Remembering

The one year anniversary of the 3.11 triple disasters in North East, Japan is upon us.  At 2:46 pm on Sunday, solemn ceremonies all over Japan will take place to remember the thousands of people who lost their lives and to pray for recovery.  While every religion you can imagine will hold services of loss and recovery, including Japan Baptist Union, even the train lines will halt and hold a moment of silence and then hold various forms of evacuation readiness inspections.  But will these efforts help to soften the wounds of people directly and indirectly affected?  The whole ranges of emotions have and still consume the hearts of the people: hope, joy, anticipation, loneliness, anger, desperateness and hopelessness.  These emotions don’t change the facts that remain: 15,854 people perished, 3,155 still missing, 344,000 living in temporary housing, not including those displaced living with relatives or other arrangements in other prefectures.

 

If and Because   If these disasters had not happened, many say, they would not have had to re-evaluate their life, experience God’s love in so many ways, and in some cases meet Christ.  Because of the disasters many thousands for the first time ever, had the chance to leave their corner of the world and extend a helping hand.  Volunteerism has advanced a decade’s-worth in just one year.  People wear an invisible badge that says “I volunteered.”  On the other hand, because of these disasters and feelings of total helplessness, since 3.11 over 1300 people have died by their own hand or (in a few cases) due to extreme conditions in shelters.  Remarkably but on the other hand not surprisingly, the prefecture leading in this number is the prefecture with the fewest tsunami-related deaths and the prefecture receiving the fewest number of volunteers, Fukushima Prefecture.  The problems of Fukushima have only just begun.

 

Everyone wants to know what progress has been made or lack thereof.  It would truly take volumes to describe it.  What has not happened:  There is little building of brand new houses or schools.  Half of the towns cannot decide where to build their new communities.  Communities are divided by those who want to go back and build again near the sea, and those who want to build on the mountains which are not zoned for such.  No municipality has submitted a comprehensive plan and gird as yet.  Government funded reconstruction appropriations are being held up because of lack of materials needed for specific projects.  The lack of improvement in public works by the government over the past ten years is contributing towards the stalemate.  [Literally, there’s barely enough cement to go around and few workers who know how to dispense what there is, according to local newspapers.]  Companies cannot rebuild for these same reasons, leading to massive unemployment (1/5 people are employed).  Infrastructure of ports is still in arrays because the ground sunk up to two meters in some areas.  Reformatting community cooperative efforts in temporary housing is spotty and often lacking.  There is a great divide between “the haves” and the “have nots” both in and outside of the temporary housing areas  Twenty million tons of garbage in piles remain to be cleared, sorted and disposed of and is taking up room needed for housing.  Carpenters are in short supply because they are so busy with debris removal and processing.  People are not flocking to churches but are willing to make friends with Christian volunteers who come to assist.

 

What has happened:  This list is definitely longer!  This week, prefectures all over Japan agreed to receive some of the debris and dispose of it.  There are thousands of incidences of individuals awakening to their leadership capabilities, rallying people around them to begin working on projects without waiting for government assistance.  Rice fields are being cleared of debris and sludge, and experimental crops are being tested everywhere for their tolerance of saline or contaminated soil.  Small unaffected ports adjacent to large tsunami-destroyed ports are sharing their resources.  Fish are returning to near-by ocean waters, much to the surprise of experts.  Oyster and scallop farming is quickly being revived because forests are continuing to provide nutrients via rivers for production of plankton.  All children are back to school, even though in many places two schools occupy the same campus.

 

Soft Evangelism Missionaries and Japanese pastors of numerous denominations who have ministries in north east Japan are blanketing the devastated areas with love in the form of service, and bringing in thousands of volunteers.  Although survivors in some areas are showing “volunteer-fatigue,” and prefer to not attend yet another free charity concert, they respond to well thought-out, needs-based programs.  Other more forgotten areas welcome volunteers and concerts.  A number of missions are buying land in desecrated, unchurched areas to live and start new ministries.  Although without exception it is on land that Japanese will no longer build on, they are stepping forward in faith.  Although churches are not allowed to openly do evangelism, by rules or customs, many churches have formed NPOs with a new non-religious name and are focusing on a narrow segment of the population, giving emotional support and helping to build cottage industries.  In these areas they are also helping companies still in tact to sell their products all over Japan.

American Baptists’ Dollars at Work

The One Great Hour of Sharing offering (OGHS) is comprised of offerings that you have given toward aid in Japan this past year.  In addition to the immediate response in March of last year, you have continued to give in an amazing way!  OGHS department has received and disbursed more than $460,000 in aid in a one year period.  The first installments were used as initial “condolence gifts” to Baptist churches and related families who lost loved ones and whose houses were partially or totally destroyed.  This was money that helped many to stand on their own feet again, since many people had very little insurance and many didn’t use a bank!  And of course, the majority of recipients just escaped with the clothes on their backs. Almost immediately, it made these people feel that they were not alone.  Part of these gifts went to help out our Baptist schools as they dealt with the many students who were affected.  It helped our pastors bring food to the shelters in the early days before any systems were in place for feeding people and keeping them warm.  It helped our Baptist church members from other parts of Japan to reach areas that had become inaccessible to bring supplies and assess the needs.

 

You Make Me Proud  Other gifts from OGHS have gone toward various types of specific projects.  For example, a large gift went to help Shokei church, our only church that was rendered unsafe. Due to a number of complications, plans for their new building are on hold.  With the lack of supplies, 60% increase in costs of material and shortage of labor, the financial picture has changed.  But our gift to them has given them a huge lift when they thought all was lost.  Offerings from you all gave them a financial lift toward reaching the total amount needed to begin rebuilding.  I will keep you posted on their progress.  Another project is the ‘OaisisLifeCare’ project of Rifu church.  They minister to people in one section of Minami sanriku-cho area helping them to rebuild their lives, first by supporting fishermen who are trying to restart “sea farming.”  Second, by sustaining a leather-work craft industry, and by support in other psychological and spiritual ways.  Our funds are also going to help support staff at Morigo Camp while they work on rebuilding the badly damaged buildings.  Some funds have gone to establishing the Ezel project of Shiogama church where the members come along side residents of a temporary housing area. ("Ezel" is the name of a doctor helping to finance this project.)  The church helps in selling products of companies where their kindergarten children’s parents work.  These include products made from salt, soba noodles, and senbei rice crackers.  A recent project that your gifts are going toward is the Taira Kindergarten in Fukushima where playing outdoors is carefully monitored for radiation levels.  There, the top soil had to be completely replaced as well as a number of wooden play structures replaced because of contamination.

 

It’s thrilling to know that your outpouring of love through this One Great Hour of Sharing offering has helped so many people.  As I talk to these leaders, it is evident that your gifts have practically left them without words and ways to properly thank you.  Thank you for “sowing generously, because we are reaping bountifully.”  I trust that you have done what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver- - - and he loves those who have been receiving your gifts cheerfully.  (From 2 Cor. 9:6-7).

In Christ,

Roberta (Stephens)

roberta@robertastephens.com