Earthquake Update 2

by | Jan 20, 2024 | Ministry News

Hi everyone,

Thank you for praying for Japan in the wake of the New Year’s earthquake in the Noto Peninsula. As of this morning, official reports put the number of dead at 232, with 21 people still missing. 26 people remain isolated in five remote villages. Currently there are around 13,934 people staying in 359 evacuation shelters. 

Please continue to pray for rescue, relief and repair workers, and for the health, safety and peace of mind of survivors.

Since it will take some time for communities to be rebuilt, many evacuees are now being moved from shelters into more comfortable temporary housing outside of the disaster area. This includes hotels and community centres. 

One such centre (a public sports complex) here in Hakusan is welcoming some 600 people. Since this is literally in our neighbourhood, we have signed up as volunteers and will be serving there a few days next week to begin with. Please pray for us, that we can be a blessing and encouragement there.

Meanwhile, Christian relief efforts have also begun, as several organizations and churches are coordinating efforts under the banner of “Noto Help.” There is a lot of work to be done in the coming months. Please pray for the Church and missions community to be united and well-organized in reaching out to those in need, and that God will use these efforts to sow Gospel seeds in this largely unreached area of Japan. 

If you would like to donate to these Christian relief efforts, please check out this email from JEMA, which lists up trusted Christian organizations who are engaged in relief work.

If you want a recommendation from us, CRASH Japan is a trustworthy Japanese organization who are well set-up to receive donations from overseas: https://crashjapan.com/en/donate/

Thank you again for your prayers!

Pray for Japan (Ishikawa earthquake update)

by | Jan 3, 2024 | Ministry News

Thank you for praying. By now most of you have probably already heard about the major earthquake and tsunami that occurred here in Ishikawa on January 1. It was centred up the coast from us on the Noto Peninsula.

Thankfully, we are safe. We did experience some pretty intense shaking and a tsunami warning. But our immediate area did not sustain much damage from the quake, and the tsunami did not reach us. 

But many were not so fortunate. Please join us in praying that rescue workers, supplies, and comfort will reach those in need in a timely manner. Also, since the initial quake, there have been aftershocks occurring several times a day. This is expected to continue throughout the week, so pray for protection and peace of mind.

Lastly, please pray for us as we consider how we can help with relief efforts. We’ve both done relief work before, but this is the first time a disaster like this has happened “in our own backyard.” We are already gathering what information we can from churches and missionaries in the area. Pray that the Church can be united in sharing God’s love with Ishikawa in the weeks and months to come, and that we will be wise and discerning in doing our part.