15 November 2012
Mission Cooperation Committee – Shikoku Presbytery
Dear Makita sensei and other Brothers and Sisters,
MISSION COOPERATION
It was once again a huge privilege and a very enriching experience to pay a visit to Shikoku Presbytery and to our missionaries. Thank you for all the hospitality to our delegation. We trust that the relationship between us has been strengthened. It was also very good that Elsabe du Plessis – a lady – could be part of the delegation.
1. We want to thank you personally for your visionary leadership. You are playing such a big role in our partnership! May God bless you and give you strength to finish all the challenging tasks you are busy with.
2. We thank you all for the good meetings we could attend: the meetings with Takamatsu, with Tokushima, the meetings with the Mission Cooperation Committee and the Diaconal Committee, the Presbytery Meeting and especially the conference for missionaries and their families. We found it very good and blessed. We trust that all the discussions will bear fruit on many levels.
3. Thank you for all the kindness and understanding towards our missionaries and their needs.
4. Concerning the ministry of Rev and Mrs de Wet, we would like to put the following preliminary points (Mission Japan still has to officially endorse these ideas) in writing:
1) Thank you for the opportunity Rev and Mrs De Wet had to serve for another period in the Sendai area. The fact that it could be a joint venture by Mission Japan and the Shikoku Presbytery made it so special. We trust that their ministry has been richly blessed and will still bear much fruit. We also want to thank them for their sacrifices.
2) We have once again thoroughly discussed their possible future involvement in the Sendai Area and specifically in the Higashi-Sendai Congregation and Sakura House. Mission Japan does not think it will be practically possible to send them back in a “full time” capacity for longer periods (two or three years). We are sorry for disappointing some expectations, but this is unfortunately how, on different occasions, we have been led to decide.
3) Does it mean that we totally discontinue their involvement in Mission Japan? Not at all! But from now on they will serve Mission Japan and the mission to Japan in a different capacity:
– First of all they will indeed retire as full time missionaries. We think that they deserve to settle down in their new home and community, and with their family.
– With their huge experience, vast knowledge and wonderful skills, we would like them to play an advisory role in Mission Japan, guiding our decisions and mentoring our actions.
– They will also help with raising support for Mission Japan in South African congregations by visiting congregations, preaching and telling about the work; they will help with the recruiting and preparing of a new missionary couple; we requested them to write down their experiences and the history of our involvement in this mission with the aim of publishing a book on Mission Japan; they will play a huge role in receiving visitors (individuals and groups) from Japan to South Africa and facilitating tours, etc
– Tobie and Annalie will also still be involved in Japan. As part of their ministry of friendship evangelism they built wonderful relationships with many Japanese families, especially non-believers. They would like to keep in regular contact with those people, electronically, but also by visiting them from time to time. On request, and as the need arises, they may come to Japan for shorter periods, focussing on specific projects like supporting missionaries, presenting workshops, guiding specific projects, playing a mentoring and supporting role, etc.
– With these contributions in mind Mission Japan will hopefully have further discussions with them early next year to enter into a new, part time and temporary (for a year or more) working contract. We will also make financial provision for this new role they will be playing.
We trust that in this way Tobie and Annalie will still play a significant role in Mission Japan, but also in enhancing the mission in Japan and especially the relationship between the Dutch Reformed Church Family and the Reformed Church in Japan.
May God continue to bless us all in this joint venture.
With kind regards
Gideon van der Watt
(Secretary Mission Japan)
