Rengo and Converge Respond

Our Asian Area Director and I met with Pastor Yonai and Pastor Sasaki, the Rengo General Affairs director to discuss Converge Worldwide and our CW Japan Team response with these Rengo leaders. Pastor Hiroaki Yonai is the chairman of the Japan Baptist Church Association (Rengo) and the pastor of the Kokubunji Baptist Church in West Tokyo.

Pastor Yonai had just returned from a trip north to Higashi Matsushima City in the hard-kit area of Miyagi Prefecture. Pastor took his team of three trucks and 10 people to assist out this church as there were no one helping out in this community. At the time of the tsunami they had escaped to the second floor. The water covered the first floor and the pastor and his family had to be rescued by Japan self-defense forces by boat. When they returned to the church Pastor Tanaka’s wife almost collapsed when she saw the damage.

This volunteer relief team cleaned out the first floor of the church and removed the mud that was left after the tsunami. They also helped several people in the community get out of their homes, especially the elderly. In the evening they set up a soup kitchen and served hot food for 170 people. The area was without gas so many had not had a hot meal in days. The people in the community described them as “volunteers of Christ.” What a testimony to the community! Since Pastor Yonai’s team has left there have been two other teams that have entered the area to continue the relief work. They plan to return to the area in about a week.

The estimate population in 2010 of this Higashi Matsushima city was 42,762. 729 so far have been reported killed due to the earthquake and tsunami. This Bible church is the only church listed for this entire city. They report that this church started in 1951 has an average attendance of 36 for Sunday worship. This is typical of the progress of the gospel in this unreached people group. They need outside help to continue relief work to their needy neighbors, and they need help to bring the gospel to the entire city. Both are daunting tasks that deserve your prayers, gifts, and personal involvement. Pray for Pastor Tanaka, his church, and their continual ministry to people of this entire city.

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