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MIYAKO 0 HE I s TJ AN K I s S I 0 H
Klrara Ciiy,~liiiyako Island, Ryukyus

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Dnnald &Fay

.Missionaries

Claire

1709 wt'nst! I.A. Cal.

D^ar Fellow-Laborers;

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323 E. Market. Huntingtoi^ /eS^TleTl^

LIBR ART
blessed season.

E'^GHT CHRISTMA.S lilEETINGS were held in our churches here

our two Evangelists toardad the small freight and passenger boat.hound for Irahu Is. Our ohur<,hes of Imgahama and Hakaohi Villages met together in the olut house (a dig nified n.Mnie for a crude, empty, cement block building used for meetings).
mas message, and we showed filmstrips of the birth and part of the moonlight, back to our hotel, three snail bare rooms had nav

On Monday the 19th, the Rickarson and Boulton Families, with

-cH+i,

for the three hour service. We sang many hj-mns, our Evangelist

oooasioA strUT mats were laid dovm over the board floor, and there we sat

rchrisf

Each ate the sack lunch they had brought, and we walked for a mile in ;the beautiful

On Thurs. night the Tomori Village Church and the Hanakiri Yillae;e Church, joined

the Uruka Village Church for the same meeting. Friday night we went to the Aragusuku Village Church which meets in Evangelist Ishimine's home On Saturday night our ser vice was at the Leper Church. Sunday night, being Christmas Eve, nineteen of us piled
On Christmas Day more than one hundred Christians from the different churches (except the lepers) net for worship and fellowship from three to seven-thirty p.m. Here, the
Hirara Church provided bamboo boxes of treats for all. In addition to the other pro gram, there w^re testimonies from representatives of each of our churches.

into the Air Force truck (loaned us for the occasion) and went out singing carols.

OIJR CHRISTJA3 THOUGHTS are expressed in Kina Phalen*s poem, "IHESE ARE HEEDED":
"it takes much more than candlelight to make a Christmas glow. Or trees vfith tinsel shining bright, or ice, or glittering snovf.

It takes a smile, a handclasped tight, and love, and a heart-felt prayer. Kind thoughts, good deeds, and vfrong made right, all these can prove we care.
Lets make this Christmas season bright and glowing as of old,

Y;hen shcne tha t first and glorious light-a star as bright as gold. Let's smile and help the world be gay* extend a friendly hand.

And make the vrorld more bright this day, THIS IS THE WAY GOD PLANIffiD.

ON THE FIRST CHRlSTJiAS of the Riokerson's married life, they began a custom which
"/fould insure them a blessed Christmas, even when separated

from family and close friends^ It is expressed in this poem (author unknovm).
"Would you have a morry Christmas I let your heart reach out
In pity for the sick end poor that cluster all about. y/ould you have a merry Christmas? turn your thoughts away From what you'd like and give to those who need it Christmas Day* Merry Christmas I Merry Chrisianas i blessed words and true: For, as you give to others, lo, the best will come to you.

This year, our giving was to the Hiyako Christians. Mrs. Rickerson made up 157 bags, and fifty bamboo box-^s of cookies, cinnamon rolls, and pop com balls. Here are the
COOKIES: 10 cups shortening, 20 c. sugar, 20 eggs, 60 c. flour, 60 teaspoons B.P. 10 teaspoons salt, 10 c. milk, 20 teaspoons vanilla, plus candy decorations. CI!TKA!.ra ROLLS: 40 cups flour, 80 teaspoons B.P. 80 teaspoons salt, ?0 cups shorten
ing, 20 cups milk, 40 teaspoons cinnamon, 20 cups sugar.
recipes in case youM like to try it.

POPCORN BALLS:
METHOD:

32 quarts popped corn, 8 c. Karo syrup, 8 c. suggar, 8 tsp. vinegar,

1 oup^esson "oilT"I^cu^ marg^ihe", 4" teaspoons vanilla. ~

Start two weeks before needed. Get up at 5:30-work fast and late. Have a

heart of love and compassion for those who have so little, and who therefore appreciate so much, your concern for them. REl/ARD: A lilERRY CHRISTf^AS.
KATHY AND STSVIE BOULTON also maSe up sack of treats for the little children who
attended the meetings with their parents.

OUR GUESTS for five days during the Christmas season were Miss Velma Weir, and Miss
Velma Held, school teachers from Tokyo, Japan#
HAPPY NE^.T YEiiR TO YOU..*from

Your Miyako lissionaries,

Donald & Fay Rickerson....Claire & Donna Boulton and children.

P.S.

Krs. Rickerson made 200 Christmas cards to give v/ith each sack of treats. We use

Bible pictures from calendars, bulletins, and old Christmas cards and paste them on
cardboard and the folk here hang them on their bare wooden walls#