My father writes a newsletter every year and this year it was actually finished before Christmas! See below….

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Pastor Ralph A. Smith
Mitaka Evangelical Church
Tokyo, Japan
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CHURCH FUTURE

Government Recognition

Please continue to pray for our church to be recognized by the Japanese government. At this point, our biggest obstacle is a lack of sufficient funds to buy land (1/12 of an acre, more or less) and a building (seating for 150-250). We hope, with your prayers and God’s special grace and provision, to be able to raise enough (about one million US dollars) within the next two years to get started.

Shakespeare Lecture Project

This is a project to help us raise funds for our building. The first course of ten lectures, now undergoing revision and being re-recorded, offers a general discussion of Scripture references in Shakespeare’s plays, followed by specific treatment of the Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, Henry V, and Romeo and Juliet. There will also be a manual to go along with the lectures. The whole process is rather time-consuming. Pray that God would graciously assist me in this project and that it may bring blessing to those who study the course, as well as help to our ministry here.

GOD’S SPECIAL GRACE

Salvation of the Elderly

At the Presbytery Meeting for the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC) in Oregon City, Oregon, last October (12-14), I had the opportunity to give public thanksgiving to God for His goodness to our church in saving elderly parents of our members. The very next week (17-19), while I was in Moscow, Idaho, attending the Christ Church Ministerial Conference, I received news of two more baptisms. One of our elders, Mr. Sakai, baptized his elderly mother, Mitsuko (84), who was dying of cancer, and, beside her hospital bed, his 30-year old daughter, Mika, who was influenced by her grandmother’s faith.
Continue reading 2005 Church & Smith Family Newsletter