Web-Image 水曜日。

A Prayer Letter:

Dear Family and Friends,                                                     

Konnichi wa from the Land of the Rising Sun!  I apologize for not updating my blog enough over the last month.  After the earthquake, my schedule and general way of life in Tokyo changed considerably and it has taken this long to finally settle in to the “the new normal.”  I thought it would be a good idea to put a short letter together to share what I have recently been involved with since the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami and some needs we would like you to partner with us in prayer about.

When the earthquake shook the nation of Japan, I was with about 40 Japanese pastors and university students at the Chi Alpha Student Center (my home) at the annual national Chi Alpha Japan training seminar.  We were scheduled to kick-off the seminar at 3 p.m., and were just settling in for the first session when the massive M9.0 earthquake hit. We stood outside for over an hour as the earth continued to sway and two subsequent M7.0+ earthquakes came less than 30 minutes behind the initial quake.  Aside from a few broken mirrors and a messy bookshelf, we were safe in Tokyo and, after a prayer for all those up north who experienced the most intense shaking and who were now awaiting the tsunami after, we began the seminar despite the frequent aftershocks through the day, night, and the rest of the weekend.  The number of aftershocks Japan has experienced since March 11 is approaching 1,000+, and we are still experiencing them daily.  As most if not all of you know, the 10 meter + tsunami has claimed countless homes and businesses, and some 20,000 lives in northeastern Japan.

Life was temporarily on hold.  The trains weren’t running regularly, the stores were empty, my classes were canceled, and the campuses were closed.  I was really ready to get involved with the relief effort, but I think it was hard for most to even know where to begin in that first week.  At the beginning of the second week after the earthquake, I began volunteering at the CRASH Japan (www.crashjapan.org) headquarters as a part-time journalist writing press releases and letters for the website and donation packets.  It was a really unique experience for me, and definitely God’s way of saying, “You still belong here, lady!” as it was the first time I’ve ever been asked to connect my degree to my ministry.  Since that first week working with CRASH Japan, my normal schedule of campus ministry and work has resumed, interspersed with sorting and boxing relief goods at Japan Assemblies of God’s Bible college, a trip up to the disaster area with national Chi Alpha Japan director Joyce Kitano and ICA – Tokyo pastors, Bill and Carol, to take up some fresh produce and check on a missionary cabin for relief teams to use, writing remotely for CRASH Japan when they need help, and generally feeling overwhelmed with thankfulness and joy about the flood of love and support pouring into Japan from sources on all sides.  God is so faithful, and He has been displaying His love and His power is amazing ways – whether it be through the seven Christian men still working at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the tender hearts of the kids in my English class as they wrote out encouragement for children in Tohoku, or the healings of the various injuries and stress-related oppression that many of the pastors and missionaries have been affected, but not defeated, by in the weeks since the disaster.

Next week, I am headed up to the same area again for five days with a team of school teachers from Saipan,  misionary Shelley Carl, and Chi Alpha director Joyce Kitano.  During the day, we will most likely be helping at the evacuation shelter or cleaning at the local volunteer center where many people have come to leave items found in the area after the tsunami.  At night, we will stay in the cabin on the hill that we went to check the last time we went to Tohoku.  I’m ready to get back up there and help any way I can!  I’m totally amazed at how much has already been done up there to clear and repair the streets – but there are still months and months of clean-up to go.  May God give us open doors to share peace and hope while we put our hands to work to restore this land!  Please remember these things in prayer:

-       The survivors and their families in the Tohoku area

-       Those still working inside the Fukushima Daiichii Power Plant

-       For the restoration of power and water in all the affected areas

-       The various teams going north to help with clean-up and counseling

-       The Japan Assemblies of God, AGMF Japan, and Convoy of Hope partnership

-       Our team going up to Takayama and surrounding communities next week

-       Peace over the land and in the hearts of the people. No more aftershock or tsunami!

-       Open doors for the love of Christ to be poured out over this land and the preparation of hearts ready to receive Him!

This letter turned out pretty long, so thank you for bearing with me and reading the whole thing! There are a few ways you can get involved financially with relief in Japan if you are interested.  The links are on my Facebook or you can e-mail me at fosburg@alumni.nsuok.edu, or if you want to continue to support me on the field in Japan – please contact me or someone in my family!  Above all else, thank you for your continued prayers and for all the encouragement and messages I received after the disaster in Japan happened.  “For such a time as this,” ne!  I feel so blessed to be serving the Lord in Japan at this time. Please keep praying and keep in touch if you’d like! E-mail me anytime!

Blessings!   

Amanda Fosburg

Web-Image 水曜日。