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PRAYER LETTER # 25

V' Tt-n s.

Forwarding AgentsMr, & Mrs, Clarence Cord

John & Deana Kachelmyer

House No, 2001

Catlin, Illinois
June 29, 1966

61817

Sayama-shi, Saitama-ken
JAPAN

Dear Friends in Christ,

Summer is finally here after a slow start, and to prove it we found ourselves in a typhoon yes terday, After a lot of wind and about 8 to 10 inches of rain in 12 hours, it finally moved on last nigjit

and left us with a beautiful sunny day today Our hot weather starts next montii.
We are grateful that the matter of the printing of this newsletter has been taken care of and from now on will be sent out from Catlin, Illinois. We are grateful to the Cords and Bro, Fulton for their activity on this problem and to Mrs, Hinton who will be doing the mailing. As all operations are now located in Catlin, any inquiries concerning the newsletter may be sent directly to the Cords.
Our church has been in existence now for 10 weeks. After the initial boom, attendance settled down to about 4 or 5 faithful interested ones witii others who come irregularly. This is pretty much the pattern here in Japan with a new work but I had hoped we could hold a high attendjince. In the Sts,tes, a new church usually has a nucleus of a few Christians to help get it started but here we st^irt without even the advantage of a cultural background of Christian principles. So far, our regulars are very interested but their conversion will take time too. In America people who attend church, even if not Christians, at least believe in God, but here we don't even have that advantage. We need your prayers for this undertaking.

The 8 week? English course that we held on Saturday evenings finished two weeks ago and was well attended, A bout four came to the church as a result of this but not regularly. Three new stu dents came to church last Sunday and we pray they will continue to come. We will try the English classes again in the fall.
Not wishing to be hasty with an announcement in the last letter, we now wish to inform that in December we will be adding a child of our own to our busy household. We eagerly await this event and ask your prayers for Deana in these coming months.

Several of the good weather days in May were spent with saw, clippers, rake and kerosene on the mountain property we have about 12 miles from here. As many of you remember, this 1/2 acre
property was purchased about 3 years ago at a very low price with the idea of building the Home on it. Several obstacles presented themselves however at that time and this present situation of two large houses was used instead, I had been led clearly of the Lord to buy that mountain site and later felt strongly led to keep it in spite of opportunities to sell it. The land is beautifully situated near a lake which is a popular place with city weary young people. With the starting of our own church now it has become evident that the land is to be used for a camp which idea has met with enthusiastic ap proval of our young people. Thus the work of cleaning up the land has begun.

This month has been a busy one in many ways. The missionary who is the engineer at the Pa cific Broadcasting Association desperately needed a summer furlough, PBA is an evangelical asso ciation which produces all of the Christian radio programs heard in Japan, They have a very vital ministry. With my background in this field they asked if I wouldn't take over for the summer, at least two days a week to keep the equipment running if nothing else, so I felt led of the Lord to agree. It is a two hour train trip each way so rather tiring but am happy that this knowledge can be used for the Lord to assist in getting the Gospel message to the numerous areas here in Japan where there
are no missionaries or churches.

As for our boys, Nakazaki continually improves as he develops a deep walk with the Lord. Less than 6 months ago we almost gave up on him. Through your prayers and ours he turned to the Lord,

though, which is the only thing that can help a troubled person. Now we have problems with Nakamura, one of the new boys. Before coming here he understood clearly our Home rules and agreed to obey faithfully our direction. After he got here though, it was a different matter. He had his own ideas of which rules he was going to keep and which not. He kept the other boys continually sitrred up and even verbally fought with them, I talked with him at length several times and he would promise
to do better, but without Christ was a victim of his own personality (as we all were). Things con

tinued worse and the other boys said they were as perplexed as I as to what to do to help him. Finally
I felt we all needed a rest from this so sent Nakamura up to Karuizawa to the orphanage he came from for a 5 c^y rest to give him time to think over whether he wanted to stay here and get an education or not. The director of the orphanage there gave him a real going over and Nakamura came back with a much improved attitude. We have had peace since. However, a stormy nature cannot be quieted except by Christ and unless Nakamura accepts Him we will have these problems again. I am writing all this to you in detail so that you might pray for Mm. He is enthusiastic about going to Bible camp the end of July and we are praying that he mi^t accept the Lord there, Nakazaki is going too.

OuFother boy, Ichikawa, is quietwhenproper, MtspbkehwlienTrieedt^,'slable mn^r^onality and helpful in many situations. He reads the Bible with an open mind and we ask your prayers that
he too will soon accept Christ,

We had ano&er boy we were ready to take into our Home recently but after Nakamura got through talking to him the boy hasn't been back to see us. For the time being we could not take him in anyhow until Nakamura gets straightened out. We write all these things so that you might know the good wiOi the bad, else how could you pray for our needs. If we are going to take in unsaved boys and lead them to Christ we have to expect trouble, both from them and satan's working against us. It is hoped that once we can get a number of saved boys in the .Home our difficulties with new
ones will be less. We work toward this goal.

Please remember then these needs in prayer and pray with us too concerning our financial needs. We are still alsmot $4,000 in debt on our buildings. We have been paying against this out

of our Home operating expenses at the rate of $150 per month but wish we had that $150 to use other
wise, We do praise God for you who have helped us in so many ways with prayer, support - both moral and financial, and gift items of various kinds. We are behind about 2 montsh in our personal correspondence again but hope you will be patient with us.
God's riches blessings on you all. Sincerely in Christ,
John^and Deana

aaxsanban NanxacH
I 'ojs[ nuijad 2.18X9 821 xoa siouiin sTouixn

aiYd aSir^sod 'S'a uoi^bztubSjo VfJoJd-^ON

XSIHHO ao HOmiHO NIIXVO

^ *

ii^AY]^ LETTER # 26
John & Deana Kachelmyer House No. 2001

Foirwarding Agents;
Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Cord Catlin, Illinois 61817

--'3 1336

Sayama-shi, Saitama-ken
JAPAN

September, 1966

Dear Friends in Christ,

We praise God through whom comes victory. This afternoon I had the joy of baptizing our oldest boy, Ichikawa-san, into Christ. He had gone to camp the last week of July and on his return burst in to the house, his face beaming, saying he had accepted Christ at camp. Because of his summer job that he had secured he had to leave us the next morning so there was no opportunity to baptize him at that time; and also he wished to wait until he could be baptized before the others. It was a wonderful baptismal service and he looked so very happ3\ This leaves only one of our boys yet unsaved and his
unhappy face among the others is quite a contrast. This is Nakamura about whom I wrote in the last letter. He has continued to resist the Lord so we ask your prayers for him. Our other boy, Nakazaki, continues to make wonderful progress in his Christian life. He is as happy about his_personality,change as we are because he knows what he was like before. The age of miracles is not past for we contin
ually see the great miracle of the new birth and its effects

Our evening church has settled to about seven regulars, although settled is not a good v/ord in regards to a church so we are hoping for some newcomers. Tonight we had a service, for the first time, in which a real quietness settled over the group and there was a feeling of the presence of theLord. We ask your prayers that the Lord will begin to use these services. We have not felt led to expand this to a morning service, at least at thiv"? time. We had let the boys go temporarily to a church nearby for Sunday morning but were concerned to find a church for them as free as possible from the doctrines of men. We were in prayer for this during the summer and during vacation learn ed of a church about 30 minutes away by train that sounded exactly like what we were looking for. We have attended there twice now and are very pleased. Sunday morning begins with a communion service lasting from 8:00 to 9:30, baptized believers being allowed to partake. There is a Bible school from 9:30 to 10:30 and then another service until 12:00. There is a large youth group and they meet again at 3:00 for an afternoon service. Deana and I return home after 9:30 but our boys like it well enough to stay the whole day, arriving back here at 6 PM for supper. The minister is Bro. Akichika. He went to the States when he was 15 years old, didn't know English but started school, graduating from high school at 23. He married another Japanese in the States and they came to know the Lord in 1936. They both became exceedingly fervent Christians and went through man}'hardships during^ the war. They retumed-to-Japan right after the war^smissionarie&T-then 43-years old. In 1953 Bro. Akichika managed to purchase land and began to build a church with his own labor
only. He now has a beautiful four story building that is hard to believe is the v/ork of one man. It is still not completely finished. He is a powerful preacher and a man who has walked with God. We are happy that our boys can be under his teaching.

Our summer vacation consisted of 9 days at Karuizawa, the mountain town where many of tlie missionaries gather during the summer. The highlight of our whole year, outside of our personal victories here, was the deeper life conference there which lasted four days. The speaker was the most Christ-like man we, or any otlier missionaires we talked to, had ever met. We were uplifted beyond measure and felt ready to face again the continual challenges of our work here.
Deana is doing very well and we are counting the weeks now until the arrival of "our bundle of

joy. " Of course there are the usual aches and pa.ins of which we men are totally uncomprehending,
but a healtliy diet has done much to alleviate many of the common difficulties.

The work of clearing the mountain land is progressing well. Probably the most fun was getting

PRAYER LETTER # 26

-2-

September, 1966

rid of the old house that stood on the property. It was an enormous thing about 50 feet long by 30 feet wide and about 25 feet high with a thatched roof. After a lot of work trying to tear it down and save some of the large beams (some 15" square) we gave up because of lack of time. So we cut out all of the main vertical posts, after inserting temporary preps to keep ourselves from getting squashed, and then yanked the props out from outside the house with ropes. The house then collapsed in a great cloud of dust. The next morning bright and early we went up and touched a match to it. Needless to say, it was a beautiful blaze. The whole thing was done for in four hours. I have gone up by myself since then as time permits to continue clearing the land which is overgrown almost solid with bamboo, vines, unnecessary trees and weeds. As I cleared away the overgrowth I have found many beautiful trees and shrubs which have managed to survive from when the property was a res idence. The thought of putting up camp buildings seemed quite remote because of the expense but then just three weeks ago I was offered two quonset huts for only $100 each. It seemed too good to pass up so the two dismantled buildings now are neatly stacked, with the help of a trucking company, at the foot of the mountain. I was also able to purchase cheaply a used two wheeled tractor and cart for hauling these things up the mountain and also for hauling supplies in the future. I have a lot to learn though about using such things. September is a wet month and when the path is wet the tractor wheels just spin instead ox pulling. Just three days ago the cra?y thing slipped off the trail and fell over the side about 10 feet down. Red faced, I liad to get two other missionaries to help get it back up the next day. It was a d9.ngerous situation though and I have to learn a little more caution in its use.
I hesitate to v/rite this but I feel something should be clarified. From time to time we receive

letters from people asking to be taken off the mailing list. There is nothing wrong in this because if a person is not interested in our particular work here there is no reason for receiving the letter. However, what pains us is that im^ariably without exception the letters we receive are written in what seems to us a most unkind manner. The purpose of our newsletter is four fold. First, there are many who are interested in the work of missions and our work especially (and we are grateful for the great encouragement their interest has given us). Secondly, there are many personal friends both at home and in the churches to whom we do not have the time to always write personal letters. This letter keeps them informed. Thirdly, there are many who desire to uphold us in prayer. This
letter informs these saints of our needs. Fourthly, tliis letter informs the churches and interested

parties of our financial needs. There is no question that we need funds to operate just as any church in the U, S. does. But we feel bad that anyone should feel that because they receive the newsletter they are under obligation to contribute. We look to the Lord for our support (and these are not just fancy words), but the Lord is not in the counterfeiting business. He uses people to supply his em ployees. We mention our financial needs in this letter from time to time because the Lord uses this to bring our needs to mind. We ourselves tithe as the Lord commands. We are always on the look
out for other missionaries who have financial needs, that our few dollars might help them as other

missionaries have helped us often when we were in a tight spot. The only way we know whether some one needs help is for them to say so. We pray that no one feels obligated or under compulsion to
contribute to our work unless the Lord moves them to. Many who receive our letter are already con tributing to other works. We would not have them change one penny from another work to ours. But if someone who receives this is not helping missions at all, then perhaps prayer for guidance and a

re-reading of the Scriptures is in order. Sorry to take up space on this subject but we have been con cerned when even personal friends ask to be taken off the list "because we can't send support." But if anyone is really not at all interested then we prefer that our forwarding agent is informed that the
name might be withdrawn from the list.

We hope next time to include somepictures and we are still working on a set of slides. We hope the latter can be ready soon. Please continue to uphold us in your prayers and thank you all for those wonderful, friendly, encouraging letters. They provide a wonderful link to home and often brighten our day when sometimes everything else has gone wrong. Sincerely in Christ,
John and Deana

3 15^

Catlin, Illinois

September.' 27 > 1966'

Dear Christian Friends?

We are enclosing literature concerning

the Kachelrayer*s work in Japan and a copy of their

last news-letter.

A letter' is now in the= process^

of being printed and you should receive it soon.

Thank you for your interest in this
particular field of labor for the Lord.

Sincerely,

Forwarding Agents.

1 2 1967

PRAYER LETTER # 27

Forwarding Agents:

John & Deana Kachelmyer

House No. 2001

Mr & Mrs. Clarence Cord

Catlin. Illinois 61817

Sayama-shi, Saltama-ken
JAPAN

November, 196^^
(PriRtmg date - 179/67)

NEWS FLASH! Genevieve Anne Kachelmyer was born December 7, 1966 at 12:47 P.M, She weighed 8 IbSo 4 1/2 oz. Since she arrived they have been very busy. She is a healthy little girl and a real joy to them. I know that all of us rejoice with them in this blessing to their lives.
Dear Friends in Christ,

Christmas is just around the corner and Deana reminds me that this letter is way overdue again so here we are at last. Time goes by so fast for us it seems like only about a month ago that I wrote the last one. Since the last letter in September we came through a dandy typhoon and a few other things. The typhoon came roaring through here early one Sunday morning. We had been warned it
was coming but we had been through many others and they never amounted to too much so I didn't

pay much attention. About 2 a,m. we were awakened to the sounds of the howling wind and the rattling of the windows. It sounded just a little more wild than ordinary. The electricity was already cut off and with it goes the city water supply, although there was plenty of water coming down outside at the moment. I went about checking the windows and trying to guess at what was going on outside. About 4 a m. the wind died down but I couldn't get back to sleep and when it began to get light about 5:30 I got up and went out, I was ready to moan over a few of our trees that were blown down until I saw the shambles the neighborhood was in. From the top of our house I could see that the roofs were torn off many of the hang3.rs at the air base nearby and roofs were gone on many houses. Our total damage amounted to three broken tiles on the roof of the one house and a small strip of metal roofing off the other, an FM antenna blown down, three stove pipes blown over, three trees blown down, and a fence that I was happy to get rid of. We drove out to see the nieghborhood. There were trees, poles, and fences down everywhere of course, and even several walls made of cement blocks blown over. But what really surprised us was to see the whole second stories of several houses sheared right off and many totally collapsed. We were indeed fortunate as were our missionary friends and praise the Lord for His protection when so many neighboring houses were damaged. We were without water or electri city until 9 o'clock that night but I was asleep long before that. Telephone service was restored in 4 days, and that ended the great typhoon episode,

A few days later I drove to our mountain land to see if everything was alright. There was a lot of damage in the forest but not a thing was damaged within the boundaries of our property, I should give the one exception, though. There is a shrine on tlie property which was there when I purchased it. it is dedicated to the goddess of mercy and contains an idol of her. The shrine is only a small thing about 6 feet high and 3 feet square. It is a very touch matter with the farmers in the neighborhood of course, as they worship the thing and have a bi-yearly festival to honor the goddess. She is supposed to protect them in return, etc, I have wanted to smash and burn it many times since I have the right to, but felt that infuriating the farmers, who are now my good friends, could serve no good purpose. As it is, they are going to remove it before we actually begin to use the land. Anyhow, as I arrived at the land that day, the first thing I saw was that shrine standing on its top about 10 feet away from its foundation stones. The altar, candles, incense, vases and other paraphernalia were strewn about and in the midst of it all, that pathetic little idol. How sad that anyone should turn from the glory of the true God to worship that; and to put their trust in it for protection when it couldn't even save its own shrine-house. Would j'^ou pray with us that we may see these farmers turn from this helpless
idol to the True and Living God?

We do thank you for your prayers on behalf of Nakamura-san, our unsaved boy. From being so desperately troublesome, he has become 100% cooperative and things are so much better. He told
ois one dayJiiat he appreciated how much nicenlheJiome had become^ I told him that the Home was

the same, it was him who had changed. My rules stand the same as ever. When he decided to start obeying without a fuss then everything became bright. Isn't this the same with the Lord. God's laws and standards never change, A person who continues to beat his head against the rock of God:s un changeable righteousness will only get his head split open. When we cooperate with the Lord, every thing good begins to happen. Please continue to pray for this boy that he will next learn to obey God
and accept Christ,

Well, two weeks to go. Now that it's that close Deana and I are really anxious for the baby to ar rive, We have to drive into Tokyo every week now for Deana's checkups and the doctor says she's coming along just fine. Everything normal, We are using the Seventh Day Adventist hospital in Tokyo which is an excellent institution. We are very fortunate to be near enough to use it. All the mission ary wives say they would choose SDA over any Stateside hospital for maternity. We l^ss^ve a very good American doctor. There are. I think, five American doctors there in all plus a full Japanese staff of nurses and other doctors. And the baby will be well dressed and comfortable through the kindness of

three church groups and several mdividuals. Our neighbor who is a U.S. Air Force captain's wife his given Deana so many things too and we also received a crib, bassinet, high chair and other thiags.
Only two more things we need, a play pen and. of all things, a rocking chair for De^na. We expect any day that someone will drop by the house with those things too How wonderfully the Lord has
provided our every need. He cannot fail for His Word if true

Not only in the above, but the Lord provided us with a full American style, old-fashioned Thanks giving dinner this year. We certainly weren't expecting it. Laot Sunday Bob and Mary Stephenson. a military couple, dropped by with the whole thing: Turkey, camied ham, pumpkin cranberry sauce, stuffing, canned goods, fruit cake; in short everything right down to a box of aluminum foil for roast ing tlie bird, Bob's father used to be Deana's ministtr when she was in high school. He is now serv ing in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We are glad to have such good frisnds stationed here., and it just goes to show that it's really a small world after all. Our boys hivd never eaten turkey before and

were surprised at the size of the thing. We made it last four meals which, also.l guess, i? an old
American custom.

Besides our own, we also had a very enjoyabJ.e get together for Thanksgiving at Bro, A1 Hammond's
home wath our other missionsri9v5 in. th;? Tok\-o ar^-.a
and left much refreshed and uplifted.

Present w.^re Pratts. Warrick:-, Pattons,

Duttrays, ourselves and of course. llammondy We had a fabulovi? afr^rnoon ci Ae.i.u.iw.ship in the Lord
We have only 6 weeks left in which to jocate boys to take in for-next year We are praying, and ask your prayers much, that the Lord will lead the right ones to us. We are not alter jucit any boys but those With the potentials of service to the Lord. Thi. narrows the field consider-}bly. By the next
newsletter we should have some news? on this.

Our little Sunday evening church meeting continues with pretty much the same reguiarc-j. One high school girl moved to a town about an hour away by train bu* slie sti.il comes when she can. On the whole, I think I've gotten about r;s much good out of it. as anybody. The lirol time I got up to preach in Japanese last April 1 was shaking like a leaf and had the message all written out word ior word in Japanese which I read. It Mas a real dud. Then 1 got a fellow to interpret for me so 1 could preach in English, but the Lord told me to get rid of him and get to preaching for myself So i groaned on through several more weeks of written out messciges Wh..Hl i need. 1 thought, is a Jap anese preacher who can do all the preuciriing so these young people won't have to listen to my broken Japanese. I met just the man and had him all lined up when the Lord said. "You are rioj; to engage a Japanese preacher. You are to do the preaching yourself to the best of your ability, " After that,, somehow, things were different. The next Sunday, with the Lord helping;, from just an outline written
in English I preached in Japanese. Then two weeks ago the Lord wouldn't give me a message to preach unto 10 minutes before time to start and I had to do it without any notes. So whatever we think we can't do, it's usually true - we can't. But with the Lord's help is there anything we can

not do, unless it is not for His glory? Be encouraged. God is always near and His promises of help and guidance are too numerous to list. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great in thy faithfulness The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him., " Lamentations 3 22 ti. Now Christmas is near and we pray that each of you might reflect on the blessings of the Lord and His great Gift to us. And may we therefore "present ourselves to God as a living sacrifice;"
to the glory of Christ,

As we have decided, due to our time being very much taken up with the duties of our M^ork, not to send out any cards this year at all. we would use this occasion to wish each of you a biecsed
Christmas, and God's richest blessings in the coming year.

Sincerely,
John and Deana

CATLIN CHURCH OF CHRIST

Catlin, Illinois

61817

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