VOLUME 1

CAJ Report
3 i3di
JONATHAN SIMS CHRIST'S AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrusted
to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. II Timothy 2:2
FIRST QUARTER 1981
21!^
A Buddhist pagoda. A gate to a Shinto Shrine.
NUMBER 1
JAPAN A FIELD NEEDING WORKERS
People often ask, "Why should we send missionaries to Japan?" Reports from mission
aries in Africa and Southeast Asia seem to indicate a greater response to the Gospel than
reports from missionaries in Japan. Outdated stereotype images of missionaries in khaki
outfits wearing pith helmets going into remote jungles still draw more attention than
missionaries in J.C. Penney suits going to an industrialized nation which for several
years has led the world in ship building and in 1980 outproduced the U.S. automobile in
dustry. Japan is often seen as an expensive tourist trap, where it's unique language,
religious heritage and culture deter missionary recruits from choosing Japan as a field
of service. Often, the need for reaching people in a local community with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ seems more pressing than the need for reaching people elsewhere.
Many additional missionaries are needed in every field, especially Japan. There are
twenty four families and eight single Church of Christ, Christian Church missionaries
working in Japan. Of these, one fourth are around retirement age. Approximately 120
Japanese congregations (around 2,000 total membership) and one Bible college are strugg
ling to evangelize Japan, appealing for more co-workers from America to help. Japan has
a'populatioiTo^f' one hundred twelve rnillion, "only one percent claiming to be some^nrt of
"Christian."
The Japanese are generally continuing their religious traditions of Buddhism and
Shintoism which have become established through thousands of years. It would seem as
if they are not as receptive to the Gospel as other peoples. Yet, the Japanese are
listening to the Gospel (most have not yet had the opportunity to hear about Jesus
Christ). There is freedom of religion in Japan except for limitation of religious
broadcasting on television and radio. Only through personal evangelism by Japanese
Christians and missionaries will the Japanese have the opportunity to hear about Jesus
Christ.
My parents made much sacrifice in leaving the U. S. to devote their lives to pro
claiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Japan. Through diligence they have overcome
many cultural barriers. The love of Jesus Christ knows no cultural barriers. There
are fewer barriers for me to overcome in working in Japan, since I was reared there.
I am ready to answer the call for more workers in Japan, by volunteering my life to
the work in Japan. Meanwhile, I find it difficult to be content to remain here in
America, knowing of the many Japanese who have not yet heard about Jesus Christ.
ORDINATION
On January 18, 1981 the elders of the Laurel Avenue Church of Christ, Chesapeake,
Virginia ordained me into the Ministry as a Missionary to Japan. I am responsible to
the elders of the congregation to report to them and to ask them for guidance in areas
related to the work of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
FINANCIAL NEEDS FOR ONE MISSIONARY IN JAPAN
Even though freedom of religion is established in Japan with an open door for mis
sionaries, the Japanese Government has set certain restrictions. A missionary must re
ceive his financial backing from churches in America. He is not permitted to take a
job in Japan to support himself. If a person had a teacher's visa, he could teach Eng
lish in Japan, but could not do missionary work. To do evangelistic work in Japan it
is best to have full support from churches in the United States.
The minimum financial support needed for one missionary is Japan is one thousand
fifty dollars a month. This does not include initial transportation to Japan, furlough
travel expenses, a contigency fund to provide for funds in an emergency situation, or
increased living costs due to inflation. It includes the following:
$ 250.00 language school tuition
250.00 one room (9' x 12') apartment rent
200.00 food
200.00 income tax and Social Security
60.00 health insurance
60.00 travel to school
30.00 newsletter and postage
$1050.00
My parents have invited me to stay with them during language school. This does not
necessarily lower my financial needs. I am not preparing to be financially dependent on
them. As it is they barely can make ends meet for themselves. I owe them $1,600 for pay
ing my six month language school bill in 1979. I plan to repay them for that as well as
reimburse them for increased costs to them for allowing me to stay with them for two
years. I plan to move to a new location for work as soon as language school is finished.
At present $400.00 has been pledged for certain. I need the additional $650.00 to
be pledged very soon. I have been surviving off of love offerings provided by churches
for speaking about my anticipated work in Japan. I have had just enough to pay my 1980
income taxes and purchase a one-way ticket to Tokyo. The departure date is May 28. I
need $600.00 for shipping my personal belongings to Japan. I will leave on May 28,
having faith that the Lord will provide my financial needs through churches here in
America.
Mailing address
Jonathan Sims
C. A. J.
P.O. Box 13277
Chesapeake, Va. 23325
Forwarding agent
Jesse Inge
909 Neptune Ave.
Va. Beach, Va. 23464
804-420-6028
Field address
Jonathan Sims
3-33-7 Mejirodai
Hachioji-Shi
Tokyo, Japan 193
Jonathan Sims
CAJ Report
UH
JUL 71981
JONATHAN SIMS CHRIST'S AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrusted
to reliable men who will also bequalified to teach others. II Timothy 2:2
VOLUME 1 SECOND QUARTER 1981 NUMBER 2
THE LONGEST DAY
The day finally arrived for my departure to Japan. United Air
lines flight 619 left Norfolk International Airport at 8:00 AM Thursday
May 28th. Breakfast was served on board the plane. We arrived very short
ly at 0*Hare International Airport in Chicago. After a two and a half hour
wait, I boarded Northwest Orient flight 3 for Tokyo with a scheduled fuel
stop in Anchorage, Alaska. During each leg of the trip on the 7^7, we en-
Joyed a large meal and a movie. Everyone was asked to close the window
shades during the movie because of the bright mid-day sun outside. The
plane was filled to capacity with 376 passengers, so we had a slight delay
in leaving Chicago and Anchorage because everyone boarded through one door.
We made up time during the flight so that when we arrived in ToJjyo we were
five minutes ahead of schedule. The time in Tokyo was 4:10 PM on Friday,
May 29 when we arrived. It was an awkward feeling to be very tired while
it was still day. We had seen no Thursday night during the flight. It was
a long day for me to see the Thursday sunrise in Norfolk and the Friday sim-
set in Tokyo with no night in between.
A NEW REORIENTATION TO THE ORIENT
Readjustment to life in Japan began right from the airport. Mom and
dad were waiting for me in the lobby and are happy to see me back in Japan,
beginning my career as a missionary. Riding home from the airport in the
front seat on the passenger side was some shock at first. At a number of
places I instinctively tried to reach for the brakes, as I would in the
States, although the driver sits on the right hand in Japan instead of the
left. Japanese drivers strive to get ahead in traffic without seeming to
care about havii^ a safe distance between vehicles. I was startled by
drivers pulling in front of us from the left hand side entering onto the
toll roads, without concern that we were only a few inches behind them.
Volkswagen Rabbits are the most popular foreign cars in Japan. I saw a
few American cars, but even though compact by American standeirds, they seem
large here. At the toll booths, the passengers in the Americsm cars had to
pay because the drivers are on the wrong side of the car. In spite of the
traffic and the Japanese way of driving, we made it home "safely."
The change in time did not cause me much of a problem, as I arrived
exhausted from a long flight and excited that I was arriving home from being
halfway around the world. Diet and drinking water did take some time to ad-
Just to, but my appetite is almost back to normal. I am enjoying a lot of
good Japanese style dishes, which I missed in the States. The weather has
been a little cooler than normal, with lows in the 40*s and highs in the 60's
here in Tokyo, but the rainy season comes in June, after which comes the hot,
humid summer weather.
STARTING THE WORK
The Christians here at Mejirodai are glad to see me back here to begin
missionary work. They have been anxiously awaiting i^y arrival after reading
several letters 1 have written them this year in Japanese. Several made spec
ial trips to bring me Japanese food as a sort of welcome present. 1 am try
ing to talk as much as 1 can in Japanese, in spite of grammatical errors. 1
made a short greeting in Japanese to the congregation on May 31. On the same
day, mom, dad and 1 went to a meeting of our Tokyo area churches where each
congregation had a ten minute segment of the program for songs, testimonies
and such. Before mom, dad and 1 sang a trio, 1 spoke a few minutes in Japa
nese, for which the people responded enthusiastically.
My schedule will be full from now on. For the siimmer term of language
school, 1 will be in a class which meets three mornings a week, four hours
each time. We will go at a quick rate over some material 1 have studied be
fore. 1 also am working with the fifth and sixth graders in Sunday school,
preparing questions and a brief talk each week in Japanese. 1 will be help
ing with the upcoming vacation Bible school activities later this summer.
-The-next-newsletter-wili have-pxctures and iiews~aboul7 these summer events^
A LOOK AT FINANCES
1 stated in my first newsletter that my proposed budget is $1050.00
per month for one person. That figure still stands in light of the cost
of living in Tokyo. At a later date 1 will report some specific costs, say
for grocery items and such. The support 1 am receiving at the present mom
ent is $725.00 per month. Because my parents are willing to have me stay
with them so that 1 can save some yen for high renting costs, 1 am able to
survive. 1 would much prefer not to depend on my parents as their bills
are high.
One positive note about finances is that the dollar has gained back
some value in comparison with yen within recent weeks. The day 1 arrived
in Japan, the exchange rate was the highest it has been in months: 225 yen
for one dollar. The more yen 1 receive for each dollar of support, the
easier it will be for purchases. 1 am grateful for all of the prayers and
support for the work of communicating the Gospel to the Japanese people.
Mailing address
-Jonathan-Sijns
C.A.J.
P.O. Box 13277
Chesapeake, Va. 23325
LAUREL AVENUE CHURCH OF CHRISt
POST OFFICE BOX 13130
SftSAPEAKEt VIRGINIA 23325
Forwarding agent
Jesselng
909 Neptune Ave.
Va. Beach, Va. 23461f
8ol|-lf20-6028
Field address
-Jonathan -Sims
3-33-7 Mejirodai
Hachioji-Shi
Tokyo, Japan 193
As^ocMityLon
Box 177
Kmpton, In 46049
Non-Profit Org.
U. S. Postage
PAID
Chesapeake, VA.
Permft #48
CAJ Report
yj2 y/
fiOV i 3 198]
JONATHAN SIMS CHRIST'S AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrusted
to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. II Timothy 2:2
VOLUME 1 THIRD QUARTER 1981 NUMBER 3
OUR NEIGHBOR'S RELIGION
The way a person lives reflects his viewpoints about religion. In Japan a
person may claim not to be religious, but.will continue to observe traditions
for the sake of not offending the spirits of Japan. Our next door neighbor for
example, observed the tradition of calling a Shinto priest to perform a ceremony
to bless the construction of his new house. It is common to see these ceremon
ies for the opening of a new store, the starting of a new company, the blessing
of a baseball team so that it will have a winning record during the season, and
in the age of computer technology, the dedication of a new robot to the working
force of a company.
I watched the fifteen minute ritual for blessing the construction of my
neighbor's house from my bedroom window early one morning. A shrine had been
especially built on the location where the house is being built. The shrine
consisted of a roped off area in which was a stand of wood on which were placed
bowls of fruit and such. The central object of the shrine was a pole planted
in the ground on which was tied a branch of an evergreen tree. At each of the
corners of the roped off area were planted bomboo saplings, and the rope had
folded paper prayers tied to it. To see the ritual reminded me of the ways of
the Canaanites in the Old Testament which the J_sraelites were forbidden to follow.
The ritual consisted of chasing away "foreign" and harmful spirits and ap
pealing to the spirits of Japan for the safe construction of the new house.
Each of the members of the family, several close relatives, chief carpenters and
architects, and others present were blessed. Each took their turn in offering
prayers at the shrine. In the Shinto shrine was no idol, as might be found in
Buddhist temples, because the spirits of Japan are considered present in every
living thing. Most Japanese only know to continue these traditions and very
little, if anything, about Jesus Christ.
THE MISSIONARY CONVENTION
Every year the missionaries of
the Churches of Christ (Christian
Churches) meet together for a time
Boffellowship and building each
other up for the much work yet to
be done here in Japan. There were
forty-eight who attended this year's
convention, which was held in Kyushu.
All who attended were greatly en
couraged in the work and by the
variety of discussions about the
work of reaching the Japanese with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. One
significant factor about this year's
of"ch"l
ion was the great percentage
have returned to the field to carry
on the work. Second generation
missionaries have an advantage over
brand new missionaries, but even so
the need for workers is still much
greater than the handfuls of volun-
1981 Japan Missionary Convention teers for missionary work in a
foreign field.
1981 Japan Missionary Convention
',^T ii i i ' returned from the
..^. JL convention by a route which would en-
UBk _.^Bn, able us to see the results of some of
j^^PSnSi^^SljwlBl^ftHlniir work of missionaries in Japan hun*
|b dreds of years ago. At that time,
I numbers of Japanese became Christians
work of mission-
r- .- --=r- aries from Europe. These men, such
as Francis Xavier, worked in Japan
Francis Xavier's Landing Spot before there was a nation called the
United States of America.
Francis Xavier arrived in Japan on August 15, 15^9 and a statue has been erected
on the spot where his ship landed as a continuing witness to the Japanese about
their own history in which many Japanese Christians showed their strength of faith
in Jesus Christ by being crucified and tortured for accepting a Diety other than
the spirits of Japan. Dad, mom and I saw some museums and sites including relics
-from thot oarlv-offort tor-eechJapan wi t-h-t-he-Ges-pe-l- ef-JeeusChr Is-^.
Francis Xavier's Landing Spot
A Meal at a Japanese Hotel
When returning to Tokyo and dur
ing the time we were seeing some of
the historical places in Japan espec
ially related to the early Japanese
Christians, dad, mom and I stayed at
a Japanese style hotel. The Japan
Auto Federation had recommended some
of the best as would the AAA in the
U.S. The price of a hotel in Kyushu,
which is much less than in Tokyo,
was around $50 a night per person,
including a breakfast and supper. Considering the service we received, the price
is very reasonable. I thought it worthwhile to take a picture of the meal to show
how much the Japanese usually eat for supper. In the picture the metal container
has a candle which keeps the meat, usually a little bit of beef, hot until you are
ready to eat. In consideration of the amount of food served, it is a wonder that
the Japanese people stay as slim and short as they do. But that assumption has no
foundation any more, as Japanese are getting taller through changes in diet. Any-
way, the meals are bal"^ced with "several small portions of several kinds of meat
and salads.
U
Goi ng To Camp
Going to Camp
We scarcely had time to settle
back in Tokyo, when dad and I went
to the camp for the Junior and Sen
ior High youth. The largest dele
gation going to camp was from
Mejirodai, shown In the picture.
Mark Pratt, who is working in
Machida city, about an hour from us,
came along to help teach some of the
various classes at camp. He is a
favorite among Japanese youth, be
cause of his enthusiasm and his abil
ity to see over the heads of every
body in Japan.
My First Junior High Class
My First Junior High Class
At the camp we had a total of
thirty-eight. It may not seem like
a great number, especially when a
third of that number were mission
aries and Japanese preachers, but
even so it was worthwhile. Most of
the campers had not been to a
Christian camp before, and in the
Junior High group, only one of twelve is a Christian. Dad could not stay for the
last day of camp because of previous commitments, so I taught for the first time
in my life the Junior high class for a forty minute class session. It was a chal
lenging experience, but a good chance to witness and to use the Japanese language
I had been learning at school, before this August break from school. More and more,
I am gaining my confidence in ability to communicate in Japanese, but I still have
more work to do, especially in trying to reach adults, which demands proper ex
pression of things through preaching.
Group Picture
^ 1 UA .After returning from camp for
Junior and students,
it became to for camp
with the elementary school age chlld-
ren. we the two three
day event a vacation Bible school be-
The VBS Group Picture cause even though it is like a camp,
it is during the time when Japanese children have their short vacation from public
school. It was quite a taxing experience to keep sixty-five children in one place,
especially near a lake where there are many places to explore. Even with twelve
staff members, and a well worked out program, there are always situations which
seem to disturb all programs. In this case, a film crew from a Saturday morning
children's monster and superhero type show were shooting some scenes near the lake
where we were having our VBS. When all the children learned about the filming crew,
it became almost impossible to keep their attention. But, after a few hours the
crew left and we were able to teach again. I was prlviledged to lead in one morn
ing devotional time in Japanese as well as assist the fourth grade boys during the
handwork period.
All of these activities kept me busy during the August break from Japanese
language study at school. It was an excellent opportunity to practice my Japan
ese as well as meet people and gain additional new experience in the work. The
Lord has blessed me greatly through these various activities, continuing to pro
vide my various needs and preparing me for upcoming work.
I continue to be grateful for all the prayers and support for the work of
communicating the Gospel to the Japanese people.
Field Address Forwarding Agent
Jonathan Sims Jesse Inge
3-33~7 Mejirodai 909 Neptune Ave.
Hachioji-Shi Va. Beach, Va. 23^6^
Tokyo, Japan 193 80^-^20-6028
C. A. J. - Jonathan Sims Permit #48
P. 0. Box 13277 Non-profit Org,
Chesapeake, Va. 23325 Postage Paid
Chesapeake, Va,
SoAyjlddi, A640C,
Box 777
Kmpton, IN 46049
CAJ Report
f A M
JONATHAN SIMS CHRIST'S AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN
And the things you have heardmesayin thepresence ofmanywitnesses entrustedto reliable
menwho will also be qualified to teach others. // Timothy 2:2
VOLUME 1
PROGRESS IN LANGUAGE STUDY
The fail term of Japanese language
study has been a long and strenuous
fourteen weeks. Mastering any "for
eign" language is demanding work,
but this term has seen some progress.
My class has completed the second
level in the five level course. If we
continue at the pace we have been
studying, we should be able to gradu
ate just before Christmas of 1982.
However, we may slow down in the
more advanced levels postponing
graduation until 1983.
ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
FOURTH QUARTER 1981
2 5 /.ggj2_
NUMBER 4
Every Sunday I have been continu
ing to work with the fifth grade Sun
day school class here at Mejirodai by
asking the students various questions about the Scripture text. In addition, I am leading the song service during
the Sunday AM Worship Service as well as leading in the responsive reading and reading the Scripture text before
Dad preaches. Four times a year (in months with five Sundays) I preach in Japanese. All of these activities are
practical applications of my language study at school.
The certificate for finishing level two oflanguage study.
GROWTH IN THE CONGREGATION
The local congregation here at Mejirodai has seen growth this year, since my arrival here. This Autumn three
people were immersed into Christ. One of these is a young housewife whose husband has been a Christian for
some time. Her father is an elder of one of our sister congregations here in Tokyo. Usually in Japan, wives respond
to the Gospel, while their husbands continue to hold onto the religious traditions of Buddhism and Shinto which
have been passed down through the ages. But there are always exceptions because of the power of the Gospel.
Another respondent to the Gospel is a young singer who has written several songs which have become popular in
Japan. The Lord blesses long years of diligent labor by providing a harvest.
CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES
Christmas this year has brought a lot of rejoicing through the good attendance we had for the various activities.
On December 20 we held a special Christmas Worship Service which continued through a meal and special pro
gram, lasting from Sunday morning until the late afternoon. The Sunday school attendance was 99 children and
youth, which is the maximum we can handle in space, unless we can provide for expansion. For the Worship
service we had a new record in attendance which included 54 adults and 9 children. We ordered sandwiches for
our congregational meal. In the program following the meal, everybody participated in some way or other. One
member played a violin solo and another sang a portion from an opera. It is wonderful how the Lord provides
many talents which can be used to give praise to His Name.
On Christmas eve we conducted a special candlelight song service in the Church building. We decided not to
continue having the program outside near the train station because of problems we have had with cold rainy
weather. We had an attendance of 29, some who have not been inside of a Church building before.
(continued on back)
On Christmas day, which is the day when Japanese children have their last day of school before their short
winter vacation, we conducted three different Christmas programs for the Sunday school children. Each time
the building was filled with students, some of their parents and some of their brothers and sisters. The grand
total for all three programs was 197 people, which is cause for rejoicing, especially in seeing parents come so that
the real meaning of Christmas can be expressed to glorify Jesus Christ.
I continue to be grateful for all the prayers and support for the work here in Japan.
Field Address Forwarding Agent
Jonathan Sims Jesse Inge
3-33-7 Mejirodai 909 Neptune Ave.
Hachioji-Shi Virginia Beach, Va. 23464
Tokyo, Japan 193 804-420-6028
C. A. J. Jonathan Sims
P.O. Box 13277
Chesapeake, Va. 23325
Missions Services Assoc
Box 177
Kempton, IN 46049
Permit No. 48
Non-Profit Org.
POSTAGE PAID
Qiesapeake, Va.