by Kato Makoto, Kyodan executive secretary

I. The United States

I visited missionaries sent to the U.S. by the Kyodan, Nov. 19-26, 2016.

1. New York, Nov. 19-22

On Sunday, Nov. 20, I attended a 10:30 a.m. worship service held at Union Japanese Church of Westchester. After the service, I had an interview with Rev. Nishikawa Akimitsu, a missionary. Nishikawa will finish his term of service in March 2017, but after his resignation from Union Japanese Church of Westchester, his hope is to stay with his whole family in New York.

After the interview with Nishikawa, I had another interview with the board members of Union Japanese Church of Westchester. The church cannot hire a full-time missionary. However, they are moving towards searching for a missionary who can work part-time. In the evening, I visited Amy Nyland, executive minister of the Regional Synod of New York of the Reformed Church in America. We discussed future support of Union Japanese Church of Westchester.

On Nov. 21, I attended the committee meeting of the "Special Ministry to the Japanese" camp, held by the Japanese American United Church. The Japan side announced that next year (2017) is the final year it will recruit participants.

2. California, Nov. 22-24

On Nov. 22, I traveled to Los Angeles and stayed at the home of a missionary, Rev. Kuyama Yasuhiko.

On Nov. 23, I visited retired missionary Rev. Ito Hidemi. I also visited Faith United Methodist Church.

In the morning of Nov. 24, I joined the young people of Centenary United Methodist Church in making free Thanksgiving meals for the neighborhood facilities. After that, we delivered the meals to Japanese people who live in an apartment building for low-income persons and had a time of fellowship. Kuyama is working with Boys Town, which is a non-profit corporation started by a Catholic priest that is well-known all over the U.S. He works to encourage children with developmental disorders and their parents and guardians. This kind of work is also beginning to spread to Japan.

In the afternoon of Nov. 24, I flew to San Francisco and visited the parsonage of Rev. Yoshioka Yasutaka, a missionary sent to Sycamore Congregational Church in El Cerrito. A Thanksgiving party was held at the parsonage, and 30 people participated, including children. Yoshioka's children are attending Sycamore Kindergarten, and that fact led some parents and guardians of the kindergarten children to participate in the party. Two people are planning to be baptized and four joined on Christmas! Yoshioka has used his soccer skills to form a club. A musical group has been assembled at the church, mostly for young people, and he is active in the group as a rapper. All of these activities are opportunities for evangelism.

II. South Africa

I visited Stellenbosch, a town in South Africa, in order to attend the Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (EMS) General Meeting, Dec. 4-11. There were 68 participants, including 10 EMS staff members. As for participants from Asia, 9 came from Indonesia, 4 from Korea, and 1 from Japan.

The Rev. Dr. Frank Chikane, currently a pastor of the Apostolic Faith Mission of SA in Naledi, Soweto, is the president of the AFM. He was a deputy secretary of the Cabinet during the presidency of Nelson Mandela, and secretary of the Cabinet during Mbeki’s and Motlhanthe’s presidencies. Dr. Chikane lectured on Public Theology, which was the theme of the meeting.

EMS is involved in planning and supporting at least 70 mission-related programs in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The content of the work of EMS was presented at the general meeting. The financial report, the planned program for 2017 and 2018, and the proposed budget were approved. (Tr. KT)

アメリカ・南アフリカ出張報告　　　　　　2016年12月18日　加藤誠

1,　2016年11月19日（土）～26日（土）に米国に派遣されている宣教師方を訪問した。

１）ニューヨーク　19日～22日

20日（日）は午前10時半から持たれているユニオン日本語教会礼拝に出席した。礼拝後に西川晃充宣教師と面談。西川牧師の任期は2017年3月で満了となるが、ユニオン日本語教会辞任後もニューヨークに家族で残ることを希望。西川 宣教師との面談後、ユニオン日本語教会の役員と面談。教会としてはフルタイムでの宣教師は招聘できないが、ハーフタイムな可能な宣教師を 探す方向である　

夕方にはReformed Church of Americaのニューヨーク教区のAmy Nyland主事を訪問。今後のユニオン日本語教会のサポートについて協議。

21日（月）14：00～　日米合同教会で開催されたSpecial Ministry to the Japanese キャンプ委員会に出席し　日本サイドは来年を最後の年にして参加者を募ることを報告。

２）22日（火）ロサンゼルスへの移動日　久山康彦宣教師宅泊

・23日（水）伊藤秀美隠退宣教師訪問。　Faith合同メソジスト教会訪問

・24日（木）午前、センテナリ合同メソジスト教会にて青年たちとサンクスギビングに近隣の施設に無料で届けるお弁当作りに参加後、日本人低 所得者用アパートに届けて交わりの時を持つ。

久山宣教師はカトリックの神父が始めたボーイズタウンという全米で知られる非営利法人の働きに加わり、発達障 害の子どもたちと保護者への働きかけを行っており、その働きは日本でも広がりをみせ始めている。

・24日午後、サンフランシスコに飛びエルセリートにあるシカモア組合教会に派遣されている吉岡恵生宣教師を牧師館に訪問。牧 師館ではサンクスギビングのパーティーが開かれ子供を含めて30名が参加。シカモア幼稚園に吉岡宣教師の子どもが通っていることを通して、園児の保護者が パーティーに参加。クリスマスには2名が受洗、4名 が転会！吉岡宣教師はサッカーの 特技を生かしクラブを結成。教会では青年を中心にバンドを組みラッパーとして活動。すべて伝道に役立てている。

1.　南アフリカ出張

2016年12月4日～11日には、EMS(Evangelical Mission in Solidarity)総会に出席するため、Stellenbosch in South Africaを訪れた。

・参加者は68名（含EMSスタッフ10名・アジアからはインドネシア9名、韓国4日本1名の参加）。

・主題講演はRev. Dr. Frank Chikane on Public Theology

Rev. Dr. Frank Chikane is currently a pastor of the Apostolic Faith Mission of SA in Naledi, Soweto, and the president of the AFM. He was a Deputy Secretary of Cabinet during the Presidency of Nelson Mandela, and Secretary of the Cabinet during Mbeki’s and Motlhanthe’s Presidencies.

・EMSはアフリカ、中東、アジア における70以上の宣教プログラムを企画・支援 している。総会ではその内 容が紹介され会計報告と、2017年、2018年のプログラム及び会計予算が承認された。