A MercyWorks team is leaving for Japan on October 6. This team will distribute Japanese Ear Bibles, while also assisting with rebuilding efforts and grief counseling. Many hundreds of people remain homeless since the earthquake and tsunami of March 11th, 2011 that killed 15,690 and left 4,753 “missing”. Even now the cleanup of debris from homes and businesses continues.
The 9.0 earthquake struck right off the Japanese island of Honshu. The quake occurred about 200 miles away from Tokyo. One of the results of the earthquake was a 132-foot tsunami that swept away entire villages.
The emotional toll from the earthquake has devastated many Japanese people. The suicide rate within the nation was already one of the highest in the world; approximately one person every 15 minutes takes his or her own life. Now six months since the Tsunami, the amount of people suffering from post-traumatic stress is staggering and the need for grief counselors overwhelming.
Japan has a population of 126,393,000 people but only 1.5% claim to be Christian. Japan’s four main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku and according to the Joshua Project, 55% of Japanese people are still unreached by the Gospel.
Please continue to pray for the people of Japan and for the MercyWorks team as they minister.
