Latest AGWM Video on Japan's Earthquake/Tsunami Crisis

Here's the link to the latest AGWM video about Japan's Earthquake/Tsunami Crisis.

www.crisisresponse.ag.org

In other news, Reuters reports that the nuclear situation has some stabilization as a result of a team working to connect power cables to the cooling system. Yesterday it was reported that the man in charge of the project is a Christian. This morning my pastor said that there are actually 6 Christians on the team involved with the project.

Urgent Prayer Request

The person in charge of connecting pipes for cooling water at Fukushima Daiichi Atomic Power Plant is a Christian, Bro. Naoyoshi Sato. If their mission is successful, the critical situation can turn completely around. Please pray that he will be able to work safely with the Lord's wisdom and assistance.

Our regional director is advising us AGWM missionaries to use caution and wisdom. If we feel the need to leave for another part of the country or leave the country, we need to be ready to go quickly.

Here are a couple of websites which list the levels of radiation in Tokyo. One lists daily from central Tokyo and the other lists graphically every 10 minutes.

• Metropolis, an English magazine, is publishing daily (sometimes more) readings in Roppongi Hills in central Tokyo. 

http://metropolis.co.jp/quake/quake-2011-03/tokyo-atmospheric-radiation-levels/

• A man in Hino (located in central Tokyo) is measuring with his Geiger counter at a window and displaying the readings in a graph.The site is mostly in Japanese but the graphical format can easily be understood.

http://park30.wakwak.com/~weather/geiger_index.html

A couple of important meetings about our relief efforts took place today. Ty and Cina Silva, Asia Pacific OneHope (formerly Book of Hope), came to Japan last Thursday to speak at the annual Chi Alpha Japan Training Seminar and hold OneHope meetings with various ministries in Tokyo. During the time they have been here, they have also been talking with other OneHope leaders about publishing an evangelistic booklet called "When Life Is Shaken" for survivors. The booklet contents were published for the 1995 Kobe earthquake outreaches and distributed by churches. The writer is already editing the booklet for the Tohoko area and aims to finish in 2-3 days. We are looking to ask a graphic designer to help with design.  (He recently produced a Japanese Christian magazine tract). OneHope will fund this project to get a contextualized Japanese gospel message into the hands of the people along with practical necessities. Please pray that the details will come together quickly and that it will be well done.

In another series of meetings, a professional rescue team called Somebody Cares International were meeting with U.S. missionaries and the Japan Assembly of God national leaders. They discussed how to get into the area to assess the needs. The group has medical professionals familiar with treating radioactive contamination. Please pray that the details for these efforts to also come together.

Japan Assemblies of God Churches Report

The Japan Assemblies of God has a blog updating everyone on the different relief efforts that are being made by our churches. But we also have an English translation! This English blog can be a good resource for churches and supporters who want to be kept up to date on the current state of the relief efforts. Below are the URL's.

Japanese:
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/saigaitaisakusitu/

English:
http://blog.goo.ne.jp/saigaihonbu

Latest News

Monday, March 14. A few pastors & 3 Bible School students left in the school's STL (Speed the Light) van around 8:30 p.m. to take relief supplies up to Fukushima. Since it is so difficult to get gas here in Tokyo now (most gas stations are closed or have long, long lines) so they first drove up to Niigata to get gas. Then they took local roads to get up to Fukushima since all highways are still closed. However, the team was rerouted to another location due to radiation in the Fukushima area.

Shelley Carl, AGWM missionary currently itinerating and scheduled to return to Japan on April 6, reported the following: 

The uncle of one of our church believers was rescued in Miyagi prefecture and she is giving praise to God for the rescue team. To God be the glory! We can still pray for miraculous rescues!!!

At 10:31 PM tonight there was a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Shizuoka, the area near Mt. Fuji and southwest of Tokyo. Because the epicenter was land-based, there is no danger of a tsunami.

 

Prayer Points for the Japan Earthquake/Tsunami Disaster Relief Efforts

 The whole world has watched as Japan has been hit with a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and the 10-meter tsunami. Those two natural disasters set off nuclear reactor explosions. In addition, there have been over 120+ aftershocks further traumatizing the survivors. This combination of disasters is unprecedented and inevitably will require rescue, relief, and rebuilding efforts to help the people of Japan. As many are saying, Japan will never be the same.

The Assemblies of God World Missions missionaries based in Japan are already mobilizing to aid in relief efforts in a partnership with Convoy of Hope. Many are asking what they can do. The first priority is PRAYER. Here are some prayer points:

1. Pray for the present rescue efforts being carried out by rescue teams and that bureaucracy will not slow down the efforts.

2. Pray for teams to make good, wise assessments as they mobilize for relief efforts. Pray that the Japanese people will come to understand that Creator God loves them through the relief efforts.

3. Pray for those survivors in the Tohoku (like a state or province) area. Many do not have power, heat, gas, and have limited food supplies as they await relief to reach them. It is still winter time with cold temperatures and snowfall there. Also, many have lost family members.

4. Pray for those affected by the nuclear plant explosions. It has been reported that many evacuated but there are still that remain in the vicinity of the explosions. Also, pray that the nuclear reactor problems can be wisely resolved and that the rest of Japan will not be affected by the radiation that was released in the explosions.

5. Pray that tsunamis from aftershocks will be averted. This morning (Monday, 3/14) there was another earthquake after which a 3 meter (10 feet) wave was spotted to be approaching land. However, it failed to reach land.

6. Pray that as those in the Tokyo metropolitan area experience the inconvenience of rolling power outages and irregular travel will take time to reflect on the meaning of life. May God of the heavens and the earth reveal Himself in loving, powerful, miraculous ways to a people who do not know Him.

If you want to give to the Earthquake/Tsunami Disaster in Japan, you can give online at www.ag.org to AGWM Crisis Response 891167-9 (48). Click on "Donate" and then on "World Disaster Relief."

You can also give at http://www.convoyofhope.org/.