a speci al visitor during camp whom we

put right to work--Brother Carl

Fish who is presently attending
the Naganuma Japanese language

school in Kobe, Japan.

It was

good to see Carl again after a

number of years;

to talk about

old times and to hear of his

plans for further work in Japan

Camp Faculty

This paper is published quarterly in the interest of Mel and Marguerite Huckins, Missionaries to the Ryukyu Islands. All gifts shnuld be sent to Lloyd Sapp,407 Prairie, Norfolk,Neb.
SECOND CLASS MAIL PRIVILEGES AUTHORIZED AT NORFOLK, NEB.

The following poem was written many years ago. There never seemed

to be just the right time or place for it in Seedtime and Harvest,but

we decided to include it in this issue for what i t may be worth in

contributing to the understanding of missionary children. It may be

more interesting to you since you have become acquainted with our old
est son through " Con's Column".

FOREIGN

CHILD

You were small and pale. Foreign Child, With grey-blue eyes that searched The crowd of faces To find one white among the brown;

Looking uncertainly from smile to smile-Young alien; Foreign-born.

You lisped a strange first word. Foreign Chi Id,

And we were charmed and urged upon you More of this soft tongue. Until one day we ceased to comprehend:

Your prattle was a babble sound-Childish drawl;

Bi-lingual miracle.
You forgot so soon. Foreign Chi Id,

That you were white and they were brown;

Those urchins by the sea

Who called your name to come and play-At dusk; At dawn.

" I am Higa'* you said. Foreign Chi Id, Borrowing a village name--S trutting boy-fashion In a blue kimono and wooden geta.

Tanned from the salt water windYoung islander; Brown boy's kin.

Then one day. Foreign Child, You heard a battle cry: Amerikan! Amerikan! " flung in the air And sand was in your eyes and hair; Friends turned traitor; left you alone-' In the grey sand;
In the white coral.

After that you knew. Foreign Child,

Knew you were foreign. Child,

And different from them Born and bred by the sea;

Raised part of the land S ea-farer* s sons; Fisher-folk clan.

You wandered alone.

Foreign Child,
With a small black dog

At your round, bare heel

In the endless sand And the sea's wet wind--

Searching the beach; Seeking a friend. Perhaps someday. Foreign Child become man.
You'll remember it once was so

And find room in your heart

For some other alone

In a far-off land Some stranger; Some displaced man.

For men.

Foreign Child, listen closely to me.

Throw sand in the eyes Of men. And kind cling to kind
In the soil that's their own--

Where roots go down

And entwine.
--Marguerite Huckins

^LckefiQons ,^ou^tons
heia/in to

Miyako welcomed back Marguerite's parents, Don and Fay Rickerson

who returned to the islands the last of July. They have taken root again and are now working as hard as ever on their little island. In a letter they reported the good news of seven new converts on Irabu: a 58 year old nan, a 33 year old woman and five teen-age girls. There are a total of 98 converts on that small island now.

The Boulton family caught the proverbial " slow boat to China" and so were 34 days enroute to Okinawa, arriving just the day before we left for the States. They literally moved in one door while we moved

out the other, but we were thankful for the one day in between. They are quite well settled now and beginning their work again.

f":

left to right: Carl Fish, M> Contos, Dor Bickeraon, Mel Huckins

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Well, as you readers must know, we' re back in the States and really " living it up." The minute I stepped off the plane I knew I wouldn* t
regret coming back.

It seems kind of strange to be going to big department stores and

groceiy stores, etc,, and buying American food and clothings In Okinawa

we bought Japanese food mostly and clothing (with the exception of

when we went to some of the bigger Okinawan department stores and got

some U.S. clothing,) Here it is like walking into a military P.X. only more expensive. (We weren't allowed in the P.X.'s.)

Another thing that was hard to realize when we first came back, was that I saw regular American people doing road work, painting houses,

working on buildings, etc. In Okinawa everybody who did those jobs were Okinawanso (The military hired Okinawan workers for many things ISO.) It just didn' t seem right to see Americans doing it, but of
course It is.

I was really st ocked r^.>)out tlie schools! The school I go to for in stance: I thin!: it's gigantic, but it is considered small here! The school - -o'Jt to in Okinawa was a two room quanset hut! The first

cor;V .ays I had n hard time. I kept getting mixed up on my locker ;i ; icrs. nut it is wonderful school. I didrf t think I would get very good grades this quarter because of the new school and everything, but
it turned out I had better grades than I did in Okinawa!

So, it's been one worth while experience in coming back to America
and still will be. To sum it all up, it's wonderful to be back.
--Conrad tluckins

P. S. But I have found myself homesick for OKIWA"'A!

metlical
has been made since our return.

treatment

Many of you have been praying concerning my health, and I am deeply grateful for your prayers. I know you will want to know what progress
1 went through the Virginia Mason Clinic here in Seattle nn Sent. 20
receiving extensive examinations and tests as well as numerous X Rays. On Oct. 4 I went back again to consult with my doctor who is one of

the finest diagnosticians available, and to receive a report on the outcome of the X rays and tests. Although they were not conclusive enough to determine the exact trouble, they did prove that there is no tumor or growth of any kind and that my present condition has no connection with my former serious difficulty with acute osteomyelitis as we had thought was highly possible.
Now they are trying to isolate the cause of my head pain through a series of medications--the first of which is completed and the second, massive histamine administered intravenously, still being tested. The first treatment brought no relief at all, but the second seems to be

helping a little. The doctors hope, by this method, to discover if the

headaches are sinus due to climactic cinditions, migraine, vascular or

perhaps due to allergy. Although the condition has not in^roved puch yet, I feel confident that at last something is being done about it
and that I eventually will find relief.

1 have been helped by your prayers and still covet them. Thank you again for your concern, your letters of encouragement and your special
gifts.

"God sent his only bep,otten Son into the world,

that we mif^ht live through him,'*
-1 John U':9

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