On Singing and Praising

Bernie and a new friend in South India

Our marching orders
“Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:2-3).

Our marching orders are clear: praise, proclaim, and declare. How are you doing at it?

We’re grateful for the opportunity we had to be the speakers at the annual convention of the Church of God in South India, April 30-May 4. Thank you for your prayers! God answered them marvelously. The above verses from Psalms were the theme of the five-day convention during which time we spoke 12 times rather than only the 3 times we’d been assigned! Not only did God use us to minister to the nearly 400 people who crowded into the grounds of the Asian Bible College, where the convention was held, but he also ministered to us through the love people expressed to God (in very lively worship) and to us. It was also thrilling to celebrate the baptisms of 16 individuals and the completion of Bible studies of 13 students, including 3 women, and very moving to join in a feet washing and communion service. Please pray for Brother George and the Church of God in South India as it continues the vital work of evangelizing in a difficult location where the strength of both Islam and communism seems to be growing daily.

Other reasons to sing
We have many other reasons to sing as we write this newsletter. For one thing, Cheryl completed the main writing of the missions history book project on which she has been working with her father for nearly two years—and she finished two days ahead of the May 31 deadline! We are praising God for his faithfulness. Thank you also for your prayers on which we depend.

An even bigger reason we’re singing is that it appears that Tarumi Church has found its pastor! June 1 marked five years since we left Kobe to move to Tokyo. It has been a very long and difficult time of waiting for the congregation. Please pray for Mr. and Mrs. Sakata, as the congregation moves towards calling them. A lifelong businessman, Mr. Sakata retired at age 65, entered seminary, and graduated this spring. We are observing complete unity of spirit about a potential pastor for the first time in these five years. This speaks volumes to us! At the same time, Tarumi Church seems a little nervous about making this move. Pray that they be able to walk confidently into the future that God is opening to them.

Other prayer concerns
Pray also for the following:

1) Tamagawa Seigakuin Bible Camp, July 21-23, that the Holy Spirit will cause revival to break out there. (We had hints of it last year.) Already 60 students are signed up for this completely voluntary camp experience. We’re expecting great things!

2) Preparations for the 100th anniversary celebration of the Church of God in Japan at the National Summer Conference, August 1-3. How much we also need revival in the Church of God and a new vision for what God wants to do in the next century;

3) Tokyo English Life Line (TELL). Cheryl was elected in April to serve as the clergy representative on the board of this NPO. Originally started by missionaries in Tokyo, TELL is Japan’s only English language crisis telephone counseling line. (The organization also encompasses a face-to-face counseling center.) Pray for her work on this board; and,

4) The successful completion of Into All the World, the 130-year history of Church of God missions. Although Cheryl has finished most of the writing, the next four months will include further discussions on content, appendices, index, proofs, and more before the book is published in the spring of 2009.

We're grateful to God and to you. In fact, we're singing and praising!

Too Many Bests

Bernie, Cheryl, and South India church leaders

This isn’t to solicit your cards or presents (although, if that would make you happy, be my guest), but my birthday is coming up later this month. This has got me thinking, even in the midst of a major writing assignment whose deadline is bearing down upon me like a runaway train. Rather than continuing this charade—that I’m making good progress on my book today—I’ve decided to put that aside and write from my heart for a while.

Four years ago, at the end of our first agonizing year of living in Tokyo, we were celebrating my 49th birthday at a Chinese restaurant with friends. One of them queried, “What was the best thing about this past year?” I replied quickly and without even thinking, “Nothing.” And I meant it, too. All I could think about what how hard it had been to move to Tokyo after 21 years in Kobe. I had come to understand all too clearly why native Tokyoites had the reputation of being cold and unfriendly while folks in the Kansai were known for quick smiles and openheartedness. Frankly, I wasn’t happy at all about living here, and that melancholy infected everything—even my birthday party—like germs spewed out in an uncontrolled sneeze.

But my friend wouldn’t accept that answer. She called me on my miserable response and pitiful attitude and didn’t let me off the hook until I’d come up with at least one way God had blessed me during that year. Interesting thing was, once I got out of my rut and started looking at the positives, each good thing I recounted gave birth to another and another and yet another, until I was surprised to realize that, despite the very real difficulties I’d faced, it had indeed been a good year overall.

So here I am approaching another birthday. While it’s no longer painful to live in Tokyo (most of the time), I’ve discovered it’s still a very good practice to think back and contemplate the ways I am blessed. Here are three things at the top of my gratitude list this year:

1) I became a grandmother. Got a minute? I’d love to show you some pictures. I can’t get over the wonder of new life—always special, but in this case, we weren’t sure Stephanie could ever have a baby. So welcoming this perfectly formed little boy into our family was all the more breathtaking and miraculous.

2) I also got to participate in Little Ben’s birth. I rubbed Stephanie’s back so much during her long labor that I nearly wore a hole in her robe. I couldn’t take her pain away, but I walked with my baby girl as she gave birth to her baby. Although I consider myself something of a wordsmith, I am dumbstruck to describe this beautiful gift given to me.

3) Bernie and I visited South India together in April-May (just one of the reasons I’ve been unable to keep up with this blog). For the past five years, our work has taken us in different directions more often than it has brought us together. I can’t even begin to count the number of times in India that I thought, “At long last, Bernie and I are serving together again. I am so blessed.”

In just a few days I’ll be 53 years old. If my friend asks me, I know that once again I won’t be able to answer her question. But the reason is different this year. In this case, there have been just too many bests to choose only one.