A Report from Pastor Ito of Izumi Fukuin Chapel (5/8/2012)

Praise the Lord.

　Thank you for your prayers and overwhelming support for the disaster region, its churches and its people.

　As part of the 39th JAG General Council, the morning service on Friday the 4th was designated the “Tohoku Rebuilding Service”. General superintendant Hosoi shared an encouraging message entitled, “Lets take the love of Christ to the disaster area”. During the service the Tohoku district superintendant shared about the ongoing relief work, expressing gratitude for the work so far, sharing about the work going on in each region and sharing about current needs and future vision.
　The following is a report for those who were not able to attend.

　I am so thankful for all of the supportive emails, phone calls and words from the churches around Japan to the churches in the disaster area following the Great Tohoku Earthquake of March 3rd last year.

　At the moment of the earthquake the churches of the Tohoku district were in the protection of the hand of the Lord. Even with such great quaking, there were some items broken in the church buildings and slight damage to parsonages but there was no major damage to any buildings. Also, there were no physical injuries to pastors or church members alike. Unfortunately though, a number of church members’ homes did suffer partial or complete damage, requiring them to make repairs or even move house.
　In addition the members of the churches in Fukushima have had to struggle with the troubling effects of radiation from the nuclear reactor incident.

 Prompted by the overflow of the love of Christ, the AG churches of Japan and even around the world, have offered prayers and support that have brought help and comfort to the churches in Tohoku.

 Thanks to the donations of everyone around the country, church sanctuaries and church members’ homes have been repaired and others have been helped to move into new residences. Also, the offerings have helped to perform various radiation cleanup activities for the churches in the Fukushima area. With all of your prayers and support the churches throughout the disaster area were able to quickly get back on their feet, and then quickly begin helping the neighboring disaster victims. Even today that relief work is continuing.

 Thanks to the prayers and support of the general superintendent, the pastors of the executive committee, the pastors of the disaster relief committee, pastors throughout the country, the bible school president and students, believers from around the nation, nay around the world, we have been able to do relief work into this day.
　We, the members of the Tohoku district, thank you through the abundant love of God and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of the prayers and support that we have received to this day.

 So, as the representative of the Tohoku district I would like to take this moment to report to you about our vision, the work done up to this point and our plans for the future.
　Seeing as the disaster area in Tohoku covers a very large area, I split the area into 3 sections according to the AG churches present making the Aomori Iwate section, the Miyagi Yamagata section and the Fukushima section. We have appointed pastors to oversea each section and coordinate with the pastors in their respective section regarding future relief work.

 ▼Aomori・Iwate section

　In November of last year the "Kamaishi AG Support Center" was opened in Kamaishi city which is in Iwate prefecture. Pastor Shibuya of the Aomori church has been the main leader there and has been busy distributing kerosene heaters, kotatsu, blankets and other various household heating items to the disaster victims. In addition they have been going to the temporary housing sites; drinking tea and chatting with the victims there about their disaster experiences and their experiences in the evacuation shelters. There have been a number of opportunities to hear people's worries and pray with them.

 Currently, they are distributing what they are calling the "Aomori Love Pack" which includes rice, miso paste and other common food items. A current prayer need is for a full time resident volunteer minister to be provided. Please, by all means, continue to help support this center and pray that God will provide a full time volunteer for the Kamaishi.

 ▼Miyagi・Yamagata section

With the members of the Izumi church as well as many other volunteers the relief work started in the city of Higashi Matsushima ten days after the earthquake and then in Rikuzentakada city in April of last year. Even now the relief work in both areas is continuing.

 Starting in May we opened the "Izumi Support Center" which has the duel role of relief supply warehouse and volunteer accommodations. We were able to start by clearing mud out of people's homes and distributing meals with the help of our regular staff and many other volunteers. And with the gracious donations from the churches around Japan, the US Assemblies' Convoy of Hope and Samaritans Purse we were able to pass out numerous relief times to the disaster victims.

 Then from June to August, with the help of the US Assemblies' missionary fellowship, Convoy of Hope and Teen Challenge Japan, we were able to distribute 150 electric fans and 600 bicycles. In October we opened the relief center in Higashi Matsushima city which is manned by our regular volunteer staff.  There they have been working daily providing items such as kerosene heaters, kerosene, blankets, clothing, food items, sandals, etc to over 1,200 households in the Higashi Matsushima/Ishinomaki area. Also the monthly meal distributions are always brimming with disaster victims, making for an atmosphere of fellowship and healing.

 Starting last year we have held concerts, movie viewings and fellowship events which help with emotional relief and starting this year we have begun the monthly "Word and Tea" event. This has begun a real spiritual relief with a few people already confessing Christ and we are expecting a soon coming harvest. So, starting next month we are planning on having "Worship and Sunday School" on Sunday afternoons at the center.

 In addition, Sendai Christ church's pastor Kawakami and pastor Motoe have been busy working in communities along the coastline cleaning mud out of houses, cleaning the homes, providing meals as well as distributing handmade goods such as bags to the disaster victims. Recently they have been visiting temporary housing sites and passing out blankets handmade by American christians and homemade jam all with gospel tracts.

 ▼Fukushima section

　With Koriyama churches' pastor Sanga as the leader, many volunteers have worked to provide relief to the nuclear reactor disaster evacuees who were living in the "Pick Palette" evacuation shelter. The evacuation shelter closed in June and everyone was moved out to rental properties or temporary housing sites, so they began providing housing appliances in what they called "Life Starter Kits" along with a "Second Box" which included shampoo, toilet paper and other daily necessities. Because of radiation worries they distributed "Food Box" with produce from southern Japan, also summer clothing and again with the help of the missionary fellowship they gave out kerosene heaters and bicycles. Then in October and December they held the "Love Kids Festival" for the children of the disaster, creating a place for disaster victims to meet up and interact. Also, with the cooperation of Convoy of Hope they were able to provide kerosene for people. Currently they are focusing on emotional and spiritual care through their "Bonds of the Heart" cafe and events.

　Additionally, the church in Fukushima city is busy providing relief in their pastor Mamoru Ito's hometown of Minami Soma. At the Iwaki church they are cooperating with a city wide relief network, bringing relief to the nearby evacuation shelter which was populated by people who evacuated from the town of Naraha due to the nuclear disaster and are now ministering to the same people as they have moved into temporary housing sites.

　Because of the radiation issues in the area we have been held up in opening a support center along the Fukushima coast. But now that the restrictions have been lifted and residents are slowly moving back into their homes we are aiming to open a support center that can help the northern part of the coast like Soma and Minami Soma cities as well as the central coastal area like the town of Tomioka. Please keep this in your prayers.

 ○Looking Ahead

　Seeing that throughout the disaster area the degree of damage and support varies there are some areas which are still not being rebuilt and where some are still waiting for needed relief. This means that there are still a number of disaster victims that are in need of relief items.

　There is also an abundance of people who are struggling with problems such as PTSD and are in need of emotional relief. And there are many who lost their home and possessions and have nothing sure and stable in their life leading them to seek after true salvation. Please do not forget these many that are in need or relief, instead I ask that you would continually keep them in your prayers.

　Your prayers and love inspired gifts and offerings are meeting the needs of many disaster victims and savings lives! They are healing and comforting the hearts of many! Many lost souls are listening to the Lord, seeking Him and receiving salvation. In this disaster area that is full of pain and sadness, I would like for you to see a vision of the Lord’s work through“We the Assemblies’ support center”leading many people to know of the Lord, to being saved and culminating in a great harvest of souls.

　I ask that each of you would consider working alongside us in this precious relief work. Please, by all means, pray for the disaster victims in Tohoku as well as for the churches, both pastors and believers, who are serving within the Tohoku district.

 That’s all. Thank you for reading through this long post.