March 20, 2011

Thank you to all of you who have written and shown concern and have been praying for us and for the people in northern Japan who have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami. Many people have been asking us how they can pray for the people here.

In Okinawa, daily life is going along as normal, however, people are shaken up emotionally. Also, because of the nuclear fallout in Tokyo people are evacuating and some are coming here. We are housing a fellow Campus Crusade staff couple and their 10 month old daughter now because the Tokyo staff were directed to evacuate for at least one week.

Roy will accompany our pastor and another missionary from our church to mainland Japan tomorrow (March 21-25). They are planning to rent a truck in Tokyo and take food and relief supplies to those who are in need in northern Japan. Please pray that they will be able to rent a truck and gasoline, be allowed passage to get the food and supplies to those who need them.

Love in Christ,

Roy and Nancy Toma

Please pray:

- For the hearts of the people of Japan. That they would be open to hope of Jesus Christ and what He did on the cross.
- For the recovery efforts and for people that still might be trapped.
- Relief Efforts - That insight, wisdom, and strength would be given to the ministries & Relief Workers.
- Government Workers - That they would be able to organize the rescue efforts and rebuilding.
- American Military - Many members of the churches here, soldiers stationed in Okinawa, have left to help in the relief.
- Food - Many don't have it.
- Elderly - This is a difficult time for them.
- Children - Many have been orphaned. Many are scared and need God's comfort.
- Damaged Buildings - Many of the structures have been compromised.
- Refuge shelters - Difficult to maintain enough of them and workers to manage them.
- Blankets
- Electricity Restored - There are going to be scheduled blackouts all throughout tokyo, and many areas in Japan don't have any power.
- Contact with families - Communications are down in most areas. And in the destruction, many cannot locate their families.
- Warmth from the Cold - Japan even now is still very cold.
- Aftershocks - they are still experiencing them.
- Rebuilding - That once this crisis is over, they would be able to rebuild, that the whole nation could have a foundation not only of bricks and concrete, but of a belief in Jesus.
- Clean up
- Hospitals
- Boldness For Believers - That they could outreach to the survivors and give them the only surety anyone can have. Jesus.
- Translators for emergency workers
- Financial Aid
- Fearful People
- Travel availability - many planes and trains are intermittently out of service. Some permanently.
- Nuclear power plants - That they will stabilize. There is a lot of fear now with these reactors.
- For wisdom for the workers at the nuclear power plant, including some Christian workers there.
- Gasoline - many of the gas stations are out of gas.

October 19, 2011

It has been over 7 months since the great earthquake / tsunami/nuclear disaster. Most of the people who were living in the evacuation centers have moved to temporary housing areas now. Click here to read their entire PDF newletter update.