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a mountain town| feature
I stood in front of more than eighty people, mostly
young children with their young mothers, feeling as if I
were in a dream. Kathy and I, and Pastor and Mrs.
Takahashi of Mihara City, and a few of the people from
the Mihara Alliance Church had just finished presenting
the gospel at a Christmas gathering in the utterly
church-less mountain town called Daiwa. For a few years
Kathy and I have worked with the Mihara church to do
monthly gospel meetings here for average of ten to
fifteen people – most of whom were non-Christian older
farmers. The new pastor of the Mihara church, Pastor
Takahashi and his wife, want to begin a new church here
someday soon. On that morning of December 10, probably
every family group was represented. What a step forward!
Well, after more than eighty people had heard the Good
News -- most for the very first time, but all with great
fun -- I stood there a bit tired but enjoying the moment
entirely.
Let me explain something before I go on. I have put on
some weight in recent months and am looked upon as a
classic grey-headed, grey-bearded grandpa. Often
children just stop and talk with me.
So anyway, after the Christmas meeting a little girl
stood at my feet with her friends, and with a huge smile
pointed at me and squealed, “Kentucky Santa!” What in
the world did she mean?
Several years ago Kentucky Fried Chicken of Japan had a
brainstorm. Nearly all of their restaurants put an
almost life-size, painted fiberglass model of “Colonel
Sanders” by their entrances. It has become a well-known
mark. Before Christmas, however, that statue of the
Colonel has almost become an institution. All of the
restaurants gird their “Colonel Sanders” with a Santa
Claus outfit. Everyone in the country recognizes that
symbol. This brilliant move has made Kentucky Fried
Chicken almost synonymous with Christmas.
So, back to Daiwa. Because of the restaurant statue,
naturally that little girl, who saw what I looked like
and heard me talking about Christmas, declared me to be
“Kentucky Santa!”
Even though I’m Ohio-born and now a Floridian, I don’t
mind. She and probably everyone else who attended that
meeting will remember that morning for a long time,
maybe forever. They sang and heard Christmas carols.
They experienced the uproariously fun and gospel-laden
puppet show put on by Pastor and Mrs. Takahashi. They
had delicious snacks. They took home presents of
children’s snacks and Christmas tracts. And, oh yes,
they heard “Kentucky Santa” tell them about the real
meaning of Christmas.
Please pray for the outreach and church-planting
ministries in the countryside with which we have the
privilege of helping. Here are the names to remember:
Daiwa Town, Kurose Town, Yasuura Town and Higashi
Hiroshima City. The first three have no churches at all;
the fourth has one church for every 30,000 people (at
least 30 times worse than the average in the States).
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