team3 testimony 7

Student Impact (Japan's Campus Crusade for Christ Campus ministry) has been sending out weekly teams to tsunami-affected areas. Our team of 11 was the third team to go. Through our partnership with Sendai Baptist Bible Church, Mrs. Yokoyama ( a member of that church), and her family made it possible to help out her family and her neighborhood.

Physical progress is quickly being made. We saw pictures and video that Mr. Yokoyama took of his house and neighborhood the day after the tsunami on March 12th and it was...incredible. Mud filled and overflowed their home and houses around them so that you couldn't even recognize the neighborhood or house. Since March 12th, the neighbors have been returning and working daily shoveling mud and "toxic" dirt out of their homes and also from under their homes. No one that we interacted with lost family members (unless you count pets, which IS terribly sad but at least the people were saved) though we heard some had died in the neighborhood and 2-300 died in the surrounding area.

Our purpose was to build relationships with the families while we worked (we worked together) so instead of working just a little bit on a number of houses, we concentrated on 5 (and helped one more). There's 40 in the neighborhood so there's a lot more to be done!

Each family had a story of survival to tell. Most saw the tsunami coming and had to quickly escape via car, and one family (the Chibas) actually got trapped on the second floor of their home. We heard that one member of Sendai Baptist Bible Church was actually got in the tsunami and swam to safety!

The area we were in was still considered dangerous (within the Japan Defense Area) so no volunteers had been sent yet. Though the families were allowed to go in. Somehow we went every day without being questioned and word quickly spread that "Christians came!! To help!!" We were received sooo warmly first by the Yokoyamas, and then by the neighbors who were watching us (many started giving us drinks and food...even those we hadn't helped yet! Then we figured out they probably wanted help themselves as they were finding out about us.)

Though I was amazed at how quickly physical progress is being made (by the end of the week government volunteers were there), there's still MUCH to be done in this area physically, spiritually and emotionally.

I'm sooo grateful Team 4 went out today to the same area...many gospel seeds were planted as we got to share Jesus' love, pray and listen as we worked alongside these families and I know God will use Team 4, and Mrs. Yokoyama and her church friends that are helping to water those seeds. Of course we know only God causes growth though! Mrs. Yokoyama (who herself came to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior only 11 years ago, I think after she had already had her first grandchild!) asked us to pray for her family and neighbors to know Jesus too... Most families have lived in this neighborhood for over 30 years so they know each other and through this disaster have formed a tighter community and with what happens when a person dies heavy on the minds of many, having her friends and family know Jesus is her greatest desire (as is ours).

SOOOO many of you prayed and sent love and support in so many ways. I feel overwhelmed with wanting to express gratitude to everyone...I think after this week I'll be able to "catch" up with life and hopefully get around to thank you notes!! Thank you everyone!!

Jessica Tekawa(Staff)