A Promise for the Family

The cover of Cheryl's 15th international testimonies book,

scheduled for publication in June

Never giving up
[The jailer] then brought [Paul and Silas] out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household. . . . The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family” (Acts 16:30-31, 34, NIV).

How many years would you believe this promise of salvation for your family without seeing some results? We once heard the testimony of a Japanese woman who prayed faithfully for her husband for 50 years before he was saved. We were amazed.

But then on April 25, Bernie had the privilege of baptizing a woman in her mid-60s named Nose-san (Noh-say-sahn). Sitting on the front row of the sanctuary to witness this joyful occasion was her 90-year-old mother (who looked 70 at most). She had prayed for Nose-san’s salvation from her daughter's birth. As the years passed, surely she was tempted to think that her earnest prayers weren’t making any difference. Still she never gave up, and her prayers were answered. Through the English-Bible classes at Tarumi Church—and particularly through conversations with Millie Michael, our special assignment missionary there at the time—Nose-san was finally able to commit her life to the Lord. It might never have happened without her mother’s persistent and believing prayers.

Also present for the celebration was Nose-san’s daughter. Perhaps she’ll be the next person baptized at Tarumi Church as a result of the prayers of mother and grandmother and their belief that Paul and Silas’ words were both for the jailer’s family and for theirs.

An update on Cheryl
We also are never giving up on the power of prayer for Cheryl’s healing from cancer. Thank you for praying with us and for us. We are so grateful that Cheryl was able to begin taking a brand new medicine, Afinitor, on April 20. (The Swiss-made anti-cancer drug only became available in Japan on April 16 and in the United States in March 2009.)

At this point, one week after beginning the daily dosage of Afinitor, Cheryl’s blood test on April 27 was most encouraging. The CRP (C-reactive protein) in her blood—which seems to be an indicator of cancer activity in her body—dropped from a way-too-high 28.29 to 15.85. (Normal is 0 to 0.2.) Additionally, although her hemoglobin count is still quite low, one week of Afinitor has helped it to rise slightly, which may be why Cheryl says she can “smell” energy just around the corner. The three weeks between drugs taxed her body quite significantly, especially her energy level, so it is wonderful to see that the hemoglobin count is on the upswing.

Please do continue praying for us, especially that we will know God’s guidance in the decisions that most likely will face us at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center shortly. Cheryl is scheduled for a consultation with a kidney surgeon on May 26 to hear his opinion about whether or not there is a surgical option for her. Then on June 2, she will have a battery of almost every medical test known to mankind. (Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but with tests beginning at 8:15 a.m. and going until after 3 p.m., it seems like every possible test in existence has been scheduled.) The next day, on June 3, Bernie and Cheryl will meet with her kidney cancer specialist to discuss all related consultations and test findings to determine the best course of action onwards. No doubt our heads will be spinning with the volume of information that comes our way. Truly we need God’s wisdom in order to know which way he is leading us. Thank you for your continued and faithful prayers.

Additional prayer requests
●Pray for the Holy Spirit to touch hearts during the three special Bible camps for Tamagawa Seigakuin students between May 12-14.
●Please pray for Pastor Fujiwara as she teaches Bernie’s Bible classes at Tamagawa Seigakuin while the Bartons are on medical leave from May 19-August 19. Pray also for Fujiwara-sensei as she carries full responsibility for Tamagawa Church in our absence.
●Pray for the new special assignment missionary couple who will come to Japan on August 19 to begin their new assignments at Tamagawa Seigakuin and Tamagawa Church. In the space of the next few weeks, they will be graduating from university, getting married, taking an on line course in TOEFL (teaching of English as a foreign language), applying with the Japanese government for certification to receive their visas, and more. Needless to say, they have much on their plates and would appreciate your prayer.
●Pray for the successful and on-time publication of In a Besieged City, the 15th in a series of international testimonies books Cheryl has compiled and edited since 1993. (On time means in plenty of time for its debut at North American Convention in late June.)

We are so thankful for your prayers!

For This I Have Jesus

God's words to me in the desert,

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified;

do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you

wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9).

If I were caught up on my daily Bible readings, I wouldn’t have encountered today’s passage from Psalm 66:1-15. (I should have read this more than a week ago.) But because I am behind, I read verses about praising God and telling others of all he has done for me. It was exactly what I needed. Instead of dwelling in the land of no motivation, no energy, no enthusiasm, and a whole bunch of other negatives, I was reminded again this morning that the key to unlocking the door of this cruel prison that has ensnared me is to focus not on cancer (nor on yet another gray, rainy day) but on praising God for who he is.

The accompanying devotional piece was not lengthy—only five very short paragraphs—but they packed a tremendously powerful punch at the very place where my heart struggles more than I wish: fear, doubt, and negativity. The writer told of an evangelistic meeting in Ireland where the speaker was explaining about abiding in Christ and trusting him completely and unconditionally, no matter the circumstance. My reading speed slowed immediately so that I could drink deeply of the words I needed as much as a thirsty, exhausted traveler craves water in the desert. I was especially drawn to the speaker’s concluding thought in his message about how abiding and trusting in Jesus “means that in every circumstance you can keep on saying, ‘For this I have Jesus.’”

Some people think seeking Jesus in difficult times means that they themselves are weak. (And who likes to be weak and vulnerable?) But Jesus tried to correct such a mistaken idea by saying, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12). In other words, when we recognize and admit our sickness—physical, emotional, and/or spiritual—we are blessed because we know where we can find help. Reassured and comforted, our hearts resound, “For this I have Jesus.”

In my case, I am coughing (again), running a fever daily (I’m so thankful for my friend who brought me 1,500 tablets of Ibuprofen from the States), lagging in energy and “get up and go” (as my mother would say), and generally feeling quite distant from the me I used to know and be. I’m also waiting on delivery of my new anti-cancer drug, Afinitor, debuting this month in Japan. I’m in my third week between drugs, and I’ve never been good at waiting for anything, especially something that has “life or death” written into the equation. It’s hard to keep my thoughts from running ahead of what I know (I need this new medicine and I’ll get it on April 20) and what I only conjecture whenever I feel a small twinge of pain (cancer is taking over my body).

But in all of this I remember, “For this I have Jesus.” And I rejoice in God’s faithfulness in the midst of this now one-year-old cancer journey. How could I walk it alone? I'm so grateful that I don’t have to.

The Battle Is Not Yours

Our missionary staff in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture

Cancer theme verses
“This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you’” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17, NIV).

Shortly after Cheryl’s cancer recurred in September 2009, a friend visited to share some verses from 2 Chronicles 20 that God had given her for Cheryl. Since then, they have become our “cancer theme verses,” especially verses 15 and 17 above. Indeed, we are seeing the Lord fight the cancer battle both with and for us. We are also seeing his deliverance from day to day. Praise the Lord!

An update on Cheryl
Although we reported in our last newsletter about Cheryl’s “deliverance” from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to return to Japan on March 1, the news shortly afterwards was not as we’d hoped. A CT scan on March 23 revealed that the tumor in the void where the kidney once was has begun growing again, confirming the Japanese doctor’s suspicions that the anti-cancer drug Sutent is no longer working for Cheryl. Our Japanese doctor apologized that he had only one other drug to offer us. However, since the alternative attacks the cancer in the same way as Sutent, it seemed unlikely to us that this was a good “next step” in this cancer journey.

When we contacted Houston, we learned of a new drug, Afinitor, which was released in the U.S. in March, 2009—the very month the cancer was first discovered. With some investigating on both sides of the ocean, we learned that this new drug is to be released in April (this month) in Japan. Talk about timing! Just when the Sutent has stopped being effective, the only clinically proven drug that currently exists as the “next treatment” for patients like Cheryl (where Sutent has failed) has become available in Japan. Needless to say, we are standing firm and watching the Lord deliver! We are amazed.

Please pray that Cheryl will indeed get the medicine on April 20, as promised by the drug company. (She may be the first person to get Afinitor in all of Japan, says her doctor.) Pray also that the time lag between the Sutent and Afinitor will not allow the cancer to make great strides in her body. Unfortunately, she has begun running a low grade fever and is quite tired most days, neither of which are good. However, we know that God is faithful and in control, and we are praising him. Please praise him with us.

Spring staff meeting
Thanks for your prayers for our spring staff meeting, March 29-31. We greatly appreciated the presence of Don and Caroline Armstrong (in the photo, far right, back row), our regional coordinators for the Asia-Pacific region. It was their first visit to Japan, and we think we did them well, especially in encouraging the cherry trees to be at full bloom just for them. (Since you can see the remains of winter at our retreat center in the mountains, no cherry trees were in bloom there, but for the rest of their 12-day visit, the pale pink blossoms cooperated wonderfully.) Our staff members were encouraged by the Armstrongs’ visit and by our close fellowship together.

Additional prayer requests
●Please pray for the new girls who entered Tamagawa Seigakuin on April 7. Pray that the Lord will touch their hearts in life-changing ways during their Tama Sei careers.
●The kindergarten at Tamagawa Church welcomes its new 3-year-old class on April 12. Pray that seeds planted in their tender hearts will take root and blossom.
●April 18 is Tamagawa Church’s annual business meeting. In his pastor’s message, Bernie will encourage the congregation to take some practical steps towards becoming more outward-looking. Pray that this may also become the congregation’s vision; and,
●Pray that all the necessary preparations for our 3-month home assignment/medical leave from May 19 will go smoothly and that everything will be accomplished on time.