A Tale of Two Cities

Spring: a time of change--for us and for Tamagawa Seigakuin

(completion of a new third-floor addition)

A new challenge

It was a hot, sticky evening in June 1976 when Bernie and Cheryl Barton accepted the biggest challenge of their lives during a national church convention in Anderson, Indiana, USA. That challenge was to move to Japan as English-teaching missionaries for two years. NEVER could we have imagined that two years would stretch into more than 30—and even more amazingly, a calling that became a lifetime.

The call has never changed; it just gets more challenging at times! This is one of those times. How do we live in two cities, not to mention two countries, at the same time? This is our new challenge since cancer entered the picture in 2009. Cheryl received excellent care in Japan, but when that option was exhausted in 2010, we were permitted to come to the US for advanced treatment. After much prayer, here we are in Anderson. We’re so grateful for this lovely furnished apartment provided by our Living Link supporting churches!

The call remains the same. We’re still missionaries in Japan, but continue working in both places at the unexpected request of Tamagawa Seigakuin girls’ junior/senior high school, where Bernie is headmaster, and Tamagawa Church, where we pastor and mentor Fujiwara-sensei as an associate. It’s not the easiest call to manage, but we’re promised in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

As such, Bernie will be making approximately six short trips to Japan this year to carry out official functions in his continuing capacity of headmaster, things including formal ceremonies, school board meetings, and other assignments until the new headmaster can begin. Please pray for a smooth, timely transition and for our effectiveness in this “tale of two cities.” We are relying on Skype, the Lord, and your prayers to be faithful.

The earthquake

Bernie was to have flown to Japan on March 11 for the first of these scheduled working visits to Japan. Instead, that was the day the country was struck by the most devastating earthquake and tsunami in its history. The death toll currently is around 12,000 people with another 15,000 still missing. More than 150 miles away from the quake center, Tokyo was badly shaken, but things are already mostly back to normal. But the quake did delay Bernie’s return for two days. Additionally, Tama Sei’s graduation and other ceremonies were rescheduled, canceled, and/or scaled back. Pray for Japan’s recovery and that Christians will be active in compassionate service. We rejoice that the Church of God in the US has given $25,000 for relief efforts. We don’t have any congregations in the quake area, but we do have a responsibility to live out Christ’s love there.

Assignments in Indiana Thank God for answered prayers! Not only is Cheryl’s condition stable again, but she’s being able to carry out responsibilities in Indiana now that her pain is under control. Praise God and thank you for your faithful prayers. In addition to her writing, God has opened doors for some volunteer work with our local congregations’ food pantry. Park Place Church is one of the churches that has supported us in Japan almost from day one. Their faithfulness to serving God in many ways is an inspiration to us. We are grateful for this unexpected opportunity to give back to God and the church here in Anderson.

Of course, Cheryl’s main assignment is to get well. We appreciate your sustaining prayers that have seen great improvement in her physically. When M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston said there was little more they could do except admit Cheryl to an experimental drug program that has yet to show much promise, we decided to relocate to Anderson where we’re surrounded by great support, including our local church and family. Nearly daily we’re surprised by the care we’re receiving here—not just medical. Call it heart care, if you will. Thank God for our employer and team leader, Church of God Ministries, and its gracious, loving care. We also thank him—and you—for continuing support to face our new challenge, an unusual calling to be sure.

Prayer points

As you support us through prayer, please pray specifically for:

►a scheduled PET/CT scan on May 4. Pray the tumors will have shrunk—better yet, disappeared—and remember the angel’s words, “With God nothing is impossible!” and, ►strength for Bernie in his next trip to Japan in early May. The travel is extremely tiring and long (more than 24 hours door-to-door). Once he arrives, he has endless speaking assignments. Pray also for wisdom as we endeavor to be faithful to the call.

Recipe for Peace

Winter in Anderson, Indiana, our mission headquarters

The key is rejoicing

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).

Early in our missionary life we created a nearly monthly newsletter to connect you with our ministry in Japan through your supportive prayers. Usually we’ve started writing with some Bible verses that are particularly meaningful to us in view of current activities. This month we want to share the Bible’s recipe for peace (above) because we must confess that we’re struggling in the cancer journey and need this reminder ourselves. The key to peace and living victoriously—no matter the circumstances—is rejoicing with thanksgiving. And we have much for which to be thankful.

With thanksgiving
Despite struggling with great fatigue as a result of the cancer treatments, Cheryl was able to meet her first major deadline after turning in the manuscript for Steady Till Sunset, her month-long devotional book. Even as you rejoice with us, pray she’ll be able to meet the next deadline this month so the book can be published on schedule in June.

More encouraging, the doctor seemed reasonably pleased with Cheryl’s condition at her March 3 visit. While she needs a blood transfusion every three weeks or so, her blood condition seems to be fairly stable and her kidney function is good (remember that she is operating with only one kidney). While a follow-up CT scan has not been scheduled yet, it most likely will come within the next two months.

Join us in thanking God for what he is doing even as we present the following requests:

1) That there will be no cancer metastasis found whenever the next CT scan is performed. In fact, please pray that the existing tumors will indeed be stabilized, if not reduced in size;
2) That Cheryl may gain some weight, have a better appetite, and be able to increase muscle strength through walking around a local mall (although sometimes quite slowly) and through other simple exercises; and,
3) That we may follow the “recipe for peace” faithfully in order to overcome not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes the battle seems agonizing, especially when we forget the rejoicing and thanksgiving!

However grateful we are for answers to prayer, we realize that the recipe for peace is not based upon these answers, but on God himself. How we praise him that he is near and that we can depend upon him! Thank you also that we can depend upon your prayers.

Bernie to Japan
As you pray, please remember Bernie as he travels back to Japan on March 11. His approximate 10-day trip will allow him to be at Tamagawa Seigakuin for senior (March 15) and junior high graduation exercises (March 17). Additionally, while in Japan, he will have many significant meetings with Tamagawa Church’s church board (March 20), the school board (March 16), and the school administration as they look forward to beginning a new fiscal year on April 1.

Needless to say, his schedule is going to be packed full during that quick trip back to Japan. Please pray for his wisdom and strength in important decision-making for the church and the school. Pray also for Cheryl is his absence. We’re so thankful that Cheryl’s sister, Don Deena Johnson, will be able to come from Japan during Bernie’s absence in order to help Cheryl. We would also ask you to pray for Don Deena as she concludes her assignment in Japan on March 31 and returns to the United States. Thank you that we can depend upon your prayers.

The Battle Is Not Yours

Bernie returned to the U.S. from Japan on Christmas Day.

Both of us are in Indiana currently.

Words of encouragement, uplifting
“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. . . . Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17, NIV).

Health updates
Celebrate!
1) The results of an MRI of the brain were clear. Renal cell carcinoma often metastasizes to the brain, so we were pleased with the results.
2) We finished 20 radiation treatments on February 8 and with minimal side effects, for which we thank God.
3) Apparently the radiation will continue effecting my body (positively, we hope) for the next up-to-six months. Please pray that these will happen: a stoppage in the growth of the tumor and/or the disappearance of the tumor. God is not finished with Cheryl’s renal cell carcinoma yet. Thank you for being a part of our prayer team to what God deliver us from fear, discouragement, and other significant challenges along the way.
4) Getting to spend time here in Anderson, Indiana, with family members is a bonus;
5) And, we’ve seen some obvious improvement in strength in my Cheryl’s balance, etc. But she’s still struggling with being able to speak and write logically and clearly, so every task accomplished is a time to celebrate.

Even more to celebrate
Let us be watch and see what the Lord is going to do!
1) “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea” (Psalm 46:1)
2) “The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

Yet more to celebrate—YOU!
Thank you for praying with us and walking the cancer journey with us to see the miracles God has in store for all of us.

The Battle Is Not Yours

Bernie and Cheryl (front row, far left)

and most of the rest of their family, January 2011:

more Bartons, Johnsons, and especially Little Ben and Hosanna Lyngdoh.

Words of encouragement, uplifting
“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. . . . Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17, NIV).

Health updates
We apologize for the long silence between this newsletter and the last one (December 2010). Much has been happening in these couple of months, although we’ve not managed to keep you updated on the cancer journey that has occupied so much of our time, prayers, and energy. Among these:

►Bernie spent November and December in Japan, successfully completing many different assignments at Tamagawa Seigakuin and Tamagawa Church, both in Tokyo. Additionally, he had the joy of baptizing a new Christian sister, Mizutani-san, at Tarumi Church, in Kobe. He arrived back in the States on Christmas Day—a wonderful Christmas gift for Cheryl after their two months’ separation;

►Bernie and Cheryl celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary on January 10. Also, it was a joy to join Little Ben in celebrating his third birthday, January 30, since Donald and Stephanie Lyngdoh, our daughter and son-in-law, were granted some time off from their work to spend with Bernie and Cheryl in Anderson. What a blessing for us! We’re also grateful for other family visits, including Big Ben’s, for one week;

►We’ve completed 10 radiation sessions in Anderson to try to arrest the growth of the tumor. (Note that in November we made the somewhat difficult decision to stop medical care at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, in order to seek further treatment here in Anderson where our mission offices are located and family is nearby). We continue to look to the Lord for his miraculous intervention in Cheryl’s physical body through radiation and other cancer treatments, some of which are experimental; and,

►We’re anticipating another round of CT scans and other tests at the end of January and early February. We are trusting God’s goodness and know that the path he chooses is always the right and loving one. Please pray with us that we will see miracles.

In the midst of sometimes feeling overwhelmed by the size of “this vast army” that faces us (cancer), there is so much for which to be grateful. Among other things, pain levels are being managed better and better and that is resulting in many more “good” days than otherwise. This is a major answer to prayer. However, the road ahead is still long and the battle still arduous. Please pray for us to remember that the battle is not ours, but the Lord’s. Pray that we will be able to keep our eyes upon the Lord as we journey.

Looking ahead on the journey
Here are some specific ways you can pray with and for us on the journey:

►Bernie and Cheryl had expected to return to Japan by the end of January, but this has been postponed, creating some challenges for Tamagawa Seigakuin and Tamagawa Church, not to mention our associate pastor, Fujiwara-sensei. Please pray for all of these to be resolved in a timely fashion that will cause the least amount of disruption and concern;

►Cheryl continues working on two books: Our Hearts Burning, the 15th international testimonies book she has compiled and edited; and Steady Till Sunset, a daily devotional book, the second one she has written to encourage Christians to walk faithfully in their daily lives. Please pray that God will supply the physical needs (especially a clear head in order to think and write) so she can complete these two projects;

►With health questions still “up in the air,” there is so much still that seems to be on hold. Please do pray for us to know the Lord’s guidance as we make decisions about our future.

►Please pray for us to be able to return to Japan as quickly as possible.

New Every Morning

Tamagawa Church of God, where we serve as interim pastors

God’s faithfulness . . .
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him’” (Lamentations 3:22-24, NIV).

We dedicate this newsletter to praising God for his faithfulness. While we cannot even begin to enumerate all the ways we see God’s faithfulness—indeed, every new morning brings testimony to our faithful God—we want to share three places where we have most experienced this during the past month.

. . . At Tamagawa Seigakuin
September was an exciting and busy month of celebrating God’s faithfulness for 60 years at Tamagawa Seigakuin, the girls’ junior/senior high school where Bernie is headmaster. Since 1950, the school has graduated some 10,450 young women and has developed a wonderful reputation for being not only a school that is strong academically, but more importantly, for being a school that has remained faithful to its Christian mission. Special activities to mark the 60th anniversary included the commissioning of a song by a well-known Japanese-Korean singer/song writer that was featured on a CD of the Tama Sei choir produced by the school. Even more noteworthy about this CD is the fact that the majority of its numbers were composed by second year Tama Sei high school girls as a part of their music classes. (They chose words from the Bible, especially Psalms, and set these to their own musical compositions.)

Other special activities during September included the annual two-day school festival, a kind of homecoming-like event that welcomed well over 6,000 visitors to sample special presentations of Tama Sei’s music (vocal choir, band, hand bell choir, guitar/mandolin club, signing/praise team), sports (including kendo, traditional Japanese fencing with bamboo poles), and many examples of the arts (modern dance, calligraphy, flower arranging, and tea ceremony). Each of the month-long celebratory events was an opportunity to praise God for his faithfulness over 60 years at Tamagawa Seigakuin.

. . . At Tamagawa Church
Just up the street from the school is Tamagawa Church of God, where Bernie and Cheryl are interim pastors. This church began in classrooms of Tamagawa Seigakuin, shortly after the founding of the school. Then, 57 years ago, it moved into its own building at the present location. It was a joy to celebrate God’s faithfulness during these years in a special anniversary worship service. This was combined with honoring the congregation’s senior members in a “Silver Day” observance the day before a national holiday to recognize the same. (“Silvers,” as they are called in Japan, comprise a significant part of Japan’s population. In 2009, more than 22% of the population was at least 65 years old. Estimates are that 25% of the population will be “silver” by 2014.)

. . . In our personal lives
What a roller coaster we are riding on this cancer journey! In our last newsletter, we reported from a “high,” praising God for his faithfulness as Cheryl’s health was the best it had been in a long time. This month we are still praising God for his faithfulness, but we seem to be on the “down” side of the roller coaster. The stomach-wrenching feelings are all too real and, frankly, not particularly welcome.

In early September, after fatigue suddenly returned (accompanied by low grade fever, pain, and coughing), we decided to request a CT scan in Japan to help determine whether we should return to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center earlier than our scheduled November appointments. Scan results on October 5 did indeed support a change in plans. The main tumor is growing, albeit slowly, and there are now suspicious spots on her right kidney and liver that could be cancer metastasis, although the doctor only questioned this possibility. As a result, we will be traveling to Houston on October 19 and have tests and consultations on October 20-21. Needless to say, we ask your prayers for wisdom for the doctors and for us. Of course, we also continue to pray for complete healing for Cheryl.

Despite CT scan results that were less than favorable, we affirm what Cheryl wrote in early September as she looked back on one year since her cancer had recurred:

God is worthy of praise. Always. Forever. No matter what CT scans and blood tests show and doctors proclaim. No matter how I feel. No matter what. None of these change or challenge the always faithful, always powerful, always in control God. So I join the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk to proclaim, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (3:17-18).

Thank you for joining us in praying AND in praising our faithful God,

Back in the Harvest Field

August in Japan means neighborhood summer festivals.

The charge
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field,” (Matthew 9:37-38, NIV).

We don’t know if these words in Matthew inspired William J. Henry in 1897 to compose the words and music to the song, I Cannot Be Idle: “I cannot be idle for Jesus says, ‘Go and work in my harvest today; And then at the evening when labor is done, whatever is right I will pay.’ Then away to the work I will go and join in the reaping of grain. And back from the harvest with beautiful sheaves, I’ll come with rejoicing again.”

But both Jesus’ charge and the words of this old Church of God hymn are reverberating in our hearts this morning, our first Monday back in Japan after a three-month medical leave of absence. It is good to unpack and settle back into the apartment we’ve lived in for the past seven years. It is even better to be back in the harvest field God first called us to in 1976. Even though we’ve lived in four different Japanese cities since then (Saga, Fukuoka, Kobe, and Tokyo), God’s call on our lives hasn’t changed. We thank him for his grace and call, even as we thank you for your prayers and other support that have enabled us to be obedient to God here in Japan. Please do pray with us that we will see the promise of a plentiful harvest fulfilled.

An update on Cheryl
During our three months in the United States, we visited M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston three different times. Our most recent visit in early August resulted in the good news that Votrient, the drug Cheryl began on June 10, is being effective in the fight against cancer. For the first time since she began taking anti-cancer medications in September 2009, the main tumor in the cavity where the left kidney was is dying on the inside. We had expected the medicine to work by shrinking the tumors. (In fact, the main tumor somehow managed to grow a little, despite what is happening inside.) But God can work any way he decides—and even without our understanding—so we are looking ahead in faith that come November (Cheryl’s next visit to Houston) the situation will be even better. Could it be the doctors will discover that the main tumor is dead and there is no evidence of any of the smaller tumors that are now in the abdominal wall? Please pray with us to this end.

By the way, we reported in the last newsletter that Cheryl was experiencing great difficulty in adjusting to Votrient. Praise God that this is no longer her situation. Although she does have some digestive issues and must be careful to conserve her energy, she no longer deals with pain, fevers, and the other more distressing side effects. Praise God for answering prayer and for working in Cheryl’s body through Votrient—something confirmed again by the most recent blood tests which showed all the important numbers rising into the “normal” range. Needless to say, we are rejoicing!

For your further prayers
Now that we’re back in Japan, our focus has shifted from medical treatments to the harvest field. As such, Bernie preached at Tamagawa Church on Sunday following our arrival late Friday, August 20. We were grateful to discover he’d not forgotten his Japanese during our long time away and for the warm welcome we received (in more ways than one). Not only were temperatures nearing 100 degrees that morning (we are SO grateful for air conditioning at church and in our apartment), but the typically reserved Japanese congregants were outspoken and demonstrative in their joy at our return. Please pray for us as we continue to pastor Tamagawa Church and mentor our associate, Fujiwara-sensei, until she is ordained and can lead the church herself.

The next day—today—Bernie was in his office at Tamagawa Seigakuin. September promises to be both exciting and busy for the school as it celebrates its 60th anniversary through a number of special activities. Pray with us that these will bring glory to God and serve as a great testimony of his love to all who participate, including the as many as 6,500 visitors who will attend the annual school festival on September 18 and 20.

We also look forward to resuming our monthly home meeting, Praise Time, on September 13. We understand a new woman will join the group that day. She has recently been diagnosed with lung and brain cancer. Please pray that Cheryl’s own cancer journey will be a witness of hope for her and lead her to accept the only true and lasting source of all hope, Jesus Christ.

Finally, please pray for Will and Mandy Johnson, our newest staff members in Japan. They too arrived on August 20. Pray for their transition to life in Japan, their teaching assignments at Tamagawa Seigakuin, and their service at Tamagawa Church.

Cycling in the Mountains

Johnson family reunion--first of two family reunions this summer

Words of uplifting
“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).

We’d lived in Japan for less than three months when we took our first bicycle road trip. Young, naive, and still believing that anyone with enough determination can accomplish anything, it never occurred to us that we couldn’t read Japanese (and thus, not a map in Kyushu, the southernmost main island of this country). Perhaps, if we’d thought it through ahead of time, we’d have considered that our lack of language and our hand-drawn (and definitely not-to-scale) map might be less than helpful during this 10-day cycling adventure through the mountains, rice paddies, and pottery villages of northwestern Kyushu. Perhaps this experience set the positive tone for the following 30+ years we’ve lived in Japan. Although we ran out of money before we made it back to Saga, our home and starting point, we discovered the graciousness of the Japanese people doesn’t allow them to turn their backs to needy strangers who appear at their front doors.

Not only did funds challenge us, but the never-ending mountains did, too. I clearly remember one day when it seemed we did little but cycle upwards. Flying down the roads once we’d finally cleared the passes was exhilarating—but this joy was always short-lived. Mostly we strained to keep up enough momentum to continue pedaling and to keep our eyes on that next bend in the road; surely the elusive crest would be just around the corner. But the vista at the turn revealed only that the mountaintop hasn’t been reached yet. Again and again, the next corner became the next goal where usually we discovered another challenging curve to conquer. Was victory even possible?

While he wasn’t on a cycling trip with us in Kyushu, Joshua certainly could have understood our feelings as we battled the mountains, exhaustion, and doubts that our hopes and dreams could be realized. Would he be able to lead the children of Israel to victory? Or would defeat be his legacy?

An update on Cheryl
Today, nearly 35 years later, we’re identifying with all these emotions and questions once again. During the month since we’ve been in the United States for medical leave, we’ve heard, “This medicine isn’t doing what we’d hoped it would” (the second anti-cancer drug), “but there’s another new medicine we can try.” Then, “We don’t think your cancer is metastatic, and surgery could leave you ‘cancer-free.’” Followed by, “This is morbid surgery—very invasive surgery with difficult side effects, including paralysis.”

At the same time, since beginning the new medicine on June 10, Cheryl has been in near-constant pain in her lower abdomen and left flank while also running daily low-grade fevers; she’s experienced dizziness, nausea, and other side effects that she’s not dealt with to date (but no mouth sores!); and general to overwhelming fatigue has become her constant companion. (A blood transfusion in Houston gave her some color once again, but didn’t do anything to restore her energy level.) Needless to say, the questions and doubts have been more evident of late. Thank you for standing with us in prayer and for helping us keep going in the midst of the sometimes confusing array of emotions and questions that we’re confronted with day by day. Please keep praying.

Looking ahead
Currently Cheryl is being seen by a local oncologist for the day-to-day questions and concerns that arise. At the same time, she is a patient at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she’ll be seen on August 3-4 for follow-up testing and consultations. The big questions to be answered at that time will be: Has the Votrient (anti-cancer #3) been effective in suppressing or reducing the tumors? Should surgery be scheduled to remove the tumors? If so, when? If the Votrient isn’t working, what should the next step be? Please pray for us to have wisdom in facing these (and other) questions.

But there are some less weighty things we’re also anticipating. We’ll be participating in activities of North American Convention, June 25-30, here in Anderson and look forward to meeting many of our prayer supporters there. We’re also eager to see the debut of In a Besieged City, the 15th in a series of international testimonies books Cheryl has compiled and edited since 1993, as well as publication of the soft-cover edition of Into All the World, first published in hard back in 2009. A Barton family reunion in mid-July and spending the month of July with Stephanie, Donald, Little Ben, and Hosanna will also be joyful and renewing experiences for us. Thanks for your prayers to surround and support us through all our times in Indiana, Missouri, and Texas.

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!

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.

Immeasurably More

Bernie presenting diplomas at Tamagawa Seigakuin's

2009 graduation ceremonies

Giving glory to God
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV).

Our newsletter is a little late this month—on purpose. We wanted to be able to give you the latest news on Cheryl’s cancer journey, a journey that began one year ago when she was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma in March 2009. What an incredible year it has been! Following removal of her left kidney in April 2009, the cancer recurred in September, less than six months later. Since September, she has been taking Sutent, an oral chemotherapy that is proving to be effective in fighting the cancer, with a goal of sending it into remission. It will be a life-long fight, but God is proving himself faithful day by day as we live hopefully in him. Join us in giving glory to God.

An update on Cheryl
We are praising God for the wonderful result of our visit to MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, on February 25-26. What we heard was “immeasurably more” than we had dared to hope for. In fact, the only news that could have been better was hearing that Cheryl was cancer-free We almost had to be shooed out of the doctor’s office and told, “Go home!” because we just kept sitting there and expecting the “bad news” to come. There was none (and we finally did set the doctor free by going home). In short, this is what we learned:

■The time may come when Sutent no longer works to suppress the cancer, but there is no reason to think that this is that time since all the CT scans and other medical tests continue to show no increased cancer activity;
■To help with the side effects (that seem to have increased in intensity), the doctor recommends changing the six-week cycle of four weeks on, two weeks off to two weeks on, one week off. At the end of six weeks, Cheryl will have taken the same amount of medicine—just in a way that should be easier on her body;
■One of the side effects of Sutent is heart stress, and this is showing up in Cheryl in elevated blood pressure. As a result, she was given blood pressure medicine.
■She has been accepted as a patient at MD Anderson and, assuming things continue as they are, we will return to Houston in three months for her next CT scan. (This is perfect timing as we will be back in the U.S. for a three-month home assignment from late May.) In the meantime, she will continue seeing the doctor in Japan for regular check ups;
■On the U.S. end, the doctor will consult with colleagues about the possibility of treating the tumor with surgery and/or focused radiation. He told us that this treatment is available in Japan, suggesting the possibility of it being done here (since it would be so much cheaper and because the treatment and care Cheryl’s already received in Japan has been very good);

Here’s how you can pray with us:

►For the Sutent to continue working to suppress the cancer;
►For Cheryl’s blood pressure to return to the normal range and the water on her heart to dissipate; and,
►For her energy to be restored so that the upcoming three months will be productive and ministry assignments completed before we begin home assignment.

Additional prayer requests
●On March 15, Tamagawa Seigakuin will graduate some 190 seniors in its 59th graduation ceremonies. Please pray for these girls as they venture “into the world,” that they will not forget their introduction to Jesus Christ at Tama Sei and that many will eventually give their hearts to the Lord.
●With the end of the school year in March and the beginning of a new school year in April, these are especially busy months for Bernie. Please pray that he will find the energy, strength, and inspiration for the extra load that always falls on him at this time.
●A new church year begins on April 1 at Tamagawa Church, where we will begin our second of three years in an interim pastoral assignment. Please pray for the church’s pastoral team—Bernie, Cheryl, and Fujiwara-sensei—as we make specific plans this month for the upcoming year. (This is a special challenge in that we’ll be in the States three months for home assignment.)
●Please pray for our annual spring staff meeting, March 29-31. We look forward to getting to know our new regional coordinators, Don and Caroline Armstrong, as well as to spiritual and physical renewal (and a lot of good food) at the retreat center in the mountains outside of Tokyo.

Celebrating New

Celebrating new life in our family! Celebrating new life in Christ!

Praising the Lord
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God” (Psalm 40:3). At the start of another year, we have so many reasons to praise God as we celebrate new: a new year of marriage (34 on January 10); a new year of life and ministry in Japan (we’re now in our 30th year); a new life in Christ; and a new member of our family. Please praise God and “celebrate new” with us as we share about these significant events.

A baptism at Tamagawa Church
December 20 was an exciting day at Tamagawa Church. Not only did we celebrate Jesus’ birth, but we also celebrated the birth of a new sister in Christ. It was a long road for Aiko Mizushima, whom Bernie baptized that day. The daughter of a strong Christian mother, Mizushima-san attended Sunday school at Tamagawa Church in elementary school. Then she entered Tamagawa Seigakuin for junior/senior high school, spending six more years learning from the Bible at the Christian mission school where Bernie is headmaster. As a third-year junior higher, Mizushima-san made a decision to give her heart to the Lord. However, uncertainty held her back from baptism. “Maybe,” she thought, “I’ll understand more later. Then I’ll be baptized.”

But later got even later. After Mizushima-san married and became a mother, she sent both of her children to nursery school at Tamagawa Church. During these six years, she participated in a Bible class for parents. But her thought was always, “When I know more ….” Eventually she stopped attending church, pulling away from all she’d been taught and believed as she struggled with depression.

Last fall, Mizushima-san finally came full circle and returned to Tamagawa Church. One decisive factor was the yet-strong faith of her 95-year-old mother. Living in a round-the-clock care facility, Nozaki-san is not in good health. But when her mind cooperates, she continues to love to sing hymns of faith, a faith that has had a definite influence on her family. Finally coming to accept the truth that it is enough just to believe John 3:16—that God so loved the world; that God so loved Mizushima-san herself—she made the decision to be baptized. Now well into her 60s, she is both amazed that her journey to complete faith in Christ took so long and grateful that God is patient and waited for her so long. Join us in celebrating new—new life in Christ.

Another new life
Join us in celebrating the birth of Hosanna Kordor Lyngdoh, Stephanie and Donald’s second child and our second grandchild (first granddaughter). Hosanna was born here in Tokyo on December 29 (one of the reasons this newsletter is so late!) and weighed in at 5 pounds, 11 ounces. We are truly rejoicing in this new miracle of life and in the privilege of sharing in her birth. By the way, Kordor means “precious” in Donald’s native tongue,
Khasi, one of the tribal languages of northeast India.

Update on Cheryl
At this writing, Cheryl is into a two-week rest period at the end of her third round of powerful anti-cancer medication. We praise God that the Sutent seems to be doing what we’d prayed and hoped for—suppress the cancer. However, we have some continuing prayer concerns. Please join us in praying about these:

●Our (former) insurance company has been very difficult to work with. Please pray that payment for the anti-cancer drug purchased last fall will be forthcoming quickly;
●As of January 1, we have a new insurance company and many new and unanswered questions. Pray we will find solutions to enable us to continue our ministry in Japan;
●We are working for Cheryl to become a patient at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. This, too, is proving to be complicated process. Please pray that we’ll be able to navigate all the red tape and requirements as expeditiously as possible; and,
●Pray that the Sutent will continue to be effective and useable for Cheryl. Although her energy level held quite well during the holidays, some of the side effects since that time have been more difficult, especially the mouth sores and the nosebleeds. Her doctor in Japan has not shown much interest in the side effects (which seems to be a common complaint of Japanese about their doctors). Pray that she’ll be able to find some remedies to help lessen the side effects.

We cannot tell you how much we appreciate your continuing prayers on our behalf—for Cheryl’s health and for our ministry in Japan. We couldn’t be here without you.

Brimming with Hope

Our staff taking a break from the annual fall meeting

Bernie blesses a little girl at the fall children's blessing service.

A word from the Lord
“. . . Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land” (Jeremiah 32: 15, NIV).

Thank you for your prayers for our annual fall missionary staff meeting on November 23. When we gathered at the Bartons’ apartment from three different areas of Japan, most of us were nursing colds, tiredness, and perhaps even discouragement. But as the photo shows, our spirits were truly restored through laughter, fellowship, heartfelt sharing, and prayer (not to mention eating at Sizzler’s). We were especially encouraged as Don Deena Johnson led us in considering a word from the Lord in Jeremiah—a brimming-with-hope reminder that if we respond to God in absolute obedience, even when his words don’t make sense, we can live in confidence that God will make all things new. It was exactly the reminder we needed.

Shichi-go-san
November is the month Japanese celebrate children, especially those who are 7 (shichi), 5 (go), and 3 (san) years old. Traditionally, parents dress their 7-, 5-, and 3-year-olds in new (and very expensive) clothes—for girls, often their first kimonos—and take them to a Shinto shrine to be blessed by a priest. The Japanese church has adapted this custom, which we at Tamagawa Church observed on November 15. What a joy it was to welcome 24 children, ranging in age from infants to upper elementary school, to our “kodomo no shukufukushiki” (children’s blessing service). Many of them were accompanied by their parents, who do not normally attend church, but who watched proudly as they took the offering, sang special songs, and recited Bible verses. One little boy even crawled under the pews, getting several rows away from his parents before they realized it. That wasn’t a scripted part of the program, but it was enjoyed anyhow.

As pastor of Tamagawa Church, Bernie had a message geared for the children and words of blessing for each one individually. Please pray that seeds planted in the children’s hearts during this special service will bear fruit one day. Pray also that we may cultivate good relationships with their parents that will bring them to Christ too.

Looking forward
We’re eagerly anticipating the arrival of family in December: Benjamin (from Guam); Stephanie, Donald, and Little Ben (from Central Asia); and Cheryl’s parents, Don and Betty Jo Johnson (from the USA). We’ll celebrate a family Christmas on December 28, following many Tamagawa Seigakuin and church-related activities throughout the month, including: a Christmas celebration for Tama Sei alumni on December 5; a baptismal service at Tamagawa Church on December 20; and a church Christmas Eve candle service. Pray that these celebrations will result in many life-changing decisions.

Following Christmas, we’re also looking forward to the birth of our second grandchild—our first granddaughter—here in Tokyo. Please pray for continuing good health for Stephanie and the baby and a safe delivery around January 10.

Answers to prayer
Thank you for your continued prayers for Cheryl. Praise the Lord that her trip to the States was successful. She returned to Japan on November 7 with her second round of medicine and with the doctor’s agreement to take her as a patient during our upcoming home assignment (late May-late August 2010). Currently she is midway through the second round of medicine and experiencing only relatively mild side effects (mouth sores). We’re grateful that blood tests seem to indicate that the cancer is responding to the medication as hoped. Pray that this will be confirmed by CT scan on December 8 so that Cheryl can continue taking this medicine—one of only two options for treatment in Japan. As of yet, we do not have a long-term solution to the high cost of the medicine, but God continues showing us his faithfulness, one step by one step. For this we rejoice, even as thank God for you and for the wonderful meaning of this season: Immanuel, God with us.

What is in Your Hand?

A call to involvement
“Than the Lord said to [Moses], ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied. The Lord said, ‘Throw it on the ground …’” (Exodus 4:2-3, NIV).

When Susi Childers told God she didn’t think there was anything she could do for the cause of missions, God spoke to her as he did to Moses so many years ago, asking, “What is that in your hand?” “Only a camera,” she responded, feeling much like Moses must have. After all, it was the common instrument of photographer, much as Moses’ staff was the everyday tool of a shepherd. But when Moses gave that staff to God, it divided the Red Sea and led the children of Israel from out of slavery in Egypt. Likewise, when Susi surrendered her camera to God, “A Voice for the Voiceless” was born.

Today, the German photographer-turned-missionary heads an organization committed to helping the voiceless be heard in the world—particularly women and children trapped by such things as prostitution, sex slavery, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, and abortion. And while being a voice calling for an end to these practices through legislation and social action, “A Voice for the Voiceless” also calls the church to pray and to seek God’s guidance in determining what is in its hands that God can use—if we are willing—to help bring an end to such exploitation and injustice. After all, the voiceless are also God’s children who cry out to him for deliverance that comes as we who have voices speak.

It was three years ago that Bernie first met Susi Childers and was introduced to “A Voice for the Voiceless.” God moved his heart in an unusual way, and he has not been the same since. Responding to the Lord’s call to involvement, Bernie has been instrumental in helping Tamagawa Seigakuin to be a venue on several occasions for the group to share in Tokyo. Additionally, last Sunday we were pleased to welcome Susi to Tamagawa Church to share about the work. Through her beautiful portraits, we were introduced to several of the voiceless of the world while hearing their stories.

As Susi challenged the congregation, we challenge you: Don’t turn away from the spiritually lost and the millions of suffering voiceless in the world. The Lord is calling you and asking what is in your hand that he can use to help bring deliverance. None of us was saved for our salvation alone, but to be the bridge others will cross on their path to Christ. We urge you to be a part of the answer the world is seeking.

Update on Cheryl
Thank you for your prayers for Cheryl. We have been aware of them as never before, and we are seeing answers to prayer in several ways. Blood work at the end of the first four weeks of medication showed some positive trends. On top of this, there are other encouraging signs: she no longer has daily fevers (they come now only when she’s overdone it and feels exhausted in the evening); her energy level has improved considerably (which is why she sometimes overdoes it); her weight loss has stabilized (and she needed to lose those seven pounds anyway); and more.

More than anything else, however, Cheryl is grateful for the many intimate conversations she’s had with God while learning to live with cancer. Surely God was speaking all along, but busy schedules have a definite way of drowning out God’s voice. Recently, with most of her typical schedule on hold, Cheryl’s hearing has improved considerably.

At the same time, we continue to need your prayers. Here are two specific prayer points: that a doctor in the United States will agree to prescribe the next round of medicine for Cheryl, something that will help the insurance picture greatly (pray for Cheryl’s meeting with this doctor on November 5 and his good favor); and that the two weeks of rest between medication (October 27-November 9) will provide enough relief for the kidney and liver, as well as an improvement in her platelet count, for her Japanese doctor to be confident that she can handle a second round of medication.

Some other prayers
►There will be a follow-up meeting on November 12 for students who attended July’s Bible Camp. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be evident in a mighty way, reminding girls about commitments they made and giving them courage to act upon those commitments;
►We will lead our fall missionary staff meeting/retreat here in Tokyo on November 21-22. Please pray that the fellowship will be rich and encouraging. Please also remember the various ministries of fellow staffers: Mike and Makiko Boyle (Hagiyama Church, Tokyo); Mike Wagner (Tamagawa Seigakuin, Tokyo); Don Deena Johnson (Nishi Kunitachi Church and Sei Ai Gakusha schools, Tokyo); Tyler Hobbs (Tarumi and Konike Churches, Kobe/Osaka); and Zonia Mitchell (Saga University, Saga).

On Trusting the Lord

Enjoying a field of cosmos, Japan's salute to fall

Omniscience defined
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts,’” (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV).

What a roller coaster month it has been. Except for the Lord’s message to Cheryl on September 4 that she should, “Sit still, my daughter” (see the archives of this blog), this month would have been unbearable in many ways. On September 4 we were told that Cheryl’s respiratory doctor suspected her cancer had returned. Then, a couple of hours later, another doctor denied this possibility. We returned home feeling “off the hook,” but not much better emotionally. Actually, the physical symptoms that mirrored everything Cheryl was experiencing before her cancer was found in March were back in full force, so we wondered how this second doctor could be right. In fact, he misread the CT scan.

On September 15, Cheryl’s radiologist and urologist agreed with 90% certainty that the cancer had indeed metastasized into three tumors in the area where the kidney was before surgery in April. Their suspicions were confirmed on September 29 after multitudes of tests, leading us into a new phase of life: living with cancer. This translates into an oral anti-cancer medicine (Sutent) taken daily for 28 days followed by 2 weeks of rest, with the regime repeated forever. Yes, forever. Indeed, we are living with cancer.

From our relatively short experience with cancer, we’ve learned as never before the meaning of Isaiah’s words above. We cannot understand God who is omniscient. But we can trust him. And this is exactly what we have committed to doing—long before cancer became part of the picture. We will continue doing what we have always tried to do: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Please pray with us that the Lord may be glorified in every way as we learn the joys—and challenges—of living with cancer.

Two related praises
We stand in complete awe of God’s loving care and tenderness in preparing us for what was to come even before we had a clue that anything was wrong! (As we said already, please check the archives and read, "Sit Still, My Daughter," for the full story of a holy experience. Needless to say, we are full of praise to our Heavenly Father.

Our second related praise comes from the doctor’s office the day the recurrence was confirmed and Cheryl began the anti-cancer regime. Towards the end of the doctor’s visit, he commented randomly, “You’re taking all this news remarkably well.” Smiling, Cheryl replied, “It’s because we believe in God.” Two sentences—that’s all. But we’re still smiling because of having received this wonderful opportunity to be a witness for the Lord because of cancer. God is so good!

Some related prayers
In addition to praising God, we are also praying about several related concerns. Please join us in praying about the following:

►That Cheryl will be in the 90% group of people whose side effects are not an issue with Sutent, allowing them to lead normal lives (even including working full-time!);
►That Cheryl will be in the 30% group of people for whom Sutent is effective (meaning the cancer is kept stable or, better yet, the tumors begin to shrink and, with the help of the Great Physician, they even go away and the cancer is declared in remission);
►Assuming the above, we also pray that the next CT scan—after one or two rounds of Sutent—will show positive response within the three tumors that have been detected;
►Pray that her hemoglobin deficiency will be corrected soon to restore Cheryl’s energy level;
►That insurance questions will be answered soon and as easily as possible;
►That in the midst of getting used to this new lifestyle, we’ll be able to concentrate well, sleep well, and carry out our responsibilities well. Especially pray for Bernie who carries significant responsibilities at Tamagawa Seigakuin and Tamagawa Church; and,
►For our family, especially our children, Benjamin and Stephanie, as they suddenly feel the physical distance that separates us.

While There Is Time

Bernie and Cheryl with students at Bible Camp

Three verses of utmost importance
“Teach [God’s words] to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 11:19, NIV). “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come..." (Ecclesiastes 12:1, NIV). “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4, NIV).

George Barna has been called the Christian George Gallup. Consider some of his research findings related to the importance of ministry to children and youth, including the fact that up to age thirteen, children are the most open to conversion. In his book, Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions (Regal, 2003), Barna argues that “ministry to children is the single most strategic ministry in God’s kingdom [and will have]…the greatest possible impact” (p. 14). He also contends that the most critical time in anyone’s life is between the ages of five and twelve because “it is during these crucial years that lifelong habits, values, beliefs and attitudes are formed” (p. 18). Unfortunately, most American congregations devote the bulk of their money and time to adult ministries. It’s no wonder statistics show that the church is losing children and teens at an amazing—no, frightening—rate.

Without the benefit of statisticians or social commentators, the Bible spoke to this dilemma long ago. Three verses of utmost importance should cause us to look at how we are investing ourselves. While there is time, we should be asking the Lord to show us how he could use us to reach the children and youth around us. Of all the investments we will ever make, those that touch the lives of children and youth will have the most returns. God help us to do our parts.

Tamagawa Seigakuin Bible camp
Needless to say, we consider Tamagawa Seigakuin’s summer Bible camp one of our most important activities each year. As you can tell by the photo, we had a great time July 20-22. We are thankful for relationships formed between the 70 girls who attended and the 17 faculty members who were there to encourage them to move closer to committing their lives to Christ “in the days of [their] youth.”

Thank you for your important prayers. Responses at the end of the three days included the following: 28 girls made decisions to believe and receive Jesus Christ (although we don’t know whether all were first-time decisions or not); 8 girls want to be baptized; and 16 students dedicated themselves to serving God.

Your continued prayers are also very important. Seven students indicated that they “don’t really understand” what faith is all about and/or where to go from here. Please remember these girls especially in your prayers. Several will be graduating next spring and leave the nurturing environment of Tamagawa Seigakuin, so the next few months may be especially critical in their faith walk. The camp evangelist will be returning to the school on November 12 for a follow-up meeting with all the students who attended. Between now and then, would you please commit yourself to praying daily that the Holy Spirit will move in an amazing way that day? Please also pray for our deepening relationships with students through the upcoming Fall Festival, September 19 and 21, and our trip to Korea with the entire junior class, October 26-30.

Other prayers
Of course, there are many other matters that need your prayers, including the following:

►We were happy to welcome Japan’s newest special assignment missionary, Tyler Hobbs, on August 19. Please pray for him as he adjusts to his new life that includes teaching English-Bible classes at Tarumi Church, Kobe, and Konoike Church, Osaka. At the same time, Tyler will be involved in a four-month internship through Anderson University School of Theology. Pray for Bernie in his supervisory role.
►We look forward a visit by Stephanie and Little Ben from September 5-12. Stephanie is now more than halfway through her pregnancy. Please pray for the continued healthy development of the baby who will be born in early January in Tokyo.
►Please pray for our deepening relationships with the people of Tamagawa Church, Tokyo, the congregation we began pastoring in April. Pray especially for Tomoko Fujiwara, the associate pastor, as we help her move towards ordination.

On the Coming of Light

Bernie, Cheryl, and Fujiwara-sensei during

their installation as a pastoral team

Prophecy fulfilled and coming yet
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2, NIV).

More than 700 years before Jesus was born, Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Messiah, the child who would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) and “Light of the world” (John 8:12). When John the Baptist met him, he rejoiced in the fulfillment of the prophecy, declaring, “This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah . . . ” (Matthew 3:3). What joy there was among those who realized that the long-awaited prophesy had been fulfilled!

On June 14, Bernie, Cheryl, and Tomoko Fujiwara were installed as the pastoral team of Tamagawa Church of God in Tokyo. After attending the service, a friend encouraged us greatly when she handed us her bulletin on which she’d jotted the following note:

“While I was praying during the service, I saw a picture of a rope dipped in oil lying on the ground and spiraling over all of Japan. Suddenly it caught fire and spread [quickly] down the rope. I felt it was God saying that with each bit of work and service you do for him, you are laying another strand of the rope. [Let’s be] ready when he sets it alight!”

In this 150th anniversary year of Protestant missions in Japan, it is our prayer that we may indeed be privileged to see the Holy Spirit set this nation on fire as never before. May it be, Lord God, is our prayer. Will you pray with us to this end?

Comings and Goings
Thank you for your prayers for Cheryl as she traveled to the United States to participate in the North American Convention and speak in several Living Link supporting churches. She returned to Japan renewed in spirit on July 14 (one reason for the lateness of this newsletter). Not only was she inspired by the 100th anniversary celebration of the organized missions efforts of the Church of God in North America, but she also excited as she returned because she was traveling with her sister, Don Deena Johnson. During the convention, Don Deena was commissioned as a missionary to Japan—a great answer to prayers we’ve all been praying for a replacement for the Nishi-Kunitachi position, a concern we’ve mentioned several times in newsletters this year. Praise God for answered prayer! Needless to say, we’re also excited that we’ll be living near Don Deena for the first time in 25 years. Please pray for Don Deena’s transition.

Please also pray for Millie Michael as she concludes her two years as a special assignment missionary in the Kansai this month and returns to the United States. Finally, also pray for Tyler Hobbs, also commissioned at NAC 2009, as he prepares to come to Japan on August 19 as Millie’s replacement. Comings and goings are always bittersweet times of excitement for the church in Japan generally and for the Bartons specifically. Thank you for your important prayers.

More prayers needed
Please continue to support us with your faithful prayers about these matters:

►For a harvest from seeds to be planted during Tamagawa Seigakuin’s Bible Camp, July 20-22. We’re excited that seventy girls will be participating voluntarily, and we’re expecting the Holy Spirit to move in amazing ways. Please pray that the fires of revival in Japan will be lit at Tamagawa Seigakuin.
►For our annual summer pastors’ meetings (July 29-31) and national summer convention (July 31-August 2). How we pray that revival fires also will be lit within our 16 Church of God congregations in Japan. To be honest, we sometimes wonder whether this will ever happen. Surely, the Jews wondered the same as they waited for Isaiah’s prophecy to be fulfilled. We also wait not very patiently, but always with expectation.
►For refreshment and renewal as we visit our family, Stephanie, Donald, and Little Ben, in China from August 4-18.

We covet your prayers for the fulfillment of God’s promises in Japan.

But Take Heart!

Bernie presents a diploma to a graduating Tamagawa Seigakuin student

Words of encouragement
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Some of you have read our recent electronic “Call to Prayer” for Eriko and Wangyal. Others of you have received e-mails or letters regarding some instances of spiritual warfare confronting us and Tarumi Church. In more private e-mails, some of you are aware of some health difficulties Cheryl has been facing since last fall (a nagging cough and, of late, a lack of energy). It’s not difficult to figure out that these words of encouragement have meant much to us over the past few months.

They are such powerful words and speak to every difficult situation. Therefore, Bernie recently chose “But Take Heart!” as the theme for Tamagawa Seigakuin as it begins its new school year in April. We pray that these words of encouragement will also speak to you in your own situation. Among our prayer partners, we are aware of supporting churches facing great financial difficulties; of pastoral searches that seem to yield no results; of significant health concerns; of prayers that have been voiced for years but have yet to be answered; of deep discouragement and great tiredness; and more. Please know that we are praying for you, even as you pray for us.

How to pray specifically
In addition to the prayer concerns we have shared recently, especially the “Immediate and Continuing Prayer Concerns” of November, we would ask you to pray about these:

►Resumption of small study group—Because of some all-consuming writing projects, Cheryl two years ago stopped leading a study group for Japanese Christian women. Although they continued meeting for a little while, the group eventually decided to take a break until Cheryl could rejoin them. On February 24, we will begin our study of Philip Yancey’s book, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? Please pray for this group and its nearly weekly Tuesday meeting. We are all seeking a deepening walk with the Lord.

►Tamagawa Seigakuin high school graduation—On March 16, Bernie will have the privilege of speaking before 177 graduating seniors, their parents, faculty, staff, current second year high schoolers (so they’ll know what to expect when they graduate next year), and others at the 59th graduation exercises of this Christian mission school where he serves as headmaster. Needless to say, this is a significant opportunity to share the gospel and to challenge the graduates to remember what they’ve learned during their Tama Sei careers. Please pray that the Lord will empower him with words that are truly the “Bread of Life.”

►Spring staff retreat—Our missionary staff in Japan will gather in the mountains March 24-26 for our annual retreat. We’ll do a little business, but mostly our time together is for renewal. Pray that we will indeed be refreshed as we enjoy this time, despite the fact that we have no special leader this year.

►Missionary staffing needs—For whatever reason(s), it seems that recruiting for missionaries is an increasingly difficult task. We are so grateful to Riverchase Community Church in Birmingham, Alabama, for releasing their children’s pastor, Christy Snowden Van Dam, and her family to come to Tokyo for ten weeks from January into March in order to help fill a special assignment missionary (SAM) position with several pre-schools and one of our congregations. (Christy and Terence formerly were SAMs in this very position, so it has been a kind of homecoming for them to return, along with their three sons: Willem, Tai, and Xavier.) But the family returns to Alabama on March 22, after which we have no one to fill this long-standing SAM position. Needless to say, there is great concern and discouragement on this side of the Pacific Ocean. Please pray with us that the Lord will provide the right individual at the right time (which, from our perspective, is NOW) to serve this two-year term in Tokyo.

Answers to prayer
Thank you for praying for Cheryl in her writing assignments. Currently, Into All the World: A Century of Church of God Missions is in the final production stages before going to press. This 500-page volume that combines a revised reprinting of Lester Crose’s Passport for a Reformation with three chapters, many appendices, and other materials gathered and/or written by Cheryl and her father, Donald Johnson, will be off the press by North American Convention in June. Additionally, we’re happy to report that Cheryl did make her deadline for River of Delights, the 2009 international testimonies book—the 14th in this series of books that she has written. God is so good!

A Lovely Fragrance

Hanawa-san making her pledge before being baptized.

The aroma of Christ
“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16, NIV).

Paul asked an important question as he reminded the Corinthian Christians of their vital task to represent Christ with a lovely fragrance: who can do it? Truth is, without total reliance on the Holy Spirit, we’re more apt to be a sickening odor than a pleasing and compelling fragrance.

Bernie had a shocking reminder of this during a recent presentation at Tamagawa Seigakuin. The lecturer, a researcher/analysist at one of the two Shinto universities in Japan, shared two especially hard-hitting statistics: only 50% of Japanese trust Christians; and an increasing percentage of Japanese young people don’t see religion (any religion) as significant in their lives. As Philip Yancey wrote in Disappointment with God, one of the biggest risks God ever took was to put evangelism into the hands of the church. And yet he did. God help us to be the pleasing aroma of Christ in our worlds.

Also at Tamagawa Seigakuin
Another recent thought-provoking discussion at the school occurred this week when the Bible Department hosted a question and answer time on the theme, “If God Exists then Why ….” (Why war, hunger, social inequality, and so on.) The voluntary forum attracted eight high school students, four junior highers, and four teachers. One non-Christian teacher asked an interesting question: “Since these things are going on anyhow, what difference does it make if God is or not?” The planned hour-long program stretched another half hour longer and may have continued on if it hadn’t gotten to be 6 o’clock, the mandated time senior high girls must leave school. (Junior highers must leave by 5:30 p.m.) Please pray that the discussion will bear fruit in the hearts of participants.

Please also pray for high school graduation on March 16, a significant day in the lives of the 181 girls and their families. Taniguchi Hall, named for the school’s founder, will be packed with as many as 700 people and Bernie will have the privilege of sharing the gospel with them during the ceremonies. One graduating senior wrote in her Bible class notebook that she expects to put away her Bible for good as she leaves Tama Sei. Please pray that seeds planted at the school will indeed be harvested one day.

Two encouraging stories
In fact, we know this happens. Recently, a retired staff member shared with Bernie a postcard he’d received. The writer graduated more than 10 years ago and hadn’t been to church in the intervening years. However, as circumstances in her life changed, she knew she would find the answers she sought in the faith she’d learned about during her six years at Tama Sei. Now she is going to church again.

Last Sunday we worshipped at Tamagawa Church of God. There we met a woman whose daughter had taken Tama Sei’s entrance examination two years ago. After she failed, the mother wrote to Bernie, thanking him for the school’s good impact on her family throughout a year of attending school introductory meetings and special showcase events. “We’ll never forget Tamagawa Seigakuin,” she wrote in what was surely the only letter of its kind Bernie has ever received—thanks despite failure. Last year, in the midst of severe depression, Tanaka-san (not her real name) seriously contemplated suicide. Suddenly, she remembered the school and nearby Tamagawa Church and decided to visit. Our Sunday was her second time there. While talking with Bernie, she prayed to receive Christ. Certainly other seeds were planted in her life over the years (her parents are faithful Christians), but most recently it was seed planting and watering at Tamagawa Seigakuin that finally helped Tanaka-san choose Christ in her 40s. Please pray for her to grow in faith. Pray also for Tamagawa Seigakuin and for many harvests to come.

More on Hanawa-san
Last month we wrote about Keiko Hanawa, a woman who finally accepted Christ and was baptized in her 70s at Hagiyama Church of God. Here are some of the many seeds planted over the years in her life: Sunday school as a child; attending English-Bible classes taught by a missionary after her own children were grown; the prayers of the class for her adult daughter as she suffered severe post-partum depression, prayers that were answered miraculously; attending the monthly evangelistic small group meeting in the home of a Christian member of the English-Bible class; and being impressed by this woman’s smile, caring heart, and the Bible verses which decorated her home.

Remember: God wants to use us all to plant and water in a world that is watching and sniffing. The harvest WILL COME if we are faithful and do not give up.