On November 2, 2022, Josephine and I returned from a ten and a half weeks trip to Japan. It has been three years since we were there to minister. It was good to be in Japan. This will be a report of some of the things we did during those weeks.

Warm greetings at the airport and upon arriving in Tachikawa

Upon coming out of immigration and customs at Tokyo Haneda Airport on August 23, we were surprised to see Ruku Obata (pronounced Luke) waiting for us. We have known Ruku since he was in grade school. He is twenty-three years old now. After graduating from college, he began a special four-year course in Bible and theology. He graciously drove us from Haneda Airport in southeastern Tokyo to Tachikawa in western Tokyo. He also carried our luggage up three flights of stairs to our dorm room in the Tachikawa church building.

Sister Sano was at the building to meet us when we arrived. She was a great help over the time we were there. She serves as the church secretary and also cares for the flowers around the church building. We were blessed on this trip to have time to deepen our relationship with her.

Fukushima receiving the Hogan-Cate Mission Award at Harding School of Theology 

We left on Monday, August 22, and arrived in Tokyo the following day. Our first priority was to set up housekeeping and get a functional office together. This is something we did each year for twenty-three years until the pandemic started in early 2020. Our primary ministry on this trip was to fill in for Nao and Noriko Fukushima while they were in Memphis studying at the Harding School of Theology. While I shared lessons with the congregation each Sunday, Josephine reached out to members and studied with those interested in English Bible Study.

Lesson topics for the Tachikawa church

For the eight Sundays we met with the Tachikawa church, I chose to preach through John 13-16. This was Jesus’ message to his disciples the night before he was betrayed and killed. On our first Sunday, there were two assemblies. One in Japanese in the morning and one in Chinese in the afternoon on the fourth Sunday of the month. One member is from Mylasia and speaks Chinese. I wrote out my sermon in English and she translates it into Chinese. At the assembly, I read the sermon in English and she read her translation in Chinese. I did this for three Sundays while we were at Tachikawa. The first sermon was written two weeks before we left for Japan to give time for translation. The following sermons were prepared each week.

Visitation for brother Shigekuni – minister, teacher, principal

Since our main work on this trip was to minister to the Tachikawa church, we stayed in the Tokyo suburb of Tachikawa most of our time. We did get out several times. On Monday morning September 12, we traveled an hour and a half to Ochanomizu to meet up with a group going to Hitachi Ota three hours and two prefectures away. We went to the Ota church building for the visitation for brother Nobuyuki Shigekuni. This building was the place where Josephine attended her first Japanese worship assembly in the summer of 1969. The brother we had come to pay respect for was the minister at that time. He later visited us in Memphis in 1975. He was a high school teacher and principal for Ibaraki Christian High School.

Another occasion to get out of Tachikawa was afforded by a brother from the Yokota church. He offered to take us to Haruna in Gunma Prefecture to see brother and sister Shiro Obata. The Obatas helped us numerous times while we were full-time workers in Japan (1977-86). Brother Obata was one of my mentors. He fell in July 2019 and suffered a serious injury to his spine. After much healing and physical therapy, he is back walking and continues to preach for the Haruna congregation each Sunday while seated. Sister Obata suffered heatstroke this past summer and is now in a care facility. It was a blessing to be able to visit them.

Japan School of Evangelism Lectureship via Zoom

In addition to speaking at Tachikawa, I spoke at the fall lectureship for the Japan School of Evangelism with Takeshi Kushida minister for the Hitachi church. My topic was Paul’s understanding of the church from Ephesians. Paul pictured this gathering community of believers in several ways. But I focused on my favorite image of the church as a household of God (Ephesians 2:19).

Our two-week rail pass began on September 28 with our going to Kojima in Okayama Prefecture. This is like going from Memphis to Austin, Texas. We went there to visit with Sandy Rogers. Over twenty years ago, she and Brent moved to Kojima to teach English and started a congregation at the same time. Brent died three years ago but Sandy remains to work with the congregation. Their school closed just before the pandemic broke out. On our return to Tachikawa, we visited a couple Josephine and I had English Bible classes with while they were in Memphis.

Tuesday Bible class with some of the Numazu church members

During the second week of our rail pass, we made a day trip to Shizuoka. I taught a class for the Numazu church at their Tuesday morning Bible study. Sarah Andrews started that congregation after WWII. There are three other congregations she started before the war in that area – Okitsu, Oiwa, and Shimizu. We received a delicious sushi lunch after the class. We visited with brother Tomoyuki Shinozaki former minister for the Numazu church as well as brother Fumio Maeda minister for the Nakada church and his wife Sachiko before returning to Tachikawa.

Later that week of the rail pass, we started our long trip north. It began with the Tomobe church. The church members knew we were coming so they planned an impromptu meeting for that evening. It was a “tea party” with fifteen gathered of which three were non-Christians and one of them came for the first time. I shared a lesson and answered questions during that meeting. We appreciated the members quickly organizing the meeting.

While in Tomobe, Jeanne Ray was our host. She has opened her home to so many over the years. She and Marlin came to Japan in about 1972 to teach English. This gradually changed to re-establishing the church in Tomobe. It has now been over 35 years since they started ministering in Tomobe.

Joel, Hiro, and Seika ministering to the Mito congregation

While in the Ibaraki area, we visited Joel Osborne and Hiro Akahoshi who team minister to the Mito congregation. The church secretary, Seika, also came with them. We had a wonderful meal together and discussed the work in Mito and in Japan in general. We worked with Joel and Hiro in 2011 following the tragic earthquake and tsunami.

From Ibaraki, we went further north to Hachinohe in Aomori Prefecture. This is like going from Memphis to Chicago. Twelve of us gathered on Sunday morning for worship. It was such a blessing to be with these brothers and sisters. They rented a room in a local hotel for the occasion. They usually meet in a member’s home. Following the worship, we had a wonderful bento lunch and then an impromptu ladies’ class. It is always an encouragement to see those who have the desire to learn more about God.

Lunch with the Hachinohe congregation after worship

On our way back from Hachinohe, we stopped at Omika in Ibaraki Prefecture. I spoke in chapel for the Ibaraki Christian University. That afternoon, Josephine was asked to share a lesson with some of the ladies. She taught from Habakkuk. Later that week after returning to Tachikawa we had lunch with a couple we taught while in Memphis. The husband teaches at Nagasaki University and the wife works for a research group.

While we had to secure visas to enter Japan, 0n October 11 the borders of Japan were fully opened to foreign tourists. This means that travel to Japan can be done pretty much as it was before the pandemic. This gave us hope for a spring trip in 2023.

Visit with Leslie and Sara Taylor ministering in Matsudo, Chiba

The week before we were to leave, we were finally able to squeeze in a visit to Matsudo in Chiba Prefecture to see Leslie and Sara Taylor. They had worked with the Matsudo church for five years with Steve and Debbie Carrell. They returned to the states for two years before returning two years ago in the midst of the pandemic. They are now working full-time with the Matsudo congregation.

Our final Sunday was spent with the Ochanomizu congregation in downtown Tokyo. They sponsored us when we came as full-time workers in 1977. Over the years, we have benefited from their encouragement and help. I spoke for the Japanese assembly in the morning and then for the English assembly in the afternoon. We stayed in the old building in 1969 as college students. Brother Obata, mentioned above, was the minister at that time. It was like coming home.

Speaking at the Ochanomizu congregation

On Monday, October 31, we began the process of packing and closing up housekeeping. We had tried to go to Japan in 2020 and 2021 but were not allowed. Having finally been able to enter and minister, we are very thankful. It has been great to renew friendships and minister once again in Japan. We are ever indebted to those who encourage and support our ministry. Our prayers have always been that God is glorified through our efforts.

Wedding and Hitachi Camp

My friends, Niumaia (member of Taga church) and Rachel (who has been staying with me), wanted to get married by the pond by my house. The State of Emergency in Tokyo (where most of her friends live!) and rain prevented that plan. Anyway five of us enjoyed the tiny wedding in my house. Her father in England performed the ceremony on Zoom. She’s still hoping to have a ceremony with guests this fall. We shall see.

The vaccination campaign is off to a very slow start. Japan didn’t get any vaccine until March. I don’t think all the medical workers have received it yet. The city government sent packets of information to the seniors with the warning not to call for an appointment until told to, at least until the end of May. I guess it’s good, in a way. They are giving the vaccine to the hardest-hit cities first, so guess we can wait a little longer. One of my supporters kindly paid for a ticket for me, but I certainly won’t be getting on a plane without my “jab” (British English). I have mixed feelings about getting it.

We had to cancel camp again. 🙁 We just had a one-day workday to keep the jungle from getting out of control. Eight came to help. One of the workers is cleaning off the roof. One job is to clear off the room of leaves and debris.

Thank you for all your help. Jeanne Ray

英語クラスの子どもたちと、小さな工作をしました。いつもより少ない人数ですが、楽しい時間を過ごすことができました。メリークリスマス🎄

The children in the English class made some small handicrafts. Though there were fewer than in regular years, we were able to have a very enjoyable time. Merry Christmas 🎄 -Asako Adachi

Thank you so much for planning the party. I think the children really enjoyed it. -Jean Ray

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HCC 2019 Spring – Each year in May (spring break in Japan) Christians gather at Hitachi Christian Camp to refresh the camp for the summer season. This year over twenty gathered for fellowship, devotionals, and, of course, work. Marlin and Jean have for many years been the central figures to revitalize the camp and to encourage others to participate. This will be the first year for Jean without Marlin at her side.

HITACHI CHRISTIAN CAMP – JEAN RAY IS IN THE BACK ON THE RIGHT.

Two main projects for this camp of two nights and three days was to replace the roof to the kitchen and dining area as well as repair and replace the bridge leading to a large level meeting area. Under the direction of Ataka-sensei and Nishimura-sensei and along with several carpenters, these tasks were accomplished as well as cleaning things up for the summer camp period.

Young ones help with food preparation and had craft time. There were devotionals and Bible study. Wiener roasts around a campfire made meal time fund. Getting back to nature is an excellent time to think about God’s blessings and reengage with His creation. All this preparation is for summer camps in July. Below are some pictures from the camp courtesy of Ataka Maki-san.

This is the twenty-first consecutive year we’ve ministered in Japan. This year was special in that we made two trips (April 24–June 23; August 14-October 11). The purpose of these trips is to share lessons to help build up the church and to encourage Christians and churches.

One of the first things we do upon arriving in Japan is to set up housekeeping and an office. We are taken to Costco to get some food for the time here. This is much less expensive than purchasing smaller quantities at the local grocery store. This is also a time to get back into the Japanese language.

Three days after arriving we participated in the Ochanomizu Bible Camp which is a tradition. This year their theme had to do with preparation for their seventieth anniversary next year. They wanted to reaffirm their vision as a congregation. I shared a lesson on encouragement from Hebrews 10:24-25. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Vision must be purposeful and deliberate. We encourage each other to fulfill the vision.

For Sunday sermons, I shared the story of the sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet and the parable of the two debtors Jesus used to confront Simon (Luke 7:36-50). It is hard to see our true sinfulness which makes it hard to see the vastness of God’s love and forgiveness. The Japanese Interconfessional Translation puts it pretty plainly: “You can tell how much she loves by her actions.” Our appreciation of God’s love is proportional to our understanding of how much we have been forgiven. Paul’s prayer for better understanding of God’s love in Ephesians 3:14-21 is worthy of repeating.

The topic for the Japan School of Evangelism lessons was The Atonement. I had spent a considerable amount of time preparing the lessons in English before coming and then worked to get them into Japanese once here. One brother who is fluent in English has been a tremendous help in checking my Japanese and teaching me some of the nuances of the language.

The format this year’s JSE lessons was to have 6 thirty to forty-five minute lessons shared on three Thursday mornings. This format would allow congregations who do not have preachers to share them in a Sunday morning class or worship assembly. Each was recorded on DVD with PowerPoint slides and a class handout to follow the lesson. Lesson topics were: Sin and Atonement; Old Testament Sacrifices; Suffering Servant; Divine Justice; Redemption; While We Were Helpless (a review and meaning of the cross). Some of these were also shared with the Ochanomizu church on four Wednesday evenings.

We met with the monthly ministers’ meeting for Tokyo-West ministers at Nogeyama, Yokohama. The minister there shared comments about Martin Luther on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of his work.

On the third Sunday in September, I shared a bi-lingual sermon with the Ochanomizu church. This congregation has a joint Japanese-English worship each third Sunday followed by a fellowship meal together. That afternoon Josephine shared a lesson from Jonah about our inner spiritual struggles.

An older minister spoke for the JSE Founding Day Lectureship September 18. He gave some of the history of his work. Following the lectureship, the teachers meet for an overnight planning session. It was encouraging to hear their discussion. The school currently has three students: one is retired and “re-tooling” to work with his home congregation; one is middle aged and is preparing to do what she can in her local congregation; another is younger and soon to be married who is preparing to do what he can in his local congregation.

We’ve worshiped with congregations as far north as Aomori and as far southwest as Shizuoka. Twelve of us met for worship in Hachinohe, Aomori, filling a small room. Eight congregations in the Shizuoka area came together to worship and study on our next to the last day in Japan. Getting to both of these involved several hours of travel.

The Tomobe congregation has a coffee hour once a month. We participated in that, and I shared a devotional on giving thanks. Several non-Christians who are students on English classes the church offers attended. The Tomobe church has an intern working with them at the present who is a big encouragement. Marlin Ray recently had surgery and continues to be hospitalized as he recovers. This surgery was a follow up to a traffic accident in July 2016 when a person ran into him just before he was to share a sermon with the congregation. Jean continues to minister to Marlin and the church. Marlin had permission to leave the hospital in order to attend the worship assembly. He continues to preach once a month.

That’s a quick overview of the past eight weeks. Leaving is always bittersweet. We’re sorry to leave behind people who are being faithful to the Lord in the midst of a dark society. We’re looking forward to reuniting with family and church family. God has promised that every effort put forth to share the Good News is not in vain. Ours is to remain faithful to Him and continue to “spur each other on to love and good deeds” which is a response to the forgiveness we have received in Christ.

— Dwight & Josephine Albright

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The Tomobe church hosted two summer activities recently. 

Summer Night Cafe – coffee and shaved ice

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Kids Hobby Camp

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Hitachi Christian Camp – Spring 2017

We returned last Friday night (May 5) after three days and two nights at the Hitachi Christian Camp (HCC). This was its 62nd year of operation. Marlin and Jeanne Ray along with Hideki and Nagisa Ataka have been important in keeping the camp going and making it useful to the churches in Japan.

  Our day started early May 3 as we left Tachikawa to head to Tomobe by train (a three-hour trip). This was Golden Week (three consecutive holidays and a weekend), so the trains were crowded with people getting out of the city. Thankfully we had purchased tickets ahead of time. Jeanne Ray met us at the train station. We stopped by the church building to pick up four middle school students before heading up to HCC.

  Several went to the camp early to set up the kitchen and open cabins. However, the cabins still needed to be cleaned out and bedding aired. A snake was found in one of the cabins. Nishimura-san, camp director, was able to catch it. It was a non-poisonous snake.

  The second morning I went downhill to the cemetery where we began our walk into camp. The cemetery overlooks the city of Hitachi and the Pacific Ocean. I watched the sun come up over a bank of clouds in the distance while reading Psalm 10. The writer wondered why the Lord was so far away. Being surrounded by hundreds of graves was sobering and made me wonder what could be done to help more people hear about the Lord.

  There was work to be done at camp as well. Drains were cleaned out in preparation for the rainy season. I helped a brother put up a railing in our cabin. The rotten floor of another cabin was removed. We raked up at least one if not two years of dropped twigs and limbs. We also studied the Bible together and played together. The meals were delicious and a good time for fellowship.

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We had a hot dog party and Sayonara party for Sean. We prayed for Marlin in hospital. Get well soon!

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Hi,

We have decided to go to the States for 2 months.  We have not been there for 4 years.  We are needing some good fellowship of family and friends and reporting to churches.  We have our tickets to Los Angeles and back, but the rest of the trip will be fluid.  We will leave Feb. 10 and return to Japan on April 7.  We will stop in LA for about a week and a half and then to Texas.  From there we will decide as we go.  We will probably go to Houston after staying in Dallas area for a week.  Then to Memphis and back to Dallas.  If there is time, we will go to Oklahoma for a couple of days.  After that back to Calif. for a couple of weeks.  The schedule will be determined by where I can speak and my health.  If you know of somewhere I can speak about Japan, I would appreciate you telling me.  If it isn’t possible to speak to your congregation or a Bible class, maybe you could invite some interested people to your house to see and hear about the work in Japan.  My email address while in the States is mihara136@gmail.com

Thanksgiving Turkey

We had a very busy holiday season.  About 50 came to Thanksgiving dinner, and everyone had a good time.  I invited my dentist and she came with her family.  Two turkeys and cornbread dressing disappeared quickly. Most Japanese have never eaten turkey or cornbread.  Their “cornbread” is some corn kernels in white bread.

Christmas Cookies

After Thanksgiving was Christmas.  We baked more than 400 Santa face cookies and passed them out to 3 nursing homes and the School of Life parties.  We also baked several hundred other cookies to eat at the parties.

Then camp!  December 28-30, we held Winter camp.  It was cold.  We tore down one old cabin and burned it for heat.  There was no snow this year.  The attendance was good, about 20 members.  I couldn’t do much, but I enjoyed it.

Winter Camp Dec 2015

We really appreciate all you have done to keep us in Japan and all the prayers for our health.  The doctors told me there is nothing more they can do for me, so I will keep working as long as I can.

We love you all and hope to get to see you while in the States.

Serving Him in Japan, Marlin and Jean Ray

Hi,

I am very sorry for no newsletters for so long.  As many of you know, I have been in the hospital with pneumonia.  I lost 13 kilo (28.6 lbs).  I needed the weight loss, but the method was not fun.  After returning home, I have gained back nearly 2 kilo (about 4.4 lbs).  I am just beginning to start to move about more.  I still can’t walk more than a few hundred feet.

During camp in July-August, I started feeling bad and stayed home during August.  In September, I went to see the doctor near my house.  He told me to go to the hospital.  I went and they put me in for 17 days.  I have had no energy for a long time.  I hope I can now regain some of my strength.  I have been a very active person, but in the past few years, I have slowed down to a snail’s pace.  My heart still has an irregular heartbeat.  In the past 3 years, I have gone through 4 procedures and twice it was stopped and restarted.  Nothing seems to have helped.  I am going to just live with it and slow down some, but continue to work.  If you have any questions, write and I will try to respond.  I have not been on the computer much in a long time.  It is hard to sit up for very long.  I am getting better at that.

Last Sunday, I preached my first sermon, since August.  I was getting a little tired at the end, but I enjoyed preaching.  Yasuki Nishimura has been doing so much for me.  Others have filled in the gaps that kept the church going.  So many people have been praying for me, thank you.  Sometimes, I wondered if it were the end for me.  But He carried me through.  Your prayers helped so much.

Camp went well, even though I just sat in a chair and directed.  Again, so many people filled in for me and worked so hard.  We did little carpentry work this year as I was not there much.  We had two baptisms at camp.  One young mother came and we taught her and she was very receptive.  She came to two courses and by the end of the last course, she was baptized.  The nearest church to where she lives is Tomobe!  She has been coming almost every Sunday since camp and her son joined Jean’s Kindergarten class.  It is a joy to see her enjoying worship.

This year was the 60^th anniversary of Hitachi Christian Camp.  Quite a few “old timers” came up the mountain for the ceremony.  Among them was the young lady who invited us to come to camp the first time so I could baptize her.  In total, more than 50 came and we all had a good time.

We had two men come to teach LST this year. There was good attendance and many are attending English classes that Jean and I teach.  One of the men, Sean Cannon, plans to come again next year and stay longer to help us.

Just before camp, the Tomobe church celebrated our 30^th anniversary after the restart in 1985.  There were over 60 in attendance. Most were from other congregations in the area, but some came from Tokyo to Northern Ibaraki.  Also, eight of the LST readers came.

Thanks again for all your prayers for me, (Marlin).  I will get back to working hard and teaching more of those who don’t know God.  Jean and others took over my responsibilities while I was down..  I really appreciate that.  Our God is still working in Japan and doing great things.

Marlin and Jeanne Ray