We spent a white Christmas this year in Tohoku, Japan. Our family joined with a team of 4 from Arizona who came for 2 weeks to volunteer. Tohoku is the northern part of Japan where the earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear accidents occurred 10 months ago. We feel led to support and encourage Pastor Fujioka and his wife at the Nishikori Christ Church, a Japan Baptist Union church. Since the earthquake, this pastor makes regular weekly trips to survivors delivering food and supplies. Currently, he makes 3 trips a week delivering tofu and eggs to 20 temporary housing sites in Minamisanriku.

We used money we had been given to purchase comfort items for survivors. The most popular items were chocolates (Hershey’s Nuggets) and kairo (chemical heat packs). We distributed a variety of donations including art and stationery supplies, hand lotion, Christian salvation story manga (Japanese style comics) and candy canes. With the candy canes, Naomi was able to tell a brief story of Jesus. We were thankful to God that people were open to receiving the manga pamphlets. We had a few manga bibles (Acts) that I wondered if anyone would want. To my surprise, the few men we encountered were the most interested people. “May I have this?” they asked. We also brought food and decorations for 3 Christmas parties the church organized.

Pastor Fujioka and Sachiko are very dear people. They are very accommodating. We stayed with them at their church. The church/parsonage is an old Japanese style building. Most of the walls are of the sliding door variety. Some of the doors were missing. This allowed the cold air to easily enter the building. The only heat in the building is from kerosene space heaters. Of course, the kerosene heaters are not left on at night. Pastor Fujioka suggested that we might not want to get out of bed too early! We were cozy in our sleeping bags when we wore multiple layers of clothes and had extra blankets. The kitchen was very convenient for storing food as it was colder than the inside of the refrigerator. They told us the water in their bathtub had frozen at one time. YIKES! We bathed at the public bath/hot spring while we were there. We think it was good for the pastor and his wife to go, too.

We got to the church on Dec. 23^rd in time to help prep for the first of the parties, a pot-luck lunch for the church’s preschool kids and their parents. It was an energetic gathering with about 50 mothers and kids. We had a chance to share some music and sing a couple of Christmas carols.

We had the opportunity to sing carols at temporary housing sites on Dec. 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th. We joined another missionary and his family of 10 who are serving in the same area. They are with Samaritan’s Purse and are friends with Pastor Fujioka. They invited us to join their caroling.

The Fujiokas told us this was their first candlelight service and their first opportunity to use guitar accompaniment in worship while we were with them. They have been at the church about 2 years. Christmas service filled out with our team of 9 and the other missionary family of 10. Total at the service was about 27.

God shined upon our time. He kept the predicted heavy snowfall away so the men only had to shovel the driveway (about a block long!) once. We had a nice dusting of snow for Christmas morning so everyone could say we had a “White Christmas.”

Please pray for the Fujiokas. Pray for wisdom in their use of time and resources. Pray for the supply of their personal needs. Pray for God appointments for Pastor Fujioka!

Please consider a donation to: Japan Relief

            May the Lord continue to richly bless you!
           
            Gordon and Lee Ann Hwang