Interesting facts and information about Japan and ministry in Japan.
Japan is recovering from a great disaster but is even more spiritually needy, which is the assessment from the World Compassion Network (WCN) staff after their visit to Japan. “Japan has suffered a triple punch in the stomach. The 9.0 earthquake was the worst earthquake in 100 years. They actually survived it quite well due to their building codes. The Tsunami however was devastating. Their tsunami protection walls were taken down in a split second…
Today we were meeting for our Converge Worldwide Japan Field Council. We have been planning on our response to the triple disasters of March 11th. More coming very shortly. Jeff Chapman, who went on a relief trip (see previous posts) to Kessenuma and Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture a week ago, shared some photos and video of his trip. The destruction is what we have seen elsewhere but it was encouraging to hear how they were…
Our Asian Area Director and I met with Pastor Yonai and Pastor Sasaki, the Rengo General Affairs director to discuss Converge Worldwide and our CW Japan Team response with these Rengo leaders. Pastor Hiroaki Yonai is the chairman of the Japan Baptist Church Association (Rengo) and the pastor of the Kokubunji Baptist Church in West Tokyo. Pastor Yonai had just returned from a trip north to Higashi Matsushima City in the hard-kit area of Miyagi…
In Hitachi, CRASH Japan’s second hub for support and hope has been established. A core team left Tokyo on Friday, March 25, to set-up the new base-camp in Ibaraki. In line with the goal of helping churches share love and hope with their communities while meeting their practical needs, CRASH Japan is searching for potential base sites in each of the affected areas of Tohoku. Once a location has been chosen, a team is sent…
PRAY that God would bring the Hope of Christ through Christian relief efforts by the Japan Evangelical Association, CRASH Love-On-Japan, Japanese churches and denominations, and Christians throughout the region. ASK God to grant each church a special measure of peace for their community that they may be safe places of calm. PRAY too that they may help the grieving. Everyone knows at least someone in the affected areas. Government leaders like Prime Minister Kan remind…
On Friday, Converge Worldwide sent an additional $15,000 for Japan relief work through CRASH Japan, this is in addition to the $20,000 already sent. This Japanese based evangelical relief organization is a cooperative effort of both missionaries and Japanese leaders. Funds are helping set up relief bases in the hard-it areas and buying necessary relief supplies. Thank you for this giving that brings smiles and shares hope. PRAY that all needed funds will be received…
Japanese Congressman Ryuichi Doi became emotional as he walked the streets of Sendai for the first time since the tsunami waves devastated the city. There was so much damage, so much destruction. So many people lost their lives. So many people don’t know where to turn for help. “It was such a big disaster,” he said. “But we must have hope. We must overcome. We must overcome.” Congressman Doi has been instrumental in getting emergency…
CRASH Japan reports that the reopening of expressways in Miyagi Prefecture means they will be able to move needed relief supplies and will soon be able to open their second and third base camps in Sendai. But along with needed relief supplies is the need for people to be touched by Christian believers in relief volunteer teams with the message of hope. Love-On-Japan Relief Volunteer Director, Bryan Thompson, explains, “At the present time we are…
From Yahoo News In Soma, a hard-hit town along the Fukushima prefecture coast, rubble covered the block where Hiroshi Suzuki’s home once stood. He watched as soldiers dug into mounds of timber had been neighbors’ homes in search of bodies. Just three bodies have been pulled out. “I never expected to have to live through anything like this,” he said, mournfully. Suzuki is one of Soma’s lucky, but the tsunami washed away the shop where…
Two weeks have passed since the tremendous earthquake, devastating tsunami and radiation leakage. The death toll has topped 10,000, there are over 17,000 missing all feared dead. Dear friends, we must continue to pray, give, and prepare for more involvement. Locally things continue to return to normal with many shortages having ended. Rolling power outages continue in Tokyo (and here today). But up north transportation is in a shambles, supplies limited, and people are without…