They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated from generations. Isaiah 61:4 (NIV)
Sadly, there were many people in our sister congregation in Tokyo who had relatives and friends who lived in this area of Japan. They continue to experience daily earthquakes and, now, harmful radiation exposure.
For me, I was on the phone all day trying to reach my father who was in Japan at the time. He frequently travels to different cities to hold lectures on health and nutrition. Some of the cities he visits were destroyed. My heart was fraught with worry as his cell phone was dead. Friends who had relatives in Japan began calling. None of us were able to reach our relatives. We came to find that all cell phone connections were incapacitated for several hours. Those hours seemed like an eternity.
I have no one left in my immediate family except my father. After 5 hours of calling him frantically, I finally heard his voice. Tears ran down my eyes. I had never been so happy to hear his voice. He was in Tokyo where they were experiencing quakes that were 6-6.5 on the Richter scale. Since then, they have lights out at 9pm in the city to conserve the limited electricity.
A sister named Sachi Kato has two sisters who were near the center of the quake. One of them was at sick at home when she felt her whole apartment building shake back and forth. It shook so hard that the wall next to where she was sleeping came falling down on her. She got away just in time to run to her entry way but that they came tumbling down with an ensuing quake. She ran to her balcony which was on the 10th floor. Another quake hit, causing her to nearly fall from the balcony. Her only option was to leave her apartment through the caved-in entrance. Luckily, she had earthquake rescue training and was able to escape.
Sachi’s other sister is a nursery school teacher. As God’s providence would have it, her nursery school was located on top of a hill. From there you can see the ocean to the east. On that day, one of her co-workers pointed to the ocean noticing how close to land it had come. When it receded, they were shocked to see 200-300 dead bodies left behind in its wake. No one knew what had happened even as the school was evacuated and everyone was sent home.
Sachi says, “People there are living in fear with continual earthquakes and tsunami warnings, but everyone is doing their best to help one another through this time. I am proud to see them working so hard to do that. So many of my friends and acquaintances have lost their homes and are wishing that they had died along with their relatives instead of having to deal with the devastation. I am touched by all the people who have sacrificed and given contributions to help all of us here in Japan. When I heard of the different groups coming from all over the world to help us, I wept out loud. I want to have that same heart to help others around the world. But, at the same time, I know that only God can give my people the true hope that they need. I pray that the gospel can spread to those in northern Japan.”
“The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”
Isaiah 51:3 (NIV)
