GospelRest

On Friday our Mars Hill team finished “mudding out” Ms. D’s house. On Tuesday we will be power washing it and bleaching it. Then we will let it dry before it is rebuilt. But even though we are done there is even more help coming. The day it was completed the Samaritan’s Purse construction manager came and inspected the house and gave approval for it to be in their rebuilding plan. So they will pay for basic remodeling costs. Praise God!

BUT HELP! Now we need to help recruit carpenters and builders to help in this next phase of helping Ms. D have a more normal home before winter. Please pray for Ms. D. that she may find Christ as her savior. Also pray that carpenters would be soon recruited to rebuild her house.

CARPENTERS NEEDED

Help Converge Worldwide rebuild first floors of homes damaged by the tsunami in partnership with Samaritan’s Purse. The types of repairs to be completed are: installations of floor/wall insulation, sub-floor, drywall, exterior walls, and enclose window and door openings.
Samaritan’s Purse will provide team members with orientation, instructions, power tools and supplies to do the job. All we encourage you to bring your own hand tools (hammer, tape-measure, tool belt, squares, cutting knives). While volunteer teams may have little experience, it is necessary that some individuals with each team have some experience in carpentry. Carpenters will be assigned for work with Japanese carpenters or lead carpenters. Please apply at the Converge website www.convergeworldwide.org/japanmission.

The ministry of Japan Disaster Response is the cover article for Converge Point our church movement publication. This article highlights the work of John and Elaine Mehn (among a myriad of others). You can read the article online at http://cvrg.us/fall2011. A great summary of our last team ministry together was blogged at Phil Tsai’s website http://www.filtsai.com/blargh_comments.php?blarghId=2154.

We have had over 4 teams from the States from 8 churches and volunteers totaling nearly 50. Our compassionate response to the disaster has taken several thankful turns in the last several weeks. 1) We are beginning to see people return to their homes and our outreach/community events are gathering them together. 2) We have broadened our scope by also working in a community neighboring Shintate, 3) We are in an aggressive rebuilding program partnering with Samaritan’s Purse. We need many more volunteers to help complete mudouts to prepare these homes for rebuild.

1. Two disaster response teams are set for deployment to Ishinomaki in September. Both of these teams will be staged and prepared at our home. So we will have many guests.
2. Elaine’s classes are starting up again after a break during the summer heat. Pray that God will continue these relationships and draw the ladies closer to Christ.
3. Pray for preparations and sensitivity as John preaches at the Ishinomaki House of Prayer on September 11th, the sixth month mark after the triple disaster.
4. Elaine will meet with several Japanese pastor’s wives in coaching, prayer and fellowship. Pray for wisdom for Elaine and encouragement for the wives.
5. Our son Tim has arrived in Japan for three months to participate in Disaster Relief Teams and also help with this fall’s CPI National Conference. Pray for Tim that he may maximize his time while here and build key relationships as well as accomplishments during this period. We are so glad to have his help.
6. These are extremely busy and full days. Please continue to pray for planning and execution of ministry along with the Rengo, the Japan Mission and for CPI preparation.

HELP NEEDED: CARPENTERS AND BUILDERS NEEDED
From our work in Ishinomaki mudding out and deconstructing homes, One Converge Worldwide relief partner is Samaritan’s Purse which has a rebuilding program. They want to rebuild over 300 homes by Christmas. In short, as they say, they want to rebuild everything we tore out of the homes. See their video http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/articles/waves_of_grace/

Along with general volunteers, we need builders and carpenters to come help us with the rebuilding phase. We need many more workers this fall. Teams will be sent this fall and more can be formed. Pray that God would raise up these workers for this important neighborhood rebuilding ministry. Please contact Converge Worldwide if you are interested in joining a team. http://www.convergeworldwide.org/reach-nations/japan-relief.

HELP NEEDED: GET MORE INVOLVED IN JAPAN RELIEF
1. To serve in Japan individually or in a team go to www.convergeworldwide.org/japanmission.
2. We also need you to pray. To pray for Japan and Japan relief http://groups.google.com/group/Pray4Japan.
3. We are constantly posting new updates on Japan disaster response and our ministry updates including videos and blogs are at www.gospelrest.com. Check them out.
4. Elaine and I recently posted a VIDEO outlining our disaster response ministry. Please share this video widely and also encourage your church to show it in their worship meetings. http://www.gospelrest.com/how-are-you-doing/.
5. The triple disaster in Japan has done at least one thing, eroded or destroyed hope. As missionaries our task is to bring lasting hope to people through the good news of Christ. After several teams have ministered in Japan we developed a PowerPoint summary of ministry through July. http://www.gospelrest.com/hope-in-the-wake-of-disaster-video/ .This PowerPoint VIDEO outlines relief ministry of Converge Worldwide to bring hope to victims of these terrible disasters.

THANK YOU for praying for our July vacation time in the US visiting, Molly, our granddaughter, John’s 90 year-old mother, and other family. The trip was great and like most vacations too short. We returned to Japan hitting the ground running.

THANK YOU too for praying for survival in the August heat. The Government has requested people not to use air conditioning to conserve limited electrical power. In public buildings the temperature has been set for 82. It has been hot in Tokyo and in Tohoku where John worked. Both of us have done fine in the heat, but we are glad it is probably over.

Well this certainly is the new normal as our mission has had increased activity on the disaster response front. We have moved from distributing goods, cleaning up, to building, and now a few steps from permanent ministry. Since May I have been up to my neck in disaster response work involved in leading teams of nearly 50 people to Shintate Ishinomaki City from 8 different churches in the US. These include Bethlehem Baptist Minneapolis (John Piper’s Church). Next month I will have a team from Mars Hill (church) in Seattle. There have also been many already in Japan and Japanese who have joined these teams, one a pre-believer from Elaine’s Bible class. Also this does not include the many dozens in teams our denomination has sent throughout Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.

One Converge Worldwide relief partner is Samaritan’s Purse. From our work in Ishinomaki mudding out and de constructing homes, Samaritan’s Purse has a rebuilding program. They want to rebuild over 300 homes by Christmas. In short, as they say, they want to rebuild everything we tore out of the homes.
Along with regular volunteers, we need builders and carpenters to come help us with the rebuilding phase. We need many more workers this fall. Teams will be sent this fall and more can be formed. Pray that God would raise up these workers for this important neighborhood rebuilding ministry. Please contact Converge Worldwide if you are interested in joining a team. http://www.convergeworldwide.org/reach-nations/japan-relief.

It has been 5 months since the 3.11 triple tragedies in northeast Japan. Many asked me has it returned to normal there yet. As I was working and hanging out with friends in the neighborhood of Ishinomaki I was pondering that question. Today we also drove by the port and through town.

Things have changed at least on the surface, much has been cleaned up, more things are working but it is far from normal. Normal is having bags of garbage piled along the street but being hauled away by trucks more often. Also normal means having a backhoe go up and down your street along with the entourage of dump trucks as they pick up rubble and remove houses. Some traffic lights still do not work. What is normal is the dust, the few that live 24 hours a day in their own home.

At Mrs. T’s house we have workers in and out each day trying to finish cleaning up. In the midst of this is a makeshift living room. It is hard to understand that people can live in a house under construction (and destruction). The other day in the midst of the banging of hammers there was their grandson playing a video game on their TV, both replaced since 3.11. At least for him playing a video game was more normal.

There is progress but this type of rebuilding work takes many man-hours. And each house for over half of this city needs this work. There are not enough carpenters and people with their houses severely damaged hardly can afford them. But at least this is the new normal. It has gone on already too long, and it continues to wear people’s souls. And then there is the rebuilding of hope, the cultivating of the spirit, and directing these people to the compassion of Christ. This may take longer.

What is not normal is how things are changing for those out of their homes. Soon the evacuation shelters will be empty but some still have no place to go. The temporary housing centers are filling up but there are not enough. People are trying to get back in their homes but the damage if frankly overwhelming for them.
This is a crucial time in relief. Now we have moved well beyond rescue and relief. We are now in the rebuilding phase and many are still waiting for a semblance of normal. If anything we need more workers now, we have the volunteer bases, we are prepared to receive teams with orientation and simple systems, and particularly we have lots of work.

Consider helping Japan at this time. Pray, Give, Come or Send, Japan is not normal and won’t be without more help. Come work with Converge and me, http://www.convergeworldwide.org/reach-nations/japan-relief.

INTENSIVE PRAYER TEAM
John and Elaine Mehn
Accelerating Spiritual Renewal and Church Planting Movements
Converge Worldwide (BGC) Missionaries to Japan
August 2011

This will be short as we are both still technically on vacation.

Thanks for praying for us through July. We have spent a few weeks in the US celebrating John’s 90th birthday (a bit early), visiting with our new granddaughter Molly (who is as wonderful as we were told), having a Pickett (Elaine’s family) reunion, and hanging out with our kids and the rest of our family. This area has had both record heat for July and the largest rainfall on record (due to thunderstorms).

WHAT TO PRAY FOR IN AUGUST
Well we hit the proverbial moving treadmill when we touch down. John is organizing another disaster relief team leaving on the 8th. This team will have participants from Hawaii, St. Louis, and Chicago. This will also be Ken and Gerry Milhouses last team. We will be pleased to have Mas Kobayashi going along too.

Two more teams are scheduled nearly back to back in September. Pray that other Team Coordinators arrive to help out.

August is notoriously hot in Tokyo (hotter than our time in Chicago). As the 3.11 earthquake and tsunami damaged some nuclear power plants we will be without air conditioning for the entire month. This is due to energy conservation in the entire Tokyo area. Elaine does not do well in the heat. Pray for safety and cool thoughts.

Ask God to bless the two Bible studies and a needlepoint class Elaine will have in August.

Pray for key decisions and planning going on as we look forward to this key CPI National Conference in November.

Ask God for creative wisdom for the Rengo National Evangelism Department later this month. John will be attending with the Field Coordinator, Jeff Chapman.

Japan is not the same and may never be again. We in Christian work talk about this being the “new normal.” What we will be doing in Japan has already changed and probably will continue to change. Four months after the triple disasters there are still many without their homes, many are still to be found, and people continue to suffer physically and emotionally. But the good news is that spiritually people are very open.

DISASTER RESPONSE TEAMS
Since May Converge Worldwide teams of 2, 7, 10, and 16 have already been deployed to the hard-hit areas. I (John) have been on all these teams working in 7 affected areas. We are cooperating with our Japanese partners the Rengo who are also sending teams. The mission purchased a 10 passenger van to assist the Rengo in sending teams. Later this week the Kokubunji church will be partnering for disaster response with a Japanese congregation in Vancouver, Canada. Pray as a more permanent ministry in the Tohoku area will be developed over the next few months spearheaded by the Rengo and partnered by the Japan Mission. Currently another team, led by Ken and Gerry Milhous, retired missionaries, is working in Ishinomaki City.

The Japan mission continues to recruit some Team Coordinators and also looking for volunteer teams to come in the fall and spring. We are planning to receive teams this fall and need them early next year and the spring. To serve in Japan individually or in a team go to www.convergeworldwide.org/japanmission. We also need you to pray. To pray for Japan and Japan relief http://groups.google.com/group/Pray4Japan. We are constantly posting new updates on Japan disaster response and our ministry updates at www.gospelrest.com. Check them out. Elaine and I recently posted a video outlining our disaster response ministry. Please share this video widely and also encourage your church to show it in their worship meetings. http://www.gospelrest.com/how-are-you-doing/.

CPI NATIONAL CONFERENCE
The 3.11 triple disasters spotlighted Japan’s need for many more churches. The CPI National Conference will be held Nov 9-11 at Fuji Hakone Land. This conference with the theme of “together” will be a very interactive format and will have a session on “Church Planting in the Wake of Disaster.” We hope together we will all learn compassionate church multiplication. First, pray for the preparations for this historical conference. Second, consider coming to Japan to help with the Children’s Ministry and other ministries.

FAMILY VACATION TIME – Our first grandchild, Molly, will have her baby dedication at Beth’s home church on July 24th. My mother will also be celebrating her 90th birthday with us. And Elaine has a family reunion with her siblings, which is a rare event. Of course, we will spend lots of time with our children Tim and Beth along with others. Pray that we get the rest we both need. Also pray that God would refresh us with himself, teach us and use us at this family time, and that God would grant new visions for the coming months and years.

ELAINE’S MINISTRIES have been growing. One Bible study member is currently on a team in Tohoku. Pray that the women that Elaine relates to would consider their eternal fate and their relationship to God during this time.

Thank you for praying for the EVANGELISM TRAINING for the Crossroad church. The training was very encouraging and went well. All are more motivated to share their faith and all are engaged in sharing “their story” with people in their lives. Pray for new opportunities to do this training again.