I recently returned from a trip to Japan to oversee the work of Samaritan’s Purse teams as we provide emergency aid to thousands of victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami. The devastation I saw there is as bad as anything I’ve seen in my 30 years of ministry. Much of Japan’s northeastern coast remains a wasteland of mud and debris, and over 150,000 people are still sleeping on the floors of cramped evacuation centers.

The living conditions in these shelters are just awful. Sleeping mats are laid on the floors with just a few inches in between. There are sometimes less than a dozen toilets for hundreds of people, and very few have shower facilities. In places with no running water, many residents are forced to use plastic bags to dispose of their waste. The foul smell in these places is overwhelming. The Japanese are a very proud people, and after weeks of living like this, it is easy to succumb to despair.

Even before the disaster, Japan had one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Experts are predicting that we could see a large number of people take their own lives in the next few months. Already, pastors have told us that many young people just sit in the corners of the evacuation centers with blank stares on their faces. They won’t talk to anyone, even their own family, and they only go outside at night.

In His Word, God tells us, “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm” (Psalm 75:3, NIV). As the Japanese people mourn the loss of their loved ones and wonder what tomorrow holds, our staff and ministry partners have the opportunity to share the hope of Jesus Christ, the only unshakable foundation for today and for eternity.

One of the places I visited is Ishinomaki, a coastal town littered with piles of crushed houses, cars, and boats. I presented one of our local church partners, Pastor Masao Kanaya, with a truck he can use as he ministers in Ishinomaki.

Japanese churches are small, and most have fewer than 40 members. Pastors don’t have the staff or resources to help their neighbors. We want to help them mobilize teams to clean flooded houses so they can be repaired.

Samaritan’s Purse is providing pastors with a small, inexpensive Japanese pickup truck, loaded with a generator, power washer, and clean-up tools. We have sent experts from our U.S. office to train Japanese Christians how to do “mud-outs,” and we are setting up tents to serve as bunkhouses for volunteers coming from churches elsewhere in Japan.

“I’m so thankful for Samaritan’s Purse and all that you have done,” Pastor Kanaya said. “I want to now go and follow your example, bringing help with Christ’s heart.”

Transportation remains a big challenge on the road to recovery. Nearly every car in the affected area was destroyed, and the country is facing a fuel shortage. People have no way to travel to get groceries and other supplies. To help with this, Samaritan’s Purse has purchased hundreds of bicycles that we are giving to churches and evacuation centers so that residents can check them out when they need them.

I had the opportunity to deliver dozens of these to an elementary school that is now sheltering about 300 people. When we pulled up, I shouted over to some nearby U.S. soldiers to see if they could help us unload. Without hesitation, they replied, “Yes sir!” In minutes, the bicycles were off the truck.

Standing amid the debris and mud, I wanted to share some words of encouragement with the survivors. As I spoke, residents as high as four floors up stuck their heads out of their windows to listen. “We give these bikes in the Name of Jesus Christ,” I said. “We have come to tell you that we love you and God loves you.” I assured them that there is a God in heaven who hasn’t forgotten them in their hour of need. When I finished, the people broke out in applause.

Looking back on the past few weeks, we give God all the glory for the great things He has done—answering prayers, providing resources, and opening doors for ministry. Just days after the tragedy, Samaritan’s Purse sent an advance team of relief workers and church volunteers to Sendai, the major city closest to the epicenter of the earthquake. They drove through a snowstorm, carrying tons of food, water, and other supplies for disaster victims.

The following week, we sent a Boeing 747 jumbo jet filled with 93 tons of emergency aid, including hundreds of rolls of heavy-duty plastic for temporary shelters. Our staff worked day and night, praying that God would smooth the way for the complex logistics involved in putting this flight together. When the plane landed safely at the U.S. military base in Yokoto, Japan, dozens of troops mobilized to unload the cargo. The next day, our supplies were flown to Sendai by C-17 military aircraft, the first time this type of plane had landed there.

Since then, we have passed out many thousands of blankets, hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, clothing items, and baby supplies. Tons of rice and other food items have been given to those who need it. Each day, local church leaders, missionaries, and other Christian volunteers load trucks with these items and carry them into devastated areas.

The little village of Baba Nakayama was nearly wiped off the map by massive tsunami waves. When our team got there, they found about 200 people in dire need, crowded into a community center and a kindergarten building. We immediately went to work, providing residents with relief supplies, temporary housing, and heavy equipment to remove rubble. The witness of our staff and church partners had a tremendous impact.

“The reason we have been able to survive the last few weeks is because of Christians,” said Kurayoshi Abe, a village leader. “We are really thankful you are here to help.”

Only a very small percentage of the Japanese population is Christian, and this is an opportunity for us as Christians to go beyond the church walls and demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ. I believe God can use this tragedy to further His kingdom in ways we don’t see or understand now.

Through our work in Japan and over 100 other countries around the world, we want those we help to know that they can turn to the God who loved them enough to sacrifice His Son to give them eternal life. “For You, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living” (Psalm 116:8-9). Please pray for our teams and partners as we continue working to advance His kingdom.

Thank you, and may God bless you.

Sincerely,

Franklin Graham
President
Samaritan's Purse

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