Crisis in Japan

Complex global challenges impact Great Commission activities at every level. No matter how connected and motivated you are as an individual Christ-follower, church or mission leader, you can’t be an expert on everything.

On March 11, 2011, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake, one of the largest ever recorded, struck the Honshu region of Japan. The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami with waves over 30 feet high crashing coastal areas and demolishing entire communities. As of this writing, 10,000 people are confirmed dead with another 15,000 missing. The emotional and psychological trauma is like hidden aftershocks that continue to shake the island nation.

In the April 2011 Global Issues Update, Joe Handley, President of Asian Access, shares about the difficult journey facing the people of Japan and the window of opportunity this natural disaster presents for the global church to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus. Many hours of prayer and years of service for the kingdom in Japan have yielded a meager harvest. But there is a growing sense this dark hour in Japan will be eclipsed by the light of hope evidenced by the resurrection of Jesus and the empty tomb of Easter morning. Many members of The Mission Exchange have been invested in Japan for years in a variety of Great Commission initiatives. There is a tremendous amount of cooperation happening among mission organizations as part of the global church in response to this disaster. Joe Handley was in Japan facilitating a leadership planning meeting and Asian Access is one of a number of organizations we could have enlisted to help with this Global Issues Update.

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