Christian Academy in JapanL OOK ING

UPWA RD
MOVINGF O RWARD

Summer 2019

Message from
Head of School
C H R O N I C L E

EditorDonna Lewis
Photographer
Ushio Sawada
Graphic Design
Martin Barker
Juliana Barker

Christian Academy in Japan
1-2-14 Shinkawa-cho
Higashi Kurume-shi
Tokyo, Japan 203-0013+81–42–471–0022
www.caj.ac.jp

Follow us on Facebook@christianacademyjapan

C

hristian Academy in Japan has a vision that provides
us with a destination towards which we set our course.
We hold to that vision of “equipping students to serve Japanand the world for Christ,” believing that this is a high call anda weighty responsibility. How we achieve that vision, however,
may alter with current needs, resources, and even with the issues
impacting the world in which we equip our students to serve.
The student body we equip today looks quite different fromthe students attending CAJ when the school was founded. The
staff serving at CAJ has changed as well. The same educational
strategies that were effective 50 years ago may not be useful
today. The challenges our students face as they leave us arecomplex and complicated, and will require our students to beprepared in increasingly innovative ways.
On the other hand, some things never change. The Seibu line
still whizzes along the back of our playing field. Students are still
hungry at lunchtime, still hang out on campus long after theschool day has ended, still ask questions, wonder, explore andgrow. The world around us is still a beautiful and intricate placefilled with wonderful people…and paradoxically, those people
are also wounded and broken. It has been so for generations.
Christian education continues to prepare students to beagents of restoration to this world, something CAJ has been
doing effectively for nearly 70 years. Though the strategies,
technology, and demographics change, our vision is constant.
We desire to preserve that which stands the test of time andprovides our secure foundation, while meeting the needs ofour next generation of students.
We hope this issue provides readers with a sense of how weare equipping students currently for the world of the future. We
hope you will also see that we are not afraid to face the difficult
issues of society, in order to prepare our students to leave here
to do their part to change it. The key people doing this hard andholy work are a group of highly committed staff members who
serve the students at CAJ in a variety of ways. Many of them
are doing this in classrooms, on the field, and on the stage, butothers serve in offices and around campus, all doing their partto fulfill CAJ’s dedication to equipping students to serve...here
and now, as well as in the future.

Equipping students to serve Japan and the world for Christ.
Good teachers know that students learn in multiple ways. Some learn best throughreading, some need to hear, some thrive when they can move, and some respond best tovisual representations. Our core statements are inevitably written down for us to remember
them, but we also talk about them, put them into action, and we are grateful to have themembodied in artistic icons for us to interact with.
Alumnus Martin Barker (‘78) and his wife Juliana, have a graphic design firm that has helped
us to update branding for the school. In 2017, they developed an updated logo for CAJ as
well as a sports logo. Last year they created icons to help us see our vision and values inways that help us interpret these important themes: God is the author of all truth; Humans
are created in God’s image; People are designed for community. These designs were thenprinted on banners scattered strategically around our campus and used in various publications and presentations.
This year, the Barkers have served the CAJ community again by designing an image to aid
us in representing our vision statement: “Equipping students to serve Japan and the world
for Christ.” The artwork represents a figure gaining knowledge from a book radiating God’s
truth. The triangle shows direction radiating outward, as equipped students move out inservice. The red circle can also signify Japan, the land of the rising sun, while the blue could
symbolize the world.
Finding multiple ways to remind ourselves of the importance of these foundational themesof CAJ is one way we stay focused on them. Using icons to help us more fully understandour vision and values is one more way we equip students while appreciating the gifts ofbeauty and design.

Anda Foxwell, Head of School3

4

Elementary School
Our Program applies a biblical approach to life and learning, addresses the whole person,and equips students to become, among other things:• Responsible Learners who understand

Bible stories, the plan of salvation, and a
Christian worldview.

• Discerning Thinkers who use a biblicalperspective.

This is not something that is left to the senior years, or to isolated corners of the timetable.
Teachers in the Elementary school have provided snapshots of what this looks like at different levels and in different areas of the curriculum.
For more about how our program applies a biblical approach to life and learning go to
caj.ac.jp/about/mission.php.

K

Lisa
Turner&Jamie
Matsuokakindergarten

We recently went to the local firestation and made a friendly connection with our community. God’s
truth can be found in connectingwith others.

1

Julie
Johnson& JanetEkstrand

st

GRADE

TEACHING TRUTH

TEACHING TRUTH IN

In December, the first grade class studied ‘Christmas
Around the World’ to celebrate CAJ’s diversity. The
students enjoyed learning God’s world is full of many
countries with different traditions! Even thoughanother country may celebrate Christmas in a different way, it can still be a wonderful way to celebrate
the birth of Jesus.

2
4AshleySakamaki& Marcia
Okada

GRADE

3

The second graders presented their Dinosaur Projects to
the Kindergarteners, 1st graders, and 5th graders. One of
the questions we asked our students was, “How did God
create your dinosaur special?” They shared their thoughts
and learned that God created each of their dinosaurs withunique characteristics and special abilities.

GRADE

rd

Victor Eby& Kimberly
Thompson

Shyni
Paul &AngelaHall

In 3rd grade we study
insects. The majority ofpeople (even kids!) don’t
like certain creepy crawlies but we know throughthe words of Scripturethat ‘God saw all that He
had made, and it was very
good.’ It is through thislens that we study God’s
creation.

GRADE

5

Christine
Ijima&
RanayePrevatt

GRADE

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5

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
6and Japan. The Guardian reports that “more than
1,150 hate speech rallies were held in Japan between
April 2012 and September 2015,” citing a report by
Japan’s justice ministry.

Treating Otherswith Respect

A Conversation About Race and Grace

At CAJ,

we do not shy away from tackling the tough problems students face intoday’s world. We also want to practice living with truth, valuing God’s
image in each other, and building a God-honoring community in the way we practice civil
discourse. We are not exempt from today’s challenging issues, but rather than cover them up,
we seek to discuss them with courage and respect.
Damon Ealey, CAJ’s High School Principal, and Vincent Howard, a high school English andBible teacher, share a conversation about recent incidents of racist speech among CAJ students
and how our community might respond in ways that honor our Lord and our neighbor.
Damon Ealey: A little over a year ago, some
CAJ students posted a picture in the boy’sbathroom that used the N-word, which is ahighly offensive racial slur. A group of students
were confronted and warned that this type of
language was inappropriate and that this typeof action was considered a “big deal.”
Since then, there have been incidents wherestudents mocked African students in theirpresentations, and recently a student called
another black student the same highly offensive racial slur in the midst of a conflict.
Since 2016, there has been an underlying racist
subtext within much of our public dialogue
in North America. Mexicans are often seen as
drug addicts, non-white immigrants are often
seen as criminals, and black people are often

portrayed as violent. A culture has been cultivated where people feel that it is OK to express
hatred towards others.
Here at CAJ, the internet affects our diverse
population, and yet the lens through which
our students view life does not have the same
perspective as the context in the UnitedStates. I truly believe that students at CAJ do
not always have a clear understanding of thehistorical context and meaning of the words
they are using; however, when they use racist
speech it can still be damaging.
Vincent Howard: I agree with you, Damon,
about these disturbing cultural trends andhow they may be influencing students at CAJ.
Racism seems to be on the rise in both America

In America, incidents of hate speech have spiked
since the 2016 presidential election, according to
National Public Radio. “In the months following theelection more hate incidents took place in America’s
schools than anywhere else,” said NPR, citing a study
conducted by The Southern Poverty Law Center.
“Hundreds of elementary, middle and high schools
have played host to an array of troubling events, fromsophomoric stunts to much worse: a hijab pulled off
a Muslim student, physical fights with racial epithetsflung, even violent threats.”

early 70s, my father, with a 45-0 record as a quarterback on American high school and college footballteams, left the U.S. to play in the Canadian Football
League. I grew up in Canada, before earning a football scholarship myself to the University of Toledo,
the same university my father attended. It was therethat both African American and white players taught
me about race in America. It is complicated.
I am neither Republican nor Democrat. I am Canadianand I am a Christian. My citizenship is in heaven.
Unfortunately, it seems to me that many American
Christians have adopted a party, rather than an issues
based approach to politics, and it bothers me. It
affects how our students view Christianity and how
they see Christ. It is why I felt the need to add a comparative politics class for high school students at CAJ.
This class is taught by two teachers with different
views who know how to have a healthy dialogue.

I think we in the CAJ community could read thesefindings and say, “That’s America. This kind of overt
racism doesn’t happen at CAJ.” But as you point
out, Damon, the recent posting of the hateful racist VH: I agree about the importance of our teachersand school leaders modelingmessage and the use of racist
how to have a healthy dialogue
speech on campus make it difabout race and inviting stuficult to deny that overt racism
How might students
dents into that conversation.
does happen here.
become agents of
The cultural mix at CAJ makes
justiceintoday’s
To get a student perspective on
us a school where we need toworld?
know how to have that dialogue
this issue, I recently surveyed arespectfully. I think this cultural
number of high schoolers frommix makes our school an intereach grade level. While not all ofthese students said racism was a serious problem on esting and rewarding place to work. Yet, as Japanese
campus, most claimed that hurtful speech is present and American cultures come together with the otheramong our students. Some said that such speech is languages and cultures of our community, the possibility of disunity lurks.
prevalent.
“Verbal abuse, slander, exclusion, very heavy judgment[and] mocking...are very evident all around campus,”
said one student. Several students said “racist jokes”
are a common occurance on campus. One student
identified the “exclusion of other races in friendgroups and conversation” as a related problem.
As I heard our students make these observations,
I thought about how our school leaders should
respond to racist or negative speech on campus.

After the racist message was posted in the boys’
bathroom recently, I interviewed Nate Gibson, whose
Humanities course explores American history and literature with a focus on how students might become
agents of justice in today’s world. He reminded methat “racism exists everywhere,” and he pointed outthat “this is not simply a U.S. problem. Japan has along and storied history of anti-black racism.”

DE: As a member of the leadership team, I am frustrated with the current climate present in American
civil discourse. I am fortunate to work on a teamwhose hearts are like gold and who sincerely wish to
be both merciful and just.

Nate also said something that convicted me as a white
American. He said “it is imperative that our teaching
staff, most of whom are not black, acknowledge this[history of racism in America and Japan] and prepare
ourselves to listen, rather than presume to know better
than our black students [and faculty] about how black
people are treated in this country, and at CAJ.”

I am Canadian of African descent. I am only a
Canadian because the NFL decided that black quarterbacks weren’t smart enough to start. So, in the

DE: Most white people have never really experienced the pressure on African American/Canadianleaders. You walk into a room and need to prove that
7

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
8

your grammar is right; you need to navigate
the swamp of stereotypes and expectations,ensuring that you “have what it takes.” This is
not an excuse; it is the way that I live. I become
the token minority, the representative for all
African and African-American people, the one
whose hair some white people feel it’s OK totouch or around whom they feel it’s OK toexpress their racist thoughts. I have heard white
talk about “those ghetto violent black people,”trying to justify their own racist views. Racism
does exist and unfortunately, it could easily
become embedded into the thought DNA of
those buying into this version of Christianity.
I get angry when I speak with Christians whotell me that racist rants expressed by American
leaders are not a sign of racism. I am offended
when someone tells me to go read a bookabout racism so that I can come to the conclusion that it doesn’t exist. I get angry when
Christians are offended by Colin Kaepernickkneeling during the national anthem yet don’t
seem to care about the racism and inequities
that Kaepernick is trying to address (Racism
does continue to exist, even in the highly paid
NFL, but that is another story you could readabout in The Stone Thrower by Jael Ealey
Richardson).
At CAJ, our students are influenced by thisnegative side of American culture. It is important to state that most of our students are notracist. However, the steady influence of North
America’s current trend toward mocking andputting people down has subtly crossed international borders. I see it and recognize it. What
I appreciate about CAJ is that the teachers,
despite their political party, recognize that God
calls us to treat others with respect.
VH: Your point, that most white people havenot experienced the pressure put on African
American/ Canadian leaders, is an important reminder for me. I think that is why NateGibson’s challenge to white Christians—that
we “listen, rather than presume to know better”—is one that I found especially convicting. This
makes me go back and question my own presumptions as a white American man. When I
do that, I find that I have disturbing attitudes
in my own heart. I see pride and entitlementand denial about my own prejudices.

I think of my experience at the college I
attended in Georgia, where I was surrounded
by well-off white students and a few black
American students. I remember wondering,“What kind of welcome would black students
receive here?” This question found an answer
one day in my African American Literature class,where I heard a white classmate complainthat he was tired of hearing about America’s
legacy of race-based slavery. Enough time
has passed, he said, and “they” need to let it
go. Those words have stayed with me, and theattitude behind them angers me. But I haveto ask myself, “Am I, another white Americanman, ever guilty of such arrogance?”
After college, I came to see my own racial arrogance in a new way when I joined a churchcommunity in Chattanooga, Tennessee called
New City Fellowship. At New City, I learned
new things about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I had heard this Gospel many times since
becoming a Christian as a teen. But I had notheard how sin—the power from which Jesus
set me free—includes the racial and culturalbarriers that usually divide people. At New City,
not only did the unity between people of different races seem real, but that unity seemed
to prevail despite the misunderstandings andfallouts that naturally creep in to relationships.
I saw this unity everywhere - in the pastor’s
sermons, in the conversations over meals, inthe music and in the ministry to the poor in
our community.
At New City, my friendships seemed deeper
and more lasting than most others I had
known. Many of my new friends were black
Christians and latino Christians, and fromthese friends I learned some important things
about myself. Informally, through conversations with friends, and formally through organized panel discussions on racial issues, I cameto see—probably for the first time—that I did
not really understand the experience of black
people in America. In fact, I did not understand the experience of any minority groupsin America. The privilege that came with mybeing a white American man meant that thecenturies of oppression and discriminationand hatred and violence aimed especially at
black Americans was outside my experience,and it always would be.

Not only that, but it was arrogant of me to presume
that having black friends, as I have throughout mylife, meant that I knew what those friends had toendure. At New City, I came to see that I had often
made this presumption without acknowledging it.
DE: Vincent, this is refreshing to hear. It is what mostpeople fear admitting. Current political systems tend
to facilitate rich, white, male ethnocentrism. I believe
the current leadership has exacerbated the problem.
The African American struggle is viewed as ancienthistory. Many white Americans fail to realize that thedecisions made in the past have significant impact
in the present. For you to validate the struggle andacknowledge that you don’t understand--that is ahuge step. This is the kind of dialogue that we needto have, and the fact that you have taken the role oflistener and learner...now that means a lot.
VH: After college I took a position teaching English at
a local high school, which further opened my eyes tothe extent of my ignorance. For two years, I spent mostof my days as a minority, often the only white personin the room. My students
were mainly young black
men and women whosebackground was, in some
important ways, similar
to mine. These students
came from broken families with fathers who wereabsent or unsupportive,
just as I had. Becauseof their parents’ low
incomes, my students
received free lunches provided by the federal government, just as I had. They
were unlikely to graduate high school college-ready,which had also been true of me. But I came to see a
crucial difference between us.
The American system of institutions that paid forour schooling and lunches also favored my race. Thissystem drew a line between us, with white people
on one side and black people on the other. Though I
managed my way through grade school by the skinof my teeth, and though my parents were either
unemployed or underemployed for most of my life,
this system was ready to welcome me once I madeit over the necessary hurdles. Jobs were waiting forme, along with supervisors who did not show me
the same suspicion and skepticism they would likely
show my black students. In this respect, the factor ofrace seems even more important than intelligence.

The average intelligence and performance of my students did not seem different than at my previous
school, where white students were the majority.
The same system that offered me a salary to teachEnglish also divided our district’s schools along economic lines, which, in urban America, often means
racial lines. Most of the district’s black students lived
in the inner city, which meant they attended oneof four or five inner-city high schools. Meanwhile,
most white students attended one of the district’s
six or seven suburban schools. Officially, our district’s schools were open to students of any race.
Unofficially, our schools were segregated.
DE: You mention students. I only wish that people
would understand how race influences decision
making. When I moved to Japan and began to teachat CAJ, I recognized that many of the children ofwhite missionaries were graduating without speaking Japanese. A feeling of terror came over me. As an
African-American/ Canadian father, I felt strongly that
I needed to enroll my children in a local Japaneseelementary school. Whilewhite students had theprivilege of using privilege,
my children may be considered stupid for living ina country so long withoutacquiring the language.
People at the time didn’t
understand, and didn’t try
to understand.
VH: This conversation withyou, Damon, reminds methat my role, especially when it comes to the subject ofrace, especially considering that I am a white Americanman, is to listen and not presume to know your experience. I do not know. But I believe that Christ does.
When he was tried on trumped-up charges, tortured,and lynched, the hate speech of his oppressors was
ringing in his ears. “Forgive them, Father,” Jesus said, as
he died at the hands of murderers.
The attitude of Jesus’ heart in that moment is, tome, the greatest display of grace the world has everknown. Jesus’ abusers and killers are like all of us. They
had hate, even murder, in their hearts. But instead oftreating us as murderers, as we deserve, Jesus treats
us all as family. “Forgive them, Father.” I am thankful
Jesus said those words, for they are more powerfulthan all the racial slurs and hate crimes the world has
ever known.
9

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
10

time
CAPSULEAll great literature is one of twostories; a man goes on a journey
or a stranger comes to town.
~ Leo Tolstoy

This story,order to leave behind an earlier innocence. It was

Orwell’s dystopian novel we had read together andabout the struggle, which alumni of the past 20

the year of my birth. If we were ever going to recall

years or so went forth from senior orals or comps

where X marked the spot, that was bound to be it.

knowing well. When you are 17, about to embark
on a global journey to whole new realms of independence, you think you know all you need toknow, and have experienced the full gamut ofheart ache and joy and know how to play yourcards for anything that is to come. In tween-ese,
you suck at endings.
I

believe

Churchill

it
who

was

Ten years later, the text came: “Ms. Foxwell, do you
remember where we buried our time capsule? It’s
our 10-year reunion.”
This past summer, they dug it up. Inside were partsof their former selves, long outgrown. They had also

Winston

said,

“The

farther backward you canlook, the farther forward you
can see.” Now, in my own
35th year, I know that to
be true. I could barely
see two steps in frontof me that day. I had

whichperhapsfits neither of Tolstoy’s parameters, is a story witha large cast. It begins with two year 12 classes, ayear 2 class, one teacher, and a dubious looking
plastic crate. Unlike many stories, all the action isin the first and last chapters, and there is a longsilence in the middle. The most unlikely part of thestory is perhaps that there is an end at all, given
the important role that the plastic crate was toperform and the state of its contents by the lastchapter. Read on...

truly experienced agreat deal of life’s
fullness, but not evenan inkling of the loveand learning and griefand celebration that there wasto come — and is to come.
A little more than five years after my own commencement, I found myself back on the samegrounds and preparing to teach many of the samelessons to the CAJ class of 2008, co-teaching senior
English with my own former English teacher. It wasa bonus round for me. I got to re-learn and then

Alanna Foxwell
A Resurrection Glimpse

teach and share and discuss the lessons all overWhen I graduated from CAJ, my commencement speaker — who wasalso my 35-year-old senior English
teacher — delivered our eulogy. At
the time, I found that rather darkcommencement address theme

again, but this time with binoculars. Just a little
more clarity. A little more context. A little better
understanding of time, of being, of intimacy, of
patience, of responsibility.
So when that year ended and I parted ways withthose seniors, we had our own burial ceremony.

included pieces of work and letters from the thensecond graders, now CAJ’s most recent alumni.
They sent me a picture of the letter I’d writtenthem, mud splattered but still legible.
In many ways, the past 17 years have been learning
how to make good endings; something the first 17
only culminated with. But good endings are how
new joys spring forth. And how you make room for
gratitude.
The context for the struggle has changed, but not
the framework. I still ask those same questions.
They are how I mentor young writers, raise my own
children and participate with my own commu-

poetically intriguing and gen-

We placed artifacts into a box — wrote letters, drewuinely inspirational… although

pictures, dropped remnants of inside jokes andthematically,

reallylessons and quotes, the meaning of which is longneed it yet. It was about rites ofsince forgotten — and buried it. We buried it underAnd, yes, I am just a middle-aged (well… middle-ish)passage being small deaths in

the 1984 stepping stone in the courtyard, a nod to

mom with stretch marks, but by God’s grace I prayI

didn’tnity: What opens my eyes? How shall I live? What istrue? How shall I respond to suffering?

11

REFLECTING HIS IMAGE
12

that we all continue to allow space to go forth from our places in

together, memories from 10 years ago immediately rushed through mypeace and justice to love and to serve.       brain. It had been another humid, hot summer day — the day before ourAshley Sakamaki
It was a humid, hot summer day in Higashi
Kurume. As I was cleaning my classroom
after dismissing my Summer School students, I received a text from my classmate,
Ken Morimoto. “I have something to show
you. Are you in your classroom?”
He then sent me a photo of a dirty plastic
box that had our high school graduation
date written on the top. I couldn’t gather mythoughts quickly enough to remember thisbox, until Ken explained what it was. “It’s ourtime capsule... remember?”Initially, I couldn’t remember how I was involved,
but when Ken brought the box to the classroom
and we carefully examined the items in the box

high school graduation night, June 5, 2008. My English 12 and AP English
classmates and I were at the plaza putting our memorable projects or
random items inside the clean, white, plastic box. Some were interviewed by Ken, explaining the item we were putting inside the box, andthese interviews were later retrieved.
As we took out each item from the box, we found CJ (our Principal,
Calvin Johnston) and Mrs. Joan Johnston’s commencement speech,
photos, art projects, letters, the Class of 2018’s When I am a senior…
writing assignment and much more. So many great memories,
achievements and dreams were crammed into the box. Alanna,
thank you so much for organizing this wonderful project in the
midst of our busy and crazy schedule. Thank you, Ken, Naoko-sanand Nobuko-san for digging it out on that scorching summer day!
Nostalgic. Sentimental. Natsukashii. Wow. It was such anamazing and beautiful afternoon reflecting on God’s perfect plan for mylife and this intricate yet wonderful story that He is still writing for me...and you. I pray that
this is true for all of my classmates as well. Love you, Class of 08! I leave you with a quote from Alanna’s
letter to us that was buried in the capsule.

Do you remember the words above the whiteboard in Room 109?
Go forth in peace and justice to love and serve. I pray fervently thattoday you are doing just that.
~ Alanna Foxwell

Ken Morimoto (08) and Naoko Sawada (current staff)
with the time capsule13

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
14

PLANNING
for the

FUTURE

general learning, and community purposes. As

We would very much appreciate your prayers

funds become available, Stage Two is also likely

for the continued planning and funding of thisto include an upgrade of our sports fields.

development process. More information about

While good stewardship has put the school ina position to commence a new development
phase relying first on its existing resources, clearly
the current and future stages will be significantly
enhanced and quickened with the wider finan-

this and how you could help will be distributed
as the year progresses. In the meantime, if you
would like to consider ways to support, you areinvited to contact us personally or go to the
Giving Tab on our website.

cial support of our community, past and present.
Accordingly, over 2019, we will be commencing a
Capital Fundraising Campaign to seek support.

Bryan Lewis

Business Manager, CAJ

The

CAJ

community enjoys won-

reported in the Summer 2018 edition, with the

derfulandaid of a consultant, focus group sessions weregrounds. The prayerful efforts of staff, students

held to identify, and prioritise areas of need.

and parents are the foundation on which we

As a result, a Master Plan was compiled, and aachieve our mission. Functional, well resourced,

Building Committee established to plan wellup to date facilities provide us with the essen-

for the development areas identified.

buildings

tial tools by which we ‘equip students to serve
Japan and the world for Christ.’

Over 2018 and now into 2019, the Committee
has been working with architects to design a

We are thankful for those who used their time,

new facility as Stage One of the Plan. The aim

wisdom and resources in the past to helpof this first stage is to provide solutions to asprovide what we now have. However, it has

many high priority needs as possible within

been a number of years since the last major

the current funding capacity of the school. This

construction on our campus. Buildings age,

includes a need to replace the ageing cafeteria

and educational needs change over time.

building, and the provision of multi-purpose

In order to enhance student outcomes, inlearning spaces to add flexibility and enhance-

2017 the school began a process of reviewing

ments to programs. This will include addi-

our current and future facility needs. As wetional space for physical education, fine arts,
15

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
16

An Indiana
Christmas Carol

A modern day adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens story
Written by CAJ drama director, Joan Justiniano

In 2018, for the first time in many years, castmembers came from all three divisions — elementary, middle school and high school — topresent An Indiana Christmas Carol.
Though many of the cast members had neverinteracted before the show, it was amazing to
see the bonds that were built during the show.
Before each rehearsal and performance, wewould pray as a group and, at one point, ouryoungest cast member, a 3rd grade student,
even volunteered to pray for the show.

A highlight of the show was the throwback
70s party, part of Scrooge’s flashbacks, whereactors portraying Gladys Knight and the Pips
danced to A Midnight Train to Georgia. This
became the theme song of the show. Oneof the best displays of the community built
through this show was at our cast party when
we played the song and all 40+ actors, crew
members, and directors danced along to thesong together!
Julie Johnson

17

LIVING IN COMMUNITY
18

Pam Kumate, a longtime resident of Japan hailing from New Zealand is the energy behind all the
support the Human Resources department offers to CAJ staff. Besides being passionate about New
Zealand rugby, she is passionately committed to building efficient and effective systems for staff to dotheir jobs well. We asked Pam a few questions about her role as Human Resource Manager.

How has the role of Human
Resources changed over the past
20+ years?
Twenty years ago, we didn’t have an HR department at CAJ, and various staff members tookcare of bits of the job without there being any
cohesive view of what it meant to look after
the most critical resource the school has: ourpeople. Slowly we have identified the range oftasks needing to be accomplished, in order toproperly administer personnel matters as well
as offer significant support to the staff in their

Human Resources at CAJ

lives at CAJ and in Japan. It’s still a work innearly all teachers employed

grade or teaching seniors, all staff members

were sent from mission agencies, usually fromshare a common call and a common vision

The change from most staff being seconded
from a mission to most staff being directly

for their work. They all are parts of the same

hired by CAJ has been the greatest change.

team, all equipping students through their own

Our teaching staff continue to be mostly fromunique gifts and talents.

North America, and come to us as professional

members directly takes a larger slice of the CAJ

The Human Resources department at CAJ helps

annual budget than it would have in the early

to take care of all the needs of staff members.

education and mission in Japan. As our needdays, it has the benefit of bringing teachers andWith few staff coming through a mission, CAJ

support staff to meet specific needs the school

must provide services for staff previously pro-ingly needed to be bilingual with a good under-

may have, and to having the option of hiring staff

vided by a sending organization — visas, housing,standing of Japanese culture and practice.

members when the needs arise, without longadvice on living in Japan, language assistance,

come without a sending organization and are
employed directly by CAJ. Though paying staff

waits for support raising and language school, orother requirements a mission might have.
No matter who pays their salary, CAJ is blessedwith staff deeply committed to equipping students to serve Japan and the world for Christ,

educators with a heart to support Christian
to exist in the Japanese labor system has
increased, so our support staff have increas-

ance, Japanese pension enrollment, staff ben-What do you appreciate themost about the staff you serve?

efits and taxes, as well as handling the payroll

Whatever the changes over the years, the staff

and other help. The office also processes insur-

staff are committed to excellence and often
go way beyond their duties in order to love andserve the community.

What is the most challenging
aspect of the job?
The sheer volume of tasks in supporting a staff
of 90 can be overwhelming at times. My day
can often bounce all over the place within thespace of a few hours, making focused, big-pic-

to help me with many of those tasks now.

maintaining facilities or coaching, teaching firstfrom all over the world, and most often, they

our students and equipping them to serve. Our

ture time challenging to find. I’m so thankful to

CAJ was founded in 1950,

North America. Today, staff members comesupport staff, committed together to serving

progress!

How have you seen the profile of
CAJ staff change over the years?

When

at CAJ remains a single team, teaching andhave a full-time assistant and other colleagues

What brings you joy?
What challenges also brings joy. Every time astaff member leaves my office with a problem
solved; a sea of happy faces at our June dinneras we celebrate one another.

How do you see your role inachieving CAJ’s mission?
My main role is taking care of the staff in sucha way that they can focus, without distractions,on their role in equipping students. Keeping
CAJ fully compliant in all labor practices as
we model working with integrity is a anotherimportant part of my job.

for the employees. It’s a busy place! Surrounding
these more practical tasks are the bigger picture

professionals who sacrificially follow God’s call

challenges of recruitment, staffing assignments,

At CAJ, we strive to make decisions based on serving our students, but the most important people in

to work at CAJ in a variety of positions. Whether

contracting, work regulations, policies — andproviding a high quality education for our students are their teachers. We are proud of the teachers wetheir position is purchasing or accounting,keeping the staff supported and happy!

have on staff this year and of the support staff who keep CAJ clean, safe, and running smoothly.

19

LIVING IN COMMUNITYCAJ STAFF

20

How have we changed?

Alumni Updates

It’s

CAJ Alumni News is a forum for updates from alumni, provided as a community service.
The inclusion of any piece of alumni news is not necessarily an endorsement by CAJ.

interesting to occasionally revisit
old haunts and see whether they
are still as we remember them. Does thatfavorite café still have the same owner? Is
my favorite dish still on the menu? And
whatever happened to old Mr. Brown frombehind the counter at the local store?
With this in mind, and with the help of the
HR staff who were willing and able to trawl
the archives, we’ve been able to answer
some of those questions in regards to CAJ.
Is it still the same school that I went to?
What has changed?
In order to cover such a large topic, twoyears were chosen, 20 years apart.
In summary, here are a few of the changes:

AGE GROUPS

1998

19

with amaster’s
degree

1998

13

that
are CAJ
alumni• CAJ no longer has a hostel and internally staffedcafeteria. This has seen the number of support
staff drop by ten• The school is now much more international. The
percentage of US citizens on staff has dropped
from 70% to 55%, and the percentages froma number of other countries has increased
accordingly.

• The number of staff with masters degrees has

increased steadily, in keeping with the generaltrend towards continuing education for teachers
in all parts of the world.

• There are many more staff alumni than there

were 20 years ago. This is perhaps a reflection on
the increased number of years that the school
has been functioning.

LONGEVITY

2018

32

2018

20

COUNTRIESOther in 1998: Belgium, Switzerland, Malaysia, Zimbabwe
Other in 2018: New Zealand, United Kingdom, India

with amaster’s
degreeTotal staff
and gendercomparison
that
are CAJ
alumniSteve Hersey | 1979
Steve is teaching HS English at Quisqueya
Christian School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where
he has lived since 1993. His wife teaches MS
English. Steve writes that his oldest daughter
just graduated from Wheaton, and his son is a
Sophomore at QCS.

With
children
attending

For a brief history of CAJ’s major events, click the link to CAJ history.

Tony Namkung | 1963
Tony Namkung (63) has been awarded the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award by CalvinCollege. He is seen here at the award ceremony
at Calvin College with Dr Martin (former Principalof CAJ) and Mrs Barbara Essenburg.
J. Mark Ramseyer | 1972
J. Mark Ramseyer, Mitsubishi
Professor of Japanese Legal
Studies at the Harvard Law
School, has been conferred with
the Order of the Rising Sun,
Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon,
by the Japanese government.
One of the oldest and highest national decorations, the award recognizes Ramseyer’s extensive
contributions to the development of Japanesestudies in the U.S. and the promotion of understanding of Japanese society and culture. A
leading scholar in his field, Ramseyer focuses his
research on Japanese law.
Martin Barker | 1978
Martin Barker Design was named the 2019
Small Business of the Year by the Fairfield
CountyChamberof Commerce in
Lancaster,
Ohio
where Martin lives
and partners withhis wife Juliana in
the graphic designbusiness.
Martin
was also honored as
the 2019 Rotarianof Year by the Lancaster Rotary Club.

Class of 1983 | Reunion
back row, l-r: Pam (Shade) Schwartz, PaulOwen, Steve Bardeau, Mary (Norden) Kuiper,
Hsi-An Wu, Mark Eyler, Doug Conrad. seated, l-r:
Steve Knoble, Sam Reimer, Vic Norman, Lynette(Nelson) Albrecht, Colette (Smith) Gonzalez.
front row, l-r: Tami Fukuda, Helene Naomi
Friesen, Jewel (Ehnle) Maeda, Brian Zook.

Danny Iverson | 1997
The Iverson Family are excitedly expecting their
8th child. They are living in inner city Atlanta andplanting a multicultural Church focused on reconciliation and renewal. Journeytoshalom.com
21

Dr. Tom McGlothlin | Faculty
Dr. Tom McGlothlin, CAJ’s Academic Counselor,
Bible teacher, and Bible department chair, hasrecently been awarded the2019 Manfred Lautenschlaeger
Award for Theological Promisefor his book Resurrection as
Salvation: Development andConflict in Pre-Nicene Paulinism, published by Cambridge
University Press in 2018.
SangHoon Lee | 2000
Currently living in Daegu with his wife and two
beautiful girls, he is gospel leading at Peace Christ
Church in Hachioji, is manager at Goldman Sachs,
and is still loving basketball and art. He has recently
enjoyed a trip to Europe with family to draw.

Andrea Schmidt Gassman | 2001
Kathy Weemes (former staff), Steve Weemes (former
staff) Ben Weemes (06) Dieter Schmidt (former
staff) Travis Gassman, Hannah Schmidt (04), Andrea
Schmidt Gassman (01), Alanna Foxwell (02), Marisa
Foxwell Duttweiler (09) Erica Postema (02), Megan
Weemes (04) Mary Zirkle (01) Rebekah Schmidt (06)Shelly Schmidt (former staff)
Luke Ellison | 2002
Luke reports that he is transitioning out of NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, through
Dallas Theological Seminary (Washington D.C.
campus), and into a pastorate role at Calvary Hill
Fellowship Church in Virginia.

22

Bob Ono | 2004
Bob Ono married Lauren Kang in October, justoutside Seattle, WA. Jon Rudd (04) was one of thegroomsmen. Included in this picture are Bob (‘04),
Kim and Kenichi Ono. above

Dann Zinke | 2005
Gilber (75) and Norene Zinke, Dann and Katherine
Zinke, TJ (07), Meredith, and Malachi Zinke.

Stephanie Hino Chun | 2008
Samuel Chun (born February 2018) traveledfrom South Hamilton, MA to spend 2 weeks with
the Chun family and grandma, Jean Hino (CAJ
Elementary principal). Stephanie works for GR
Home Team with Keller Williams Realty Grand
Rapids. Her husband owns Sin Republic Hair
Salons in Grand Rapids. Mariya Hino Kim (06) is astay at home mom while her husband is attending Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.
Nanae Ohki (08), Stephanie Hino Chun and Kelsey
Masuda Bock (08) also
got together in Grand
Rapids, Michigan in July.

Kayla Kornegay | 2012
Kayla Kornegay is assisting a Pioneers team in
SE Asia for 9 months. She will be starting a preschool for missionary kids, and helping with acafe and community health program. She’s also
engaged to be married in summer 2019.
Danae Johnston & Jackson Schenk | 2014
below, l-r: Lis Johnston (former staff), Kelsey
Maiko Bock (08), Rachael Willson (13), Lauren
Willson(11), Stephen Willson (current Facilities
Manager), Caitlin Willson (16), Jacquie DeBoer
Willson (84)(current SSS Director), Helen Ryttersgaard (former staff), Jackson Schenk, Danae
Johnston Schenk (14), Cal Johnston (85), Joan
Johnston (former staff), Les Johnston (former
staff) Makenan Johnston (16), Curt Johnston(86), Shana Johnston (88), Jonathan Wood (06)Jordan Foxwell | 2006
below, l-r: Jesse Berg (91), Chris Gately (06), Isaac
Pettit (06), Philip Berg (93), Scott Soltau (74), Marisa
Foxwell Duttweiler (09), Martha Foxwell Berg (66),
Gaius Berg (65), Alanna Foxwell (02), Lora Christaberry Foxwell, Jordan Foxwell, Anda Foxwell, Philip
Foxwell (75), Andrew Berg (95), Tyler Foxwell (04),
Josiah Pettit (06), Ethan Pettit (former staff), Linda
Foxwell Pettit (70), Mary Foxwell Loeks (64), John
Young (00), Lydia Young (00), Nelle Pettit Potter,
Ryan Potter... and assorted offspring.

23

2019 GRADUATION!

Video and more:

www.caj.ac.jp/divisions/hsgraduation/

Equipping students to serve Japan and the world for Christ.
Thank you for your ongoing prayers and support making our mission possible.

www.caj.ac.jp