We are overwhelmed by prayers and support that are coming from all over the world. Thank you for remembering Japan in your prayers. God is answering your prayers. It is encouraging to see the Japanese churches and Christians working together for His kingdom. God is touching and changing so many lives.
We were able to talk to Yu’s dad on the phone and he shared so much information. We will try to summarize what he has shared.
Praises:
-He took several pastors and Texas Baptist Men volunteers to Arahama (destroyed town on the coastline). Yu’s dad’s close friend (also a wonderful Christian) is the chief of the local fire department there so he allowed them to enter the restricted areas. They were able to encourage the firefighters. They also discussed how to meet the needs of those who lost homes.
As you can see, it is devastating. The government officials predict it would take years to rebuild the cities.
They had prayer together.
-Tony and Marsha Woods, our missionary friends who are just like our family, came to Sendai over the weekend. Yu’s dad took them to Ishinomaki (Yu’s grandparents’ city) where tsunami washed away half of the city. They were able to deliver the supplies that they had brought from Tokyo. They also visited people in the city to encourage them. In the midst of such a busy time, Yu’s dad was able to have a good time with his best friends.
-Yu’s dad was able to meet with the President of Miyagi Gakuin, a Christian school that we mentioned in the last update. They discussed how to help the students who can no longer pay tuition due to their loss from the earthquake and tsunami. They are in the process to find out how many students need help and how much they will need. When Yu’s dad shared that some of your donations would be given to them, he repeatedly said thank you.
This picture was taken when we visited the campus. We were planning to visit this school weekly to build relationships with the students. Some students and their parents are still missing. Please pray.
-Local churches in Sendai are working together to minister to others around them. Two Baptist churches in Sendai just welcomed their new pastors this April. With their new leadership, they are praying that God would use the Christians in mighty ways. Please keep praying for revival!
Recent worship service. They are still praising God in this difficult time. Pray that they are able to help those who are asking lots of “why” questions.
-Countries around the world are helping with disaster relief. Here is the picture of American soldiers cleaning the tsunami-hit school in Ishinomaki.
Prayers:
-Please continue to pray for Kimura family (read our old posts to know more about them). Yu talked to Mrs. Kimura yesterday. They are thankful to have food, water, and power so that their physical needs are met. However, they are struggling emotionally and mentally. Their kids are scared of the earthquake and start crying when they have aftershocks. Some of them started having rashes because of the stress. The kids still don’t know when they can go back to school (school year in Japan starts in April) because the textbook factory was destroyed by tsunami and they don’t know when they can get the new textbooks. Due to continuous aftershocks, the city officials are still deciding when it is safe for the students to come back to school. Mr. Kimura is in the Japanese Army, and he is only allowed to come home for a few hours once a week. His job is to find the dead bodies, so Mrs. Kimura can tell he is having a difficult time mentally, and their kids know their dad looks different. It breaks our hearts to hear what they are going through. There are so many families like this one and they need your prayers. We are thinking about delivering some toys to the kids like them.
The boy on the far left and the boy on the bottom are their sons.
Two girls on the left are their daughters. Aren’t they precious?
-Pray for the firefighters. Mr. Yamaki, the chief of a local fire department, told Yu’s dad that they had lost several firefighters who were rescuing people. Obviously, many of them are grieving but they have to keep working without having time to rest or mourn. He also shared he is concerned about their mental health. They have to see so many dead bodies every single day. Many of them feel helpless. Please pray they will find peace and comfort in Christ. Mr. Yamaki is a strong believer and he is trying to reach out to them.
-Continue to pray for those who lost their loved ones. Many people are still missing and their family members want to have their bodies back so that they can have a funeral for them. Also, the people who are staying in the temporally shelters are starting to have health problems due to lack of nutrition and sanitation. Many cities are trying to build new homes for them. Pray that they can move there soon. One of the local Baptist churches is letting people come to use their shower. Please pray for this special ministry.
-Our last prayer request is for Yu’s dad. He hurt his foot while helping with tsunami relief. He says he is okay, but we are very concerned. He goes to his regular job from 8 to 5 and then goes to help people after work. He buys food with some of the money you have donated and delivers them to people on our behalf. Since he has many connections with the city officials in the tsunami-hit areas, he has been asked by many volunteers to take them there (people are not allowed to go to those areas without a special permission). In addition, he is taking care of Yu’s grandmother and our two dogs that we left behind. We know he has been so busy but we have never heard him complain. When we talked to him on the phone, he just wanted to make sure that we are okay. His selfless attitude and heart for others remind us of Christ’s love. Please pray for God’s strength and protection.
Many of you have asked how we are doing. We are doing well in Seoul. The church where we are staying and believers here are taking such good care of us. We had our special friends from Arlington last week and they ministered to us in many amazing ways (we will write about them soon). We are reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness every single day. This week, we will be going to the Christian broadcasting company to share our story. We praise God for this wonderful opportunity. Thank you for your continued prayers.
