By Christine Huber

Tim and Yas showed pictures and told about the trip to Fukushima. Yasu preached 3 times on Sunday.  Fighting back tears, he told us many experiences from talking and interacting with the people there. 

The people in Fukushima prefecture are suffering– not only from the very destructive earthquake, the tsunami, many deaths and hurting people, and the radiation scare– they also feel ”discrimination” –that they are not getting the outside help that other earthquake/tsunami areas around them are getting. 

Yas met some very lonely people there who, besides having their lives devastated in an instant, are feeling very SAD because they are being shunned for no fault of their own.  They  live in or near the evacuation area–the 30-kilometer radius from the nuclear power plant that has been giving radiation problems after the earthquake and tsunami.

With tears in his eyes, one older man told Yas that hardly anyone is paying any attention to them or trying to help them.  Volunteers are making a detour around their area to help the other completely devastated towns and cities farther from the nuclear plant.  In fact, some restaurants and hotels won’t even serve people from Fukushima, because of their fear of radiation.

Anyone with money or position that could evacuate have left, including many city government leaders, hospital workers, etc.    But many others couldn’t evacuate–especially the elderly and the sick, and families who had no where to go or not enough money to go, etc. 

The church we are helping is in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefection.  It is the Global Missions Chapel, with Pastor Mori and his wife and staff.  They  have not evacuated the area, but are working hard to collect and deliver supplies to the many shelters where the suddenly-became-homeless people are located.    Japanese people do not normally show much emotion on the outside, but inside, many are so full of fear and deep grief. 

This week, I plan to go with several from our church to lend a helping hand.  Tomorrow 5 of us are going, and our other pastor from our church in Funabashi, Tomo Kobayashi, is there already, and others are going on Wednesday and Thursday, etc.  We hope to be able to lend a helping hand and give some hope, sharing God’s love with them. 

Our group plans to leave early tomorrow and be back on Friday, Lord willing.  (It’s about a 5-hour trip.)  Of course we are taking all the precautions, and actually, contrary to what the media says, the radiation levels are not high.   

Our church has “adopted” the Fukushima area, and best of all, God has  promised to take care of us.   Thank you soooo much for your love and prayers!!