Dear Prayer Partners
Thank you for upholding us in prayer. We have had good opportunities and many open doors to tell the gospel and have had meaningful interaction with many people here. No conversions that we know of yet.
Pray for
1. The Japanese church and the missionary community to speak the gospel with boldness. In Acts 4:31 we read of two miracles, an earthquake and the church speaking the gospel with boldness. In Japan God has done the one, now we need the other. Only a miracle wrought by the Holy Spirit will give us that boldness inspired by conviction and joy to speak with irresistible clarity. (BTW we have never prayed for any disaster to strike Japan but we do see God's hand in the tsunami especially as we had been praying at church prayer meetings for revival).
2. God to truly convert many to faith in Christ and churches to be planted in these devastated coastal areas, especially Shichigahama. Tsunamis don't convert anybody (neither do atom bombs, nuclear meltdown etc) they are simply not powerful enough. The only power that can humble the pride of the Japanese (or anybody else) so that they willingly give themselves to Christ, is the gospel of the grace of God.
Please pray for these two big items (and I don't see the second fulfilled without the first).
We continue to be well and provided for. Electricity was restored a week ago, water should be soon, and telephone lines and internet maybe a little longer. Petrol is very short and so we havent had midweek meetings at church for 3 weeks, though we are starting this week. Shops are slowly opening.
The Christian relief effort has been small-scale but effective and we have been involved guiding in supply trucks and introducing them to the Town Office and evacuation centres and delivering smaller quantities ourselves, which generates enormous goodwill. Our main role is telling the gospel whenever possible and encouraging the church members to live out the gospel and be evangelistic. Rod is working as a volunteer driving people back to their homes with the water they have collected for their families. This work has given us many friends and warm relationships and opportunities. Please pray for guidance for the next step. We would like to have bible studies at the evacuation centres...
We have got a flat near the church but can't move in without a hiring a truck which is difficult in Sendai now and because the opportunities are here at Shichigahama at the moment.
Christine will be staying with a dorm friend in Bangalore for Hebron's April halfterm and then will do her AS level exams. Esther continues her street work in Cape Town and writes a better prayer letter than we do (if you'd like them please email her at estar_123thomas456@hotmail.com Please remove the numbers before emailing).
I will leave it there. I have appended part 2 of our tsunami diary.
Thanks again
Rod & Glenda Thomas
Sendai Evangelical Christian Church, Nishi Nakada 5-27-40, Taihaku Ku, Sendai, 981-1105, JAPAN
+81-90-8256-2408
For tsunami pictures and our blog see
http://rodthomas.drivehq.com/mission/welcome.html
Tsunami diary part 2
Wednesday. 23rd March. Do the washing up in rain water and burn some rubbish but decide not to again in case someone calls the fire brigade which would cause hassle. Young people are busy helping at the No 1 Sports Ground water point and doing a good job keeping people amused with their silly sense of humour. One young guy enjoys teasing me but I give as good as I get, and he becomes much more respectful after hearing my age! Glenda makes two large date cakes which I take round to the Mishima's room in the International Centre. Only Mrs Aizawa is in but she is very appreciative. In the afternoon we are moved to a different water point near Yamazawa. This is slow because there is only one water truck but no one needs a lift because they all live close by. The man in charge doesnt like me offering lifts and says 'We Japanese don't give lifts to each other' … Hmm. They do when they become Christians. So happy that I can buy some apples, tomatoes, and lettuce at vegetable stall set out by an enterprising green grocer - how civilized!- now I feel the end of this ordeal is in sight.
Thursday, 24 March
Announce to my line of water-seekers that I am happy to give a lift to anyone who is elderly or who has walked a long way and they mustn't worry about the petrol because I am a church pastor so the petrol belongs to Jesus Christ. There is a stunned silence. Jim says he can get us a generator! Gets very cold and dark in the afternoon. Water distribution is poorly organised. They keep people waiting for over an hour and then when the truck runs out of water they tell them that they must wait another 30 minutes! When it starts to rain the remainder disperse and I can sense their anger.
Friday, 25 March
Josh 6-7 The walls of Jericho fall down, each man does his duty, except one who tries to get rich, may that not be me. If Japan is like Jericho, only God can bring down its walls. It will take more than 2 atom bombs, defeat in WWII, a huge tsunami to break the pride of the Japanese people. It will take the gospel of the grace of God which is stronger than all these combined. Maybe the generator is no good it might need a inverter. I am told by one lady that her sister Yoshiko is missing. Tell her I will pray. Endo (it seems every second person in Shichigahama is called Endo) tells people waiting for water that I am good bloke and not a strange foreigner! Strong earthquake in the evening, like yesterday. In the afternoon go around some of the wrecked homes to help people clear up but they are waiting for their insurance assessors to see the damage first. We are blessed by a surprise visit from the Jabushes, Canadian family who come to our church. They bring lots of supplies, (water, rice, apples, veg, cake, etc), so kind and thoughtful. They had to move out of their rented house after the quake as it nearly fell down and is irreparable.
Saturday, 26th March
Tiring day even though I only do morning water duty. Jim comes with a lot of supplies which we drop stuff off at the International Centre and he has a generator for us. The Town Office are pleased with the hygiene boxes from Samaritan's Purse and could use another 1000! Take 2 blue sheets to someone in Ekiraku, hygiene packs to Endo and Ito, and paraffin to Ito, hygiene pack and groceries to Aikawa, take 3 bottles to lady in Shiomidai. Meet Joel who comes with about 120 hygiene boxes which we take to the Town Office who are very grateful. Generator seems OK and hasn't fried my Mac yet. Thanks Jim! It is from Food for the Hungry, and the sticker says 'Hunger Zero Africa'. I wonder where it has been in its lifetime. Another earthquake about magnitude 5. There are 1300 people are in evacuation centres in Shichigahama, 300 of whom are in the International Centre. There are 75 dead and 18 missing - not too bad considering that 900 houses were washed away. The low casualty rate shows how well prepared Shichigahama a town of 21,000 was for the tsunami. We were given 40 minutes warning of the wave by loudspeaker. The evacuation and procedures had been all rehearsed in advance. I have heard of some villages of 200 that had the same number of deaths. Rain in the night which gives us lots of 'toilet flushing water'. End the week with more petrol than I started: Matt 6:33 proved!
Sunday, 27th March
Go to church and pass a queue for petrol, there are 94 cars in the road which continues round the corner and so we give up counting. Members responded very well to request for veg and fruit which I take to International Centre to their gratitude. 17 people come to church. Speak on boldness Acts 4:31: on how God does 2 miracles; the earthquake and making his church bold. God has done the one, now He must make his church bold because now is the time to tell the gospel. We pray for boldness in both services. I am told that 2 members are doing volunteer work and can't come to church. This is wrong. They need the means of grace - I know do! Forget all about the annual budget meeting we had scheduled but so did everybody else! So we have a short believer's instead and discuss the month's schedule and Easter which seems a long time away. It is surreal to go to Nishi Nakada to see everything undamaged after the splintered wreckage and devastation of the coast. In fact I get slight culture shock when I go there. On the coast people are easy going, friendly, help each other, are easy to talk to, tolerant and patient: back in the city they are formal, easily irritated, rule-bound, busy and don't greet you in the street. There has always been this difference between city and country in Japan but the disaster has accentuated it. (Though that doesn't mean people on the coast are more open to the gospel). When we come back the electricity is on!
Monday 28th March
Most days are sunny now which is great! According to Josh 9:23 it was a curse to be a drawer of water. Well that is what I am now for the sake of the gospel. But I'm quite happy about it. Go to Sakaiyama water point but few people so Mr Sato takes me to the Koyo Middle school water point. He refuses a lift back and walks instead - typical of the self-sacrificial, hardworking Japanese official. They may not be Christians but I think we can trust them to be incorrupt with aid that we deliver to the Town Office. Some Christian organisations avoid contact with such officials. One young guy with Tohoku Gakuin written on his track suit is amazed that I was the pastor there, preaching at the morning worship on 11th March a few hours before the tsunami. Meet OMF team from Chiba at Town Office and deliver their 2 car loads of veg etc to Town Office to the Relief Officer and Mayor (both have lost their houses) and very grateful. At last OMF has sent something. Better late than never! Mr Ogino, the kayaking enthusiast tells me he has found his sea kayak - still wrapped in plastic, undamaged and 500m away from his smashed house. Congratulate him and agree to go out paddling together. Jim turns up with a few hundred boxes of hygiene packs. Take some veg to the International Centre. This is good for the gospel and good for OMF. See old lady in the car park who expresses the need for a warm jacket but stupidly forget to ask her name, but I find one at home and get it ready just in case. Have tea in our cabin with 12 missionaries!
Tues 29th March
Sunny and warm. Do water duty at Koyo Middle School. Give about 4 lifts. I go to the International Centre and find the old lady I promised a coat too (she is the first one I see) - answered prayer. She beams delightedly in her smart navy coat. Do water duty at Wa-fu. The military are still spending a long time looking for bodies though they have started clearing rubbish and taking it to a huge tip next to the International centre.
Wed 30th March
Sunny and warm and rains in the evening. Do water duty at Koyo Middle School. Visit Mrs Mishima, she is sitting on a rock in her garden looking thru letters and her bank book. Tell her the gospel, pray for her with her. Give her a tract and some OMF aid money. She makes me think of the stiff upper lip and cheerfulness that Japanese are widely reported to be showing in this adversity. In some ways you admire it but it is also just one more defence against God and reality (how much better for them to turn to Him, recognise that He has done it and say in tears, 'why?', and then they would find Him). The temporary housing being erected on the sports field is growing daily and will soon house 100 families. Two quakes. When a quake starts I freeze and pray that it wont be big and then give thanks when it subsides.
Thurs 31th March
Raining. Read about Peter in Mark 14. I am more likely to copy Him denying the Lord than boldly proclaiming Him as in Acts 2. Pray against this. When it comes to being useful here in the kingdom of God. I sometimes just don't know what to do.. I feel like Jake in Avatar 'Baby.. Moron'. Pray about this too... for opportunities, that I will use them and that I will say what I should as per Eph 6:19-20. Joy in the Lord is the absolute key. Help people in the pouring rain. Feel very cheerful. Not many 'customers' but more people want lifts. Anda tells me about a family near the harbour in Yoshidahama who heard the tsunami warning and had to decide between saving their bedridden Granny and their young child. They chose their child and left their Granny who dies. How important it is to tell people like that about the Saviour of sinners.
Fri 1 Apr
Do the morning shift at Koyo Middle School water point. One old guy asks me to take him home because his back is sore. Until now he has refused me. He is quite talkative. Load the car with stuff and go to get the key to the flat in Nishi Nakada. On returning I have a nice chat with a middle-aged couple near the fire station and give them a tract and an NT. Bill Parris brings some veg and toilet paper etc, most of which I take thru to the International Centre. Many kind people have shown love to us and enabled us to give. Be careful of not misusing all the goodwill this help generates - it is to open hearts to the gospel not to me. Psa. 115:1 'Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.' It is a definite pitfall in giving aid that one accepts thanks and praise without giving God the glory or telling the gospel. Decide to preach on this text.
Sat 2 Apr
Go to water station and meet Dutch Christian free-lance journalist Dietrich. He helps out carrying water for people and obviously enjoys it. There is a lot of goodwill generated which we hope points to Jesus Christ. Rumours are a persistent feature of disasters. (First it was that our house had been destroyed, then it was Mrs Ansai's house had been destroyed, now it is when water be restored.) Frequent tremors today. Prepare sermon and then realise that it is Joel's turn.
Sun 3 Apr
On the way to church we see that Tagajo is still a mess with lots of wrecked trucks and cars by the side of the road and lots of dead traffic lights which Japanese seem to ignore and travel though at full speed (unlike South Africans who are used to faulty 'robots' and treat them nonchalantly as 4-way stops). The church members excel themselves in bringing fresh veg and fruit. Mrs Tada volunteers to buy 20000 yen worth of vegetables with OMF aid money. 29 adults in church which is better, maybe my email in which I told them that attending church in these times is essential, was effective.
Mon 4 Apr
Judges 5:2 It is a sign of God's blessing when leaders lead and people serve willingly. Dan Iverson's group is going up the coast to feed hundreds of people. He has a great attitude. Give him tracts to distribute. As I go off to do the volunteer water station work, I see a big black car in parking lot and later find out that 3 men had been sitting on our deck smoking and drinking, one of them is dressed in military gear: Glenda sensibly locks herself in. I assume they are rightists come to check on the 'foreigners'. (They are probably taking their lead from Tokyo governor Ishihara who said that all foreigners should be locked up in the case of a major disaster in case they turn to crime!). Later I tell the police. Go to water point but there are very few people because the water has come on in that area - but is it still not drinkable. I go to the Mishimas and help him to wash all the mud off his shop. I'm given lunch, say grace and have a good chat and talk about the Lord. On the way back drop in to Endo the builder having lunch outside his warehouse. He and his son have lost their homes and they seem depressed. I lend him some tools. Take a lady back in afternoon from Wa-fu to Shiomodai and find that I had already given her a tract earlier. Chat to Mrs Futo clearing up her house. 'Lord speak to me that I may speak...' is a great hymn for such a time as this (all 7 verses).
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Prayer Partner Letter Tsunami 2011
Dear Prayer Partners
This one is a bit longer than usual. On 11th March God gave Japan a tap with his little finger to wake it up. These are momentous times and it is an immense privilege to be here. We returned from SA and UK on 26th Feb and were staying at Takayama, a holiday place for missionaries by the sea at Shichigahama in Miyagi Ken. 10 years ago we bought one of these old wooden cabins from our mission, OMF International, because they couldn't afford the maintenance, and each holiday period we would come here with our family. (Today we were due to move to a flat near the church in Sendai, but can't contact the estate agent). There is devastation on both sides of the hill and it seems that we are in the eye of the storm. We have had great opportunities to help people, show sympathy and at the same time tell the gospel and give out tracts. Please pray that we will be faithful as we try to make the most of the opportunities we have each day and that the seed sown will bear fruit in fertile soil. We have no water, electricity, phone, or internet but we have gas and plenty of wood for the fire so we are warm and cozy and there is no need to worry about our welfare. We have been running on adrenalin. Thank you for all the messages of concern. On Sunday after church I was able to download all my 600 emails as the area around there is almost back to normal. I enclose my abridged diary for the events since 11 Mar. Since the tsunami, we have heard only the radio news and while we are aware that this is not a local event we havent seen the TV news so you will all know more about the big picture than we do. All the Sendai church people are fine though some have moved to different parts of the country. One man lost his car to the tsunami as did we but the church and member's houses suffered no major damage. The past 2 weeks we cancelled mid-week meetings because we had so few attend on Sunday 13th and I wanted to concentrate on ministry here.
Anyway please keep us, this ministry at Shichigahama and the Sendai church in prayer (that they will all live out their faith at this time especially),
God bless
Rod & Glenda
PS A word about support and sending relief
We are unable to receive goods to distribute from overseas. If you wish to donate, please refer here.
http://rodthomas.drivehq.com/mission/Donate.html
Let us never forget that Japan's main need is still to hear and respond to the gospel, the same as before the quake. I believe that is why God sent it. So let us cooperate with that purpose and do our part to evangelise this country.
PPS For photos see here.
http://rodthomas.drivehq.com/mission/Tsunami_2011.html
Some of these links might not be operational yet as they take so long to upload so please come back in a few days.
Tsunami Diary
The earthquake struck at 1448 on Friday, I was down at the car park about to load some tools into the car. Early that morning I had spoken at the Miyagi Gakuin service to 1100 boys and done an English class in the church and was looking forward to fixing the Takayama gate.
There was a roar and rumble and the pheasants squawked and the dogs barked as always at the beginning of a quake. The car started to bounce up and down and the trees swayed and rocked violently. I ran back up to the cabin which was like running along the deck of a rolling ship. Glenda was outside looking up at our cabin as it swayed back and forth. After about 4 minutes it stopped and we went inside to see bookshelves and tape shelves had toppled over etc, but no serious damage. We made the fire safe and rushed to the cliff to see the tsunami that had been predicted over the loud speakers that are dotted along the coast. We saw small boats fleeing the harbour and a tanker trying to head for deep water. After 30 min nothing had come and visibility was worse now because it had started to snow. So we went inside and started to clear up. After 10mins we heard screaming. A huge tsunami had hit. We ran down to the car park and saw a mass of grey water rushing in, there was a smell of HS and a terrible noise of crunching buildings. The car park is about 7m above SL and our green Subaru car was floating around in over 1m of water. (News reports said that Sendai harbour had been hit with a 10m tsunami). I ran back up to the house to get some ropes to secure the car so it wouldn't be swept away. These took some time to find and by the time I had got back the water was receding from the car park and our car was being carried further into the small ravine that goes down to the sea. I put two ropes onto the front wheel but it was too late. Just then there was a call from across the fence and neighbours Mrs Aikawa and her 77yr old mother were trying to get in. Their ground floor had been flooded and they had taken refuge in their upstairs and they wanted to be let in before the next tsunami came. The gate was blocked with debris and after clearing it, told them to go up to our cabin where Glenda would give them a cup of tea.
Then the 2nd tsunami came with a roar and reached to where our car had been dumped (this one was 5m). That slowly receded. Then I went to the cliff again to look and the seabed was visible for 500m out to sea where there is normally 3-4 m depth of water. Then the 3rd tsunami came. It was small and didn't go over the sea wall. Visibility was better and the sun had come out. Hanabuchiyama (to the east of our hill) was devastated: hardly a house remained where there had been a fish factory, shops and many nice homes. Looking west toward Sendai the skyline looked like a WWII air raid with many fires and columns of black smoke (even the breakwater about 1 km offshore had a burning house that had floated out). Shobutahama (to the west of the hill) was flattened, only foundations remained where houses once stood and the second storeys of houses were sitting disconnected in the roads. Looking out to sea there were many containers bobbing and it seemed that a container ship had lost its load when it was hit by the wave.
It was getting dark and I went back to help Glenda look after our guests. It was very cold and we lit two wood fires. Electricity and water were off and there was no cell phone reception. We lit some candles. Our gas oven however was working. We unpacked the'earthquake kit' which had a small radio and listened to the news. It was an 8.8 quake on the Japanese scale (later upgraded to 9.0) and the wave had hit the whole of the Japanese Pacific coast. We tried to chat to our guests. Mrs Aikawa was ill at ease and seemed hesitant to accept our hospitality. Glenda made a chicken and broccoli pie and put it out along with soup, salad, cake, rice etc but they hardly touched it. Her mother was cheerful and talkative. I found some water we had stored. We put our 2 Japanese guests in the downstairs bedroom and tried to sleep though after-shocks continued throughout the night. Then about 10pm we heard loud reports rumbling like thunder. I got dressed and went out on the hill. The petrol/oil depot connected to the oil refinery about 5km away to west had blown up. Huge flames were leaping up and a column of black smoke ascended'like the smoke from a furnace' (Gen 19). Fortunately there was no wind.
Saturday. We woke up about 0530 and made tea. The Aikawas were up early too and the younger one went down to her house to get her mother's diabetes medicine. We spent the day surveying the devastation and trying to cope with what had happened. We put out buckets to catch the snow melt water to use for washing, washing-up and flushing the toilets. I also tried to contact relatives by phone but no there was reception. We went for a walk along the beach and were stunned by the desolation. We made sure we had firewood and Glenda tidied up. The sky was full of army helicopters and there were many announcements on the loud speakers to stay off the beach. I also tried to prepare my sermon and charged my Macbook by running Glenda's car.
On Sunday we went to church. We left home at 0645. We were appalled at the mess and devastation at Tagajo further inland, usually a busy shopping centre. (We learned later that many people were killed here trying to leave a department store car park). We spent a long time trying to thread our way through upside-down cars covered in seaweed and streets deep in mud, before heading a long way inland and then turning west. We arrived at church about 9am and were relieved to find it undamaged. (Tadamitsu had been in on Saturday and cleared up some broken cups and fallen books). Only about 6 had come by 1030. We started anyway and I spoke on Heb 12:28 on 'God's unshakeable Kingdom'. By the end of the service we were 11, whereas normally we are 35 adults. Glenda had cooked up 2 kgs of mince and we ate that and some took it back to their families. The church had running water but there was no electricity anywhere in Sendai. We decided to cancel the English service. Then we came back to Shichigahama. On the way we were able briefly to get cell phone reception and called Esther in South Africa with a request to tell everyone that we were OK. After that reception was lost. There were long lines of people queueing outside shops and cars outside petrol stations. We arrived back after 2 hours - it normally takes 35 mins. We heard late that night that the tsunami warnings had been lifted.
On Monday we got up early and I went down to help some the people who had started to sift through their belongings and remains of their houses. Gave out some tracts and spoke about the Lord. Most of them were elderly and put a brave face on it and said they were grateful to be alive. Helped an old couple called the Mishimas sort through their devastated house full of broken stuff and found his medicine which he was happy about. Offered a few others help and said they could come and borrow tools. I went off in late morning to try and phone and eventually got through to a few people and had a clear call from California though most of them couldn't hear me. There was a grey atmosphere and a strong smell of burning oil. I stopped at a 7-11 and met an Al-Jezeerah film crew, no doubt telling the Arab world this was the wrath of Allah. The 7-11 guy came out and said they had no more food. In the afternoon went for a walk and spoke to the neighbour of the Mishimas who works for the Town Office, who tells me sadly that he lost his two kayaks, one which he bought for 400,000 yen 3 years ago. Never mind that his house has been smashed by the wave, he is grieving for his sport. I like this guy! I tell him about my surfskis and to come out sometime. Glenda cooks up a huge meal for 5 members of a Dutch film crew.
Tuesday. Go to the International Centre. Our freezer is defrosting so deliver meat to old Mr Endo in makeshift shelter (and later our green tent) and to the main person in the International Centre (which is now an evacuation refuge looking after those made homeless).
There is a lot of worry about atomic dust from the Fukushima Power plant which later turns out to be exaggerated. Walk with Glenda around Yoshidahama - terrible destruction with boats on top of houses etc. Chat to a few people and hand out tracts. Put out buckets for rainwater again after seeing that the fallout is only 30 km radius. Surprise visit from 5 UK Embassy staff who are very nice and let me use their sat phone to call Mum and Dad.
Wednesday is a miserable cold day with a strong wind, driving snow and temp doesn't rise above 3C. Go to old Mr Endo and put up tent. Give blue sheet to young family camping in the carpark. Go inland to try to download emails but nothing comes through. Cant phone anybody or buy anything. Come back and find that the tent has blown over because they didn't peg it down - too busy drinking beer in his shelter. Queue for 1 1/2 hours in the freezing wind for 20l water. Find one of Glenda's hearing aids - the other one is lost. Try unsuccessfully to siphon fuel out of the Subaru and hear from my mechanic friend that it is definitely a write-off which is a pity as the roadworthy certificate was expensive.
Thursday. As always get up at 0530 and go to bed at 8pm (no electricity). Today is also a miserable cold snowy day but I feel much happier. I think I have found my little niche by offering lifts to people who have collected water on foot. This is greatly appreciated and gives me a captive audience to tell the gospel. Some of them have walked for 4-5km, queued for 2 hours for 10l water, all in a blizzard (it also means I can re-charge the Mac & phone while the car is running). The woman in charge expresses concern in case I have a car accident while carrying passengers. This is priceless. We have all survived the worst tsunami in memory and she is worried about a car accident! Loads of Facebook emails etc from people interested in sending relief - it would be nice if they also considered ensuring the missionaries on the ground were fully supported. I go to the Town Office and ask what I should tell foreign volunteers and local churches concerning the needs. I'm introduced to the head of the relief committee and she says the needs are futons, blankets, petrol, containers for petrol and water, paraffin, nappies, food etc but that these could change within a short time. When I ask if they are happy with me giving lifts, they very happily give their blessing, but I would do it anyway because it meets a real need. Phone Mrs Takada and ask her to tell all the church people to bring any of the above to church on Sunday. Had a long call from a pastor in Dallas who I don't know but had to cut him off as I was giving people a lift. Go for a walk with Glenda along Shobutahama Beach in a blizzard. How everything has changed! No houses left. New streams and lakes. Route 58 is cut by a huge gully just before the Cosmo station. Find half a litre of milk in a fridge in a wrecked house and lots of kitchen stuff (detergent, bleach etc) along the beach that we collect. Also 10 litres or so of petrol that must have fallen off a fishing boat. The Lord provides! The blessing with the cold weather is that the food in the freezer is still frozen. See in an email that some missionaries are following embassy advice and leaving Japan. I wouldn't swop this time or place for anything and I don't even want to move to Sendai. It has been the most fulfilling interesting week. May the Lord help us to use this small window of opportunity when Japanese might be feeling a little less self-sufficient, more open to the gospel, and when we have the ability to show practical help they actually need. This is not a criticism of those with small children and health problems who leave. Mark 13: 8-10 Earthquakes arent signs of the end but birth-pangs of the kingdom. Jesus says they must happen. So what must we do? Preach the gospel to all nations - and then the end will come!
Major roads are now cleared and the rubbish is being removed.
Friday. Sunny and cold. Arrive at the water station and am told that I need to register as a volunteer, which I do, so now I have a little blue vest to wear. Do two shifts 9-11 and 3-5. Well organised but the water distribution is very slow and people have to queue for hours. Give about 10 lifts to people - some of whom really were in dire need. Clear up the beach gate with Glenda. Phone around and fine . Two UK embassy staff visit and try to persuade Glenda that we should leave (irony: would they give her a visa??). The tsunami was a week ago.
Saturday. Sunny and warm. Do lots of trips carrying water. Tell my car occupants that this tsunami wasn't caused by some little deity but the Big One who made heaven and earth and that the meaning of the tsunami is that people should repent from sin and believe in the Creator. One woman said she was atheist but in complete agreement! At least the Japanese aren't embarrassed about being inconsistent. Make some phone calls. Drop in at International Centre to see the casualty figures of Shichigahama: 27 confirmed dead (the youngest 17 yr-old girl and the oldest 101 yr-old lady) and 42 missing - many of those will likely be dead. The hardest hit area is Hanabuchihama. Grim. Apparently 4000 are homeless in Shichigahama alone.
Sunday. Load frozen stuff into the car. Leave early and travel without delay to the church. Find a free wifi spot and download 100s of emails which takes ages. Send some emails. We have about 15 to the service. Happy cooperative sympathetic atmosphere. Praise the Lord. Preach on Ps 67. May we be blessed so as to be a blessing. All we have learnt up until now might be for this very time (Esther 4). We must use our faith (Luke 8:22-25). Mrs Kuroda is chirpy and brought her 2 sons. She always seems to rise to a crisis. Takuma brings food for everyone. Mrs Takada does our washing and gives us bags of food. Miyoko lets me use the internet. Mrs Higashi brings us a box of food. Mrs Tada and Mr Higashi give water tanks and blankets to distribute. Have the English service and do Ps 46. All meetings cancelled this week too. Mr Abe comes and I have a nice phone call with Joel using his phone!
Monday. Collect useable timber from the beach. Phone CNN (Constance Cheng emailed me just after the quake to set up an interview but her email was buried among the 600 or so I had to download), anyway she didn't seem very interested now - probably moved on to the next big story. Oda-sensei from Kuroishi Church phones to find news of the church and if we are all OK. He delivers newspapers to stay in the ministry and deserves all our respect and in my opinion our support. Here that the wife of the mayor of Shichigahama was killed in the tsunami - but he keeps working. Also two people among the volunteers have lost their homes. I'm not sure I would volunteer or keep working if the same had happened to me. A large water truck comes from Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture and the queue moves fast. (This is a nationwide rescue: we have had a police team from Chiba come through our area searching for survivors or bodies and a generator truck from Kansai providing power to the International Centre. Japanese civil defence has moved in high gear helped by the military). People are friendly and recognise me. Visit the International Centre and met the Mishimas and chat. The evacuation centre has put them in different rooms according to their neighbourhoods, so that your bed space is next to your neighbours (so the Oginos, Aizawas and Mishimas are all in a row). Talk about the Lord, the tsunami and repentance. Mrs Aizawa is feisty and says she will re-build in the same spot and invite us over. I say 'Not somewhere higher?', she replies 'No! The same spot!'. These are elderly Japanese and used to deprivation and suffering. I wonder how the younger generation would cope. Slightly dispirited - nothing in the way of aid has come through to us, even though I feel we are at the sharp end of ministry. It has been 11 days since the quake. Still we are so much better off than those who have lost everything.
Tuesday. Still feel down. Tell the Lord that I don't feel strong in Him but I certainly feel weak in myself, if that is good enough for Him. Sing hymns in the car esp 'Guide me O thou great Jehovah' and feel my faith and joy come back. A voice mail from Thierry Richards says he is in Shiogama with petrol for me. A angel from heaven! And within an hour six young people (2 from MTW and 4 from Chiba Grace Church) in two trucks deliver 40 l of petrol to me and fruit and underwear to the Town Office warehouse. Very much encouraged after this.
This one is a bit longer than usual. On 11th March God gave Japan a tap with his little finger to wake it up. These are momentous times and it is an immense privilege to be here. We returned from SA and UK on 26th Feb and were staying at Takayama, a holiday place for missionaries by the sea at Shichigahama in Miyagi Ken. 10 years ago we bought one of these old wooden cabins from our mission, OMF International, because they couldn't afford the maintenance, and each holiday period we would come here with our family. (Today we were due to move to a flat near the church in Sendai, but can't contact the estate agent). There is devastation on both sides of the hill and it seems that we are in the eye of the storm. We have had great opportunities to help people, show sympathy and at the same time tell the gospel and give out tracts. Please pray that we will be faithful as we try to make the most of the opportunities we have each day and that the seed sown will bear fruit in fertile soil. We have no water, electricity, phone, or internet but we have gas and plenty of wood for the fire so we are warm and cozy and there is no need to worry about our welfare. We have been running on adrenalin. Thank you for all the messages of concern. On Sunday after church I was able to download all my 600 emails as the area around there is almost back to normal. I enclose my abridged diary for the events since 11 Mar. Since the tsunami, we have heard only the radio news and while we are aware that this is not a local event we havent seen the TV news so you will all know more about the big picture than we do. All the Sendai church people are fine though some have moved to different parts of the country. One man lost his car to the tsunami as did we but the church and member's houses suffered no major damage. The past 2 weeks we cancelled mid-week meetings because we had so few attend on Sunday 13th and I wanted to concentrate on ministry here.
Anyway please keep us, this ministry at Shichigahama and the Sendai church in prayer (that they will all live out their faith at this time especially),
God bless
Rod & Glenda
PS A word about support and sending relief
We are unable to receive goods to distribute from overseas. If you wish to donate, please refer here.
http://rodthomas.drivehq.com/mission/Donate.html
Let us never forget that Japan's main need is still to hear and respond to the gospel, the same as before the quake. I believe that is why God sent it. So let us cooperate with that purpose and do our part to evangelise this country.
PPS For photos see here.
http://rodthomas.drivehq.com/mission/Tsunami_2011.html
Some of these links might not be operational yet as they take so long to upload so please come back in a few days.
Tsunami Diary
The earthquake struck at 1448 on Friday, I was down at the car park about to load some tools into the car. Early that morning I had spoken at the Miyagi Gakuin service to 1100 boys and done an English class in the church and was looking forward to fixing the Takayama gate.
There was a roar and rumble and the pheasants squawked and the dogs barked as always at the beginning of a quake. The car started to bounce up and down and the trees swayed and rocked violently. I ran back up to the cabin which was like running along the deck of a rolling ship. Glenda was outside looking up at our cabin as it swayed back and forth. After about 4 minutes it stopped and we went inside to see bookshelves and tape shelves had toppled over etc, but no serious damage. We made the fire safe and rushed to the cliff to see the tsunami that had been predicted over the loud speakers that are dotted along the coast. We saw small boats fleeing the harbour and a tanker trying to head for deep water. After 30 min nothing had come and visibility was worse now because it had started to snow. So we went inside and started to clear up. After 10mins we heard screaming. A huge tsunami had hit. We ran down to the car park and saw a mass of grey water rushing in, there was a smell of HS and a terrible noise of crunching buildings. The car park is about 7m above SL and our green Subaru car was floating around in over 1m of water. (News reports said that Sendai harbour had been hit with a 10m tsunami). I ran back up to the house to get some ropes to secure the car so it wouldn't be swept away. These took some time to find and by the time I had got back the water was receding from the car park and our car was being carried further into the small ravine that goes down to the sea. I put two ropes onto the front wheel but it was too late. Just then there was a call from across the fence and neighbours Mrs Aikawa and her 77yr old mother were trying to get in. Their ground floor had been flooded and they had taken refuge in their upstairs and they wanted to be let in before the next tsunami came. The gate was blocked with debris and after clearing it, told them to go up to our cabin where Glenda would give them a cup of tea.
Then the 2nd tsunami came with a roar and reached to where our car had been dumped (this one was 5m). That slowly receded. Then I went to the cliff again to look and the seabed was visible for 500m out to sea where there is normally 3-4 m depth of water. Then the 3rd tsunami came. It was small and didn't go over the sea wall. Visibility was better and the sun had come out. Hanabuchiyama (to the east of our hill) was devastated: hardly a house remained where there had been a fish factory, shops and many nice homes. Looking west toward Sendai the skyline looked like a WWII air raid with many fires and columns of black smoke (even the breakwater about 1 km offshore had a burning house that had floated out). Shobutahama (to the west of the hill) was flattened, only foundations remained where houses once stood and the second storeys of houses were sitting disconnected in the roads. Looking out to sea there were many containers bobbing and it seemed that a container ship had lost its load when it was hit by the wave.
It was getting dark and I went back to help Glenda look after our guests. It was very cold and we lit two wood fires. Electricity and water were off and there was no cell phone reception. We lit some candles. Our gas oven however was working. We unpacked the'earthquake kit' which had a small radio and listened to the news. It was an 8.8 quake on the Japanese scale (later upgraded to 9.0) and the wave had hit the whole of the Japanese Pacific coast. We tried to chat to our guests. Mrs Aikawa was ill at ease and seemed hesitant to accept our hospitality. Glenda made a chicken and broccoli pie and put it out along with soup, salad, cake, rice etc but they hardly touched it. Her mother was cheerful and talkative. I found some water we had stored. We put our 2 Japanese guests in the downstairs bedroom and tried to sleep though after-shocks continued throughout the night. Then about 10pm we heard loud reports rumbling like thunder. I got dressed and went out on the hill. The petrol/oil depot connected to the oil refinery about 5km away to west had blown up. Huge flames were leaping up and a column of black smoke ascended'like the smoke from a furnace' (Gen 19). Fortunately there was no wind.
Saturday. We woke up about 0530 and made tea. The Aikawas were up early too and the younger one went down to her house to get her mother's diabetes medicine. We spent the day surveying the devastation and trying to cope with what had happened. We put out buckets to catch the snow melt water to use for washing, washing-up and flushing the toilets. I also tried to contact relatives by phone but no there was reception. We went for a walk along the beach and were stunned by the desolation. We made sure we had firewood and Glenda tidied up. The sky was full of army helicopters and there were many announcements on the loud speakers to stay off the beach. I also tried to prepare my sermon and charged my Macbook by running Glenda's car.
On Sunday we went to church. We left home at 0645. We were appalled at the mess and devastation at Tagajo further inland, usually a busy shopping centre. (We learned later that many people were killed here trying to leave a department store car park). We spent a long time trying to thread our way through upside-down cars covered in seaweed and streets deep in mud, before heading a long way inland and then turning west. We arrived at church about 9am and were relieved to find it undamaged. (Tadamitsu had been in on Saturday and cleared up some broken cups and fallen books). Only about 6 had come by 1030. We started anyway and I spoke on Heb 12:28 on 'God's unshakeable Kingdom'. By the end of the service we were 11, whereas normally we are 35 adults. Glenda had cooked up 2 kgs of mince and we ate that and some took it back to their families. The church had running water but there was no electricity anywhere in Sendai. We decided to cancel the English service. Then we came back to Shichigahama. On the way we were able briefly to get cell phone reception and called Esther in South Africa with a request to tell everyone that we were OK. After that reception was lost. There were long lines of people queueing outside shops and cars outside petrol stations. We arrived back after 2 hours - it normally takes 35 mins. We heard late that night that the tsunami warnings had been lifted.
On Monday we got up early and I went down to help some the people who had started to sift through their belongings and remains of their houses. Gave out some tracts and spoke about the Lord. Most of them were elderly and put a brave face on it and said they were grateful to be alive. Helped an old couple called the Mishimas sort through their devastated house full of broken stuff and found his medicine which he was happy about. Offered a few others help and said they could come and borrow tools. I went off in late morning to try and phone and eventually got through to a few people and had a clear call from California though most of them couldn't hear me. There was a grey atmosphere and a strong smell of burning oil. I stopped at a 7-11 and met an Al-Jezeerah film crew, no doubt telling the Arab world this was the wrath of Allah. The 7-11 guy came out and said they had no more food. In the afternoon went for a walk and spoke to the neighbour of the Mishimas who works for the Town Office, who tells me sadly that he lost his two kayaks, one which he bought for 400,000 yen 3 years ago. Never mind that his house has been smashed by the wave, he is grieving for his sport. I like this guy! I tell him about my surfskis and to come out sometime. Glenda cooks up a huge meal for 5 members of a Dutch film crew.
Tuesday. Go to the International Centre. Our freezer is defrosting so deliver meat to old Mr Endo in makeshift shelter (and later our green tent) and to the main person in the International Centre (which is now an evacuation refuge looking after those made homeless).
There is a lot of worry about atomic dust from the Fukushima Power plant which later turns out to be exaggerated. Walk with Glenda around Yoshidahama - terrible destruction with boats on top of houses etc. Chat to a few people and hand out tracts. Put out buckets for rainwater again after seeing that the fallout is only 30 km radius. Surprise visit from 5 UK Embassy staff who are very nice and let me use their sat phone to call Mum and Dad.
Wednesday is a miserable cold day with a strong wind, driving snow and temp doesn't rise above 3C. Go to old Mr Endo and put up tent. Give blue sheet to young family camping in the carpark. Go inland to try to download emails but nothing comes through. Cant phone anybody or buy anything. Come back and find that the tent has blown over because they didn't peg it down - too busy drinking beer in his shelter. Queue for 1 1/2 hours in the freezing wind for 20l water. Find one of Glenda's hearing aids - the other one is lost. Try unsuccessfully to siphon fuel out of the Subaru and hear from my mechanic friend that it is definitely a write-off which is a pity as the roadworthy certificate was expensive.
Thursday. As always get up at 0530 and go to bed at 8pm (no electricity). Today is also a miserable cold snowy day but I feel much happier. I think I have found my little niche by offering lifts to people who have collected water on foot. This is greatly appreciated and gives me a captive audience to tell the gospel. Some of them have walked for 4-5km, queued for 2 hours for 10l water, all in a blizzard (it also means I can re-charge the Mac & phone while the car is running). The woman in charge expresses concern in case I have a car accident while carrying passengers. This is priceless. We have all survived the worst tsunami in memory and she is worried about a car accident! Loads of Facebook emails etc from people interested in sending relief - it would be nice if they also considered ensuring the missionaries on the ground were fully supported. I go to the Town Office and ask what I should tell foreign volunteers and local churches concerning the needs. I'm introduced to the head of the relief committee and she says the needs are futons, blankets, petrol, containers for petrol and water, paraffin, nappies, food etc but that these could change within a short time. When I ask if they are happy with me giving lifts, they very happily give their blessing, but I would do it anyway because it meets a real need. Phone Mrs Takada and ask her to tell all the church people to bring any of the above to church on Sunday. Had a long call from a pastor in Dallas who I don't know but had to cut him off as I was giving people a lift. Go for a walk with Glenda along Shobutahama Beach in a blizzard. How everything has changed! No houses left. New streams and lakes. Route 58 is cut by a huge gully just before the Cosmo station. Find half a litre of milk in a fridge in a wrecked house and lots of kitchen stuff (detergent, bleach etc) along the beach that we collect. Also 10 litres or so of petrol that must have fallen off a fishing boat. The Lord provides! The blessing with the cold weather is that the food in the freezer is still frozen. See in an email that some missionaries are following embassy advice and leaving Japan. I wouldn't swop this time or place for anything and I don't even want to move to Sendai. It has been the most fulfilling interesting week. May the Lord help us to use this small window of opportunity when Japanese might be feeling a little less self-sufficient, more open to the gospel, and when we have the ability to show practical help they actually need. This is not a criticism of those with small children and health problems who leave. Mark 13: 8-10 Earthquakes arent signs of the end but birth-pangs of the kingdom. Jesus says they must happen. So what must we do? Preach the gospel to all nations - and then the end will come!
Major roads are now cleared and the rubbish is being removed.
Friday. Sunny and cold. Arrive at the water station and am told that I need to register as a volunteer, which I do, so now I have a little blue vest to wear. Do two shifts 9-11 and 3-5. Well organised but the water distribution is very slow and people have to queue for hours. Give about 10 lifts to people - some of whom really were in dire need. Clear up the beach gate with Glenda. Phone around and fine . Two UK embassy staff visit and try to persuade Glenda that we should leave (irony: would they give her a visa??). The tsunami was a week ago.
Saturday. Sunny and warm. Do lots of trips carrying water. Tell my car occupants that this tsunami wasn't caused by some little deity but the Big One who made heaven and earth and that the meaning of the tsunami is that people should repent from sin and believe in the Creator. One woman said she was atheist but in complete agreement! At least the Japanese aren't embarrassed about being inconsistent. Make some phone calls. Drop in at International Centre to see the casualty figures of Shichigahama: 27 confirmed dead (the youngest 17 yr-old girl and the oldest 101 yr-old lady) and 42 missing - many of those will likely be dead. The hardest hit area is Hanabuchihama. Grim. Apparently 4000 are homeless in Shichigahama alone.
Sunday. Load frozen stuff into the car. Leave early and travel without delay to the church. Find a free wifi spot and download 100s of emails which takes ages. Send some emails. We have about 15 to the service. Happy cooperative sympathetic atmosphere. Praise the Lord. Preach on Ps 67. May we be blessed so as to be a blessing. All we have learnt up until now might be for this very time (Esther 4). We must use our faith (Luke 8:22-25). Mrs Kuroda is chirpy and brought her 2 sons. She always seems to rise to a crisis. Takuma brings food for everyone. Mrs Takada does our washing and gives us bags of food. Miyoko lets me use the internet. Mrs Higashi brings us a box of food. Mrs Tada and Mr Higashi give water tanks and blankets to distribute. Have the English service and do Ps 46. All meetings cancelled this week too. Mr Abe comes and I have a nice phone call with Joel using his phone!
Monday. Collect useable timber from the beach. Phone CNN (Constance Cheng emailed me just after the quake to set up an interview but her email was buried among the 600 or so I had to download), anyway she didn't seem very interested now - probably moved on to the next big story. Oda-sensei from Kuroishi Church phones to find news of the church and if we are all OK. He delivers newspapers to stay in the ministry and deserves all our respect and in my opinion our support. Here that the wife of the mayor of Shichigahama was killed in the tsunami - but he keeps working. Also two people among the volunteers have lost their homes. I'm not sure I would volunteer or keep working if the same had happened to me. A large water truck comes from Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture and the queue moves fast. (This is a nationwide rescue: we have had a police team from Chiba come through our area searching for survivors or bodies and a generator truck from Kansai providing power to the International Centre. Japanese civil defence has moved in high gear helped by the military). People are friendly and recognise me. Visit the International Centre and met the Mishimas and chat. The evacuation centre has put them in different rooms according to their neighbourhoods, so that your bed space is next to your neighbours (so the Oginos, Aizawas and Mishimas are all in a row). Talk about the Lord, the tsunami and repentance. Mrs Aizawa is feisty and says she will re-build in the same spot and invite us over. I say 'Not somewhere higher?', she replies 'No! The same spot!'. These are elderly Japanese and used to deprivation and suffering. I wonder how the younger generation would cope. Slightly dispirited - nothing in the way of aid has come through to us, even though I feel we are at the sharp end of ministry. It has been 11 days since the quake. Still we are so much better off than those who have lost everything.
Tuesday. Still feel down. Tell the Lord that I don't feel strong in Him but I certainly feel weak in myself, if that is good enough for Him. Sing hymns in the car esp 'Guide me O thou great Jehovah' and feel my faith and joy come back. A voice mail from Thierry Richards says he is in Shiogama with petrol for me. A angel from heaven! And within an hour six young people (2 from MTW and 4 from Chiba Grace Church) in two trucks deliver 40 l of petrol to me and fruit and underwear to the Town Office warehouse. Very much encouraged after this.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Prayer Partner Letter March 2011
Dear praying friends,
Greetings from a freezing Japan! We thank the Lord for his undeserved mercy in bringing us back here and for giving us a good home assignment. The official purpose of HA, according to OMF, is 'support development' both prayer and financial, and we thank God for all the wonderful supporters we have met and that our support has increased from 63% in 2009 to 81% in 2010. Time was too short though to improve our South African English. Speaking like 'I scheme I'll graze some lekker pronutro and boerewors' will have to wait for next time!
Yesterday was our first Sunday service and it was a joy to see two believers baptised, a mainland Chinese student and Joel and Seiko's 9-year-old daughter. The church was full and all the believers were glad to see us. It is such a privilege to minister here and please pray with us for God to pour out his Spirit in Sendai that the Word will spread and his Kingdom will grow. The church is still discussing property purchase issues and we hope that as their faith increases it wont be long before we can buy our own land and buildings.
We have got our car through its roadworthy certificate and found a flat to rent behind the church. Please pray that if it is God's will the contract will go through so we can live really close and use it as a Sunday School room. Tadamitsu, recently returned from theological studies in NZ, is now working in Sendai and is a useful layman in the church.
Our children are each on different continents: Amy in Scotland, Andrew in the Arabian Sea, Esther doing street ministry from Fish Hoek, South Africa and Christine at Hebron School in India. Please pray for their spiritual and physical well-being and that they don't lose touch with each other.
On Friday, Rod will be speaking at a high school chapel service to 2000 boys.
Pray that we will be faithful and obedient to the Lord.
God's richest blessings,
from Rod and Glenda
PS A whole month til our next letter, ag, shame!
Greetings from a freezing Japan! We thank the Lord for his undeserved mercy in bringing us back here and for giving us a good home assignment. The official purpose of HA, according to OMF, is 'support development' both prayer and financial, and we thank God for all the wonderful supporters we have met and that our support has increased from 63% in 2009 to 81% in 2010. Time was too short though to improve our South African English. Speaking like 'I scheme I'll graze some lekker pronutro and boerewors' will have to wait for next time!
Yesterday was our first Sunday service and it was a joy to see two believers baptised, a mainland Chinese student and Joel and Seiko's 9-year-old daughter. The church was full and all the believers were glad to see us. It is such a privilege to minister here and please pray with us for God to pour out his Spirit in Sendai that the Word will spread and his Kingdom will grow. The church is still discussing property purchase issues and we hope that as their faith increases it wont be long before we can buy our own land and buildings.
We have got our car through its roadworthy certificate and found a flat to rent behind the church. Please pray that if it is God's will the contract will go through so we can live really close and use it as a Sunday School room. Tadamitsu, recently returned from theological studies in NZ, is now working in Sendai and is a useful layman in the church.
Our children are each on different continents: Amy in Scotland, Andrew in the Arabian Sea, Esther doing street ministry from Fish Hoek, South Africa and Christine at Hebron School in India. Please pray for their spiritual and physical well-being and that they don't lose touch with each other.
On Friday, Rod will be speaking at a high school chapel service to 2000 boys.
Pray that we will be faithful and obedient to the Lord.
God's richest blessings,
from Rod and Glenda
PS A whole month til our next letter, ag, shame!
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Prayer Partner Letter January 2011
Dear Praying Friends
Recently we had an encouraging email. When we were in Tokyo about 10 years ago Ryoko attended church. She didn't believe and after a while left in a huff. But she has now become a believer and as part of her baptismal preparation wrote to apologise. Praise the Lord. Also, that church is now independent with a delightful Japanese pastor.
It is a little daunting to think of returning to Sendai, Japan on 26th Feb. 1) We will be back in ministry immediately and inevitably have missed out on events in people's lives and they will have moved on. And we need to have a smooth handover with Joel who has been pastoring in our absence. We have had a very varied home assignment in UK and RSA but however busy we've been, we have not had to lead a church, which has made it like a holiday. This will all change in 6 weeks. 2) We need to lead the church forward to independence. This in itself sounds like a contradiction. To push, train and delegate the members into taking leading roles while still being responsible expresses it more clearly. Maintaining the status quo will just make them dependent on us. Also the church needs to grow in size. 3) Everything will be in Japanese, and despite one's best efforts to study we have got a bit rusty, as neither of us are especially gifted at the language.
Our goal is for the church to be independent, fruitful and strong, please pray for the Holy Spirit to work through us to attain this.
Thank you for your prayers! We have had a great family holiday with Esther, Andrew and Christine. We are now staying in Simon's Town, hopefully until we leave. Esther needs a furnished flat to rent in Muizenberg until July. Christine arrived safely from India despite being involved in a car accident in Mumbai and being the last to board her flight there. She starts the return journey on 24th Jan. Please pray for it to go smoothly and safely.
Ministry until we leave looks like this:
16th Jan Sun am St Peters Fish Hoek CESA
30th Jan Sun am Bellville Emmanuel CESA
5th Feb Sat Leave for Jo'burg
6th Feb Sun Horison, Krugersdorp CESA
13th Feb Sun Blairgowrie CESA
14th Feb Mon Return from Jo'burg
16th Feb Wed St James Kenilworth CESA
18th Feb Fri Meadowridge OMF prayer group
24th Feb Thu Leave Cape Town for Japan
26th Feb Sat Arrive Japan
"We rejoice and delight in you" (Songs 1:4). May we and you all rejoice and delight in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and then this 2011 will be blessed no matter how God orders our outward circumstances.
love from Rod and Glenda
Recently we had an encouraging email. When we were in Tokyo about 10 years ago Ryoko attended church. She didn't believe and after a while left in a huff. But she has now become a believer and as part of her baptismal preparation wrote to apologise. Praise the Lord. Also, that church is now independent with a delightful Japanese pastor.
It is a little daunting to think of returning to Sendai, Japan on 26th Feb. 1) We will be back in ministry immediately and inevitably have missed out on events in people's lives and they will have moved on. And we need to have a smooth handover with Joel who has been pastoring in our absence. We have had a very varied home assignment in UK and RSA but however busy we've been, we have not had to lead a church, which has made it like a holiday. This will all change in 6 weeks. 2) We need to lead the church forward to independence. This in itself sounds like a contradiction. To push, train and delegate the members into taking leading roles while still being responsible expresses it more clearly. Maintaining the status quo will just make them dependent on us. Also the church needs to grow in size. 3) Everything will be in Japanese, and despite one's best efforts to study we have got a bit rusty, as neither of us are especially gifted at the language.
Our goal is for the church to be independent, fruitful and strong, please pray for the Holy Spirit to work through us to attain this.
Thank you for your prayers! We have had a great family holiday with Esther, Andrew and Christine. We are now staying in Simon's Town, hopefully until we leave. Esther needs a furnished flat to rent in Muizenberg until July. Christine arrived safely from India despite being involved in a car accident in Mumbai and being the last to board her flight there. She starts the return journey on 24th Jan. Please pray for it to go smoothly and safely.
Ministry until we leave looks like this:
16th Jan Sun am St Peters Fish Hoek CESA
30th Jan Sun am Bellville Emmanuel CESA
5th Feb Sat Leave for Jo'burg
6th Feb Sun Horison, Krugersdorp CESA
13th Feb Sun Blairgowrie CESA
14th Feb Mon Return from Jo'burg
16th Feb Wed St James Kenilworth CESA
18th Feb Fri Meadowridge OMF prayer group
24th Feb Thu Leave Cape Town for Japan
26th Feb Sat Arrive Japan
"We rejoice and delight in you" (Songs 1:4). May we and you all rejoice and delight in our Saviour, Jesus Christ, and then this 2011 will be blessed no matter how God orders our outward circumstances.
love from Rod and Glenda
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Prayer Partner Letter December 2010
Dear Praying Friends
Thank you for your prayers! Christine leaves school tomorrow to fly to Mumbai and then to Jo'burg and then Cape Town. It is a long unfamiliar journey. Please pray for God's blessing and protection. She arrives Friday afternoon. Andrew has been with us since yesterday. We have until the end of the year as time off.
Joel writes that the farm buildings that the Sendai church were considering buying have been sold to someone else. On top of that some of the church members expressed reservations about it being further from public transport. So we trust that God has somewhere better for us. But we are glad that it has set them thinking and they will be better prepared to consider the next opportunity. Our goal is for the church to be independent, fruitful and strong.
We give thanks that our latest donation report shows that we are 85% supported. Thank you too, Lord, for the army of supporters whose sacrifices have made this possible.
In a passage speaking of the Messiah's reign, the Lord says "I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation." Micah 4:7. How true this is in Japan where the national sin is pride! God often takes those with mental problems, those at the end of their tether and those who haven't been successful in society and incorporates them into his church rather than the successful and self-sufficient, so that no one may boast, as Paul also says in 1 Cor 1:28-29. Please pray for us as we prepare to go back to the work in Japan and for Joel and Seiko there.
Finally, thank you all for your prayers and support this past year and may God give you a very happy Christmas with family and friends.
love from Rod and Glenda
Thank you for your prayers! Christine leaves school tomorrow to fly to Mumbai and then to Jo'burg and then Cape Town. It is a long unfamiliar journey. Please pray for God's blessing and protection. She arrives Friday afternoon. Andrew has been with us since yesterday. We have until the end of the year as time off.
Joel writes that the farm buildings that the Sendai church were considering buying have been sold to someone else. On top of that some of the church members expressed reservations about it being further from public transport. So we trust that God has somewhere better for us. But we are glad that it has set them thinking and they will be better prepared to consider the next opportunity. Our goal is for the church to be independent, fruitful and strong.
We give thanks that our latest donation report shows that we are 85% supported. Thank you too, Lord, for the army of supporters whose sacrifices have made this possible.
In a passage speaking of the Messiah's reign, the Lord says "I will make the lame a remnant, those driven away a strong nation." Micah 4:7. How true this is in Japan where the national sin is pride! God often takes those with mental problems, those at the end of their tether and those who haven't been successful in society and incorporates them into his church rather than the successful and self-sufficient, so that no one may boast, as Paul also says in 1 Cor 1:28-29. Please pray for us as we prepare to go back to the work in Japan and for Joel and Seiko there.
Finally, thank you all for your prayers and support this past year and may God give you a very happy Christmas with family and friends.
love from Rod and Glenda
Prayer Partner Letter November 2010
Dear Praying Friends
Greetings from Fish Hoek in W Cape. It is lovely to be here. We have been kindly lent a flat overlooking the sea until 6 Dec.
I (Rod) have just returned from 9 days in Kwazulu Natal and it was a joy to meet enthusiastic mission-minded churches and prayer partners who have been praying for many years. Later we went to Dept of Home Affairs to apply for an ID book for Esther. There were crowds of Zimbabwean asylum seekers but we were surprised how quick and efficient it was. We also had to renew our driving licence cards which had expired. Next, we have to go back for Esther's and Christine's passports which have expired and Rod's permanent residence. This month and December we will be visiting churches and prayer groups in the Cape (I have appended our schedule below).
Please urgently pray for Sendai church. They have found some farm buildings (residence, barn and office) for sale and are considering buying. It is about 1 km from the present rented place, not so accessible by public transport, nor so visible but it is large, and adequate for a residence for a future pastor and suitable for a church and means that our monthly payments will go into a mortgage instead of rent. So the church led by Joel needs to discuss this among themselves and come to a decision. Personally I am positive about this but there are other buyers interested. So please pray that the Lord's will is done and that at the very least it will be a positive experience for the church members.
Christine travels back from Hebron School, India, through Coimbatore, Mumbai and Johannesburg, an unfamiliar route, but is more cheerful about it now that we have found someone to help her transfer airports in Mumbai the night of Dec 16/17th. Andrew joins us on 14th. Our support percentage has gone up to 75%, so give thanks and keep praying!
Thank you for your prayers
Greetings from Fish Hoek in W Cape. It is lovely to be here. We have been kindly lent a flat overlooking the sea until 6 Dec.
I (Rod) have just returned from 9 days in Kwazulu Natal and it was a joy to meet enthusiastic mission-minded churches and prayer partners who have been praying for many years. Later we went to Dept of Home Affairs to apply for an ID book for Esther. There were crowds of Zimbabwean asylum seekers but we were surprised how quick and efficient it was. We also had to renew our driving licence cards which had expired. Next, we have to go back for Esther's and Christine's passports which have expired and Rod's permanent residence. This month and December we will be visiting churches and prayer groups in the Cape (I have appended our schedule below).
Please urgently pray for Sendai church. They have found some farm buildings (residence, barn and office) for sale and are considering buying. It is about 1 km from the present rented place, not so accessible by public transport, nor so visible but it is large, and adequate for a residence for a future pastor and suitable for a church and means that our monthly payments will go into a mortgage instead of rent. So the church led by Joel needs to discuss this among themselves and come to a decision. Personally I am positive about this but there are other buyers interested. So please pray that the Lord's will is done and that at the very least it will be a positive experience for the church members.
Christine travels back from Hebron School, India, through Coimbatore, Mumbai and Johannesburg, an unfamiliar route, but is more cheerful about it now that we have found someone to help her transfer airports in Mumbai the night of Dec 16/17th. Andrew joins us on 14th. Our support percentage has gone up to 75%, so give thanks and keep praying!
Thank you for your prayers
Thursday, 28 October 2010
October Prayer Partner Letter
Dear Praying Friends
Japan is living proof of a great spiritual truth that we cannot ignore. It is that only God can open blind eyes. Are 127 million Japanese spiritually blind? Yes! That is why after 120 years of evangelisation the percentage of Christians is still only 0.25. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ…". It is a call to pray. And it is also a call to be faithful to the gospel and to renounce the gimmicks and human ideas, touted as the latest 'key' to mission success, that cycle through the world of mission every 5 years. Charismatic personalities, expensive programmes, great spiritual gifts and hard work avail nothing. 'Let there be light!'
Joel in Sendai said that, in a beautiful example of unselfish Kingdom thinking, some new people were encouraged to attend our church by US Presbyterian missionaries who work nearby. We also have several longterm inquirers who attend almost every meeting but still do not believe. Pray for God not to harden them as he could justly do but graciously bring 'sight to the inly blind' through his almighty word. Pray for the church to become independent so we can partner with them to plant another one!
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And, where the Gospel's day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
Let there be light!
We have learned a lot these past 5 months as we have engaged with UK churches and we are very thankful for that. We arrive in South Africa on 4th Nov. During November, ministry will be in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Kenilworth, Bellville, and Paarl. Thankfully too our supporters have pulled out all the stops and very kindly provided us with accommodation and transport. We are moving a lot so please use this postal address: Rod and Glenda Thomas c/o St James Church PO Box 2180 Clareinch 7740 South Africa. Christine goes back to India tomorrow (23rd Oct).
OMF has asked us to include these sentences about finance. "The overall income for the last 12 months for OMF workers in East Asia and the UK is 82% of our estimated needs. This has necessarily significantly limited some aspects of our ministry. The Thomases personal support income for the last 10 months is 66% of estimated needs". And will need to increase before we are allowed to return to Japan.
Yours in Jesus, the sun of righteousness risen with healing in his wings,
Rod and Glenda Thomas
Japan is living proof of a great spiritual truth that we cannot ignore. It is that only God can open blind eyes. Are 127 million Japanese spiritually blind? Yes! That is why after 120 years of evangelisation the percentage of Christians is still only 0.25. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ…". It is a call to pray. And it is also a call to be faithful to the gospel and to renounce the gimmicks and human ideas, touted as the latest 'key' to mission success, that cycle through the world of mission every 5 years. Charismatic personalities, expensive programmes, great spiritual gifts and hard work avail nothing. 'Let there be light!'
Joel in Sendai said that, in a beautiful example of unselfish Kingdom thinking, some new people were encouraged to attend our church by US Presbyterian missionaries who work nearby. We also have several longterm inquirers who attend almost every meeting but still do not believe. Pray for God not to harden them as he could justly do but graciously bring 'sight to the inly blind' through his almighty word. Pray for the church to become independent so we can partner with them to plant another one!
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And, where the Gospel's day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
Let there be light!
We have learned a lot these past 5 months as we have engaged with UK churches and we are very thankful for that. We arrive in South Africa on 4th Nov. During November, ministry will be in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Kenilworth, Bellville, and Paarl. Thankfully too our supporters have pulled out all the stops and very kindly provided us with accommodation and transport. We are moving a lot so please use this postal address: Rod and Glenda Thomas c/o St James Church PO Box 2180 Clareinch 7740 South Africa. Christine goes back to India tomorrow (23rd Oct).
OMF has asked us to include these sentences about finance. "The overall income for the last 12 months for OMF workers in East Asia and the UK is 82% of our estimated needs. This has necessarily significantly limited some aspects of our ministry. The Thomases personal support income for the last 10 months is 66% of estimated needs". And will need to increase before we are allowed to return to Japan.
Yours in Jesus, the sun of righteousness risen with healing in his wings,
Rod and Glenda Thomas
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