A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/31)

Praise the Lord.
Thank you for your support and prayers.

On Saturday the 29^th the newly opened “Higashi Matsushima Amazing Grace Support Center” began its relief work to the hard hit neighborhood of Omagari. We handed out kerosene heaters, electric heaters and blankets to about 50 families in the area.

I thought that my heart would burst as I listened to the terrible and sad stories from the disaster victims. At the moment, everyone from the neighborhood has been split up among different places living in temporary housing units and rented apartments, destroying their feeling of community.

During the outreach, watching everyone meet up after such a long absence, clasping hands and sharing hugs, I really felt urged that we must continue to minister to these people.

Please pray for the relief and outreach work that we have just begun among the people of the Omagari neighborhood.

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/27)

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Praise the Lord.
Thank you for your support and prayers.

 

The official name of the support center in Higashi Matsushima city has been determined. It is the “Higashi Matsushima Amazing Grace (AG) Support Center”.

Praise God!
But, at the present the plumbing is completely unusable due to damage sustained from the earthquake and tsunami. Please remember to pray that this can be repaired as soon as possible.

 

The following is the up coming schedule for the Higashi Matsushima AG Support Center:

 

This week on Saturday the 29^th we will take enough heating appliances (kerosene heaters, electric fan heaters, and kotatsu) for about 50 households as well as 150 blankets to people in the Omagari neighborhood which was hard hit by the tsunami. We will also be doing some one-on-one evangelism as a part of the relief activity.

 

On the afternoon of Sunday, November the 6^th we will man a booth as part of the Akai/Arakawamae barbecue group which will be part of the “All Akai Reconstruction Festival” (3,000 attendees expected).

On the afternoon of Sunday, November the 13^th we will hold a gospel concert headlined by the “Rejoice Gospel Choir” from Kobe. Many of the disaster victims are looking forward to this concert.

I would be so happy if you would pray for all of these relief outreaches.

Now, the work of the Higashi Matsushima AG Center is gradually growing, leading to new relief work in parts of Higashi Matsushima city and the neighborhoods of Omagari and Washizuka.

In addition we have been requested to operate a meal distribution (for 400 people) in one of the main thoroughfares of Ishinomaki city. In order to do it we will need the Lord’s direction, His anointing and workers. Please pray so that Matthew 9:37, 38 will be fulfilled.

 

Thank you for all of your prayers and support.

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/25)

Praise the Lord.
Thank you for your support and prayers.

Today, Tuesday the 25^th, we held our third house meeting in the home of Mr. Shiroma, the welfare officer for the Akai/Arakawamae neighborhoods. It was a wonderful gathering full of the presence of the Lord. There were 9 locals and 7 staff members for a total of 16 people in attendance.

The message was taken from the book of Job and was given by Pastor Glen, who has came from the Shinohara church and is currently staying at the volunteer center in Izumi. Everyone in attendance listened carefully to the Word. After the message we all had a great time of fellowship, eating Mrs. Shiroma’s home cooking as well as the Filipino spring rolls that Pastor Glen and his team brought.

I would really appreciate if you would pray for the house meetings that we are holding in Higashi Matsushima city, that they would be blessed with salvations and baptisms.

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/24) Part 3

Inside this old 100 yen store we were able to pass out the relief items to the disaster victims without any worry of them getting wet. This time the items that we gave out included toilet paper, laundry detergent and other necessities as well as warm clothes that had been donated by JAG churches, blankets from Samaritans Purse and bibles.
But the amazing working of God’s hand did not end there. One hour before the meal distribution started, a little after 11AM, it was pouring buckets at the relief center. One gentleman who was a local volunteer said, “With this rain ain’t nobody gonna come!” and with the way it was raining he would have been right.

Many of us, including myself, were at a loss for words and began to feel anxious.
“Oh no, what are we going to do…?” But at that moment we simply prayed to almighty God who created and rules all of nature.
“God, please stop the rain. If things continue this way no one will be able to come.” I prayed even as the rain seemed that it would continue for at least another 20 minutes. Everyone serving, including myself, was dripping wet. The tent wasn’t holding up under the weight of the rain and the roof had stated saggin. But the Lord did something amazing. 30 minutes before the meal distribution was scheduled to start the rain began to let up and when we actually opened the festival the rain had completely stopped. So much so that everyone waiting in line to receive food did not even need to open their umbrellas. It could only be called a miracle of God.

I say this because the festival was scheduled to end at 3 o’clock in the afternoon and right at 3PM dark clouds and fog rolled into the area and it began raining again continuing well into the night. The Lord was surely right there in the midst of that meal distribution. Even with unfavorable circumstances like inclement weather and an emergency change of venue we still broke our previous record attendance of 400 people! Praise God! I am sure that the Lord is stretching His hand out over that area and making sure that His work is moving forward. It was an event filled with joy, thanks and praise. Thank you for all of your precious prayers.

Please continue to pray and support us.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(The End)

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/24) Part 2

 

But when we arrived at 9AM to the local park where we normally have the meal distributions we found that it was flooded by all of the rain and was in no state to hold an event. This was truly the worst possible situation. If it had been last month then we would have had to stop at that point and cancel the whole thing. But we believe in the God of Isaac, the God of provision. The Higashi Matsushima Relief Center which we just started using on the 17^th of this month is the provision of God. It had suffered damage from the tsunami and the sewers are still unusable but the electric and the outdoor plumbing works so we were hurriedly led of the Lord to make use of this property.

But while this relief center could be used for the first part of preparing the meal and the third part of the festival which was the live worship it would not work for the second segment which was the relief item distribution. This is because there was not enough space for people to line up. But God in His great mercy had already provided. Amazingly, across the street from the relief center is a rather large building that used to be a 100 yen store but had been washed out by the tsunami and so we hurriedly obtained permission from the owner to make use of the building. This was a building that had already been offered as a place for the locals to use in times of rain. During the devotion and prayer before the meal I watched as the many disaster victims were lined up inside the building listening intently to the message and earnestly praying and at that moment I deeply felt the generous love of God and His mercy towards these people. (continued)

 

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/24) Part 1

Praise the Lord.
Thank you so much for your gracious support and service.
God is truly wonderful!
On Saturday the 22^nd we held our 21^st meal distribution, the “Reconstruction Imoni Festival”, in the Akai/Arakawamae neighborhoods of Higashi Matsushima city. It was all accomplished by the grace and blessing of the Lord, kept in His great and miraculous hand.
This time at the meal distribution we had pastor Fujimura from Fujisawa and his team, pastor Dan from Yokota and his team, pastor Nobuo Funastu from Kanazawa and his youth team, brother Toshima from Osaka, our volunteer staff, members from the Izumi church, as well as representatives from the neighborhood. In total there were about 50 people serving.
The day of the festival started with what seemed to be terrible circumstances. Beginning the previous evening it rained steadily all night and into the morning and an hour before the meal distribution it let loose with a torrential downpour. That was the weather for our meal distribution.

But for the past 20 meal distributions, regardless of the circumstances, we have seen the glory, power and presence of God. So that morning at the early morning prayer meeting we gave everything to God in prayer and  felt His blessing and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, filling us with peace and joy.

At 7:30 that morning the meal distribution team set out in 3 vans filled with 40kg (88lbs) of rice which they had started cooking at 4AM, as well as enough Imoni ingredients and Shirotama Zenzai to feed 400 people, all of which had been prepared the day before.

In order to be on time for the event, the relief goods distribution team worked through the morning shuttling the numerous relief items that are stored at the Higashi Matsuhima City Relief Center to the event site.

The third group, the live worship team, went to move the sound system from the relief center and set up on the stage that had been erected the day before at the city park event site. We were a mini convoy of 12 vehicles.
　　(continued)

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/17)

Praise the Lord.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support.

We were finally able to open the “Higashi Matsushima Support Center” (temporary title) which is located in the old 7-Eleven building in the Arai/Arakawamae neighborhoods of Higashi Matsushima.

We received the keys from the property management company and then our staff, who had been expectantly waiting this day, busily carried 30 boxes full of fall/winter relief items that had been sent from the JAG as well as 20 kerosene heaters. All of this is in preparation for this Saturdays’ meal distribution.

A female employee from the management company met us at the property and in fact her home in the Naruse neighborhood had been completely destroyed by the tsunami and she is now living at a temporary housing site. We promised this lady that we would help her by providing relief items and we invited her to the gospel concert on Sunday November the 13^th which will kick of the official opening of the center. She said that she is really into gospel music and would gladly attend the event.

Praise God that even in the first day of operations for the support center we have experienced the work of Lord.

Please pray that the Lord greatly uses the Higashi Matsushima Support center.

A Report From Pastor Fuyuki Okuda of Iwaki Assembly 10/16

Today was the first time that we had children from the temporary housing sites come and visit the church. Starting at three in the afternoon they participated in our “Joy Kids” program, then played some Wii Sports and then returned home. We shuttled them by car and their families were very helpful in working with us. There were two second grade boys and one preschool age girl.

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/14)

Praise the Lord.
Thanks for your prayers and support.

The structural damage in Izumi Fukuin Chapel from the strong level 6 shaking of the March 11^th earthquake is finally being repaired.

The wall board on the 1^st floor sanctuary is being removed and replaced with plywood and the wallpaper in all of the second floor rooms is being replaced.

The construction is ongoing but even still we held our Wednesday evening prayer meeting amidst the half repaired sanctuary. The work will continue to the end of this month.

Please pray that the construction will continue without issue.

Starting on the 17^th we will finally be able to do relief/outreach work from the Higashi Matsushima City Support Center. I would be very grateful if you would keep it in your prayers.

Also, please pray for the 21^st meal distribution, the “Fall Reconstruction Imoni Festival”, which will be on Saturday the 22^nd.

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/13 Part2)

Praise God!

Thank you everyone for your prayers, loving support and encouragement. I am so happy to be able to serve in this relief/rebuilding/evangelistic work.

Well, we will be holding the 21^st meal distribution, the “Fall Reconstruction Imoni Festival” on Saturday the 22^nd in the Akai/Arakawamae neighborhoods of Higashi Matsushima city.

This meal distribution will be sponsored by the Japan Assemblies of God Support Center and will be held at the Arakawamae “Rocket Park”.

The first part will be the meal (this time there will be an Imoni meal with shirotama zenzai dessert).
The second part will be a relief item distribution (this time we will include fall/winter items such as blankets, one time use hand warmers, hot compress packs and food packs).
The third part will be the live worship segment (This time we will have “Wings” the group that performed previously, the Kanezawa church youth team, sister Tsuchiya from the Nigata church, and magician Mr. Shimack from Aomori).

We will also be having a professional masseuse from the Fujisawa church come. They will be arriving a few days before the festival, offering massage services for those in the Akai neighborhood that are in need of them.

I believe this will be a meal distribution where we will see the glory of our wondrous Lord.

　
By all means, please pray that this 21^st meal distribution “Fall Reconstruction Imoni Festival” will be filled with the rich blessings of God.

A Report From Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (10/13)

Praise the Lord!
Thank you for all of your prayers and support.

7 months after the disaster the JAG relief and rescue work is continuing even today. This is thanks to everyone’s fervent prayers, outpouring of love as well as your tremendous support by actually coming and ministering in the disaster area.

 
Our outreaches to Higashi Matsushima city and Rikuzen Takada city which began immediately after the disaster are now approaching their seven month anniversary.

Not just nationally but also internationally we have received prayers and support from various churches, organizations, pastors and believers, and without that help there is no way that we could have made it this far.

Very soon we will be opening the “Japan Assemblies of God Higashi Matsushima City Support Center” in the Akai neighborhood. The building, which sits along national route 45, is a rental property that formerly housed a 7-Eleven convenient store that was washed out by the tsunami. The available land is almost 10,760 square feet (1,000 square meters) and also has a large parking lot. The parking lot can hold 20 to 30 passenger cars or a number of large size trucks.

The first floor which was previously the storefront can easily accommodate 80 to 100 people, allowing us to hold various events throughout the winter such as food distributions, concerts and seminars.

 
We are also planning on using the property as a local assistance counseling center and a community meeting place. There has already been a request to use the space as a “Tea Room” for elderly people in the neighborhood.

Since it was previously a convenient store there is a small warehouse space in the back of the building where we will be able to store lots of relief goods.

The second floor is a living area with three rooms, a kitchen, and bathroom all of which will give volunteers a long term residence space. At the moment we are planning on having one person stay there indefinitely as a caretaker.

We will be able to start using the center next week.

I would be very grateful if you would pray that the Lord would use this center in order to continue the relief and evangelism work in the Akai neighborhood. But not just the Akai neighborhood, we will soon begin ministering to about 50 families from the Omagari neighborhood that lost their homes in the tsunami and have been evacuated to a more inland region. So please keep this new relief/evangelistic work in your prayers.

What’s more, since the Higashi Matsushima Center is conveniently situated on route 45 only 5 minutes from the Ishinomaki exit of the Sanriku Expressway there is the possibility that it can become a launching point for relief work into northern Ishinomaki, Onnagawa, Minami Sanriku and even Kesennuma. Please pray that we will continue to be used and led by the Lord.

Thanks again for all of your prayers and support.