CHRISTMAS JOY
By Randy Hongo

It was two years ago - early September 2009 - that my kidney doctor first advised I be tested for multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. While taking routine blood tests to monitor my kidney care, the doctor suspected myeloma might be the cause of some elevated readings. He referred me to an oncologist who did a bone marrow biopsy. The results declared a minimal presence of "antibodies," a common situation among people. In one third of the cases, the oncologist said, the antibodies eventually disappear. In another third, the antibodies remain but there is no danger to health and people live a long and healthy life. In another third, the antibodies increase to full-blown myeloma, which requires treatment and could lead to an early death.

In writing of that experience two years ago, I described how God's peace - after several days of fear and anxiety - flooded over me and brought me to a point of total assurance and joy, knowing that God was present and working out His perfect will in my life.

Well, now it's two years later and in late November 2011, my oncologist Dr. Carl Higuchi took another bone marrow biopsy, found the antibodies had increased in percentage and diagnosed active multiple myeloma. The disease, he said, is "incurable," but there is successful treatment with medication, chemotherapy, and stem cell transplants. Some of the work can be done in Hawaii but the more complex aspects of the treatment must be done on the mainland.

As Dr. Higuchi gave me the unexpected news, I was stunned. But as I prayed within me, I sensed that same peace and reassurance of God's presence that I had experienced two years ago. My grandmother Tsuneko Hongo's favorite verse was Psalm 23:4: "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with me." I had claimed that verse for myself in 2009, and God showed me His peace. He was blessing me again with peace now that the diagnosis was positive.

We don't know why things happen as they do in our lives, but we do know that our Heavenly Father is in control. He is on the throne, He has a perfect plan, we are a part of that plan, and we are called to be obedient, to be at peace, and to even be joyful. Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice." We are commanded to be joyful no matter the circumstance. I am grateful that God has given Gay, Andrew and me His peace and His joy amidst this physical trial. And we will be obedient and interested as we watch God work out His plan for my well-being, my healing, and the ongoing proclamation of His Gospel of love and redemption through the testimony of our speech and our lives.

Matthew 2 talks about the journey of the wise men. They were looking for the star that pointed to where the Christ Child was. When they saw the star, verse 10 says, "they were filled with exceeding great joy." I apply that same principle to what I am going through now.

I could look at my physical situation and think, "poor me, why is this happening?" But that would be doubting the King of Heaven and His plans for me, plans for hope and a future, plans to prosper me and not harm me (Jeremiah 29:11). But I instead look to Jesus Christ, and I rejoice because He commands me to, I rejoice because I am acknowledging His sovereignty and total control of every aspect of my life. Whatever happens in the days to come, I respond as the wise men did when they saw the presence of the Lord before them - I am filled with exceeding great joy. Christmas joy will carry me throughout the weeks and months ahead and last me all year long.

I will be going for treatment at the City of Hope in Duarte, California. My first appointment is on Wednesday, December 21 with Dr. Michael Rosenzweig. Gay will be flying with me to California, Andrew is coming from New York and meeting us in Los Angeles, and the three of us will meet with Dr Rosenzweig. We will listen to his full diagnosis and receive his recommended plan of treatment. We trust God to be leading all of us each step of the way.

Thank you for your prayers as we embark on this journey, this new adventure as I'm calling it. At this point, we're not sure how long this first visit will be, whether or not I will remain indefinitely in California to begin treatment immediately there, or if I will return to Hawaii to begin initial treatment here then return to City of Hope later. All is in God's hands and we wait with patience, peace and joy.

Christmas has sweet memories for many of us. For me, there are two that stand out. The first is Christmas 1963. I was 16 years old and had been attending Youth for Christ meetings at Hilo High School since that September, invited by Christian friends Elaine Latimer, Lucille Hokama and Tommy Walter. I heard the Gospel presented clearly for the first time, I read the Bible and memorized Scriptures, I asked questions, and although I didn't understand all the answers given me, I did see the light and reality of Jesus Christ in the lives of my friends and other club members.

So it was that on December 22, 1963, I knelt in the living room of advisor Don Yaeger's home and prayed to receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was a quiet joy that I remember experiencing. I knew I had taken an important step toward a new relationship with God and saw that joy reflected in the smiles and tears of my friends that were surrounding me in the prayer circle. It was the bold witness and care of these friends that stayed with me for years to come and led me to reach out and share that same Gospel by becoming a music missionary as God would open doors and lead me.

The second memorable Christmas was 1979. We were living in Louisville, Kentucky, I had graduated with a Master of Church Music from Southern Seminary in May of 1978, and Gay and I had decided to remain in Louisville to begin a traveling music ministry. I would drive our silver and maroon four-door Mercury Monarch throughout the South with Gay in back next to Andrew, safe and secure in his car seat.

It was December, a few days before Christmas when we were doing a morning service at Buffalo Lick Baptist Church, a small country church 30 miles outside of Louisville. Andrew was a year and eight months old. He was usually content with going to any church's nursery, but on this particular Sunday, he was fussy and agitated so Gay carried him while singing and leaning against the podium throughout the morning service.

On our drive back to town after the service, we knew we had to take Andrew in to the pediatrician and did so early the next morning. As soon as the doctor felt Andrew's fevered body, he said, "This baby needs to go to the hospital. He has bacterial meningitis." Being young parents, we didn't know about the disease or how serious his case was. We rushed Andrew to the hospital and nurses ministered to him immediately, sticking needles in him, putting him on an IV with medicine to attack the meningitis. Gay and I cried out to the Lord, "Please God, help us, we love Andrew so much, please save him." We promised God we would raise Andrew to love and serve Him if only He would save his life. It was a very difficult, devastating time for us as our faith was tested.

But God in His amazing grace and mercy and through the miracle of modern medicine healed Andrew in eleven days and he became well again. Our joy was great, victorious, triumphant, tear-filled. What a blessed Christmas gift. And we have raised Andrew in the ways of the Lord and are grateful for the man of God that he has become because of God's grace and mercy.

So Christmas joy comes in a quiet way one year, in a gloriously triumphant way another year, and this year, with a peaceful assurance as my family and I know the Father will work all things out for His good and His glory as we deal with multiple myeloma. God has sent blessed angels our way to help and inform us about the disease and treatment possibilities. So many of you have written emails, sent cards or made phone calls, offering the wisdom of your first-hand experiences and extending your love in countless ways. Thank you so much. Mark Gallagher, principal of Kaimuki Christian School, has spent hours talking to me about his experiences at City of Hope and how successful treatment has led to him being in remission for five years. Allen Shinsato, Gay's second cousin, also had myeloma and spoke highly of his time at City of Hope. He has been in remission for the past year.

And God has already blessed with some fruit in our ministry. In a Christmas concert in early December, I shared my journey of hope and joy amidst this diagnosis; one young lady shared with us after the concert how my testimony tearfully blessed her as she is struggling with her own diagnosis of cancer in recent months. I'm reaching out to a new audience as I share what I am learning as I go through this challenging time in my life. I'm now speaking not hypothetically but from a first-hand experience, and that makes my testimony even more relevant and powerful to the listener. All glory to God. Perhaps I will be a witness to doctors and nurses at the hospital. Perhaps God will give me new songs. However God will use me - or whomever God will bring into my life to bless me - I give Him praise for working His good and perfect will in my life.

As I pray each day to my Lord Jesus, as I spend quiet time with Him, read His Word and am assured of His presence and sovereignty, my heart is filled - as were the magis' - with exceeding, excessive and eternal great joy. Hallelujah.

GOD IS IN CONTROL..HIS TIMING IS ALWAYS PERFECT.
Message from the caregiver: Gay Hongo

November 17, 2011. This is the day Randy got his diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma. That evening we had scheduled a Christian Vision Board of Directors meeting. Wayne Yasutomi shared a devotion. It was a story of a man who walked through the woods and came upon a red barn. In it were bags of seeds Satan had laid out. The biggest bag contained seeds of discouragement. But to Satan's dismay, he found that there was one place where this seed could not take root and grow. It was in a heart full of gratitude.

Then another board member, Steve Kaji, shared this verse with us: "When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul" (Psalm 94:19).

What a great and gracious God we have. Every morning we see new mercies. Family and friends have showered us with love, prayers, and financial and spiritual blessings. Our hearts are full of gratitude, and there is no discouragement here. In fact, we experience joy as we see His plans unfold before us.

On November 19th, two days after the diagnosis, we did a concert at Mililani Missionary Church. After Randy shared his testimony, Theresa Hiromoto gave us a devotional book by Sarah Young titled Jesus Calling. This daily devotional is written with Jesus speaking directly to us using Scripture. The book helped us begin the practice of listening to God. It has helped Randy and me grow closer together and deepen our experience of Jesus' presence and peace. God provided this to strengthen us for the journey that lies ahead.

Man may make his plans but the Lord orders his steps. Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart plans his way: but the Lord directs his steps." We have learned the truth of this verse in recent weeks as our plans for the coming month has changed.

Back in the spring, shortly after the earthquake and tsunami devastated Sendai, Japan, our missionary friend Paul Suzuki sent us an email asking if we would consider coming to Japan. He thought our gift of music would bring Christ's joy and encouragement to victims of the disaster. We said "yes," and we cleared our calendar from December 20th to mid-January.

As things have turned out with Randy's health condition, our first appointment at the City of Hope treatment center in Pasadena, California is on December 21st. Our departure date for Los Angeles is December 20th. God knew this was the date we needed to leave Hawaii. It was just a different destination. Our friends in Japan are very disappointed, but they are all praying for Randy's recovery and healing. They said they look forward to a future time when we can go and sing for the people after Randy's health is better.

At our home church Kalihi Union Church (KUC), God provided a wonderful new pastor, Jonathan Steeper, just in time to be a loving and caring shepherd.

Jonathan's father, Bill Steeper, was our pastor at KUC from 1954-1963, then again from 1984-1988. Pastor Bill is now with the Lord, but his wife, Libby, is still active and healthy. I consider her my spiritual mentor. Pastor Jonathan keeps us grounded in the Word and reminds us to keep our eyes on Jesus. He gave practical help by helping us get an office in KUC's administration building. Pastor Steeper is also helping us build our Hongo Music Center on the KUC campus.

Libby Steeper, Andrew and Pastor Jonathan Steeper

Libby called me on night and said, "It's 2 a.m. here in Canada, but I just had to call to see how you are." I said, "I'm glad you called because this morning I woke up and was amazed that I had the best sleep ever. Then I remembered that you said you were going to pray that I sleep well so that I had energy to do all that I needed to do to help Randy." Libby and I praised and thanked God for answering her prayer.

Then I told Libby that Randy left early this morning to clean up and move out of our Christian Vision office on School Street. When we met for lunch, Randy told me that as he was cleaning, he was watching old videos of past concerts and even a video of Andrew's high school graduation party, and it gave him so much joy. But here it was 8 p.m. and Randy was not home yet, he was still cleaning the office. I was anxious and worried that he wasn't home to rest. To my surprise, Libby said, "Let him be! Don't be so concerned with the physical because it is the joy in his spirit that is keeping him well."

Then she told me to read Romans 8: 5-6: "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."

Thank you all for your prayers. Please pray for the Spirit of God to control our minds so that we may have life and peace. The Spirit keeps us physically well.

Many of you have asked about contributing towards our medical and travel expenses. Some have even offered to donate air miles for our travel to California to the City of Hope. Any expression of your support for our family in the coming months will be much appreciated as we will have many needs. As God leads you to help, we know He will provide for us. Please address your donations to Christian Vision and you will receive a tax deduction for your gift.

May God bless you with life, peace and joy.

In Jesus, Gay

FAMILY FIRST
By Andrew Hongo

We'd like to thank all of you for your prayers and support as we deal with my dad's health situation. Though it's been difficult for us in many ways, I'm amazed at the peace the Lord has given to us through it all. We are confident that God has the final say in this matter, and I know that this confidence is nothing less than a supernatural gift from the Lord.

I've decided to move home to be with my parents as long as they need me. I've packed up my Brooklyn apartment and said good-bye to my New York friends. I do hope to return to the city eventually, but for now first priority is helping my parents in any way they need. At first my parents didn't want me to move home. They knew how much I love living in New York and what a great life I have there. But in my mind, to be able to support and encourage my parents during this exhausting time is not a sacrifice on my part at all, but rather a tremendous gift. God, in His grace and perfect timing, has given me the opportunity to serve my mom and dad.

With my dad taking time for treatment and recovery, I've been asked to step in and take over some of his responsibilities for Christian Vision. This means that I'll be coming on staff with Christian Vision for a period to assist with daily operations. I'd like to ask you to prayerfully consider supporting me through prayer and finances in this work. If you do feel led to partner with me in this manner, you can do so by giving to the general fund of Christian Vision, which will pay for my health insurance and salary as they are able.

Although I don't know what the Lord has in store for our future, I sense that He has a lot more work for my father to do in the years ahead. As Jesus told his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. I'm asking the Lord to send out workers into His harvest field. And I'm asking Him to start by sending my dad.

My dad and I had a great time ministering in Cambodia in October. We were in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, screening the documentary film I did on streetkids and the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Here are some excerpts from my report on the trip:

After stopping briefly in Hawaii to pick up my dad (who accompanied me and was a huge blessing), we flew to Siem Reap and hit the ground running. Legacy screened about a dozen times in Cambodia over as many days. We targeted communities that could relate firsthand to the themes portrayed onscreen (which meant viewings in orphanages, slums, and a drug rehab center), but also arranged several showings for the expatriate community, primarily missionaries and NGO (non-governmental organization) workers.

For me, the highlight of my time in Cambodia was getting back in touch with Chak, the streetkid featured in the film. I hadn't seen him since shooting concluded in June of 2010. At that time, he was still living on the street—sniffing glue most of the day, sleeping on the sidewalk, and begging for food and money.

Through the help of one of the translators who worked with me on the project (Pastor Noel Dequito, originally from the Philippines), Chak had gotten word of my return and met up with us. He greeted both me and my dad with a big hug and an even bigger smile. He had cleaned up nicely: his eyes were clear, he had put on weight, and he was wearing a collared dress shirt and designer jeans.

Chak told me a bit of how he turned his life around: a few months earlier, he had gotten arrested for harassing some Red Cross workers, and the police put him in a drug rehab center. He got off drugs while in the program and also got back in touch with Pastor Noel, who ministers weekly to the boys in the program. Chak said that while in the rehab center, he prayed to God that I would return to Cambodia so he could see me again. Now one of his goals was to learn English—so that he could converse with me without a translator.

Chak watched the film—which portrays his daily life on the street in detail—and said that although he was embarrassed to see himself like that, he also wanted his village to see the film so they could understand how much he had changed. We knew it would be a challenge arranging a screening in a slum that was little more than shanties and mud floors, but we also knew it would be well worth the effort.

Kids from the slum enjoy Legacy in our makeshift movie theater.

We arrived at the slum around dusk, and my dad pulled out his ukulele and started singing to draw a crowd. Within minutes, there were at least 60 people crowded around us. Meanwhile, Pastor Noel got electricity from the one shack in the village that had power and routed it to the projector via a series of extension cords (including one that was basically two wires stuck into an outlet) held together by duct tape and prayer. The screen was a white sheet from our hotel room hung from the wall of one shack. And though dogs and toddlers were climbing around the mass of wires and cords, the system miraculously held for the whole program. You guys must have been praying for us.

As a filmmaker, it was amazing for me to see this particular audience's reaction. When characters onscreen recounted their experience of Pol Pot's regime, I heard an old woman behind me repeating the phrase, "no rice, no food." She remembered what it had been like—she had lived through the very same famine. And when Chak's stepfather appeared onscreen, drunk in the middle of the day and dancing to Khmai music—the audience roared with laughter, which I interpreted as a sense of camaraderie, seeing one of their own on the silver screen.

But since I had last seen him, Chak's stepfather had stopped drinking and started farming a small plot of land with corn and vegetables. (Pastor Noel had followed up with him and given him some seeds.) After the film concluded, in the dark of the slum lit only by the streetlamps, I had the following conversation with Chak's stepfather:

Me: What religion are you?

Stepfather: I used to be a Buddhist, but I became a Christian when I stopped drinking.

Me: When did you become a Christian?

Stepfather: After I met you.

Me: I know you're a very smart man. Do you read the Bible?

Stepfather: I want to, but I don't have one.

Me: If I give you a Bible, will you read it?

Stepfather: Yes, I will. In fact, I listen to Christian radio every day at noon.

I was pretty shocked by the entire conversation... and while I'm still not sure exactly where he is in his faith, I'm confident that the Holy Spirit is working in his life. While the film does not have any explicit Christian themes, as a Christian filmmaker it was neat to see the Lord working behind the scenes, as only He can.

We continued our screenings in Phnom Penh, and one meeting in particular moved me. We arranged for a viewing for a group of kids from the slums with the help of Timothee Paton, a French pastor who runs a mentoring program for those kids. After the film, I sat down with a group of them, a boy and several girls, all teenagers. They were nicely dressed in jeans and collared shirts or blouses—but I knew the difficult situation they lived in. I had visited their slum the year before. It was dirty, muddy, with a stench of human waste.

I asked the group of teens what they thought of the slum Chak's family lived in. They told me it was just like the slum they lived in, and while they didn't sniff glue, they roamed the streets collecting trash. I asked what they thought of Chak's stepfather, if they knew of any people in their slum who were alcoholics. "Oh, so many," one girl replied. "So many men drink in our village."

"Do you pray for those people," I asked. "Do you believe God can change them?"

One girl smiled and said, "I didn't pray for them before. But now that you told us about Chak's stepfather, I believe God can change them."

Holding back my tears, I said, "You have made me so happy. Thank you for sharing that with me."

The meeting concluded, and Tim drove us home in his truck. I was sitting in the back, feeling the rush of the cool evening air on my skin, looking up at the stars against the dark of the Phnom Penh night. I thought of all I had seen in Cambodia. I thought back to the summer before, when I had watched Chak lying on a deserted sidewalk, a plastic bag filled with glue pressed to his nose even as he fell asleep. I thought back to the first few times I had met his stepfather, and how he was either drunk, or crying, or yelling at Chak most of the time. And I thought of how even then—especially then—God saw them, and He loved them. He brought me all the way from New York to Cambodia—a strange land where I knew neither the language nor the city—to make this film, to meet these people, to be a part of His unfolding plan of salvation, and to be reminded of how good and gracious He is. How great His love; how great my joy to be a part of His work.

In Chak's slum, Dad draws an enthusiastic crowd with his ukulele and Hawaiian songs.

Jeremiah 29:11 became my theme verse throughout this trip: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" I'm not quite sure what the Lord has in store for me next in terms of my ministry in Southeast Asia, but I'm excited to see what surprises He has in store in the future.

Kids from Phnom Penh slums were inspired by testimonies of how God can transform anyone.

CV HAPPENINGS

Hongo Music Center

As the year ends, the Christian Vision 'ohana is grateful to God for the fulfillment of His plan for the Music Center. It was eleven years ago, in December 2000 when we first had the vision for a center for the creative arts - music, dance, drama, writing - where God's people could gather and study to prepare themselves for Kingdom work.

At times, it has been slow progress, but we kept our eyes focused on the Lord just as the people of Jehoshophat in II Chronicles 20 did when enemy forces threatened to overwhelm them. The mighty forces of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir were preparing to overwhelm Judah when King Jehoshophat spoke before an assembly of his people, saying, "...we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you" (verse 12).

"Our eyes are upon you." We must keep our eyes on Jesus, just as the wise men did when searching for the star. As we do, and acknowledge His presence and reality in our lives, we will know peace and great joy. Whatever the situation, crisis or question before us, we must keep our eyes focused on the Lord and watch Him work out the marvelous plan He already designed has for our lives. For the people of Judah, the result was overwhelming victory against the enemy forces. For me in my moment of physical challenge, it is peace and joy at God's presence and power. For the music center, it was knowing that in His time, God would work out the details. And He has done so beyond our expectations.

Kalihi Union Church - our home church - will be remodeling much of its campus property to prepare for its 100th anniversary celebration in September 2013. The church leaders have generously decided to partner with Christian Vision and provide space for a music center with rooms for instruction, for recording, and for maintaining an office. Eric Yuasa, longtime church member, and his committee are working diligently to design a floor plan that will be satisfactory for our purposes. They have been gracious in allowing us to give direct input on what we want. After all these years of waiting, God is showing us His plan and we are very thankful.

Your offerings given up to this point - as requested in the original capital campaign brochure and as explained by our lawyer - can only be used for the exterior of the building. Our intent at the beginning was to have our own free-standing building for the Music Center. However, with Kalihi Union now doing the exterior construction, the funds will be used for interior needs - equipment, furniture, supplies, soundproofing the recording studio. To do this, Christian Vision must write a letter to every donor, asking them if the money can be re-diverted for interior needs. We will be doing this as the coming year unfolds.

As for future gifts for the Center, we have devised a new offering envelope with the following wording for future contributions: "Hongo Music Center, Phase II Equipment Campaign." Your ongoing support will be much appreciated.

Mahalo, Japan

When the diagnosis for multiple myeloma was given, our plans for our Japan mission had to be cancelled. We were to leave December 20 for three weeks, presenting concerts first in Tokyo and Saitama, then in northern Japan for earthquake and tsunami survivors in Sendai. Our Japanese hosts will be praying for us in the days to come, so we send thanks to Paul and Carol Suzuki, Yoshisuke and Naoe Noguchi and Reverend Tsugumichi Ohkawa and his church family for all the planning they did on our behalf and for their encouragement and the prayers being said for the Hongo family. We look forward to a future time for ministry to the earthquake and tsunami victims.

Caring Bridge

Caring Bridge is a website that allows people who are afflicted with an illness to write of their experience so that family and friends can stay informed and up-to-date. Danette Kong and Andrew Hongo put together a page for me on that site for people to follow my progress. Instructions for accessing this site on your computer are:

1) go to caringbridge.org

2) search for randyhongo (one word)

3) sign in with your email and create a password

4) post a response if you want to leave one

Thank you for your care and concern for me.
I hope this website helps in your following the progress of my treatment.

UPDATE FROM CITY OF HOPE

I'm writing this on Thursday, December 22. Our appointment at City of Hope was all day yesterday, and everything went very well. The hospital is on a beautifully landscaped campus at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and everyone we met from the administrative staff to the nurses and doctors was kind and gracious. Such an inviting atmosphere.

My doctor - Michael Rosenzweig - was born in Boston, raised in and went to med school in Arizona. He worked at New York's Sloan-Kettering Hospital before moving to California. He was thorough in his explanations of the nature of multiple myeloma and his recommendations for treatment. He prescribed a treatment of chemotherapy for a few weeks, then after a rest period for my body, he will do a stem cell transplant. This involves harvesting my stem cells, cleaning and freezing them, then re-inserting them into my body. That procedure has been very successful in bringing myeloma patients to remission so my prognosis for the future looks very good.

Dr. Rosenzweig wants me to start treatment immediately, so my next appointment with him is Tuesday, December 27 with the first chemo treatment set for Friday, December 30. I look forward to ringing in the new year by fighting this disease with the power of God and the help of modern medicine.

Randy and Gay at the City of Hope Fountain.

For those who asked about writing to me, I look forward to hearing from you. You may address all correspondence to:

City of Hope
1500 East Duarte Road
Duarte, CA 91010.

In the lower left corner below the address, please write:

Attn: Hope Village
Randy Hongo