Serving the Grieving in Japan
With the words of Romans 12:15 in mind, "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn," volunteers from the Reformed Church in Japan’s (RCJ) East Kanto Presbytery and teams of North American volunteers traveled to northeast Japan this summer and fall to minister to people affected by the March earthquake and tsunami.
"At times, temperatures reached the upper 90s (Farenheit; 30s in Celsius) with over 90 percent humidity, making it difficult to move around," says Ken Lee, a Christian Reformed World Missions missionary in Japan. "However, the scorching summer sun and muggy conditions did not stop the volunteers from sharing God’s love."
The volunteer teams partnered with area RCJ churches to address people’s spiritual and physical needs. They organized some activities for children, lent a hand with disaster clean-up efforts, offered encouragement, visited people living in temporary housing units, and distributed relief supplies.
"It was sad to hear the stories of those who had not only lost their lifelong accumulated possessions, but also loved ones," Ken says. "As people shared their dreams of rebuilding their family, businesses, and thanked those who helped along the way, I was reminded how important it is to rejoice and mourn with them, to build relationships so that we can share God’s love."
People's pain, grief, and questions about what's happened cannot be ignored. While immediate disaster clean-up continues, Christian Reformed World Missions and its partners are preparing long-term strategies for helping people cope with what’s happened to them.
World Missions, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, the Reformed Church in Japan, the Koshin Presbyterian Church of Korea, and the Orthodox Presbyterian Japan Missions are hoping to establish a Christian Heart Care Center in Yamamoto-cho in Sendai, Japan.
The center will offer counseling services to people looking for help to handle their grief and provide housing for volunteers working in the region. Two former World Missions missionaries, Ray and Sharon Hommes, hope to travel to Japan regularly over the next few years to serve as counselors at the center.
In the meantime, the Lees, the rest of the CRCNA team in Japan, local partners, and North American volunteers continue to give so that others may find relief from the events of the last year. "Through [these] ministries," Ken says, "I pray that people's spiritual eyes will be opened to see the living God, Jesus."
Along with hosting volunteer teams from North America, Ken and Jeannie Lee help the Reformed Church in Japan churches strengthen their outreach and youth ministry programs.
