Dispatch: Missionary Team Tours Japan Disaster Region

18 April 2011

By James Smith
Dispatch From Japan

SAKADO, Japan — A trip to Japan's most heavily damaged coastal areas gave me and my team of missionaries an up-close look at the scope of last month's earthquake and tsunami. The team — which included an 83-year-old, a Japanese pastor and an independent missionary's son — began touring the Tohoku Region on March 31 and returned last week.                                          Courtesy Photo
Ruin caused by the March 11 earthquake is shown in Onagawa, Japan.

HOW TO HELP

Baptist Bible Fellowship International has set up a relief fund. Send donations to: Japan Tsunami Relief, c/o BBFI Missions Office, P.O. Box 802757, Kansas City, Mo. 64180-2757. Questions about the fund are being fielded by the BBFI Missions Office at 417-862-5001.Upon arrival, we set up camp just north of Sendai in the small town of Rifu, which some of you might remember as having played host to World Cup matches in 2002. Our campsite was in decent condition despite the earthquake. We were thankful to have water and heat, although we couldn't shower.

Every morning began with worship and devotions starting around 6:15 a.m. During that time, we would also debrief from the previous day and talk about plans for that day. Following breakfast we would head to Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief organization, to fill our two vans with supplies then set out for the most needy areas.

Working in coordination with Christian Relief, Assistance, Support and Hope, or CRASH, my team delivered food, water and clothes to the Tohoku Region. We saw the despair on many people's faces as we toured these especially devastated areas. However, all seemed grateful to receive the much-needed supplies. And there were opportunities to pass on the hope of Jesus Christ. This was important as many have lost all hope amid staggering death tolls.

In Ishinomaki's Ayukawa district, a whaling hub, more than three quarters of the area's homes were reportedly destroyed by the March 11 tsunami. Hundreds of the district's 1,400 residents either have been confirmed dead or are missing. Onagawa, a place known for its pristine beaches and nuclear facilities, was another stop on our journey. More than 10 percent of the town's 10,000 residents died or are listed as missing as a result of damage caused by the tsunami. Ojika, Kesennuma, and Higashimatsushima were some of the other cities we visited during our mission.

Because of terrible traffic congestion, we usually arrived back at the camp in the late evening, ate dinner, cleaned up, and talked about the next day. Bedtime was usually about midnight.

Thank you to all who prayed for our trip and who are giving to help these people in their time of need. Please, pray about what we can do from this point on. There is still much to be done. The cleanup effort alone will probably take years. The emotional and spiritual scars will remain for long after. There is also the great need to continue to tell them of the hope that is beyond this frail world, the hope that comes only through Jesus Christ.

James A. Smith is a missionary pastor to Japan with Baptist Bible Fellowship International.