Sharing Christ Calms Japanese Fears
Like so many who live in Japan right now, Christian Reformed Church World Missions missionaries Jeong and MiSook Gho are concerned about the threat of radiation falling from sky, carried their way from the crippled nuclear power plants in Fukushima, in the northeastern part of Japan.
Small amounts have been detected in Tokyo, where they live, already.
Nonetheless, in this time of tragedy and uncertainty, the Ghos find themselves compelled to tell people they encounter about the hope they find in Jesus.
Given the way in which Japanese society has been impacted by this multiple series of disasters, some people are more willing to listen to and consider the truths of the Gospel. Yet, they also have questions.
"Many people are gone, along with their hopes and dreams. Just like Moses cried in Psalm 90, people are trembling with fear trying to find meaning in this trouble time," the Ghos write in a newsletter received this weekend by Christian Reformed World Missions. "Yet no one has a clear picture of what is happening now."
Michael and Kim Essenburg, who teach in Japan for CRWM, agree that the disasters, horrible as they are, could open doors and hearts to Japanese who have been reluctant to hear the Gospel, instead relying on their ancient faith practices for comfort.
"Christians will have many opportunities to live out the love of Christ during this crisis," says Michael Essenburg. "We pray that the Japanese people will become more aware than ever of their need to know their Creator."
According to news reports on Tuesday, in an effort to cool down reactors and overheating spent fuel pools, Japan's Self-Defense Forces (SDF) and firefighting personnel have resumed spraying water at the crisis-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Meanwhile, say news reports, the human and financial cost of the tsunami continues to rise. police estimated more than 18,000 people have died in the disaster and the World Bank estimates it could cost Japan many billions of dollars to repair the damage.
The Ghos say it is difficult to realize that thousands of people died or are missing in the earthquake and subsequent tsunami of March 11. Day after day the Ghos must rely on their faith.
One thing that they are profoundly grateful for is that their church seemingly received only minor damage in the earthquake.
They are also grateful for how their denomination, despite all of the difficulties, is responding to the disasters.
For instance, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) has entered various partnerships to help provide relief to the people Japan.
Larry Spalink, Japan field leader for CRWM, has been given a role similar to the one he played for the Reformed Church after the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995.
"I am serving with Emergency Response Headquarters to translate from Japanese into English the reports of damage, appeals for support, and summaries of relief and rebuilding activities, so that churches around the world will have this information," he writes.
While other missionaries are moving further away from the nuclear power plants, he says, "I am making a contingency plan for myself to evacuate, but at this time, I don't feel a sense of urgency to leave my home, and I have plenty to do keeping up with the role I've been given. I can't even count the number of emails, thankfully short ones, from so many of you, telling us of your love and concern."
Besides the translation work, he has also been working closely with the international disaster response director of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, Wayne de Jong, the agency handling the relief efforts.
"Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Thank you to those who have already given, to those who will give, and to those who will give again and again for the sake of our mission work and now for the sake of extending the love of Jesus Christ in a very concrete way as we reach out to our Japanese neighbors in his name," Spalink writes.
