It took Stephan and his teammate Hanno two full days to journey from Miyagi to Kyushu. “As we drove through Japan we were reminded of God’s beautiful creation, and yet when we arrived on Kyushu Island we once again saw how fragile creation can be,” Stephan said, pointing out the extent of damage that the two strong earthquakes had caused. It didn’t just affect buildings and infrastructure, but had also taken human lives and injured many more.

One of the churches they visited was Kumamoto East Christ Bible Church - or what was left of it, because the second floor of the building had collapsed onto the first. It was only by a miracle that the Pastor’s daughter was rescued after being trapped under the debris for 5 hours; other neighbours died in the disaster.

“What impressed us the most was the willingness and determination of the Japanese pastors to help in any way they can,” Stephan remembered. “Even though they were heavily affected, many pastors wanted to help to meet the needs in their communities.” The needs, however, kept on changing. When the two OMers arrived, they brought some water, because most of Kumamoto was without water supply for four days. Everybody asked for water. However, the very next day the water came back on, and everybody had enough water to drink and for daily use.

But the needs are still real. Daily aftershocks stir anxiety about possible further earthquakes. There was a fear of volcanic eruptions in Kyushu Island, which might lead to another nuclear disaster like in Fukushima. Although it seems that tremors have subsided, the earthquakes left 48 people dead and more than 30,000 houses have been destroyed or severely damaged. According to latest news, the prefectural government is struggling to provide enough temporary housing and reconstruction is going slow.

It is important for the churches to have a voice during these uncertain times and to come alongside earthquake victims in their suffering. By connecting with each other, strong networks are being established and churches are starting to help the community in practical ways. This is the beginning of a long road to recovery. Maybe it won’t take as long as in Tohoku, but for at least a year, churches will be dependent on outside help. 

OM Japan’s leadership is currently assessing the best way to come alongside local churches and support their relief efforts. While OM does help with raising and transferring of funds within Japan, it currently doesn’t see the need of requesting financial help from outside the country. But please do pray for Japanese churches' and OM’s efforts in helping those affected, and asking the Lord for a quick recovery.

Twenty-five years ago the church faced strong opposition when they wanted to rent land to build their church building, but the owner decided to rent the land to the church anyway for tax purposes. The community eventually accepted on the conditions that the cross on the building must be lowered, and no posters or Bible verses be put up outside the church. 

In February 2015, two OM workers started to do prayer walks with the pastor. The pastor and the church didn't know about prayer walking before. When the Out of the Comfort Zone short-term team visited in July, it was the first time that the church had even planned an outreach programme, holding it at a nearby park.

One week before the event, two strong typhoons threatened to cancel the event, as they were forecast to bring lots of rain to that area. The team encouraged the pastor to keep praying and have faith that it would be a nice day because God knew the importance of the outreach. The church came together and prayed for good weather, even though humanly speaking it seemed impossible. When the day arrived, there was sunny weather and about 60-70 children participated in the event. 

One of the prayer walk routes led past a nearby primary school, which the pastor’s daughter attends. As Christmas drew near, he wanted to distribute invitations to the church to the children in the neighbourhood. One OMer suggested that he call the school principal to ask for permission to hand them out at the school, which is usually not possible.

Because the pastor’s daughter has a heart condition, the school knew him well. After much prayer had been poured over the situation, he took a step of faith to seek permission from the school. The principal gave his blessing to distribute the invitations.

The pastor, church members and the OMer saw the impossible happen, with excitement and joy they distributed invitations to the students for the very first time. The pastor saw many answers to prayers and everyone was greatly encouraged by the power of prayer.

The ministry started when a team moved to a small town called Tome and spent time in prayer. After a few months, God opened doors for them to connect with local pastors, Christian workers and other residents. This enabled them to work with those still living in temporary housing and various institutions, such as a home for the mentally challenged as well as elderly care facilities.

Currently, the team consists of a family of five from South Africa and Japan and a single lady from Malaysia. The work focuses on Tome and the surrounding villages that were affected by the tsunami in 2011, like Motoyoshi and Minamisanriku.

Recently, the 4 Friends Network started a Bible café in Motoyoshi for locals to have tea and chat while listening to songs and stories from the Bible. Being from Africa, OM worker Stephan Smithdorff also started a project to collect old clothes for children in Namibia.

In Tome, the 4 Friends Network was offered the opportunity to use the second floor of a shop building at a Michi-no-eki for regular events. Michi-no-eki are government-designated rest areas found along highways in Japan.

In April, the team organised a series of events to bless the local community and to share about the meaning of Easter. A local ventriloquist and two ladies from OM Japan from Ishikawa spent two weeks in the tsunami-affected region doing ministry among the elderly and the young.

During the children’s event held at the Michi-no-eki, the children learnt English songs and heard the story of Easter while playing games and experiencing their first-ever Easter egg hunt with chocolate eggs from Switzerland. One of the ladies did balloon sculpting for the children and taught them how to make a colourful bead bracelet relating to the Easter story. The children and their grandparents who brought them seemed to thoroughly enjoy the programme.

Afterwards, the 4 Friends Network’s members took the visiting team to a centre for the physically and intellectually challenged. The people enjoyed singing old Japanese songs and listening to the Easter message.  

Michelle Tan, one of the OM ladies, shared that one of her highlights was to see the smiles on the people's faces, especially when the elderly were singing the old songs and when they listened to the Easter story through the conversation with the ventriloquist's puppet.

“Compared to Christmas, the reason for Easter is less made known to the people [in Japan]. It is a good opportunity to share the Gospel. The hand puppet was also a rare treat for the people, many of them seeing it for the first time,” Michelle said.

The staff at these elderly care facilities, day care centres and other facilities commented that the number of volunteers that come to support them has dwindled over the months. Hence, they really appreciated the effort of everyone in OM who were involved in the Easter events.

Throughout the two weeks, Michelle and the other team members could clearly see the need for support of the elderly from people who really care for them. 4 Friends Network would like to help restore true joy in people’s lives by building relationships and sharing God’s love with those still suffering from the effects of the disaster that took place in that area four years ago.

Please pray for OM Japan’s 4 Friends Network ministry in Miyagi. They encourage small teams from abroad to serve alongside them. If you’re interested, please get in touch with your local OM office.

"Our regular Christmas outreach is held in a city about five hours away. As disappointing as it was to cancel our programme there, it's been great to spend the whole Christmas season at home," explained Chris. "It made me realise all the opportunities right here! So in a way I'm thankful that our regular outreach was cancelled – it gave me the chance to organise an outreach in my own city."

It was snowing heavily when Chris, dressed as Santa, drove his van downtown. In the car with him were his wife and their two children, as well as fellow OMer Philipp Martin, who works in the OM office – all were dressed as elves.

After parking the car and walking through heavy snowfall, the small group reached their destination: a street corner in front of a big shopping mall. Here they planned to hand out small gifts with a little leaflet about the first Christmas.

At first, the security guard of the shopping mall requested the team to move further from the main entrance. But after reading the written permit the team had received from the local police station and a leaflet that was to be handed out, the managers of the shopping mall gave the team permission to proceed with their activities.

"As a Buddhist and Shintoist country, Christmas is not a traditional celebration in Japan," continued Chris. "Like many foreign things in Japan, however, Christmas has become quite popular, especially for the retail industry. There's an increasing trend to organise Christmas parties and put up Christmas decorations. But the original meaning of Christmas – the birth of Jesus Christ – is hardly known. For this reason, Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to point people to Jesus."

While Santa and his elves might distract from the true meaning of Christmas in other countries, in Japan they are a great tool to get people's attention, especially amongst young people who are keen to take a photo with Santa. The team thus had ample opportunity to share about the real meaning of Christmas.

In another town, Simon Baek, a pastor and English teacher who works with OM, organised his church's yearly Christmas concert for the local community. About 50 of his English class students sang the theme song of a popular children's movie in front of an audience of more than 230 people. This was followed by the highlight of the afternoon: a mini musical inspired by the same movie.

The mainly non-Christian audience was encouraged to embrace the true sacrificial love of Jesus Christ, and like in previous years, all the children received a small present at the end of the show. This was followed by a time of fellowship over snacks, cakes and drinks.

Praise God for the many opportunities members of OM Japan had to share about the true meaning of Christmas this year. Pray that God would touch lives through the thousands of pieces of literature distributed.

Chris happily agreed and prepared a small juggling routine. Despite dropping balls and clubs during his performance, he had a great time, and the elderly and their guests enjoyed it too.

But the highlight was when the facility manager asked Chris if he would like to come back regularly to visit the elderly.

"I was only too happy to say yes," recalls Chris. "For some time, I had been thinking of starting a ministry that focuses on social outreach. Our church doesn't have a ministry like that, and there are plenty of opportunities around. But I had put it on the back burner. Maybe next year, I thought. Then this opportunity came up. I saw it as a God-given opportunity; I didn't even have to ask, they asked me!"

Now Chris visits once a month to hang out with the elderly. He has prepared a quiz, has taught a song in English and has even taken along Vegemite to try (which, to Chris' surprise, most of the elderly liked!). In so doing, he hopes to show the people Christ's love; he also prays for opportunities to share with them about the hope he has in Christ, hope for an eternal future with Him.

"God opened the door for me to go [to the elderly care facility] in the first place, so I can rely on him to provide these opportunities as well," says Chris. "I pray that God would glorify His name through my involvement in the aged care facility."

*Name changed

“My dad is!” shouted one boy, thus paving the way for Harriet to talk about how superheroes should be our role models too. “Jesus is my superhero,” added Harriet. “He was the perfect role model for us all.”

In 2012, Harriet and her husband, Hannes, moved to Japan to work with Hope House, a ministry comprising a church, restaurant and English café set up by a Danish woman in Kanazawa. With a desire to offer a monthly English class for primary school children and their parents, they established The Eagles Children/Parent Event a few months later. While they needed at least six people to register for the event, only one child and her mother registered. Harriet and her team brought the matter to God in prayer.

“For the next two months, only Yuika and her mother attended,” said Harriet, “[but] we decided that we would take the time to make these events special, [so as to] share God’s love – even if for only one child.”

Over the next few months, seven children and their parents registered, and as the team shared the Gospel through interactive stories, crafts and songs, more children and parents started to join.

One day, a reporter from a local magazine called Harriet for an interview; they had heard about The Eagle Children/Parent Event and were willing to advertise it for free. On the day the magazine appeared in the stores, people started to call to register. More than 21 children have since registered. Including parents and staff, 41 people now regularly attend!

From 26 - 28 July, families from The Eagle Children/Parent Event have been invited for a camp in Karuizawa. Pray for guidance as the team shares about the characteristics of the eagle, and for open hearts as they present God’s love through words and deeds.

To present Christian literature to passers-by, OM Japan's short-term team put on different costumes; Leung dressed as Santa Claus for the first time in his life.

"The local Christian workers told us the usual response of Japanese was indifference," said Leung. "However, they seemed glad to greet Santa with warm smiles, as if it had been a long while since anyone had shown them any kindness. Some were deeply touched after reading the Gospel message."

Amidst colourful adverts on the streets, brisk rhythmic music and the appealing aroma of good food, the team prayed for Japan. In the temples and residences of their various deities, they saw many people numbly worshipping, with a sense of lost desolation and despair hidden behind the facade of fervent idolatry. Leung felt even more burdened to pray for the people.

Asking a local OMer why the Japanese have persistently resisted the Gospel for hundreds of years, Leung learnt that they have always prided themselves of their virtues. They had yet to experience the greatness of God through Jesus Christ, which is something that only prayer and God Himself could do.

Do you have a heart for Japan? OM Japan is looking for church workers to reach the millions of Japanese who do not yet know Jesus. Non-Japanese speakers will spend one or two years in language study, combined with relevant ministries, such as teaching English and music ministry. You will also work with local churches, participate in the life of the OM team and help host church services, mid-week prayer meetings and church programmes. For more information, contact info.jp@om.org.

“Hannah shared that she had sinned too much,” said Chris, who in response shared with her several Bible verses that assure us of the complete forgiveness of our sins. “It was at this point that she decided to trust in Jesus, receive forgiveness and be baptised.”

Overnight, Hannah went from needing sleeping pills – she couldn’t sleep because of the guilt she felt from past sin – to sleeping without any. “She [now] has a radiant joy and peace at all times, and she is always saying ‘only Jesus!’” added Sarah.

Since that first meeting, Hannah and Sarah have become great friends, and they meet on occasion to study the Bible and pray together. Hannah also attends an English Bible study for Japanese ladies at Sarah’s home, where she can ask questions about her newfound faith.

“In a group culture, I think it is very hard for an individual to make a decision to follow Christ,” said Sarah, when asked what challenges Japanese people face in believing in Jesus. “In a culture of ancestor worship, families can oppose their decision for fear that no one will pray for their family’s souls when they die. There are [also] eight million gods in Shintoism, so Jesus can be perceived as another god. It can be hard for Shinto believers to believe in the exclusivity of the God of the Bible.”

Praise God for freeing Hannah of the guilt of sin, and for filling her with His joy and peace. Pray for a Japanese Christian to become Hannah’s mentor, and for perseverance in reading the Bible, despite the many questions she has. Pray that Hannah’s family and friends would be encouraged by her testimony and come to believe in the God of the Bible too.

*Name changed

“We started last year from nothing, no acquaintances and no knowledge about the area,” said Simon. “About 110 people attended our first Christmas concert, and now about 10 people regularly attend worship services, including four adult non-Christians.”

So as to establish meaningful relationships within the community, the OM Japan team also offers language classes. About 48 children participate in five different English classes, and one Korean class for adults has been started. Out of the Comfort Zone participants also helped run a one-day English camp with 73 participants in total. 

“We believe that people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care,” said Simon. “We'd like to show God's love for them through very practical ways. It is not easy and might take time, but we are excited with what God is doing through us. Even though we planned our things, we could clearly see God's leading and blessing each step of the way.”

Pastor Yokoyama hopes to see 30 people join the church within three years. “For us, it seems impossible in this sun-scorched land,” admitted Simon. “However, who knows? That's vision.”

“Starting a new style of worship service is important and should transcend church denomination,” said Pom Yung Kim, leader of OM Japan’s new worship initiative. “Secondly, this worship ministry is not just a one-time event … we want everybody to know that it is a regular worship service on the first Monday of each month. I think starting this kind of worship service will have a big impact on Japanese churches and Christians.”

The Worship Here team is grateful that God provided everything they needed for the first event, including a sound engineer, a cameraman, ushers and support staff. “We are [also] grateful that there were many foreigners, but we hope to see more local young people come to future events,” said Kim. “The youth who attended said that it was a new experience to meet God; they are very keen to invite their friends next time.”

Pray that the Worship Here team would find suitable premises for future events, and that more musicians and support workers would join their ministry. As the team seeks to draw young Japanese youth into God’s presence through music, pray that He pours out His grace and love on their ministry and reveal His greatness to those who seek His face.

“The cafe team of four [from Denmark, South Africa and Norway] has been working very well, taking up different responsibilities, helping and encouraging one another despite the heavy workload,” reported Michelle. “Now that I am here, I have been observing and helping out in some of the ministries. Many of the things are new to me, as my vocational background is in education.

"I have learnt to mix my first waffle batter, make waffles and serve waffles to customers—and with limited Japanese, strike up conversation with the customers. Most of them are very gracious and amused too, I think, by this group of foreigners. One customer even remarked to the owner that it is very interesting that her café has helpers from so many different countries.”

Please pray for unity in their international team and that many people would be drawn to Jesus through their lives and ministry. Pray that Michelle would guard her time with God and be guided by Him in every decision.

The team was amazed at how popular Santa was. "Cars full of business men eagerly waved from passing cars. And almost everyone took a tract. We had people waiting to be given a tract. Others would first refuse, then turn around and come back for one," said Joel Zerna, one of the short-termers.

About an hour from Tokyo by bullet train, Karuizawa is a popular destination for many Japanese. Not only does it host resorts to get away for a night or two, but there are also many outlet shops to attract day-trippers. And while Christmas is a popular time for shopping, few Japanese know about Jesus and the first Christmas, let alone why He came. By distributing tracts explaining the real meaning of Christmas, and copies of “Manga Mission”, the team planted seeds for the gospel in people’s hearts.

Chris shared one memorable experience: "After giving a copy of ‘Manga Mission’ to a young lady, I was asked what it was that we were handing out. I explained that it was the story of Jesus and why he was born. The lady then said, 'Oh, Adam and Eve?' I was so surprised! She obviously had had Christian input into her life from others. ‘Manga Mission’ starts with the story of Adam and Eve and the Fall, before moving on to Christ, so it was the perfect gift for her. I pray that ‘Manga Mission’ would add to the seeds sown by others before us, and lead to this lady committing her life to Christ.”

At a recent Salad Bowl event, OMer Chris guided participants through the process of making juggling balls before teaching them how to juggle. Chris and his wife, Sarah, attend Salad Bowl with the hope of building friendships with participants from Japan, China, Philippines, Australia, the US and Canada.

The juggling lesson gave Chris an opportunity to contribute to the group, teach a new skill and get everyone laughing together. Participants were first encouraged to make juggling balls using rice and balloons before being introduced to the art of juggling. “It’s easy, you just throw the balls up in order like this,” said Chris.

As a result of Salad Bowl, Chris and Sarah have been able to invite people to their home and to social activities at church. And while juggling wasn’t as easy as Chris had made it sound, everyone had fun trying. Please pray for Chris and Sarah as they build relationships to share their faith.

OM Japan recently launched a worship ministry called Worship Here. Through contemporary worship, the OM team hopes to create an atmosphere in which the younger generation can experience and worship God.

“We believe that the ultimate goal of world mission is not simply to share the gospel, but to build a worship service and worshippers for praising and worshipping God’s glory,” says Pomyoung Kim, member of OM Japan.

The average age of church-goers in Japan is 50+, making it difficult for the younger generation to engage with the church and grow in faith. “We want to focus on the young generation (age 20-30) because churches in Japan face the problem of decreasing numbers. With a Christian population of less than 1 per cent, this is a very serious situation,” adds Pomyoung.

In an effort to break down denominational divides in the Hokuriku area, the team is looking for a neutral place to meet monthly in central Kanazawa, the largest city in Hokuriku. “There is no sound of worshipping God—only the sound of Karaoke and secular music in Kanazawa. If we can offer a worship service there, it would be very meaningful,” says Pomyoung.

Currently, the Worship Here team meets regularly for music practice and team devotions. Pray that a drummer, keyboard player and guitarist would join their team, and for the overflowing of God’s love and grace as they prepare for regular worship services. Pray that the team would find a suitable place for regular worship in central Kanazawa, and for good co-operation between the churches in the region. Pray that many young people would come to know God personally through worship and that the church in Japan would be strengthened.

For many in Japan, the concept of Easter and tradition of eating chocolate eggs during this festive season remains unknown. Seeing an opportunity to talk about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, the staff at SonRise Café in Tokyo decided to sell Easter eggs in the weeks leading up to Easter.

“Some customers asked us what they meant, and so we were able to share the Easter story,” said Owen from TEAM, a partner organisation of OM Japan. Customers were also encouraged to participate in an Easter quiz, and winners received a prize, including the JESUS film. The Easter Sunday service at SonRise Church was followed by a communal meal, complete with a cake of the resurrection holding three crosses and an empty tomb. Easter eggs were also distributed at a local orphanage that day.

About 450 kilometres west of Tokyo, the OM team in Nanao handed out Easter eggs to the friends. A tract explaining the meaning of Easter and an invitation to the celebration service on Easter Sunday was included in the pack.

Due to her son, Joshua’s illness, Sarah from OM Japan was unable to leave the house in the days leading up to Easter. “As conjunctivitis is very contagious, this normally means a visit to the doctor and several days at home recovering,” said Sarah. “We all prayed for a miracle. God answered our prayer, and when Joshua woke from his morning sleep, there was no sign of conjunctivitis! Praise God! I was able to go out and invite my friends.”

Many of their friends accepted the invitation, some attending church for the very first time. “We were overwhelmed by the number of friends who attended church,” recalled Sarah’s husband, Chris. “There were so many new people at church, including children. It was probably the most exciting Sunday service I've been to!”

Praise God for open doors to speak about Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross in Tokyo, and for the Jesus videos distributed in the weeks leading up to Easter. Praise God also for answering Sarah’s prayer and healing her son of conjunctivitis on Maundy Thursday. Pray that their friends would grow in their understanding of the Christian faith, as the OM team in Nanao shares their lives with them. 

"I was in my house, with my nine-month-pregnant daughter,” said Suda-san, a homeowner whose house OM Japan has helped clean and rebuild. “We tried to run upstairs when the tsunami started to enter our house. Because my daughter was too heavy to move, I tried to pull her from the water up the stairs, but the rubble hit my arm and I lost grip of her.”

One year later, Mr. and Mrs. Suda are still coming to terms with the loss of their daughter and unborn first grandchild. Like the Sudas, many are grieving for their lost loved ones, damaged property, destroyed workplaces and sentimental possessions.

Today, OM Japan feels honoured to have played a small part in helping bring hope and relief to tsunami survivors.

Phase 1: Delivering relief goods

The team’s first priority in providing relief was to bring food, water, stoves, kerosene, blankets and other relief goods to the tsunami victims. They partnered with Kurihara Baptist Church in Miyagi Prefecture, which functioned as a volunteer centre and distribution point. Supplies were delivered to the needy in evacuation centres and those living in damaged homes.

“It was so humbling to see the thankfulness and often tear-filled eyes of people when they received these goods,” remembered OM Japan worker Stephan Smithdorff. The team reported that many whom they came in contact with said they had never met Christians before. “We are glad that we could be ambassadors of Christ to these people.”

Phase 2: Clearing rubble

As the team delivered the goods, they realised that people needed more than just material items; they also needed practical help cleaning up their properties.

The team focused mainly on the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, between Kesennuma and Minami Sanriku. This coastline was hit badly by waves reaching up to 40 metres high in some spots.

OM Japan invited volunteers from Japan and other countries to join them in the effort, and more than 200 volunteers came to help. On one occasion, they visited a local fisherman in the hospital who’d had an accident on his motorbike.      

With tears in his eyes, he said, “You volunteers brought us hope. We didn't know where to start, but after you cleaned just a small part of our property, we felt we could carry on cleaning more.” He then told them that once he started fishing again, he would send them some fish.

“Great was our joy and surprise a few months later when on two occasions we received a box full of fresh fish, which we distributed to our church members,” exclaimed Stephan.

Phase 3: Cleaning out homes

Ishinomaki, also in Miyagi Prefecture, was badly hit by the tsunami. A local pastor and partner in the relief effort, Pastor Suzuki, asked the team to help clean the mud from damaged houses in the city. Partnering with Samaritan’s Purse, they cleaned and rebuilt 100 damaged homes.

In addition to recovering homes, Pastor Suzuki envisioned starting a new church in the area. “What a privilege it was for all of us to see that vision becoming a reality in such a short span of time,” said Stephan. The team reports that about 14 people have accepted Christ as their Saviour, and this group is forming the core of the new Watanoha Christ Church.

The pastor and his wife are now holding classes for new believers in preparation for baptism this Easter. “We look forward to partnering with them further in the future,” said Stephan.

Phase 4: Caring for those in temporary houses

In the fourth phase of relief, the team focused on caring for those living in temporary housing units.

“All of these survivors have lost so much in their lives,” explained Stephan. “And although the government gave them new housing units to live in, life is still very difficult for them.”

The team brought food, water, cleaning materials, handmade pillows and bookmarks to the people living in the units. “They were so thankful and touched by this gesture,” he said. “Japanese people normally do not show much affection, but when some volunteers greeted them after a long day of cooking food, distributing goods, singing songs and even dancing together, they responded to our hugs as we left.”

After one elderly lady hugged an OM Japan team member, she said, “This is the first time that someone embraced me since my husband died in the tsunami.”

“The people living in these units have invited us to come back any time to visit, talk and do things together,” said Stephan. “I hope we can continue to be involved in some ways in the years to come.”

OM Japan asks for prayers for the ongoing volunteer work continuing until Easter. Please pray for God’s guidance for the future. “We have formed some precious relationship with local churches and local people,” said Stephan, “and we hope to continue to help them whenever it is possible.”

Originally from Watanoha, a neighbourhood in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi prefecture, Pastor Suzuki knew that when the tsunami struck, this was where he wanted to focus his relief work. Not only had most of his old friends and neighbours lost their homes, family members and friends, but he also knew there had never been a church in Watanoha.  

Since starting the relief effort, the OM team and Pastor Suzuki have dreamed, laboured and prayed for the beginnings of a church in Watanoha.

On the phone that morning, Pastor Suzuki gave Stephen the good news. A woman whom Pastor Suzuki had helped after her home was damaged had made the decision to receive Jesus as her Lord and Saviour.

Stephen, Pastor Suzuki and a group of South African volunteers visited the woman. “What a wonderful joy to see the peace and joy on her face as we read the Bible, shared some testimonies and prayed together,” said Stephen. “She told us how the lives and attitudes of the volunteers working in her house made a big impression on her, and she wanted to have what they had.”

The woman’s daughter has even noticed that her mother is happier since she came to the Lord. Moreover, she has already started sharing her faith with her friends. She told the group that when she was a Buddhist, she did not share her faith, but now that she has peace from God, she cannot keep it to herself.

“We know God has done an amazing work of grace in her life, and that this is only the first fruit of many who will become part of the Watanoha Church,” said Stephen. “Thank you for all your prayers, interest and support with the relief work. We are truly serving a great and wonderful God!”

He says he can still hear her voice shouting for help, but there was nothing he could do. This scene, he says, repeats in his mind like a dream he wishes he could wake up from. The team helped Mr. Suda clear out his house and prepare for renovation. He is now trying to make a new start with his wife, but it is not easy.

Distributing food and supplies

In Motoyoshi, near Minami Sanriku, the team distributed food and supplies to the new government-built temporary houses. They packed over 100 boxes with food, cleaning supplies, and body towels with a Bible verse printed on them and distributed the parcels to the 100 houses in a housing unit. 

When the people received the packages, many had tears in their eyes. These people have received new housing, but many feel lonely and neglected. The team had heard a report that someone had committed suicide in another of the housing units. It was a privilege for the team to encourage the people, pray with them and have a few laughs together. One older woman responded, “I have not laughed so much since the tsunami.”

A familiar face

A highlight of the trip for Stephan Smithdorff, a team member, was to see Mr. Miura again. Stephan had helped Mr. Miura and his family on many occasions over the past five months. After cleaning what was left of their property, collecting parts of their destroyed fishing boat and receiving temporary housing, Mr. Miura and his son went to Hokkaido to buy a new fishing boat to start working again. 

“When I heard he was coming home for a visit, I was really looking forward to seeing him again,” said Stephan. “But then during his visit he had a motorbike accident and ended up in the hospital for two weeks. We went to visit him in the hospital. We both had tears in our eyes as we reflected on his sufferings over the past few months, but we were also encouraged to see him count his blessings.”

Mr. Miura told Stephan that after he had lost everything in the tsunami, he didn’t know how to start his life again. But, when the team arrived to help clean up a small piece of his property, it gave him hope to clean more and more. “He said he didn’t have any hope, but we brought him hope again,” said Stephan. “We prayed for him and two days later he walked out of the hospital, still with a little pain in his left arm, but determined to start fishing again. He said he is convinced something good is going to happen in the near future. We pray that ‘that something good’ will be his coming to know Jesus.”

On Sunday, while Mr. Miura was still in hospital, the OM Japan team had a barbeque picnic and time of worship at his house with his wife, three daughters, their families and a few neighbours. The OM team dreams that this will one day be the beginning of the first church in Motoyoshi.

For more photos of the relief effort, visit the OM Japan Tsunami Relief Facebook page.

At first he didn't speak to the team—no greeting and no thank you. One volunteers said, “At first I was so disappointed that he didn't even bother to thank us, but then I realised my pride. Am I serving God or man? I also realised that my few days of hard work under the scorching sun, in the filthy water, removing damaged items from the owner's house is nothing in comparison with what he lost during the tsunami.”

On the second day the owner greeted the team and whispered a small thank you. On the last day he was not there and the team carried on cleaning his house. But when they took a break that afternoon, Mr. S came to them, sat right between them and started talking. The team shared what they believe as Christians, prayed with him and his neighbour, and by the end of the day he was smiling, dancing and joking around with them.

One volunteer remarked, “What we do is so little, just like drops in a bucket. But many drops make a pond, and many ponds make a flood.” The OM team believes that through the works, words, attitude and presence of Christians in the disaster area of Japan, God will bring a flood of renewal of His grace to the country.

The OM Japan team thanks everyone for their prayers and support and concern, which makes this relief work possible.

Dear friends,

Since we announced publicly that we are ready to receive volunteers, many people have written to express interest and requested for more information. This past week (23 - 27 May), we took our first volunteer group, consisting of 3 foreigners and 4 Japanese to Miyagi prefecture to help with clearing up rubble and bringing encouragement.

The village where we worked, called Ta-no-ura, had 100 houses before the tsunami hit. We counted only 12 houses still standing... 17 bodies were found dead in the water, and still many villagers are unaccounted for. The family we helped, lost their cousin who was a fireman, during the search and rescue efforts. Our main project was to remove the foundation of their house and clear all the surrounding rubble to make way for a temporary house which they will receive this coming week.

One of the highlights of working side-by-side with these precious people, is to sit down during lunch and tea breaks with them and to listen to their stories. Our favourite question is: "Where were you when the tsunami hit?" One elderly neighbour said he was at home, but he ran up the hill, and watched the waves wash away his house in front of his eyes. It must be hard to see all your possessions drifting away into the ocean...

One elderly lady kept on cursing the tsunami for ruining their lives, but as the days went by, she stopped cursing and started to thank us for coming to help, pleading with us to come back again.

While Ming Siew, one of our team members, took a prayer walk at sunrise, she was invited in by two brothers who have lost both their wives and all their children, except for one daughter. Two days later while some of us sat in a local public bath, the man sitting in the bathtub with us, was one of the brothers! Instead of us encouraging him, he kept on encouraging us in our volunteer work.

Slowly we can see relationships are expanding as we return to the same area week after week. Everyday brings another opportunity to pray for people and see God at work in the lives of our dear new friends. We stand amazed and humbled at the privilege to be part of what God is doing in Japan today.

Stephan Smithdorff

OM Japan