“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
-1 Corinthians 10:13
He will show you a way out…
This past Monday during our school’s morning gathering, the director, Rev. Otsu, shared this passage of scripture with us. He took us beyond that point saying not only will God provide a way out of this situation for us and Japan, but God will be with us to bring us out, imagine the footsteps poem. We guess that’s what many of us have continued to think about over the past 3 and a half weeks. What is God doing? As the Jewish man screamed watching one of his brethren suffer has he hung in a concentration camp, “Where is God?” Or to explain it further, why did this earthquake and tsunami and nuclear disaster happen at this time, in this place. And though we are tempted to say God is not here, God has removed his protection from us, God says he will provide a way out from the temptation to say that, we will be able to stand this testing. Hallelujah. We serve a risen savior who has been tempted to think it was all over, but who overcame the root of sin.
It’s been about 10 days since we last wrote to you all. Although life has continued and we are making progress in getting our program ready, campus ready, and getting plans for our near future ready, many of us continue to struggle in our hearts and minds. We’ll give an overview of the past 10 days and also try to share some of our feelings.
In regards to the campus, things have gotten much more normal. We have moved back into our offices and the life of the school that seemed to have freeze on March 11th, seems to be continuing. Jonathan and 2 other staff had a computer orientation today, an orientation that was to happen much sooner as the current IT staff is leaving us soon. Servers, networks, pinging, etc… it’s like learning a foreign language! In regards to the buildings around campus, we have been able to clean up most of the buildings and got rid of a lot of trash. Some things were ruined in the earthquake, others were found in corners, seemingly not used for 20 years. The workshop, farm shop, dorms and our main administrative and educational building are now in working order. There is still repair jobs that will continue in these places but people are living and working on campus again. Koinonia House, the main place of food and fellowship is still a no go zone. Jon reported last time that we would not need to tear down this building. We received further explanation that we don’t have to tear it down now, but it is heavily recommended to happen within the next couple of years. The earthquake although not destroying the structure, seriously weakened it with the bottom floor now too dangerous to hold meetings, and the future earthquakes, even if they are small, will continue to shake the structures. So with limited time and resources, we are now working at getting the walls and ceiling up in the dining hall so that at least this year we can eat and hold meetings there soon. As the program is still supposed to begin in May, we have about 3 weeks to get things to a usable state.
There are a few areas that are not so urgent but will need further work, including the storage sheds and the building holding our second hand shop, water in some of the animal sheds, the outdoor stage and some landscaping type of work. We still are thinking how best to use volunteer groups and professionals, so if anyone has skills in these areas and groups would like to come, let us know!
We are slowly getting on with planning the 2011 program as well. Because of the loss of 1 month we have had to shorten some parts of the training but also have been able to think again about the core values of our training and school. Although we still cannot be sure because the power plant in Fukushima is still unstable, and rumors are it might take months to get things to a stable level, we are at least making plans and looking at our options so that we can continue Ari in some way. Something that has been incredibly encouraging is the voice of the graduates and previous volunteers of ARI.
Although daily wages in many of our graduates countries are several dollars a day, many alumni groups have sent us money, in the hundreds of dollars. We continue to receive letters and emails of support, and we even received a fax today just to tell us “we are praying for you.” One of our graduates wrote a poem and sent it out to ask signatures of support from other graduates to say that Mother ARI cannot stop, she must go on nurturing her children. These words and actions show us that our work has much more meaning then we can even imagine.
We have had a stream of previous volunteers come and be with us even if it was just for a night. All of them are shocked and have become an incredible help to us with their hands, their prayers, their words and their smiles. The more we see their dedication to help ARI get back on its feet and continue with the work God has given it to do, the more encouraged we are that we are not merely following a human idea, but that God is empowering us to carry on a mission to the world. We are called to share the love of Jesus Christ in a highly practical and meaningful way that will have affects on people, communities, and history for years to come.
Satomi and Jonathan, we’ve also continued to think about our lives and what God has called us to do here at this time. This past Saturday we joined others in the ARI gospel choir and other local choirs and bands in giving a concert at a local refugee center. You could see a look of just being lost on their faces. Yet as we sang, smiles and joy began to appear. We also began serving a new church this past Sunday and although the church is small, meaning you can count the number of people in worship on your 2 hands, we left worship this past Sunday with hope. The church seems to represent our lives in some way. Although the church is small, being like that for years now, and there is very little visible hope as to how it will grow and affect the community around it for our Lord Jesus Christ, we left worship this past Sunday with hope in our hearts. Everyday in Japan is a reminder of what Rev. Paul Shew, UMC missionary to Aoyama Gakuin University, called the “new reality of Japan.” There is fear about the unknown of the continuing nuclear crisis, people continue to suffer in the north with many still missing and cleanup not even started in many towns and villages. Reading the newspaper or looking at Japanese news seems to only share more reasons for despair. Even the words the Japanese use to encourage one another, ganbare, invoke a sense that we haven’t tried hard enough and need to try harder. Yet in the midst of all this, we, here at ARI, remember that our God continues to control history. God is still here with us and has not removed his protection from us. God is working miracle after miracle in the lives and communities around us. The conversations we are having with people are deeper, the questions Japanese are asking us about our faith are more profound. There is hope that we can see, there is a way out that we know God will provide us.
Finally, before we give you our prayer requests we want to thank so many of you for your help. Many of you have given financially, some not only once. Many of you have committed to constantly praying for us, many of you have called and emailed us with words of encouragement, streaming with love. Many of you have offered to come, and continue to ask what we need. Thank you, thank you and thank you. May God give back to you double the blessing you have been to us.
For those who still want to help, I continue to ask you to think of coming and working for the rebuilding of Japan within the next year. You can also continue to give financially. This disaster has been on such a scale, that TIME magazine is saying that the damage in Japan is a reported 235 billion dollars from the Tsunami and Earthquake alone. To put some perspective to this, the damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was 1/3 of this, put at 81 billion dollars. So consider giving to the United Methodist Relief organization, UMCOR, or think of giving directly to us here at ARI, through AFARI, as we rebuild and continue to supply food and clothing to people in evacuation centers both in this area and further north.
And as always we ask for your continued prayers: (sorry they’re so long)
1)Pray for Japan. We have heard from our friends who are helping up north that many people in the devastated areas still have very little access to fresh food and water. Many people are said to be surviving on three meals of only bread a day. Many people are in such despair that many areas are not able to begin to clean up, they are still in shock and trauma. We’ve also heard stories of suicide because of the earthquake and because of the lack of a future many people seem to feel. Pray that God will use the churches and aid workers to bring help to the 200,000 or so people still living in evacuation centers. Pray that they can find new housing and work.
2)Many schools are supposed to begin this week and next, and the children are not ready for school and many of the schools are still acting as evacuation centers. Jesus says bring the little children to me. Let us bring the children to God in our prayers. Ask that teachers, parents and churches would have wisdom to share with them, that the gospel could be shared with many children and their parents so that people can have hope for a new day.
3)The power plant situation is still unstable with still no end in sight. Chernobyl lasted 2 weeks, we’re almost to 4 weeks of leaking. Although there has been progress things are still not good. Pray for wisdom to bring the power plant under control. Pray that God would continue to keep the wind off of Japan and would protect the water and the earth that is being contaminated. Pray for the safety of the millions of people around the plant. We know of several Christians working at the plant as well. Pray that they can shine the light of Christ to their coworkers, brining strength and hope at this difficult time.
4)Continue to pray for the farmers in Northern Japan. Some of those committing suicide are farmers. Pray that their produce will become safe soon and their land will be able to yield good and safe crops. Pray for their futures as their land and livelihoods are still under threat.
5)Pray for the Japanese church. They are doing much to help people. In particular National Council of Churches in Japan and CRASH Japan are two groups of churches taking the lead in rescue and aid efforts. Pray that the aid will reach those in need and that the gospel will be front in center in the help and the lives of those helping. Pray that the church can show people where their salvation can be found and that people’s hearts will be open to accept salvation and join the work of the church.
6)Pray for ARI. We are still trying to figure out a way to continue our program this way in as safe a way as possible. Not one of the incoming participants has said they do not want to come because of the disaster, but several could not get visas. Pray that the participants will have wisdom in deciding to come. Pray that God will guide our program and show them what it means to be a grass roots leader, and that what we are learning now can be a part of that. Pray for the Board of Directors and Staff Steering Committee to make wise decisions. Continue to pray for our safety.
7)Pray for Satomi and Jonathan. Although we are tired, God has truly given us a strength to continue to support people at ARI. God is also sending many opportunities with staff, volunteers, and people in the community around us to share the good news and hope of Jesus Christ, the reason for our faith. Pray that we can do it in word and deed and be good stewards of everything God has given us.
