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!
