Chapter 12 - Habitations of Shepherds

The building of the Ishibashi Center had provided only temporary relief for the crush of housing at Headquarters. Soon our home was again burgeoning with workers. It was apparent that expansion was necessary, and that further centers would soon be needed as well.

Thus on Auqust 17, 1962, a contract was signed for property adjacent to the Mission Headquarters in Habikino, and a down payment was made. But furlough time was rapidly approaching, for we had not been in South Africa for five years. Once again it would be necessary to place all aspects of the work under the supervision of the Japanese staff, with Sato Sensei bearing the primary responsibility. Construction of the new property would have to wait until we returned a year later.

The Mission was constantly on our hearts as we travelled through South Africa, averaging a meeting a day for several months. Fortunately, little David proved to be a good traveller and adjusted easily to the constant changes of faces and scenery, but it was not always possible for the family to be together.

Once I had to spend a month in deputation work about a thousand miles away. I had to decide whether to go by plane and spend a lonely month without Peggy and David, or whether to drive and take them along. Driving could be quite dangerous, for it was not only a long distance, but hundreds of miles of it would be through a vast desert area where there are very few people. As I thought it over, I finally said, “Lord, I think I’ll drive.”

I decided to load the car that night, before the evening meeting, so that we would be ready to start early in the morning. I began to pack the car, and leaned over to pick up the baby’s car bed. It was so light one could almost lift it with a finger, but as I leaned over suddenly such a pain shot through my back that I couldn’t move!

Peggy had to help me straighten up, and get into the car for the meeting. I could hardly get through the service, the pain was so severe. On coming home I went straight to bed without talking to anyone but the pain was so excruciating I couldn’t sleep.

As I lay there suffering, the thought came to me at about one-thirty in the morning that I hadn’t even given the Lord a chance to tell me what His will was. “Lord,” I whispered, “now I know! I can’t drive now anyway. But now that You’ve shown we what You want me to do, I’m sorry that I’ve been so obstinate. Please forgive me and touch my back!” I dropped into a sound sleep and when the next morning came there was nothing wrong with my back.

A month later I rejoined the family. I packed the car, and drove back into civilization with Peggy and David. We had only gone ninety miles when the differential on the car broke! How grateful we were that God had guided us by circumstances, protecting us even when we had failed Him by not seeking His direction!

Before leaving South Africa, we had an opportunity to meet the lady who had sent the money which paid for the second month’s broadcast of The Voice of Joy. We remembered that she had saved $180 over a period of three years, in order to repair the inside of her home, but then sent the money to Japan instead, at the Lord’s command.

I asked her, “Did you ever get enough money together again to repair your house?”

“No,” she said, “I’ve never been able to save that much money again.”

I was deeply moved as I realized what a sacrifice this woman had made. I knew that only the heavens could reveal what that sacrificial gift has meant to the Japanese speaking world’ If that money had not come on time the broadcasts could not have continued. But because she was faithful, the broadcast was expanding to station after Station, reaching out to millions with the Gospel. Little is much when God is in it!

The 12,000 miles back to Japan proved to be “miracle miles” for us. We became keenly aware that the enemy did not want us hack in Japan, for we faced problem after problem and delay after delay. How grateful we were that the Lord overruled and defeated the powers of darkness every step of the way, for we arrived safely back in Japan on March 7, 1964.

Two year old David had never been in such cold in his life, and shivered through the unseasonable damp, chill spring weather in Japan. But it was amusing to listen to him chatter to the Japanese with his mixture of English and Afrikaans, frustrated and puzzled because they did not understand him!

The Mission family was changing too. Peggy and I were saddened to learn that the Tanabes were leaving the Mission for a pastorate for they had been a genuine asset.

Fortunately, Mr. Kakiuchi had just graduated from Bible College and could take over Mr. Tanabe’s responsibilities. But Mr. Kakiuchi presented them with another problem, for he was nearly 35 years old, and still not married. A bride must be found for him as quickly as possible. Being Japanese, he would not choose for himself, but the matter was in the hands of Sato Sensei, our senior mission worker.

The Japanese expect love to follow marriage rather than to precede it, as in western cultures. Indeed, any attraction toward a member of the opposite sex is frowned upon, as associated with lust. When a marriage needs to be arranged for a son, the parents engage the services of a go-between. A young lady of suitable standing is selected and “standing” is considered very important–she must be a little lower in social status than the man, and under no circumstances is she to be his senior in age, even by a month. The young people are introduced and a marriage is arranged to follow shortly. The newlyweds move into the home of the husband’s parents.

A marriage is only legalized in Japan when the bride’s name is written in the family register of the groom. Sometimes the husband and his family do not enter the brideÅfs name for some time after the marriage. This gives them the opportunity to return her to her family it she is not “satisfactory,” cannot bear children or the mother-in-law does not like her. Of course no one wants a rejected bride, and her state is often very pathetic.

Traditionally, the bride comes into the new home just for the purpose of being a general maid to the whole family and to bear children. Unfaithfulness on the part of the husband is not uncommon and Japan has many concubines. For a time one such unhappy woman lived near the Mission, a poor unwanted soul who took out her feelings of inferiority on her own two small children.

Once a young person becomes a Christian, marriage becomes an even more crucial matter, for when unsaved prospective partners are suggested, great pressure can be put, upon the young person to agree. When the whole family are Christians it is a little better, for the minister of the church or one of its leaders is expected to serve as the go-between and find suitable marriage partners. If there is no one suitable in the church or neighborhood, often they must search through many distant churches to find an appropriate partner who is a Christian.

Because of the young people in the Japan Mission who were continually graduating from Bible College, and the many converts needing a husband or wife, Mr. Karasawa was appointed as the official Marriage Advisor. It was his responsibility to find an appropriate partner fur those not yet married, who requested this service.

The more pressing need of the moment, however, was for more space. Up until this time the unused garage had served as the office, but it was becoming entirely inadequate for the volume of correspondence being handled. It was decided to move the garage and put up a two storied reinforced concrete building in its place. The second floor would he the office, and the ground floor would have four rooms for living quarters for the growing number of workers. As soon as the work was completed another center would be built in the nearby city of Ibaragi.

In due time the new office Wilding was completed, and land purchased in Ibaragi, as planned. The man who was hired to build the house in Ibaragi had also done some of the work on the new headquarters office building, but he was a man Sato Sensei had never really trusted. As treasurer, he was responsible for making the payments to this man, and he told me over and over, “I don’t trust that man!”

But since this man had contracted to do the work cheaper than anyone else, I pressed to let him continue. I thought that since we had saved quite a bit of money on the new headquarters addition, we should let the man continue. Sato Sensei held his peace and let me overrule his judgment.

Work on the new center began and the first payment was made. In Japan, when a house is built the first payment is made when the foundation is laid, the second payment is made when the roof goes up, and the final payment when everything is completed.

This contractor was not content with the first payment, and pressed for more money right away. He told me that he could do the work even more cheaply for the Mission if he could have part of the second payment in advance. Sato Sensei objected but I pressed him to go ahead and pay the man, and he did. Although Sato Sensei said no more about it, I could sense his unhappiness over this.

Suddenly the work stopped altogether. When we investigated, we discovered that the man had used the payment we had given him in advance to pay some other debts. Now he had no money to purchase materials to continue working on the building.

The Mission lost $1500 in this transaction. This was a deep loss to the Mission, for income, though growing, was just barely keeping pace with the growing needs of the work. I realized that I should have known better. As a foreigner, I should have trusted the judgment of Sato Sensei, who knew the Japanese mind far better than I did. And what explanation could be made to the workers? For they all knew that finances were very short and that the Mission could not afford such a loss.

Sato Sensei came to me and said, “Shall we pray about this?” We knelt together, and Sato Sensei wept, repented of this mistake, and took all the blame upon himself before the Lord. I prayed too, and told the Lord I was responsible far more than Sato Sensei, because I had refused to listen to his sound judgment.

Every third day of the month the mission has a day of fasting and prayer for all workers. The following Sunday was such a Sunday and as the workers gathered for prayer, they all knew by now of this loss.

To my utter amazement, Sato Sensei got up and said to them all, “I just want to tell you that this money that’s been lost–I take all the blame for it. Mr. Verwey is a foreigner, and he canÅft judge the Japanese as well as he should. I should have known better. I should have told him in stronger terms not to trust this man. I take the complete blame for this whole financial loss.” And he sat down weeping, humbly repentent before the Lord.

A hush had fallen over the whole room, and there were tears in many eyes. I sat there absolutely dumbfounded, not knowing what to say! I knew how important it was to the Japanese not to “lose face” in front of others, and yet Sato Sensei had taken the entire blame for something which I really felt was my own fault.

I realized in those moments more keenly than ever before how closely Sato Sensei walked with the Lord, and I was tremendously impressed by this godly man’s willingness to take the blame for anything.

For months the Ibaragi Center remained unfinished, out in the rain, and nothing could be done to it. Not only were there no funds for some time to replace those which had been lost, but it was also difficult to find another builder who was willing to undertake the construction. Eventually it was completed, many months later.

One gloomy, oppressive day at the beginning of the inevitable rainy season, when the skies seemed almost bursting to deliver their heavy burden, the weary mailman delivered a large portion of his heavy load at the door of the Mission office. The arrival of the mail was one of the highlights of the day for the Voice of Joy office personnel, and the letters were speedily opened and the contents read.

The packages which were always a part of the mail received later attention, for they were considered less important. No one realized, however, that on this particular day it was to be through one of the packets that God was to answer prayer in a most remarkable way.

The first packet which received attention on that day was an unusual one, for there was no indication of the identity of the sender on the outside–an unheard of thing in Japan. When the wrapping was removed curiosity deepened, for an old broken book came to light.

Written on the shabby outside cover in large Japanese characters were the words, “Inside is money. Use it to preach the Gospel.” The book was immediately opened, and a shower of bank notes fell to the ground.

Consternation reigned in the Mission office. Staff who had been absent from the scene appeared as if from nowhere, and many eager hands helped to pick up the scattered fortune, 107 notes were counted, valuing $344. God had again delivered in His own wonderful way, at a time of desperate need, answering prayer in a most unexpected way.

The mystery of the packet was ultimately solved. It was sent by a very sick young man who loved the Lord. The gift represented his life savings, which he had given for the salvation of precious souls. His sacrifice was not only used for this end, but it also served as a great encouragement to the Mission workers.

It was soon necessary to expand the headquarters again, for the expansion two years earlier was already inadequate. Not only was the number of workers increasing, but there was the inevitable growth of the Mission family through marriages and babies. Additional land adjacent to the Headquarters was purchased, and a ten room building constructed.

At about the same time, an opportunity came to purchase land in Tokyo. A wife had been found for Mr. Kakiuchi, and they were sent to be in charge of this Center, in this vast city of 722 hospitals. Their home was within easy access of 32 hospitals, 15 of them within walking distance:

Ono after another the needed centers were being built. The Mission now needed more money each month than at any time in its history, but God kept the funds coming in to keep pace with the need. The work was expanding into city after city.