Glue Lams

5 December 2010

Dear Phyllis,

I don’t know if I have ever told you about the story of my carpentry. I say I was born with a hammer in my hand. My earliest recollection was making things when I was 4 or 5 years old. When I was 9 an uncle died and left me a chest full of classic cabinet maker tools. When I was 12 I had a complete shop with all the power tools. When I was in 7^th grade I had more tools than my shop teacher.

 I have always loved wood. My major in college was wood technology at the University of Michigan, which is a very unusual field of wood engineering. My freshman year at Michigan, there were 5,000 new students, of which there were only 2 of us in the field of wood technology. But when I went into the Air force I put wood working behind. From then on my life was to be flying.

It was while I was in pilot training that Jesus invaded my life. I had no idea what I was getting into when I said yes to Jesus, but when He took the steering wheel of my life He has led me along a path that I never would have imagined. From the first month I discovered that the Bible was true and Jesus was actually living in my heart I have never had any other ambition than to live totally for Him.

When I went to Japan in 1958, the first man I met was Russ O’Quinn, and within three months we started the Church of the Open Door. For the next four years missionary work was my primary occupation and flying was something I did on the side. In 1962 I left the Air Force to go straight to Karuizawa for Japanese language study. From the time I went in the Air Force until 1967 wood working was pretty much on the shelf.

When I was asked to be the director of the Karuizawa Japanese Language school, my first big project was to make a language lab. That involved making four booths for students to listen and speak into a tape recorder, and a master console desk. It really was a pretty major job that turned out well. Forty years later that language lab was still in use.

Then the big moment came in 1969 when I was on the Union Church committee. We had been trying, without success, for two years to put up a new multi-purpose building to use for both the church and the language school. At a committee one day, I suggested, “I believe I could put up that building.” They asked, “How?” I replied I would make curved arch glue laminated wood beams. This was a totally radical approach, but the fellows said, “If Bill can do it let’s let him try.”

Glue lams is a highly technical field, but one that I had studied at Michigan. I wrote to the US Forest Products Research Center in Madison, Wis. for advice, and they suggested I contact their sister organization in the Japanese government. The top authorities in both countries were very polite, but warned that what I was attempting was utterly impossible. To abbreviate that story, the building has been standing for over 41 years and is in as good  shape today as the day we finished it. Through that project I became known as an authority in the field of construction in Japan.

In1972 we returned to the states for furlough, and got stuck there for two years when Rosemary was sick after Dave’s birth. During most of that time we were in Greenville, SC where I was working on Joe Carroll’s new Bible school, putting up several buildings, and in charge of the woodshop making furniture for the school.

In 1974, we got back to Karuizawa to continue being director of the language school; and, again, I found myself actively engaged in doing several major construction jobs. For the next six years I basically wore three hats as I as directing the language school, pastoring a Japanese church, and doing construction at the same time.

When we returned to the states for a furlough in 1980, I was terminated as director of the language school; and a year later, when we got back to Japan, I had nothing to do. While asking the Lord for direction, I was asked to build a church in Tobu, 30 km from Karuizawa. For nine months I built that church nearly totally by myself. Of course, I did it for free, but through that project, Toshiko was generous in allowing me to spend a lot of her money to buy tools. Then when that project was finished we moved down to Ikoma to work with Japan Mission basically, in helping missionaries and churches in construction.

My greatest joy in life is preaching. The only reason I live is to serve Jesus and extend His Kingdom. From the time I left the Air Force I have never had any other occupation than a servant of Christ. I planned to be a missionary, but I have learned that being a missionary involves a broad field. Nearly all missionaries teach English. Many work in education, some in the medical field, and a number of other related fields. My lot has basically been in construction.

I will turn off the equipment and lay down my hammer anytime to speak to someone about Jesus. I will put personal work and preaching above any construction job I have. If someone needs help, or has something to be fixed, I will put that above any job I may be working on. But working in my shop is where I spend most of my time.

For some reason the Lord has not chosen to give me much of a preaching ministry. In 1998 I heard of a place in Vietnam where five churches were using one Bible. With that need burning in my heart, I boarded a plane in Tokyo to go one way to Vietnam to help the underground church there. While in the Central Highlands of Vietnam the Lord told me clearly to return to Japan and shuttle back and forth from Japan; working 2/3 of my time as a carpenter with NLL, and 1/3 as a Bible courier taking Bibles into closed countries in SEA. In 2002 NLL no longer needed my service as a carpenter. With nothing else to do, I returned to Chiang Mai, Thailand, where I had been basing out of for the previous four years, to work full time in Bible logistics.

When I walked away from my shop at NLL I never dreamed that I would get back into wood working. But shortly after I returned to Chiang Mai, a Dutch brother asked me if I would make some tables for an orphanage. To do that job I had to buy some new tools. One morning, the father of a man at a men’s early morning prayer meeting, handed me a $100 bill and told me, “This is for a power saw.” It has been utterly amazing how the Lord has provided the funds to get reestablished with a marvelously well equipped shop here in Thailand. This is something I never dreamed would happen. I have never considered my work as anything but a ministry, and therefore have always worked for free. With the exception of a two year period when I worked for Architect Japan building churches, I have never drawn a salary for my work.

When I first got my power tool workshop 62 years ago, I never thought I would be doing that for the rest of my life. When I said yes to Jesus and dedicated my life to being a missionary, I never dreamed that carpentry would be my basic ministry. Over the years the Lord has given me several high quality shops. Three times I have walked away from thousands of dollars of excellent equipment to step out into an unknown future. Each time the Lord has amazed me in providing for an even better shop.

From the moment, that night, when I said, “Yes, Lord Jesus, I will follow You”; there was no way I could have imagined what lay ahead. Since then He has privileged me to do everything from spending several years flying high performance supersonic fighter aircraft, to preaching and ministering His Word in most countries in Asia ranging from Siberia, Russia to Nepal. Nearly 50 years of that time has been spent in Japan, but now He has privileged me to live in Thailand. The Lord has gone beyond my wildest dreams in allowing me to spend many years as a Bible smuggler. I am now one of the most senior experienced men in Chiang Mai in that field. This is perhaps the greatest honor the Lord has given me.

My heart is very much in reaching Muslims for Christ. I would lay down my hammer today if the Lord would send me to Pakistan or Afghanistan. Jesus shed His Blood for me and I will be disappointed if He does not allow me the privilege of shedding my blood for Him.

In Japan I called myself Nazareth Construction Company. Our CEO is Jewish Carpenter. Jesus said, “I will build My church.” It has been an unspeakable honor to be a co-worker with Him in that construction project. But, surprisingly, most of my time is at the carpenter’s bench rather than in the pulpit. I guess it doesn’t matter that much which it is – standing in front of a large crowd preaching the Gospel, or in a kitchen washing dishes – Jesus needs servants to do it all; and maybe the lowest job is the best.

Thank you for your fellowship with me in the service of our great King;                  

                                                                       bill