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31-6 chome, Nakaipiya-choAsahi-ku, Osaka, JapanJanuary 9, 1954

Mr. Harrold McFarlandBox 96?^Joliet, Illinois

Dear Friend:

I am enclosing short account oft he two things that occupy mostof my time. I don't know if it is in the form you want. Ofcourse I am busy with a Bible class once a week, and in the summerI teach one course in the Seminary. I am busy all the time withone demand or another.

As far as my financial needs are concerned, I don't know how toexpress them. They figure that a single woman should have $125per month. I have three regular gifts that one might call pledges.Thev amount to $51. On one of these thete has been no regularagreement. It just comes. All the rest I receive is very irregular,and I never know when or how much I will have to live on andto carry on my mission work. As a rule I run in the red and havetake from my living expenses part of what I need to carry on thework.

About those calendars...! am sorry I was so slow in getting thenames to you. If you will send the bill for the extra ones eitherto me or to Mrs. ^"^owell, I'll have her send you a check for allof them.

Sincerely yours,

(Miss) Lucille Sherman

1953 saw the beginning; of a new work in a factory section betweenOsaka and Kobe.Utajima receives its name from the sounds of themachinery and whistles. (Utajima* song + island) A request had comefrom a friend of my interpreter, Fumiko Shige, early in the year.

We held our first meeting in the park the first week in July. Fromthe start the interest has b een good. We realized that if our workwere to be permanent we would have to find a building or room inwhich to meet. There is a factory across the road from the park whosepresident is a Christian and very anxious to have a work of this typecarried on in the community. One of the buildings is ad ormitory.Many families live on the second floor. On the first floor is a verylarge room which we are permitted to use.

We hold two meetings every Thursday evening. The first meeting isfor the children at v/hich Kikkawa San tells the story. We have beenaveraging about 50 during the winter months and more when the weatheris vrarmer. The second meeting is for those of middle school age,|roung people, and adults.At present there is a real desire among some of the adults for a churchAs soon as we have some baptized Christians and a more suitablemeeting place, that can become a reality. There is no church of anykind in the whole community.

The Osaka Christian Day School has an enrollment of eleven. On May 22we had our first eighth grade graduation service. Donnie and LonnieMings and Paul Clark received diplomas.

We are trying to prepare the children to take their places :^s/^missionaries along with their parents. Bible study is a part of ourcurriculum. Also"all of the children study Japanese. The three olderboys are studying one hour a day in our Language School. The restof the children are studying with Okazaki San four days a week. Theylearn both to read and write the Japanese as well as sing the songsin our hymnal and Japanese children's songs.^ When the weather iswarm enough the children conduct street meetings. They sing songsand choruses and tell a short Bible story in Japanese.

?o 5sk4;"sJuSor department^workeBS as we are able to obtain the names andaddresses.

Dear Christian Friends,

31-6 cho e, NaI-.2:...iya-choAsahi-":u, Csa:.;;a, Ja^oanJanuary 12, 1954

B-- the tiue I get this letter in the niail, I will have been in Osakafor-two vears.- How tiiiie flies! This, past year has been a very busyone, one filled with new experiences and :-;iany blessings.

I vfish I had tirr^e now to \^ite a personal letter to each one viho sentme a Birthday or Christmas greeting. I received so many, and most ofthe -, contained intei'^esting, nev/sy notes. Please count this as my'Thanh you" until I do have more time to write. I also received manynice gifts and boxes containing food and candy. I am especially grateful when I realize the price of postage to send such things. We haveplenty of good food, but iiany of those esctras that some of you sentare a real treat because we either can^t ge.t them here, or the priceis far too high for us.

One gift that I received will orove a blessing for ::an3'- years. TheChristian Business Girls^ Fellov/ship of Akron, Ohio, decided I neededa ne^/j tynevTriter. Thev put action behind their thoughts. As a resultwhen the Cole family returned from furlough, they brought a beautifulnew Undorv7ood Cha:.ipion Finger-Flite Portable.

h-e are still making our weekly trios to Utajima. In spite of the coldweather a nd no heat in the building our attendance has been good. V/ehad an es-*>ecially good meeting on Christmas eve. The week beforewe took out four new benches to add to those already there. -Some ofthe neighbors brought straw matting so the youngest children could siton the floor, "very available bit of seating space was needed. V '^eshowed colored slides of the birth of Jesus, and Kikkawa San and ShigeSan gave the message along with the pictures. The American childrenhad been practicing carols in their Jananese class, so we took, threeof the little girls with us to sing for them,. It was truly a joyoushime for all.

After two 3^ears my -mailing list should be revised a.nd brought up todate. - ost of you have been receiving my letters for two years; Ihave had no word from so:;ie in all that time. I am wondering if someof you are interested in continuing to receive word from the field.Some of you may have a change of address. Also you may know of someone who is not receivine: my literature and who is interested in theXordia work in Japan. If so, please send the names and addresses andI jyil.I be gD.ad to add the''. _hhy I hear from you before it is time tosend "another newsletter? ' I bhclbsihg a~helf^ahd'ressed"eW^^for yow convenience.

Yours in the raster's service,