Author Topic: Who Will Help in Time of Crisis?  (Read 6859 times)

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Richard Myers

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Who Will Help in Time of Crisis?
« on: March 13, 2011, 09:48:05 PM »
"Japan's prime minister says the country is facing its most severe challenge since World War II.

Charles Pribyl is a college professor currently living in Japan. He's been living in Funibashe, a city just east of Tokyo, for 23 years. The problem now is that they announced the rolling blackout that will be for about one month, and depending on where you live it, could be up to 3 three hours," Pribyl said.

He also says they were just told their water is unsafe to drink.

"They're trying to find the source of the contamination, but for now, they're saying drink bottled water," he said.

Pribyl says that, in itself, could be a problem. He says food, water and gas were already hard to find.

"Right now, all of the convenience stores are closed because they ran out food, because people are hoarding food now. And the gas station I usually go to is closed because they are out of gas," he said.

He says in most of the country, the shaking created by aftershocks has yet to subside.

"We are still having earthquakes about every 20-30 minutes now, and they're ranging in magnitude between 3 and 6," Pribyl said.

The devastation is really starting to set it according to Pribyl.

"Most people are still in shock. They never thought it would really happen," he said.
source

There have been over 300 aftershocks, one being over 7.0.

This is from the conference there:

Japan Union Conference
International Ministries Department

Japan Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Address :
846 Kamikawai-cho, Asahi-ku
Yokohama, 241-8501
Japan

Phone: 045-921-1121
(from overseas 81-45-921-1121)
FAX: 045-921-2319
(from overseas 81-45-921-2319)

Japan Union Conference update on earthquake and Tsunami on March 11, 2011.
Today's date: March 14, 2011

We are very thankful for the many words of encouragement received from both brethren and sisters throughout World. March 11 was a shocking day for Japan and the world. We are so very thankful to God that not one Seventh-day Adventist life has been lost so far.

We have been in the process of assessing the damages to our churches and schools in the disaster area. Two schools and 3-4 churches will need assistance with repairs to their buildings. Thank you very much for your prayers, many emails and telephone calls from all over the world showing great love and concern for the Japanese community and our Adventistchurches and schools. ADRA Japan, a department in Japan Union Conference cooperates in that ADRA Japan serves the whole community and interfaces with the government and other NPOs. ADRA Japan is under the umbrella of Japan Union Conference which takes responsibility for the care of the Seventh-Day Adventist's churches and school's needs. Separate from ADRA Japan, Japan Union Conference is earnestly requesting funds for our churches and schools that have been damaged in the earthquake.

As it is not safe to dispatch repair teams into the area yet, we are at the moment accepting funds towards helping to repair church and school structures. Volunteers will be requested to help once it is safe to enter the areas. Our junior high school's chapel roof fell in, another school is damaged and 3 or possibly more churches have received damage. We dearly need to help these people to rebuild their school and church homes. It was school break and right after graduation for the junior high so we are praising God that no children were injured. Water and electricity is a common need shared with the Non-Adventist community in these areas.

YOU CAN HELP by sending your donation to Japan Union Conference.
Please make your checks out to the following:
General Conference of SDA
Japan Union Conference

Please send your checks to the following address in Japan:
Japan Union Conference of SDA
846 Kamikawai-cho, Asahi-ku,
Yokohama-shi, Japan 241-8501


Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Ed Sutton

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Re: Who Will Help in Time of Crisis?
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2011, 04:11:35 PM »
No Food or water or shelter - or inadequate of any of the three,  near freezing temps, possible rain.....in northern Japan where there is lots of snow in the winter........then aftershocks, fires, hysteria, and rapid lack of hope, with the realizations setting in.

What can we do to help and comfort from so far away ?     :'(
Grateful for Psalms 32 and Titus 2:10 - The divinity of Christ is acknowledged in the unity of the children of God.  {11MR 266.2}

Marelis

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Re: Who Will Help in Time of Crisis?
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2011, 06:17:07 AM »
On the one hand I know that the events of the past week sound an alarm that our Lord's return is not far off, and we rejoice, but I am also in mourning for Japan and am moved to tears.  I have a soft place in my heart for the Japanese. The thought occurred to me today that when everyone else is fleeing who can, it would take love and courage for someone to risk their own health and life to minister among those who have been affected by radiation.  Could it be that this catastrophe might open up Japan for the gospel in a way that did not previously exist?
"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."  Ps 16:11

Richard Myers

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Re: Who Will Help in Time of Crisis?
« Reply #3 on: April 16, 2011, 07:26:54 AM »
Amen!  In situations like these, who will help? Who will risk their lives to help others?   Today, there are Christians in Japan who are making sacrifices,  great sacrifices to help others. We have heard about the brave men who have been working at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant.  While there is a very small percentage of Christians in Japan, would it not be a truth that Christians would be found in that group who are being exposed to danger in order to give glory to God and to help their neighbors?

There are several Christian men working on the pipe connection for the cooling system of the Fukushima nuclear plant. These are workers that have volunteered to essentially sacrifice their lives for the good of their country and the world. I find it interesting that so many are Christians despite there being about 1 Christian man in every 400 people in Japan. Please pray for these men. The leaders' names are Seiichi Kisaka and Naoyoshi Sato.

Other Christians known to be in the plant areas:
Mr. Shibuya is in the Fukushima Nuclear Plant One.
Mr. Nakamura is in the Fukushima Nuclear Plant One.
Mr. Kita departed to the Fukushima Nuclear Plant Two Saturday.
Mr. Yatsuo went to the Fukushima Nuclear Plant Sunday.
Mr. Nishimura went to Fukushima Nuclear Plant Two on Monday.
PRAY for their witness to co-workers! For the Lord’s protection, and success in the work!

And a Christian Japanese man headed the team that reconnected the fallen power lines so that electricity could flow again to the power plant. Many, many people prayed for this man and his team! And they were successful! The last I heard electricity was flowing again to reactors 1 & 2 and they were trying to do the same for reactors 3 & 4.


They were going to try and douse the reactors (namely reactor
#3) with water again but decided to concentrate all efforts on restoring
electrical power to the plant so they could use the water pumps, which would
be far more effective. As it turns out, the project head is a Christian.
His name is Naoyoshi Sato, believed to be a member of the First Baptist
Church of Fukushima.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Richard Myers

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Re: Who Will Help in Time of Crisis?
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2011, 07:42:08 AM »
We have been praying for the people of Japan, especially for our brothers and sisters who are there. God has been hearing our prayers in ways we were not and are not aware of. Let us continue to pray for Japan. It is a proud country that does not know God. They are now suffering greatly. There are few atheists in fox holes when the bombs begin to fall. Many are praying to a God they do not know. The governor of Tokyo expressed this situation better than I can.

The governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, suggested that the tsunami was "divine punishment" for the "egoism" of the Japanese people. He called it "tembatsu", divine punishment. "I do feel sorry for the victims," he said.  Ishihara said: "Japanese politics is tainted with egoism and populism. We need to use the tsunami to wipe out egoism, which has attached itself like rust to the mentality of the Japanese people over a long period of time."

We do not believe that God brought this disaster upon Japan, but He did allow it to happen. And, as with many trials, it is designed to bring those whom God loves into a close relationship with Him who gave His only Son for us all, while we were yet sinners.

Jesus is returning soon. Before He comes, Japan is being given opportunity to learn of Him. Let us pray that many will find Jesus.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.