12 Aug, 2001
Dear Phyllis,
Here we are again. Yesterday was the 50th
Anniversary of Matsubarako Bible Camp. About a month ago, when Millie Dennis
and her children were here, I took them over there just for something to do.
That was the first time in 30 years that I had been there. A Japanese pastor
came over to introduce himself as the director and we really hit it off big
time. When he learned that I had made the beams for the chapel and had been in
and out of Matsubarako for the years that I had been in Karuizawa he extended a
very earnest invitation to attend the anniversary celebration. How my heart was
fill with mixed emotion. This younger brother, Tsujiura sensei, had no way of
knowing the years of turmoil I had been through and I was pointless to try to
explain such an unpleasant testimony. I hoped that would be all, but Wednesday
morning he called here to confirm whether or not I would attend. Mattaku
komatta! Matsubarako Bible Camp is the child of John Schone. He and Phyllis
Chamberlain had been the driving force for years. Of course they have been off
the field for nearly 15 years, but John and Lucia and Phyllis were coming back
for the celebration. We had lived and worked together more of less harmoniously
in Karuizawa for over 15 years but the close of my time there had been marred
by some very unfortunate conflict. It had been a particular bitter experience
for all of us and I didn’t relish the thought of seeing them again. Poor
Tsujiura sensei must have been confused but I had to tell him that I was
planning on not attending (ikanai tsumori). When I hung up I wondered why the
Lord keeps digging up the old bones of past unresolved wounds.
Roald is a very busy man but I took the liberty to ask if he
had time to be a personal counselor. Only a real big man would take the time
out to listen to my confusing story. He, naturally, suggested, “Itte ii jainai
ka?” (Wouldn’t it be good to go?). Then he accurately reminded me that it might
be a good idea to apologize to John and Phyllis. That rang a bell in my heart
and made sense. I decided that the Lord would have me to go up to apologize.
Every Thursday night, the brother who is in charge of the
plant here and I have a little prayer meeting, and that night I shared with
Nishizawa san my nayami about attending the Matsubarako celebration. He was
totally baffled how I could hold hard feelings for over 20 years. Strangely,
after a reasonably good time of prayer I decided it would be in the best
interest of the 50th anniversary if I blessed them with my absence,
but wrote a letters to John and Phyllis. I really hadn’t been that involved
with Matsubarako and felt it would be unfair to John and Phyllis if I showed up
on this auspicious occasion to share in the glory of it’s accomplishment. I
sent my letters up by another brother who works here and sent a copy to
Tsujiura sensei to explain to him my strange behavior. Roald and Nishizawa were
bewildered by my guidance, but – in retrospect – I really feel that I had done
the right thing. Heaven will be wonderful when we get all these ugly old wounds
cleared up and have real fellowship in Christ, but our walk on this dusty
planet is occasionally disrupted by the blemishes of our old nature.
Last month, when I got back from SEA ,
I was riding the train in from Narita and got to talking to an ojii san next to
me who had a terrific background with Christian friends but wasn’t saved. I had
one of the best times in years witnessing to him. There was a gal that looked
like a kokosei (high school girl) sitting on the other side of him and I was
talking loud enough so she could take it all in also. Just before we came to
her eki she piped up in English that she too was a Christian. As she was
getting off I hollered at her, “Please send me an E-mail. My address is billcook@gol.com. To my amazement several
days later I did get a letter from her that has led to an amazing contact.
Yesterday she had invited me over to her home in east Tokyo to meet her mom and
grandmother. She said they were Christians but I wasn’t prepared for the unusual
testimony her grandmother came up with.
About 13 years ago her grandmother had a great desire to
find God and wound up going to the Jehovah Witnesses. After several months she
decided that that didn’t sound right and went to a Niki church (liberal). She
got sprinkled and heard a little more of the Gospel. After explaining that to
me she asked if I had ever heard of a village near Karuizawa called, Miyota.
Then she fumbled around to say that there was a German missionary, Gotthold
Beck, that had a large Christian center up there. She was startled when I told
her that I had been very close with Gotthold for 40 years and used to
practically live in Kichijoji when Gotthold was just starting out. Then I told
her that I had been one of the two American carpenters that built the guesthouse
where she had stayed. Man howdy, did that light a fire! It was fun to talk to
the little girl I met on the train and I enjoyed her mother, but grandma and I
really had a furious time of fellowship. She is a classic illustration of the
work of the Holy Spirit as she told of her journey in search of God and the
intense joy she has in the Lord now going to the Kichijoji meetings in Ichikawa.
The little girl, Nobuko, had come into a living relationship three years ago
when she was in the States (I was stunned when she told me she was 31), and had
gotten in with the Bible Baptists. She and her mother were going to a Church of
Christ church in Ochanomizu and was a little confused by her grandmother’s
religion. I told Nobuko that my home church in the States was Baptist and I
knew all those missionaries. I also told her that I had worked with a large
number of Church of Christ missionaries over the years. I was at their house
for seven hours but the time seemed like ten minutes. What a tiny tiny world we
live in! Somehow I feel that the Lord has given me an important unusual contact
with this family.
I trust things are going well for you. The closer we get to
the City the more transient time seems. It will only be just a brief moment and
it will all be over and then we will wonder what all the fuss was about and why
we shed so many tears on our way. In retrospect, we will see what amazing things
the Lord was doing for us when we thought things were the worst. How we will be
ashamed at our unworthy thoughts and groanings! Truly our God has chosen the
finest path for us for our good and His glory.
My love and prayers are with you daily.
In our faithful Lord Jesus, bill
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