Fourth and Final part of my first report:
How church members have taken measures to do relief work
The Mito church building has some damage, but not enough to worry about now. Soon after the disaster happened, when things were just starting to cool down, Mito church was basically bombarded with questions and offers like “How can we help?”, “I want to come do relief work, what can I do?”, “Where can I send money?”, “What does Mito church plan to do now?”, etc. Mito church was not in a position to really do anything. We were still waiting in line for enough gas to drive across town, let alone gas to drive hours up North. Highways surrounding Mito were destroyed in some places and other roads were blocked or ruined. Some people in Mito were still struggling to find enough food and water. Actual relief organizations were having enough trouble getting through to the authorities and the before mentioned difficulties, let alone a small church who had never done this before.
Mito church members knew there was a need, they knew there were people willing to help, but at that time, all we could do was plan and receive funds. Currently, Mito church and other churches in the area have joined forces to put that plan into action. Although Mito church has taken on the responsibility of receiving and organizing financial funds, members from several churches are working together to organize the relief efforts. These churches have formed a committee for “Churches of Christ East Japan Aid”, made up of 10 members from 7 or 8 churches from multiple prefectures. This Committee sent a first convoy up to Sendai to help in Ishinomaki and Hachinohe the first week of May. The ministers involved in this organization hope to send a small or large convoy as often as once a week; a group of people able and willing to serve and carrying as many necessary items to give away as possible.
Recently, this committee made the decision to select three people who will be supported and commissioned to specifically focus on this job of relief efforts. These three people will lead the convoys to the North and will organize the church’s relief efforts. The members who have received this commission are Hiroaki Akahoshi, Gaku Osugi and Emiko Namae. Please pray for these three as they embark on this endeavor for God. Pray that God’s light may shine through them and pray that the people of Japan will know that He is God. Even though these three will focus solely on these relief efforts, the Church of Christ East Japan Aid committee members are still organizing, recruiting, equipping and sending many volunteers from several areas. They are managing work opportunities in four or five prefectures, sending reports and keeping up with communication with churches in Japan and communicating with international donors.
If you decide to support this work by sending funds to Mito Church, please know that your money will go to these relief effort convoys. Some money will go to buying blankets, clothes, food, etc. for the victims to help them live more comfortably. Some will go to the gas and transportation to get from Mito to the Northern area. Some will go to supporting Gaku, Hiroaki and Emiko for their work. Some may go to other efforts of relief work that are noticed as needed. Please support Japanese churches in this endeavor to spread God’s love. For more information, you can check this blog: http://eastjapanrelief.wordpress.com/ .
To help financially from the States, please send donations through the Park Avenue Church of Christ, where Dwight Albright is gathering and sending funds to Mito. For more information please go to the Park Avenue Church of Christ homepage. http://www.parkave.org/ .
To help financially from Europe (or other), you can wire funds directly to the Mito Church’s bank account, but we ask that you gather funds from multiple churches and send all of the funds from one country together.
Please ask me for the bank information and I will send you an email.
Thank you for your prayers and concern,
Miranda Brazle Logwood
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