\h]\ '* - "

Oear j'riends in Christ,

January 231 1973

^'cxnakofnai Tapan

i.'ho ;'0W /ear's season is colorful in -Japan. hear is "Akemashite, omedetoo."

Tt is the one time of tho year when

many of th Japanese dress up in their lovely kimonos.

W would say Happy New iaar,'.'
wator to you.

The crreetin:T you often

Literally it means "it has opened, ^reetin^s."

Likewise wo wish to send our greeting over the

V have entsrid our 19th year in Japan-^d our fifth year in 'fomakomai. W cer tainly have things for which to bs" thankful. Ve aspscially appreciate your
continual, faithful support.---- "

Jhristmas is always a happy tim. Our two older boys, now in ^okyo in high school, were back. LI was a joy to have the three boys home together even for a short time.
It is hard to realize that this was Allan's and Jharles* last Christmas in Japan. Churches at home showered us with their blossin^s. V/e received one box .and sev

eral churchos sent cash gifts. 'he money was divided among the family and will be used for much neoded clothing upon .arrival in the "t-ates. There was one gift the boys wanted but didn't getsnow. Ironically it snowed the day they return ed to .'okyo via the crox-ided New-fear train.
The adult Christmas service was well attended with 26 adults and 2 children. It was a candlelight service during which Ernest preached on "/.et us go to -thlehem."

'ha Sunday School Christmas was hold Jhristmas Day v/ith ^3 childron and 11 adults
present.

t^rs. Aumiko Ikeda, a 39-year-old housewife, has been attending services for two and

one-half years, .^ite often she was the only adult to attend yet she came faith fully. Finally, after many months of indecision she made her committment to follow
vhrist. It was December 31st, th last Sunday and last day of th year. -;rs.

ikeda was baptized January l^th. .'his baptism was follwed by another January 21st when th preacher's younger brother, . oriaki .iimura was baptized. oriaki lives in
the city of >apporo,

Winter_Vji3, an annual vent, was held from January 9-13 U'hg__.^2^jo attendance,

^jwluding th teachers, waa^tl^rbaeA.

own booklets and handwork.

?ho lessons were basad on tho story of

eva.

*-*oss.

the teachers wars" i.r.' a id i^rs. Kimura and

The teachers mad up their

The cataloging and filing sinda did during tho summer

Vias put to good use saving ..eva several hours in getting m-itorial together. We can still use more pictures, handwork ideas, handicraft ideas, quarterlies, activity booklets, etc so keep them available for our return this year. I.atorial is filed and extra copies shared with the churches so vq can use duplicates of pupil's book- .
lets and pictures.

_Ernos-t has been getting his pictures in order as well as taking pictures that will

liolp explain the field and work.

In the near future slides will bo ordered.

:'?e

are sure you will want to see and hear of tho vjork we have been doing and our future plans. Wo have a faith-promise rally and a church missionary rally already scheduled and have several inquiries for speaking dates. If you dosire a specific program or prefer a spacific time vie would liko to-hear from you soon. Othen-.'ise, we will let

you kno^J when wo will be in your area^_N^^{a will be able to speak some if within
easy travelling from Ces . oines, Iowa. If you desiro to help with anything as we

Japan June 12the da/ befo^ our 21st wedding ani^j^ersary,

set up housekeeping in Iowa you may contact John be.

Wa are scheduled to leave

'

'

insurance loans wero paid before th end of 1972. We still owo -1000 on the church building and ,>700 on the cliildron's education. "Uo idll also need funds for return
to Jj and for stateside transportation.

.)on continues to commutefrom L'oiTiakanai to the International ^chool in

apporoa two-

ho\xr bus trip.

manner.

le loaves at 6;30 a. m. and returns .at

p. m.

'e seems to be

doing all right and if th weather permits ho will finish the school yoar in this if you receive this letter it iovievor, ho^/ acitvo are you? 01' three years your name will you. i;any thanks to those wo means you are on our active-supporter's mailing list, If you haven't contributed or written in the last two bo transferred to tha inactive file, . ay wo hsar from do hear from.
In im,

^
Dear Christian Friends,

Minburn, Iowa 3OI67

(515) 677-2468

September 12, 1973

It is fall now and the family is confined to one place becaiise of school,
Allan is a senior in a small local high school and Donald is in the eigth grade,

A Catholic nun, studying at the same hospital in Scottsbluff, offered Linda a ride enabling her to spend a week with the family at the end of summer school. The last part of August Ernest drove CharlesCharles really did most
the drivingto Cincinnati where he entered doesn't have a home congregation to help in any way.

The mission's board of

directors recently decided to send $5^ ^ month but any additional help any
might desire to give would be appreciated. In a recent letter he wrote, ",,, I'm studying something really pertinent for the first time in my life, I find
most of the courses really facinating,"

We were anxious to hear from Japan, We knew that the Kimura's baby was due July 2nd, Therefore we were certainly happy to receive a tape and to hear the lusty voice of their first child.'i son. They named him Tasukumeaning

providence.

He weighed 6^ pounds.

The parsonage is nearing completion and they should be able to move out of the Sunday School room they are using before cold weather comes. This will be healthier for the baby because of the draft axound the accordian curtain. The parsonage is being paid for from money received when the mission house in
Tomakomai was sold,

Mr, Kimura also reported about the summer camp they held stnd the various regular activities of the church. He brought us up to date on each of the Christians, It was good to hear his and Mrs, Kimuira's voices and made us a little homesick for Japan,
The fall evangelistic meeting in Tomakomai will be held from Sept, 22-

2k, This is a long week end vacation in Japan, We pray many will be blessed by the meeting. The evangelist * is a long time friend and one who has helped us many times in the pastMr, Taniyama of Tanabe,
Since writing last Ernest has visited the following1 Clay Center, Nebrj Neb-Wyo-Dak camp, Wyoj Madelia, New Ulm, Pine Haven campt and dvbs, Redwood Falls, Minns Sauktown, Ind; Park Plaza, Joplin, Mot Villa Grove, 111) Earlham,
la.

Ernest's speaking schedule is as followsi

S^pt 16 a,m,
p,m,
23 28 30 Oct 2-3 5 7 12

Vaveland, Ind,
Clifton church, Louisville, Ky. Waldron, Mich, Walnut Corners church, Alvin, 111, Hooton church, Danville, 111. Second church, Danville, HI rally Newton, 111, Crestwood, St, Louis, Faith Promise, Beme, Ind,

1^
17-19 20-21

Sparta, Mich,
Calvary church, Swartz Creek, Mich, Faith Promise, New Burlington church, Cincinnati, Ohio, Faith Promise,

28 a,m, p,m, Nov ^-8

11

Bushville, Mo,
DeKalb, Mo, CaJ.if, School of Mission Paradice, Calif.

26-2
Dec 9 II-I3

Pleasant Grove, Mt, Gilead, Ohio, Faith Promise,

Miller, Mo, Ozark Bible College

come basis.

We are now scheduling 197^ dates through August, We will accept on a first Write or call concerning your mission plans, dvbs, and/or camps.
Your support has blessed us and even during furlough makes the work in

Japan possible.

We have lost a $50-per-month supporter.

We need to replace
More

this and to add ot our faithful supporters others in order to make it possible
to remain in Japan, We have many things to buy aJid take back with us.
on this in the future.

May God bless and keep you.

Yours in His service.
The Fabers

December 19p 1973

Box 173 Adel, Iowa

Dear Friends in Christ,

A day or two ago we received a letter from a young high school student who said in part, "You have been gone about six months now. S'5on it will be Christ mas but without the Fabers it will be a lonely one," We have also received Christmas cards from our Christian friends in Japan, We miss the Japanese and longingly look forward to our return.

Our travels and emphasis as we enter 197^ will be directed toward our re turn to Japan which is tentatively scheduled for August, .197^.
The directors of Hokkaido Christian Mission, Inc., met at the home of John . Noe on December 5th for the annual meeting, Ernest gave an oral report of the work in"Japair^nd future plans relative to^the^Tiew^work in Sapporo. Church

property and title, type and frequency of publication, equipment, etc were dis cussed, Present were John Hargett, Des Moines, John and Roy Noe, Adel, Max Harland, Perry, and Ernest,
While at Ozark Bible College recently Bmest was introduced to a young

Japanese who had been sent to America by his employer to leam new technics in hog raising. He is staying with a consecrated Christian family and attends
Sunday services regularly with them. During a recent revival meeting the young man attended nightly. However, no one knew whether there was any real

communication, Ernest talked with Mr. Tamoto (Tom to his American friends) for
a couple of hours, Liturature in Tom's language will be secured in order to facilitate better communication.

We welcome to our family of supporters the Pleasant Grove Church of Christ, Mt, Gilead, Ohio, Ernest held a Faith-Promise Rally with the church early in
December,

The following was recently printed in American Newspapers,

"Tokyo is the most expensive oity in the world in which to

live, A supermarket shopping basket that costs a mere $95.27 in New York City takes $ 213.56 in Japan's greatest metropolis,,.,
The cost of living gap is likely to get ^wc^e, not Ajetter, in the foreseeable future,. The devaluation of the dollar,,,have sharply raised costs for Americans,,,Inflation is galloping."

Does yoijr mission giving reflect today's higher costs?

Ernest was in California in November for two weeks. He took part in Northern California's Schools of Mission, While there Ernest was in Los Angeles and visited the Burbank studio of Cathedral Films, They have five one-half hour

16 mm movies on the life of Christ in Japanese, They are good and could be very
effective in our work. Two thousand dollars are needed to buy the films and a

projector to show these and others available in Japan, A church and/or some
Sunday School class could have this as a project,

home a total of 15 daysj Looking into 197^ we note that from the middle of Jan
uary until late March Ernest will be away from home visiting churches in Texas,

Ernest has been traveling extensively.

Since September 15th Daddy has been

Florida, Georgia, Tennesee, Ohio, Maryland, and New Jersy.

Tentative plans calls for visiting western states in April and May, The summer is being reserved for DVBS and camps^with visits to churches as time

permits. We are scheduling the siimmer now.

DVBS it would be advisable to write soon.

If you want Ernest at camp and/or

May^the

We close with a wish for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,

enclosed calendar remind you of Japan and it teeming millions throughout 197^.
Yours for a Christian Japan,
Bmest and Neva Faber