by Whitey | May 3, 2011 | Ministry News
Hi everyone,
Thank you for continuing to pray for Japan!
This past month has been a time of getting back into “normal” routine after the disruption caused by the earthquake back in March. Here’s an update and some prayer requests:
1. Our English ministry at Immanuel Nagoya Church are going really well. The new kids class now has 12 students, 10 of whom are from outside our church. My adult classes have also been going well, and relationships between students and our church are deepening. It’s been really great to see my Wednesday students in particular becoming closer friends. Our monthly English Club event was held on Easter Sunday in April, we had over 20 people of all ages show up, and at least 4 non-Christians, two of whom were students from my weekly classes. I shared a message about how Christ brings us hope in the midst of fear and sorrow. I’m told there were some significant conversations taking place afterward as well. Please keep praying for this bridge-building ministry, as well as for my students.
2. I also returned to Japanese studies at the YWCA this past month. Honestly, I feel like my Japanese has plateaued lately, and it’s been a bit frustrating; so it’s really good to get back into a more regular study routine (classes 2 mornings a week). Please pray for my studies and for my everyday communication.
3. In addition to my weekly English and Japanese classes, I’d ask you to pray for these monthly events: Leading worship at prayer meeting on the11th; youth ministry at Nagoya-Higashi Church on the 14th; English Club on the 22nd.
4. Meanwhile, though it seems to have mostly disappeared from the headlines in the western media, the situation in North-Eastern Japan is still far from back to normal. Some 26,000 people are dead or missing; there is over $300-billion in damages; and thousands are homeless and jobless. Entire towns are being evacuated because of the ongoing nuclear radiation danger. And aftershocks are expected to continue for up to a year. Relief efforts are still ongoing, and rebuilding of affected communities will probably take years.
Please remember to pray for the many who have been affected by this tragedy. Pray that the Church will be able to show God’s love through this situation, and that many will find hope in Jesus Christ. I believe God can bring good out of this. Let’s keep praying to that end. As I mentioned last month, if you would like to give to the relief efforts, I would highly recommend giving to CRASH (www.crashjapan.com).
Thank you so much for your partnership in my ministry to Japan!
– Robin
by Whitey | Mar 31, 2011 | Ministry News
Thank you for praying for Japan! And thanks for the encouraging messages many of you have sent me in the past few weeks. I haven’t been able to respond to all you individually, but rest assured your emails were read and appreciated.
The week following the earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, I went to help out at the CRASH (Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope) Tohoku Relief command center in Tokyo. I was there for just over a week before retuning to my responsibilities in Nagoya. Honestly, it has been tough to go on with “business as usual.” The need in the affected area is so great that I keep wishing I could do more. But I’ve come to realize that the biggest need right now in Japan — all of Japan — is for hope. Here in Nagoya we are safely hundreds of kilometres away from the disaster area, but we are definitely feeling the affects. Almost every conversation seems to turn to the topic of the Tohoku disaster. Many are heartbroken; many are worried and scared.
This past Saturday, I had a new student visiting my English class. After class, he and I went out for lunch. He expressed a sense fear and worry after all that has happened in Japan recently, wishing he could move abroad and escape the risk of earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear disasters. I was able to tell him that I wasn’t worried or afraid because I believe in God. It was a small thing, but I never would have had that opportunity if I had canceled all my English classes to go help with the relief efforts.
We who know Christ are heartbroken over all that has happened, too. The difference is that we do not mourn without hope.
While it is tragic that it had to happen this way, I get the sense that this could be the event that God uses to bring about a much-needed spiritual breakthrough in Japan. Please pray that God will indeed use this tragedy for that greater good. And pray for me, too, that I will know how to minister effectively in the current climate. Pray especially for my work with the Nagoya-Higashi Church youth on April 9, and the English Club even here at the Nagoya Church on April 24 (Easter Sunday). Pray that I can clearly convey a message of hope and salvation in Christ.
As I said, the need in North-Eastern Japan is still great. Pray for the still-unresolved situation at the nuclear plant in Fukushima, for the people in the affected areas, and for the ongoing relief efforts. If you would like to help out financially, I would highly recommend giving to CRASH. You can visit their website (www.crashjapan.com) for more info, and check out my blog (www.japanlog.tumblr.com) for more on my experiences with them.
Thank you so much for your partnership in my ministry to Japan!
– Robin
(posted Mar. 31, ‘11)
by Whitey | Mar 21, 2011 | Ministry News
Monday, March 21, 2011:
I’ve been in Tokyo for about a week now, volunteering at the CRASH command center. I feel like my role has been small, but it’s still been a privilege to serve here. Ever since the 11th, I had a huge burden to do something to help those who were suffering in the affected areas.
I ended up doing IT work at CRASH command center. While part of me would much rather have been up in Sendai, getting my hands dirty, delivering relief supplies and personally helping those in need, I realize that those going out need support from a well-run headquarters as well. One thing that impresses me about CRASH is that they are not simply sending a bunch of people into the fray, as quickly as possible, with no plan. A lot of help has been sent in a short amount of time, but the leaders of CRASH have a long-term plan as well, and aren’t sending relief teams in unprepared. They realize that there is going to be a lot work to be done for at least 6 months to a year.
God is blessing this endeavor. Good things are happening. Here are a few:
1. The command center has grown from around 20-30 people a week ago to over 100 this week, all of whom are volunteers or supported missionaries.
2. Samaritan’s Purse partnered with CRASH to deliver over 90 tons of relief supplies via airplane to Sendai. We needed 40 trucks to pick up and deliver the goods, and in a matter of hours the trucks were found and sent into action.
3. Besides Samaritan’s Purse, there are a number of other big American churches and organizations choosing to partner with CRASH because CRASH is Japan-based and knows the culture, the land and the language.
4. As of this morning we had one base in Sendai set up, with 5 relief teams on the ground. Within the next few months that will multiply to 5 bases with 80 sub-bases and a rotating cast of 1000 volunteers.
5. All of CRASH’s work is done in partnership with local churches in and near the affected areas. Our intel team has been on the phone constantly the past week with churches about what their needs and the needs of their communities are, and how we can work together to share God’s love with those in need. There is an amazing amount of unity in the Body of Christ as the Church responds to this crisis.
‘Greater things are yet to come…’
by Whitey | Mar 16, 2011 | Ministry News
Things are going well, considering we are cramming 2 months work into a few days. I have been basically doing IT work, helping our leaders get set up to communicate with each other, donors and volunteers. I have also been helping with some of the database and website stuff necessary to stay organized and get the word out.
Jonathan Wilson (CRASH founder/director) really knows what he’s doing, and there are a lot of really really dedicated volunteers here, many of whom are missionaries like me, who dropped all their normal responsibilities to do this.
We are sending out our first team to set up a base camp tomorrow morning at 7. Please pray.
(Wed. Mar. 16, 2011)
by Whitey | Mar 14, 2011 | Ministry News
Well, it was a bit of a challenge getting here, but I’ve safely arrived in Higashi-Kurume, Tokyo. They are scheduling rotating blackouts throughout the city to conserve power, so some of the train lines were not operating. I got within a 2-hour walk or a 30-minute taxi ride, so I opted for the taxi, even though it was ridiculously expensive.
Before deciding to take the taxi, I was going to stop at a fast food joint for lunch, but the power was out and all the restaurants in the neighborhood were closed. Convenience stores were open but the shelves were almost empty.
The amazing thing is how safe and calm everything is in spite of the disruptions. If this were another country, there would be looting and rioting in the streets.
I’m working at CRASH’s command center, helping with communications. Basically we are trying to organize and mobilize the potentially thousands of volunteers that will helping with the relief efforts, and trying to ensure that the teams sent out into the affected areas are able to communicate with HQ. Lots of logistics to be worked out; lots of learning on the go. Please pray for things to go smoothly, especially as we have to continue working around power outages.
I’ll try to keep you posted. For more frequent, shorter updates you can follow my twitter feed.
(Mon. Mar. 14, 11:20 PM)
by Whitey | Mar 13, 2011 | Ministry News
Hi everyone,
I woke up to the news this morning that the Immanuel Church’s annual conference has been canceled.
I am about to hop a bullet train to Tokyo. I’ve been asked to help set up and coordinate communications for the Christian relief group that is setting up their base there. I will still be far from the disaster zone but able to lend some practical help, which is something I’ve been champing at the bit to do since this whole ordeal began.
Please keep praying. I will try to update my blog, Facebook and Twitter feeds regularly so if you want the most up-to-date info on what I’m involved with, those are the places to look.
Thanks,
robin
(Mon. AM Mar. 14)
