Roberta Stephens, long time American Baptist missionary to Japan writes:

Conditions in the North continue to improve in varying degrees.  The lack of gasoline and fears related to the nuclear reactor still remain as the top two problems.  

Each week, a few trucks from one or other of our Baptist churches heads up north to help Baptist pastors with resources and to keep up their spirits.  Now a public transport company has resumed the business of transporting goods…so that I can send up supplies, too. Over 17,000 of our American military are helping in the clean-up efforts, transporting goods and assisting in the Nuclear reactor repair. 

The Japan Baptist Union (JBU) has established a conservative emergency plan goal of $250,000 (¥20,000,000) needed by the end of May!  This barely takes into account what is needed at my beloved Shokei church where I served for eighteen years.  They have set up a tent for worship (even though it still snows occasionally) since the structural damage is so great. The Itako church just north of Tokyo has a similar problem although a complete new building is not necessary.  They are meeting in the kindergarten building some distance from the church.  The Kesennuma church has similar needs.

The JBU churches are bewildered by this figure, and yet it is far too little. Many cannot even fully support their pastor.  As a partner to them, we really need your help as well. Earthquakes still rock this area, even today, as if there is not enough terror.  I believe that God is in charge but wants to work through you and me.