“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”
– Psalm 42:1-2
A major earthquake has hit North of Japan, causing a number of fatalities and a tsunami.
***UPDATE, Saturday 12 March***
Youth for Christ National Director, Kazunori Endo reporting from Nagoya, Central Japan
Our country, Japan, got hit by a large earthquake on Mar 11. I was working in my house and then felt a small but very long shake. Soon I remembered the quake in Kobe (app. 5000 died) in 1995. We Japanese citizens get use to experiencing earthquakes every year and we have been trained to do appropriate actions since childhood. But we have not imagined such a big one.
I was afraid for our team members’ family and friends in the area. But the telephone and traffic system are totally paralyzed and I did not know what had happened to my friends there in the afternoon. Most information could be taken from the twitter site of my friend. She was hit by the quake in the train, and got out of it; it took her two hours to walk back home. On the way she tweeted from time to time with small pictures. TV & radio is OK, but they cannot cover our friends and families.
We are having new information more and more. Atomic power plants are damaged, with more than 1,000 times the normal levels of radiation, which is leaking, causing nearby residents to take refuge. Some villages were washed away by tsunami in a moment. Fires are still going in some places. Some people were saved from the tsunami on the rooftops of the office buildings and it is still very cold over there. Electricity and gas supplies are stopped in the up-north area.
Our political parties were conflicting until yesterday, but they are united today. I expect that the whole of Japan will overcome this disaster and reform economic problems through the cooperation of the people.
Our Prayer Requests are:
- The rescue of the people still in the disaster area (especially for the activity of our defense force, fire station, and police officers)
- Care for the people who have been hurt, injured and traumatized by the quake
- The united work of our government and political parties
- The spiritual needs of the people
- Local churches’ cooperation
We hear sad news coming more and more. But some friends over there have opened their houses and let people stay for a few days. The atmosphere of cooperation is great. And I believe that this disaster makes us think about what are the more important things in our lives.
Please hold Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia in your prayers as the Tsunami passes through the seas of South East Asia. The Pacific could also be badly impacted. Please continue to uphold Japan in your prayers.
We will bring further news and updates to pray for from any of staff should a Tsunami strike their nation.