(Apr. 1, 2011)
It seems that the situation in Japan has taken a back seat in the news especially with what is going on in Libya, Syria, etc. The situation here remains the same with little change at least at the reactors. There is some speculation things are worse than being reported as relates to radiation. Ongoing prayers are needed! To some degree life is returning to normal in some cities and towns. In areas where whole towns were wiped out life may never return to normal. Some towns and at least one city may never be rebuilt. Some people don't want to go back to their town or city because of what happened. The psychological impact is huge! Pastors I know are reaching out to many people in every conceivable way possible.
When I started writing my emails it was with the intention of asking for prayer and for sharing my heart regarding Japan. To some degree it was therapeutic for me to write everyone. I was overcome with the loss of life and destruction. My heart ached for the people of Japan and especially the people in the Tohoku area. It was not my intention to raise money for the relief effort.
When I started writing my emails it was with the intention of asking for prayer and for sharing my heart regarding Japan. To some degree it was therapeutic for me to write everyone. I was overcome with the loss of life and destruction. My heart ached for the people of Japan and especially the people in the Tohoku area. It was not my intention to raise money for the relief effort.
However, some of you have donated money through Destiny Ministries for relief work in the Tohoku area. Thus, we are helping a church in Fukushima Prefecture in the city of Iwaki. It is about 40 km from the reactors. The city has asked this church to help the people of the city as well as the people who have flooded evacuation centers there. This includes feeding them and setting up baths as well as providing clothes and some essentials. To date we have sent significant money to help this pastor as well as other pastors in Sendai City in Miyagi Prefecture. Thank you to those of you who have sent donations to help these people. Pray for strength and provision for them as they reach out to help the people there!
There is speculation that there will be hundreds of orphans from this crisis. As many of you know my wife was an orphan and we will soon be working together with Loving Shepherd Ministries to reach out to orphans in several countries. The plight of orphans is something very close to our hearts. There are over 143,000,000 orphans in the world today! I have pasted an article from the Yomiuri Shimbun (Newspaper) below regarding orphans from the earthquake and tsunami.
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Several hundred children are believed to have lost their parents in the March 11 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, substantially more than the 68 who were orphaned by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Compared with the Great Hanshin Earthquake that struck early in the morning, the majority of children were at school on the Friday when the Tohoku earthquake hit and were able to evacuate safely.
However, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is having difficulty collecting information about orphans from local governments in disaster-stricken areas. Therefore, the ministry is sending local government officials from other regions to assist with such efforts.
Most children who lost their parents in the Great Hanshin Earthquake ended up being cared for by their relatives or acquaintances.
Thank you for your continued prayers for Japan!
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