Ever since the massive earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, so many volunteers have come to Japan to help with disaster relief efforts. We have been blessed to host several teams from all over the world! Not only have they helped so many in needs, but they have also encouraged many believers that are trying to minister to Japanese people. Michael and I often talk about the ways the volunteers have ministered to our family. They have gone to the disaster areas with us (it can be overwhelming when there are only three of us that visit 100+ temporary housing units), taken care of our sweet Luke (it’s nice to have extra arms to hold Luke when his parents are busy running around), worshiped with us (God has touched us and spoken to us through reading the scriptures, singing praise songs, and praying as a group), and encouraged us to keep up the good work (sometimes we need words of affirmation).
We have experienced the importance of working as a team and we pray God will continue to send us those who have a heart for Japan.
Bangkok Team- They are actually from Canada and America but all of them attend the same church in Bangkok, Thailand. We had them for a Taco Dinner (which they LOVED) at our house. They helped with our youth group, kids English classes, and Fall Festival! Since Michael lived in Thailand when he was young, he really enjoyed talking about Thai culture and places! We would love to visit Thailand as a family someday!
Hawaii Team- They are from Olivet Baptist Church in Honolulu, Hawaii. They worked so hard in the disaster areas, and they were so gracious to help clean up at my grandparents’ house. During our time together, I found out that one team member’s daughter had graduated from DBU and we had known each other! What a small world! My dad also told me that my parents had visited this church twice as a young couple! We look forward to visiting the church and seeing everyone again!
Thank you all for coming to Japan and touching so many lives!
We continue to visit the disaster zone regularly. We feel like we have been able to build close relationships with many people (PTL!) and we hope to have deeper conversations with them. Even though many of them have moved to temporary housing, they continue to have different needs and we are doing our best to better meet their diverse needs.
We visited Miyagi Gakuin again and gave them the scholarship funds for the students who lost parent(s) and home. You can read more on their website (http://www.mgu.ac.jp/home/news/saigai2011/sec99_0506.html).
One Saturday, We joined the team from Japan Baptist Convention and served with them. We took lots of snacks to the tsunami-hit area and let everyone get whatever they wanted. We used one of the community centers and invite people from temporary housing. It was a treat for everyone who came!
These kids were so happy! We see them almost every time we go to this area. They always welcome us with a big smile and they are so sweet to Luke.
Shuri (older sister) shared most of her friends from her kindergarten had moved to other cities and she feels lonely. Please pray for her!
We also gave them some vegetables. Many older people had told us that they couldn’t go buy vegetables (either they can’t drive or don’t have anyone who could take them to go shopping) so we decided to get some for them! There were 130+ bags of vegetables. People looked so happy and thanked us several times. Since we have been visiting this area for a while, they know us as “Christians” and most of them seem to feel comfortable being around us. Every time we go there, we pray they see Jesus in us.
Praying together as we left the place.
We also visited our new friend, Emi, who lives in the temporary housing. She lost her husband and father-in-law in the tsunami (they died while trying to rescue others) and lives with her 4 year old daughter now. When we asked her what she needed, she said she wanted to have some shelves built in her housing unit. Our missionary friends and we decided to make her dream come true!
Building a spice rack. It was fun seeing these guys talk about how to put everything together.
Putting a dish cabinet on the wall. We hope this will stay on the wall!
It’s always encouraging to see Emi’s smile when she plays with Luke. We hope to get to know her better and share the gospel with her. She needs your prayers!!!
This photo was taken at another friend’s house. She wanted to have a shelf in the closet and of course, guys did a great job!
This is a community gathering place by our friend’s temporary housing. It was brand new but the recent typhoon damaged the entrance area.
Our friend, Miyuki (in the middle), with two missionaries. Miyuki is so sweet and we believe she is interested in Christianity. Please pray her heart will be opened. It has been such a blessing to be able to work with these missionary friends and I am learning so much from them!
Thank you for your continued prayers. We are hosting a team from Bangkok (but they are originally from USA and Canada) this week and we have so many upcoming events! Please pray God will use all of us in mighty ways! And please pray for our health. We need to stay strong to minister to those around us!
Sorry we have been away from the blog world again! Hope everyone is doing well! We have been super busy and all of us got sick in the last few weeks. Luke got sick first and it came to me (Yu), and a few days later, Michael got it. We prayed a lot last week since Michael was scheduled to preach on Sunday. Thankfully, he felt better on Sunday and was able to preach on “missions” on Sunday. Our favorite topic! Everyone seemed to be encouraged! Praise the Lord!
Here are some of our recent photos:
At Mom and Child Time at our church. It is one of Luke’s (and mommy’s) favorite times of the week. He has made so many friends!
Isn’t he cute?
We participated in the “Relay for Life Cancer Walk” with my dad. He walked for 24 hours straight but we just walked for a little while.
On each paper lantern, there is a handwritten message from the participants. It was such a special time for us as we walked remembering my mom and all our friends who are battling cancer.
On every 3rd Saturday, we lead the children’s program at church. Michael shares a Bible story and Yu leads music. We love these kids!
Everyone wants to hold Luke!
This little guy melts mommy’s heart!
Luke’s favorite toy!!!
Our pastor’s ordination service. Michael introduced our family in front of 100+ people and did a great job with his Japanese!
Michael with my cousin’s daughter. Since my grandparents moved to our city (from the city that was damaged by tsunami), all the cousins try to get together when everyone is in town so our grandparents can see all of them! It is fun (and loud) when we are all together. Of course, Luke loves being held by everyone!
Look, I can stand!
I can climb, too!
I have two bottom teeth (and top two just broke through)!
We got a care package from Aunt Cathie! Luke couldn’t wait to open the box!
September 11th was a special day for us in many ways. We remembered those who died in New York on September 11th, 2001. It was also a day to remember those who died in the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. It has been six months since that day and many people are still hurting and grieving. In fact, some of our church members lost their relatives and the girls in our youth group are having a difficult time accepting their grandparents’ passing.
Many people in the tsunami-hit areas have moved to the temporary housing, but it’s hard to get used to this new living environment, especially for older people. They don’t get food and supplies from the government anymore. Many of them live alone. They are too old to drive or their cars were washed away by the tsunami. They have to go to the stores, doctor’s office, bank, and all the other places by themselves. THEY NEED HELP!!!
That’s why we keep visiting them. Many of them are lonely and hopeless. We want them to know that we love them and care for them. Even though we may not be able to do much, we know our GOD can save and heal them.
Here are some photos from our visit in August.
It was the last time we visited this temporary shelter (middle school). These ladies have moved to the temporary housing and live alone now.
Luke loved playing with them. The lady on the right lost her husband in the tsunami and misses him a lot.
We helped with the yard work and gave those ladies some time to rest. There was a lot to do!
Poster from the kids in the US.
We delivered some children’s clothes that were donated by our FBCA family. Please pray for Miyuki. She has many questions about God.
We visit this family every time we go to Oshika Peninsula. Their relative (this old lady’s nephew) is a strong Christian and we want them to come to know the Lord.
We love Shuri (girl) and Raiki (boy). Their grandfather is a leader in the community. Shuri shared that most of her friends had moved to other cities after the tsunami. We try to give them a gift every time we go there and we love seeing their cute smile!
Please continue to pray that the seeds that have been planted will grow someday. We know God has a special plan for each of them!
We will post another update next week! Have a blessed weekend!
It’s a dirty job but somebody has to do it. That was exactly the approach that had been taken when cleaning up after the tsunami. Many of the standing houses will be torn down due to structural damage. However, there are some that can be saved. Before anyone ever thinks of living in one of these homes, a lot of changes have to occur. First the rubble has to be removed. Then the houses are stripped down to the wood and/or metal frame. And after power washing and bleaching, the rebuilding begins.
This picture shows Michael at one of the houses being reconstructed by Samaritan’s Purse. It is one of 500 homes scheduled to be rebuilt. It’s a pain staking job. It’s a really dirty job. But through everyone’s generous efforts and donations, someone will have their house restored. After the walls, ceiling, and floors are gutted, the task of removing all the mud begins which is concentrated under the floor boards on the concrete slab. It’s hard to say what all is in the mud except that it has fuels and fish.
That’s the dirty part. The great news about all this is that through the efforts of Samaritan’s Purse, many Japanese families are helped and at no cost to the owner. It’s hard to imagine having a 30 year mortgage on a tsunami hit house that was not covered by insurance. We are praying that many will come to know Jesus in a truly meaningful way through this. But, as people continue to volunteer with the help more and more people have a chance to see the goodness of God.
Another team arrived today. We can only expect good things in the days ahead. We look forward to possibly seeing some of our readers here to help. Wouldn’t that be something? Cleaning houses and praising God. Sounds like a winner.
We had a wonderful time with the volunteers from First Baptist Church of Brownsville, Texas. Their church has helped with disaster relief efforts in many countries. Before they came, the only thing we knew was that there would be a team coming from Texas. We were excited to meet them but what amazed us was that a couple that came was the parents of Yu’s friend, Justin Smith, from DBU. They were also the uncle and aunt of Yu’s good friend, Christy Gandy. Yu had such a great time getting to know them! All the volunteers were wonderful and we thank God for sending them to Japan!
Bible Study and prayer time with the team.
Leaving for prayer walking.
Luke loved being held by everyone.
Such a great team!
They stayed at the community center in the tsunami-hit town.
Ready to work!
Working very hard!
Praying with the family that lost almost everything.
Singing “Amazing Grace” in front of the temporary housing in Sendai.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith sang a song in the worship service.
Yuta and Eriya sang as well!
We hosted a farewell dinner for the team.
Michael praying for the seeds they had planted…
It was such a blessing to serve with them! We know they have touched many lives. We are so thankful for all they have done in Japan.
Thanks to the generous gifts from many of you, we have been able to continue delivering supplies to the people in Oshika Peninsula.
Getting cookies, coffee, soaps, wipes, books, coloring books, and lots of meat!
More bug spray!
We delivered a special machine that heats water in a bathtub! They were SO happy to be able to take a hot bath!
Strong men!
One of the community leaders who will be delivering bug spray to each family in Kyubunhama.
This flag says “Kyubunhama will not give up!” This is a fisherman’s town.
If you were in Japan and met someone who lost everything- I mean everything (family, house, job, and all the belongings), what would you say to that person? This is a question that we ask ourselves whenever we visit those tsunami-hit areas. We have been visiting them a lot since we came back to Japan, but it never gets easy. These small towns are a lot cleaner compared to three months ago, and many of them are moving from the temporary shelters (elementary school, town hall, local community center, etc.) to the temporary housing that the government has built. They are trying to move on, but they are still hurting. When they move to the temporary housing, they are on their own. They don’t receive food or supplies from the government anymore. And with no jobs available one can only imagine what a difficult time this is. In fact, when there was a big earthquake in Kobe in 1995, many people died in those temporary houses. Many of them died alone, victims of ‘kodokushi’ (lonely death), who only got noticed well after their death.
This is why we can’t stop visiting them. We want them to know that they are loved and cared for. More than anything, we want them to feel the love of Christ. So please don’t stop praying. We know your prayers will make a difference in their lives.
Konnichiwa (Hello) from Sendai! We came back in the end of May and have been super busy! Last week, we were able to visit the tsunami-hit areas twice. We were speechless as we drove through the destroyed cities. Yu had tears in her eyes since her grandparents lived in one of those cities (they moved to Sendai after the earthquake). All the places looked completely different. We can’t find any words to describe what we saw and how we felt.
We delivered food, water, and lots of bug spray to the temporary shelters and homes of the people that Yu’s father had visited before. We were encouraged to meet people who were so happy that we were there. They needed food and supplies, but more than anything, they needed someone who would listen to their stories. Many of them are still grieving the loss of loved ones (some of them lost their entire family members) and others don’t know how to start a new life without a house and a job. It has been three months since the earthquake and tsunami took so many lives, but the process for recovery/reconstruction is taking such a long time.
We want them to know that we love them and care for them. We want to encourage them and help them. But our prayer is that they will find hope and comfort in our Lord. Please pray that God will continue to use us in mighty ways.
We prayed before we left.
We delivered water and coffee to the junior high school that is being used as a temporary shelter.
We were able to give this lady (she is one of the leaders of this place) a poster with a scripture. She said she would put it on the wall. Our church has been serving lunch at this junior high school every Saturday for the last two months.
In Kyubunhama, they have made this community center a place where people can meet, cook, and get water.
More coffee! You can see the information wall on the right.
If you look at this picture closely, you can see a sticker that says “TEXAS TWO”. This van was bought with the money that was donated by BGCT (Baptist General Convention of Texas). “Texas One” has been delivered to Morioka in Iwate prefecture. The van was given to this community because many people lost their cars. One of the community leaders told us that they were going to drive it to the fisherman’s meeting to discuss how to restart their business. Thank you, Texas Baptists!
Finding out their needs and how we can help them.
Michael helping an old lady (he was so brave to offer her help in Japanese!)
We delivered drinking water to the farm that hasn’t had running water for 3 months. They have to drive for an hour 4 times a day to get enough water for their cattle.
The family was having a difficulty with this pump (they keep water in this tank for bath and toilet) but these smart guys were able to fix the problem!
They were so happy to meet us! The lady in the middle was so sweet to Luke! Of course, Luke loved getting attention!
Tsunami was as high as the second floor of this apartment.
Another temporary shelter. At one point, there were more than 400 people staying here.
Messages written by kids from west Japan.
Places that Yu used to visit. Police officers are still looking for dead bodies in this area.
LOTS of disabled vehicles.
Temporary housing for those who lost homes. We are planning to visit them.
Many fishermen lost their boats. Please pray they can start fishing again soon.
Michael delivering bug spray on his second trip. Thankfully, her house was safe so she is letting 20 people stay in her home.
Giving bug spray to the lady at the farm. We love spending time with them!
This is our friend, Yuta. He is serving as a volunteer this summer until he goes back to DBU to work on his master’s degree this fall. He has been such a blessing! The guys were asked to help mow the grass at the farm. They worked hard!
Please continue to pray for people in Japan. Please pray God will open doors as we get to know these precious people who desperately need Him. Thank you for your love and prayers!
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Japanese people. After we shared our last update, we heard from some of our friends who read this blog and were encouraged to know that our blog updates help them to know how to pray for Japan. Sorry we can’t update as much as we want to (we have been busy sharing our stories at different churches and companies. Praise God for these opportunities!), but we hope our blog will help you understand how great our God is and how much Japanese people need Him!
Praises:
-We are still talking with the leaders of our sending church and organization to decide when to go back to Japan. They have spent lots of time researching the situations in Japan and they approved us to go back! This is an answer to our prayers! Please continue to pray for God’s guidance and wisdom as we decide when and where to return.
-Our missionary friends and one of our friends from DBU (he came all the way from Osaka!) went to Oshika Peninsula to visit temporary shelters. They delivered food and clothes, and people were so thankful. They also handed out the Bible tracts. Please pray they will take time to read them and feel God’s love for them.
(Our friend, Yuta, sorting items to be delivered.)
-We were encouraged to read an article about our Christian friend, Mr. Yamaki (http://www.baptistpress.org/BPnews.asp?ID=35105). We are thankful for believers like him who are working hard every day to share hope with the hopeless. Yu’s dad told him that so many people from all over the world are praying for him, and he was so grateful. Please keep remembering him and his team in your prayers.
-Our church members, Mrs. Kimura (her husband is in Japanese army) and Mrs. Yonezawa (her in-laws died in tsunami), are doing better. They told Yu’s dad that coming to church on Sundays gives them peace and strength. Praise God for His comfort.
(The lady on the left is Mrs. Kimura and the one on the right is Mrs. Yonezawa.)
-Thanks to your prayers and donations, we were able to get MORE rain jackets for kids in Japan. Our friend, April (she graciously offered to let us stay with her), gave us 50 of them as well! Yu’s dad is taking them to Japan and giving them to kids in Sendai and Fukushima. Thank you for helping them to feel safe and protected.
-Yu’s dad visited us for a week. We had a great time together and Luke was happy to see his grandpa! Since he has been helping with disaster relief effort ever since the earthquake hit Sendai, he was asked to share his experiences at the Christian radio station in Seoul and the church in Suwon. God truly blessed his time in South Korea.
(Photo with Dr. Billy Kim, who is a wonderful pastor and founder of Far East Broadcasting Company.)
(Proud grandpa!)
Prayers:
-Some people are staying in a crematorium shelter, but they have been told that they would have to leave by the end of this month. Please pray that they can find a place to live.
(This picture was taken by our missionary friend. They visited this place and gave them food and clothes. They also spent time with them as these people shared their stories.)
-Sendai city government is trying to build many temporary houses for those who lost homes. Please pray for a speedy process.
(Temporary housing in Sendai where we will be visiting when we go back.)
Thanks again for keeping up with us! Please write us at michaelandyu@gmail.com and let us know how you are doing and how we can be praying for you all! We also love hearing from those we have never met. We are looking forward to getting to know you! Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.
God continues to work in the lives of Japanese people. The disaster relief team in Sendai had a busy week. Many volunteers have arrived in Sendai and Yu’s dad has been busy hosting them. What a blessing it is to know that so many people want to come help with the disaster relief effort. It is hard not being able to be there physically to help, but we are doing everything we can do to share the needs of Japan with people in Korea and those who are praying for Japan from all over the world.
Praises:
-A team of Christian men was able to go to the elementary school that is being used as a temporary shelter to feed 180 people. Yu’s dad reported many people said they had not had such a nice meal in over a month. Usually, they only have breakfast and dinner. They were blessed to have lunch! Many women were tired from cooking every single day, so they were happy to have a day to take a rest.
-While walking on the coastline in Hanabuchihama, Yu’s dad and our missionary friends met a girl who graduated from Miyagi Gakuin (see the old posts). They found out that she went to school with one of the missionary kids that we know. Her grandparents’ house was completely destroyed by tsunami but they were safe because they ran to the hill behind their house. As you can imagine, they are desperate because they lost everything they had. Since she went to a Christian school, she remembered some of the things that she had learned in the chapel and Bible classes. They talked about the Bible and she said she would read it again. They were blessed for this opportunity to encourage this girl. Please pray that God will draw her closer to Him and she will be able to encourage her grandparents by sharing about the Bible.
-We have been going to many stores to buy rain jackets. We are still concerned about the radiation leak in Japan, and we want to do everything we can to help people who are facing such a serious challenge in Japan. Yu’s dad found out many parents wanted to get rain jackets for their kids. He looked for them in Sendai but they were sold out at most stores. So we decided to buy them here and ship them to Japan. When we went shopping, several people asked why we were buying so many of them. We explained that they were for kids in Japan and the staff of the stores went to the back to get more so that we could buy everything they had. A huge “THANK YOU” to those who have donated. These rain jackets will help many children and their parents. Your donation also helped us to buy mattresses for people in Japan (Sorry we don’t have many pictures of the people we are helping. We found out that many people in temporary shelters are really sensitive about having their pictures taken. The news media is there almost every day and they feel like they are monitored all the time. Please be assured that your help is making them smile).
-We are partnering with several schools, churches, and organizations to work on special projects so that we can help those with the greatest needs. We have been so amazed by people’s hearts for Japan and God’s faithfulness. We can’t wait to share more with you all!
Prayer Requests:
-We are working with our sending church and organization to discuss when to go back. We are patiently wanting for God’s timing. Please pray for God’s wisdom and guidance. Also, pray for our leaders who are working so hard to support us. Please continue praying HARD so that the serious situation with the nuclear power plants will be under control as soon as possible. Pray for the people who are working there and their families.
-Please pray for students whose school was damaged by tsunami. Many schools are still closed and they don’t know when they can start school again. Some schools decided to meet at a different location but it means many students have to walk further to get there. They are already under so much stress and we don’t want any more stress to be added. Please pray for these precious students who are hurting. Also, pray for city/town officials as they try to help these students. Another concern is the people who are staying in the schools that are used as temporary shelters. As some of the schools started, many people were asked to move to another shelter. As you can imagine, they are going through a lot. Please keep them in your prayers.
(Second floor of Arahama Elementary School. The tsunami came through the second floor windows.)
-Please continue to pray for Mr. Yamaki (chief of the local fire department) and his team. They have been working without taking any rest for over a month. Several firefighters started to have health/mental problems. Mr. Yamaki shared many of them want to go see a doctor or a counselor, but they choose to keep working because the need is so great. Yu’s dad goes there to encourage them and to pray with them every week. Please pray that they will find rest and strength in God. We are still praying that they will come to know Him.
(Mr. Yamaki looking at flowers people had left by the ocean that took so many lives.)
This video was made by our friend’s friend. It is powerful. We hope you will take time to watch this.
During this Holy Week, we have been thinking a lot about God’s love and sacrifice for us. There are SO many Japanese who don’t know Jesus died and rose again for THEM! Please join us as we pray for their salvation.
As we wait for God to take us back to Sendai in His timing, we have been blessed with many opportunities to share about the needs of Japan with Korean people and to ask them to pray for Japan. We have been touched by kindness and powerful prayers of Korean people.
The first sharing opportunity was at Eunpyeong First Church where we stayed for two weeks. There were about 300 people in the service and many of them stayed to talk to us after the service.
This is Pastor Sim. Even though he has a busy schedule, he took time to get to know us and to take us to places. We were blessed by his hospitality.
This was at Far East Broadcasting Company. This is a Christian radio station that Dr. Billy Kim. We spoke at their chapel service. After we shared, they took time to pray for Japan. They are already helping those in need with financial and prayer support.
With such wonderful staff. We will always treasure their love and friendships.
We went to church with April (we are staying with her right now and we are SO thankful for her kindness), and it is a huge church called Onnuri Church in Yangjae.
They had a special prayer time for Japan. What a blessing it is to know that so many people are praying for the salvation of Japanese people.
We spoke in the Young Adult Sunday School class. They sang and prayed for us which brought tears to our eyes.
Another opportunity at Max’s church. Max is our friend from DBU and his dad is a pastor of Disciple Baptist Church in Suwon. We were the main speakers of the service and Max translated our message.
After the service, we had dinner with the young adult group. They have been praying for Japan for such a long time. They are planning to take a mission trip to Sendai this year. They asked us to join the upcoming retreat and we are looking forward to building relationships with them.
We continue to receive invitations to share about Japan at schools and churches. We praise God for using us in so many ways here in South Korea. He is good ALL the time! Thank you for your prayers!
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.
We have had a wonderful weekend. Yesterday,we went to the grocery store to buy LOTS of food for the people in Sendai. We have never bought that much food! Since the government advised people not to hoard food and buy only as needed, we had to tell others that we were buying them for the people who were affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Some people gave us food which was a blessing. We have been amazed by the generosity of the people of Japan. When we came home, the pastor’s kids helped us to box them up. We all wrote messages and prayers on the boxes to encourage the recipients. We used some of the money that you have donated. THANK YOU! We are sure they will be used to bless the people who have been hungry. In partnership with the local churches in Sendai, we will continue to buy food and supplies for those in need.
My dad rode a bus to Sakata to see us and also to pick up my brother’s car which was filled with food that we bought for those in need. We had a very special time together. We laughed, prayed, and cried a lot together. Seeing my dad hold Luke makes me smile and cry at the same time. We are thankful for the time that we had together. Before my dad left, the pastor led the devotional time. He read Psalms 121 and it comforted and encouraged us so much. As my dad drove off, he told me to be strong like my mom. I have been crying a lot but I know I have to be strong for my baby boy. Please continue to pray for God’s strength as we continue this journey.
Today was such an amazing day. We were able to be a part of the worship service in Sakata. It is a small house church, but they all have big hearts for God. I played the piano and Michael shared his testimony. Praise God for using us in the midst of difficult times. We shared that many of you are praying for Japan and Japanese people. We spent some time to pray for the people of Japan. It has been a very difficult week for many of us. Earthquake, tsunami, and now radiation… But we still believe God is in control and He will use these situations to open the hearts of the Japanese people.
We are sorry we could not update yesterday. It has been a very difficult few days. As we monitored the threat of radiation, we realized that it was getting worse. After much prayer and counsel with our sending church and organization, we decided to evacuate. As much as we want to help the people of Japan, God has entrusted us to take care of our son. And we have to be healthy and well to be able to continue our ministry in Japan.
At first, we didn’t have enough gas and all the buses were full so we didn’t think we could get out of the city. However, my brother waited in line for 6 hours to get enough gas to get to the west coast of Japan. He also waited in line to buy enough food for us to eat. As much as he needed a car and food, he said our job is to take care of our son.
Another concern we had was my 81 years old grandmother who needed help. She has been so gracious to provide a place to live and everything else we needed. We told her that we would be leaving and asked her if she wanted to come with us, but she said no. She told us that she would be praying for us all the time and waiting for us to come back when everything is safe. We could tell that she had tears in her eyes.
Before we left the city, we stopped at my dad’s office. My dad has been so supportive from the beginning, and he kept reminding us that God would take care of us. We know our son has brought so much joy into his lonely life without my mom. It broke our heart to take away his joy. We had a short farewell in front of his office. He wanted to pray for us, and he cried as he asked our Father to protect us. He reminded us of I Corinthians 10:13, “And God is faithful; he will not let you be temptedbeyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” He held our baby boy one more time and we left with such a heavy heart.
We drove to Sakata city which is on a west coast. We are about 230 miles from the power plant, and since the wind is blowing to the south, we believe we are safe for now. There is a mission church that our church has been supporting for a long time, and my dad asked their pastor if we could stay with them. His family welcomed us warmly and it has been such a blessing to spend time with them. They have treated us like their family and told us that we could stay as long as they need to. Their three children take such good care of our baby. We have been having meaningful conversations about the ministries in Japan, and it has been such an encouragement for all of us. Once again, God is faithful.
So what’s next? We are working on getting Luke’s passport to evacuate to South Korea. Our pastor and his wife have good friends there and they will be taking care of us. We also have Korean friends that we met at DBU and we know we can rely on them as well.
As of now, we are hoping to come back to Japan when it is safe enough. We don’t know when, but we pray that God will bring us back here to make Him known in this darkest place. Even though this situation is devastating and hopeless, we believe he will use this time of challenges to bring a revival to Japan.
We know so many of you are praying for us. We apologize for not being able to write/call you back, but please know we feel your love and prayers all the time. Our church and sending organization have been so supportive and helpful. We know they are not getting enough sleep because they have so much to do to help us evacuate. We are blessed to have such a strong and wise leadership. We know they are praying for God’s wisdom as they help us to make important decisions. THANK YOU!
We are leaving soon to apply for an emergency passport for Luke. Please pray that they will be understanding and helpful. Also, pray for our baby boy as we take a train for 2 hours. He has been such a trooper and we can’t ask for more.
Before I close, I want to ask you to spend the next few minutes to pray for the people of Japan. Many people are still fighting to survive. Many people are still crying because their family members are gone or missing. Many people are still trying to get enough fuel to evacuate. And there are others like my dad and brother who are staying in the dangerous areas to ensure the safety of other Japanese people. Please keep praying.
We are heartbroken to leave the people we love so much. God has called us to love and minister to the Japanese people, and we still believe it is His calling for us. We trust that He will bring us back here so that the people of Japan will know that He is the only God and He loves them so very much.
Many of you have already donated, and we want to thank you. Please be assured that it will be used to rebuild this country. The country that needs Jesus. Please pray that He will bring us back here soon. We love you…
We have received more messages and calls from many of you! We realized so many people that we don’t even know are praying for us and supporting us. Words can’t express how thankful we are! Your prayers and encouragement mean the world to us!
Many people prayed for my grandparents. God answered our prayers, and my grandparents and aunts are safe. They were staying at my grandparent’s house which is on a hill and everything around them was flooded. They saw the tsunami washing the city away and my aunt said she can’t even describe what she had seen. My grandfather requires dialysis so he had to go to the hospital. Since they could not take him there, my aunt went down the hill to ask for help. She walked in water to get to the nearest hospital. Thankfully, they were able to send a truck to get him. The phone service in the entire city is down so my aunt decided to come back to our city to let us know that they are all safe. She was able to find a person who was willing to give her an one hour ride home (most of the way, Japanese people have been very helpful and polite). She is taking my cousin to go back to my grandparents’ place in a few days to bring them to our city. We will be asking them to take some food and water so that they can give them to the people in that area who don’t have anything. Please pray that the roads to go up the hill will be open by then.
Power was restored last night so we were able to stay in a warm house. We are very thankful for this, but still heartbroken for those who don’t have anything. Many temporary shelters do not have power so people there are still staying in a cold place. We were up most of the night watching the news, and we are very concerned about the explosions of the nuclear power plants. They are located in Fukushima prefecture (like a state) which is south of us. The Japanese government is telling people in that area to evacuate. As of now, we have not been told to evacuate. We also called the US Embassy in Tokyo and they said they are not telling Americans in this area to evacuate as of now. However, it is obvious that threat of radiation contamination is very serious and we are doing everything we can do to protect ourselves and help others to understand the seriousness of this situation. Many people are panicked and they don’t know what to do.
Since we can’t evacuate to the south or north without a car or public transportation, we are staying home today and tomorrow (or until we know it is safe). Our car is almost out of gasoline. We went to all the gas stations around here but none of them had gas. Their workers didn’t even know when they would have some. Major highways are closed to the public and only emergency vehicles are allowed to use them. Most of the train systems in northern Japan are shut down. At this point, we have no way to get out of this city. So we will do our best to help others in need while we do what we can do to take care of our health.
Since we have been advised to stay home today, we are trying to make it productive. Our house is still a mess since we haven’t had a chance to clean without power. The boxes that were stacked up are everywhere in one of the rooms. We have some plants, picture frames, books, and decorations that fell from the shelves, and there are also some broken glasses. We are also trying to clean water damage in the house.
My friend in Canada asked me to help her friend who supervises English teachers from other countries. She has not been able to make sure if all of them are okay. Since I have internet and cell phone service, I hope to help her locate these teachers. I can’t even imagine how terrified they are without knowing enough Japanese to understand what is going on. I know many of them want to evacuate or fly home but they can’t go to the international airport at this point. Please pray I can minister to them during this time. If you know anyone from other countries who are still missing, please e-mail us. I will do our best to contact the local government officials/schools/shelters to find out if they have any information.
While the Japanese army, aid from other countries (we are SO thankful), and volunteers work very hard to take care of the people on the coastline (they are working nonstop- please pray for them), we will do our best take care of the people here who need help. There are still so many people at the temporary shelters. I saw an old man on a street who was on his way home from the shelter. I tried to comfort him and encourage him, but what he said really encouraged me. He said, “What I went through is nothing compared to those who lost family and everything else.”
We met a family who evacuated from Arahama town that was washed away by the tsunami. They have some relatives in our neighborhood. Their house was destroyed and they lost everything. The only clothes that two girls have are their school uniforms. We offered clothes that we have. We are trying to find out what else they need.
We are also trying to help people around our church. Our church is located in the suburb of Sendai and most of the houses are okay. However, they still don’t have power (it means no heat!) and water. When we went to church on Sunday, we saw our dear friend who came with her four kids. Her husband is in the Japanese army and has not come home since last Friday. She can’t stay in line to buy food because she can’t leave her kids at her house due to severe aftershocks. They have been staying in a house without heat and the kids don’t even have water to drink. She was very optimistic and said they would be okay, but we have been thinking of them and praying for them all the time. We haven’t been able to reach them by phone since Sunday. As soon as we get gas, we are going to deliver food and water, and we will invite them to stay with us until power and water are back.
There are some of the situations locally. There are so many others in need, but we are starting with what we can. All the stores around here have nothing, but we will be in line as soon as they have something.
We just heard from Cindy, Director of GCPN (our sending organization). She called us to let us know that they would do anything to help us (we are working on the emergency evacuation plan with them). Our pastor sent a special message to all the church members asking them to pray for us. We are SO thankful for FBCA and GCPN, and also for all the other churches and organizations that are helping us and praying for us. There is so much to be done and we can’t do this alone. Let’s partner together and let His light shine in this dark place.
Many of you already know this, but we had a massive earthquake in Japan on Friday. We live in Sendai, which is about 80 miles from the epicenter. We were at our house and it shook for a while. I ran to get our sleeping baby and Michael went to help my grandmother who could not move because she was so scared. It seemed like it would last forever. We lost our power and water immediately, and then we completely lost our phone service. My dad was 4 hours away and didn’t know how he could come home. It was snowing outside so we tried to stay warm inside while we kept having aftershocks.
We thought we would have to evacuate but community leaders decided only old people who lived alone would go to the nearby elementary school because there would not be enough room for everyone.
We were up all night long praying. At that point, we didn’t even know what was happening. Only source of information was a radio and we could tell that the news reporters were in shock as they saw the damage from the helicopter. We heard a crying mom and a baby because she could not feed her baby. There was a small child who was left at his school and he had no idea if his parents would ever pick him up. An old man was just crying and asking “why, why???” The news said many towns on the coast were completely washed away by tsunami. We couldn’t even believe what we were hearing. Only thing we could do was to pray.
We started to have water again on Saturday which was a huge blessing. Since many people still didn’t have any, we delivered to those in need. We also waited in line for several hours at 3 different stores to get food. At this point, we should have enough for a week and we are sharing what we have with our neighbors who don’t have anything.
On Sunday, we headed to our church without knowing if the church building was okay and if anyone would show up. Thankfully, the church was okay and about 12 members showed up. Since we didn’t have power, we had a worship service outside of the church and had a special prayer time. We cried out to God for His strength and protection for those who were still waiting to be rescued and also for His comfort and peace for those who lost their loved ones.
It is Monday morning here and we still don’t have power at our house. We came to my dad’s house to charge our laptop and phones. We were so encouraged by all the messages and phone calls that we have received from you all. Because of limited internet access, we are not able to write you back individually. We sincerely apologize. But please know that we truly appreciate your prayers and support. Just knowing so many people are praying for us and Japanese people comforts us.
Damage in Sendai is minimal compared to the coastline. We have some cracks and water damage, but we are thankful to have a place to live. In our neighborhood, there are broken walls, windows, roofs, water pipes, and pavement and foundations are uneven. There are a few people who have minor injuries but they are okay.
Damage on the coastline is devastating. In a few seconds, all the houses were washed away. Many people didn’t have enough time to evacuate even though they had left their home right after the earthquake. We still don’t know how many lost their lives and how many are missing. As I write this, we still don’t know if my grandparents and aunts are safe. My grandparents live in a city by the ocean and both of my aunts were visiting them on Friday. Thankfully, they live on a hill but all the surrounding areas have been flooded. The city officials said the area my grandparents lived look okay from the sky, but they haven’t had a chance to send a helicopter to rescue people. We are praying for everyone’s safety in that town. Since the phones are not working, my cousins tried to go there to rescue them, but the roads were closed.
The power plants in another prefecture are having so many problems and some are exploding. It is scary. Government is telling everyone in that area to evacuate immediately.
We are thankful for God’s protection, but we are heartbroken for those who have lost their lives, loved ones, homes, and everything else they had. We are trying our best to help those in need. At this point, we are delivering food and water to people in Sendai. We are not allowed to go to the coastline right now but we hope to find out what they need the most so that we can buy and bring them to those people.
Many of you have asked how you can help. Words can’t express how thankful we are for your willingness to help Japan and Japanese people. Some of you have offered to send supplies, but we don’t know how long it will take for us to receive them. So we are asking for monetary donation so that we can buy what people need the most and deliver those items. You can go to “Our Story” page on our blog and learn how to give. We can promise you that your gift will be used to minister to those who are in need. Our prayer is that God will use us in mighty ways during this difficult time. Our hearts hurt so badly knowing many people died without hearing about Jesus. As we help others who are hopeless, we want them to know God’s love and hope.
Please continue to pray. We believe in the power of prayer and we know God will answer our prayers. We know God is in control and we will continue to trust in Him.
