It has been three months since the big earthquake that shook Japan. THREE MONTHS!
And yet things are still very very far from getting back to “normal.”
200 children lost both of their parents in the tsunami.
86 cities/villages/towns were completely washed away.
More than 90,000 people are still living in shelters.
Only a fraction of the roughly 24 tons of debris dumped by the tsunami has been removed.
57,900 houses are still without running water!
Please continue to pray for these children, parents, families, struggling to find a life worth living. Pray that they will be open to the message of life and hope being spread by Christians working in the area.
If you would like to see how God is using your prayers, watch this 3 min. slide show about Christians bringing hope to the hopeless:
CRASH Japan Slideshow Update- Hope- May 2011 on youtube.com.
There is a Christian retreat center in the picturesque Ome area. They have conducted successful ministry at this site for fifty years. Unfortunately, the neighbors have resented having Christians in their neighborhood. They can’t get rid of the Christians because they own the land.
A Baptist church in Fukushima was totally washed away by the tsunami. People cannot live in the area because of the close proximity to the nuclear power plant. The pastor went around and gathered his people together.
The retreat center invited them to come stay in their facility. The days turned into weeks. The camp canceled all their guests for the rest of the calendar year to provide housing for these refugees. Food donations have come in to feed the people. The neighbors got wind of it.
The Christians are providing housing for Fukushima refugees? Suddenly attitudes changed. The towns people are proud that their town is actively helping their nation in this tangible way. The Christians turned from unwanted intruders in this tight-knit community into heroes. God is bringing beauty to rough places.