08 June 2011
Missions
Have you had the experience of going back to a familiar place and finding yourself feeling as if you had never left? We had just that experience the end of May as we traveled back ‘home’ to Japan for a week. Marty spent much of his childhood there, and our family lived there and ministered for over 20 years, so it is very much home to all of us. It seemed the same. Trains ran. Restaurants were open. Stores were stocked with our favorites. Familiar streets, shops, landmarks were all there. But then, nothing was the same. Trains had low or no lighting to conserve electricity. Escalators only worked during peak hours. Some local trains had limited runs. The feeling of the unknown waiting for the next aftershock. But this was all in Tokyo. We visited missionaries near some of the hardest hit areas and listened as they poured out their hours and days and weeks of relief work along with trying to carry out their normal ministries. We praise God for sensitivity from our people to meeting the physical needs of those who have lost so much. In time their acts of love will bear fruit.
There is so much we could share of the total devastation of towns, the enormous loss of life, the hopeless of thousands, the stress and fear beyond what we can possibly imagine. And yet God stands firm. A vivid testimony is evident in this photo of Pastor Minegishi of the Kessenuma Church. He is standing on what once was a local church. Only the crosses and the flooring remain.
Would you continue to pray for Japan? They do not want to be forgotten. Pray for our missionaries, most of whom are exhausted and stressed. Pray for our national pastors, who attempt to minister even while faced with caring for their own family’s needs. Pray for the people who now have nothing and have no idea where to begin to rebuild their lives. Pray for the elderly, many who just lay in bed staring with hopeless eyes. Our hearts break.
Marty & Denise Shaw
Marty and Denise Shaw are focused on Field Leadership Development, Evangelism, and Discipleship.
Contact information for Marty and Denise Shaw is coming soon.