So what does rebuilding look like? MNN’s own Ruth Kramer sat down with A3’s Joshua Hari at the Lausanne Conference to discuss Japan’s past, present, and future.

“After the disaster, God’s [been] teaching us how to collaborate as a body of Christ in Japan. It’s been more than 13 years, and still[…] [Christians] emphasize the importance of collaboration.”

In the wake of the triple disaster, the local church – in collaboration with the global church – established a network for disaster relief and compassionate support. In the midst of working toward practical recovery, the Church in Japan set another goal – help 2% of Japan’s population find Jesus by the year 2030.

“In order to get to 2% of the Christian population, we need 50,000 churches,” Hari says. “Then each local church would have 58 members.”

Unfortunately, another more recent disaster has shaken the nation once again. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic shook the entire globe. In Japan, many pastors began to resign in a pattern similar to the aftermath of the Triple Disaster.

“We need some spiritual revival to happen in Japan,” Hari says. “Pray for collaboration so that we could see Christ-centered movement happen in Japan.”

Joshua Hari and A3 are calling on the global Church to come alongside Japan’s believers the same way she did after the Triple Disaster. “We need to collaborate together towards the same goal, towards the same visions, to reaching the 2%,” he says. “Pray for us, for wisdom, and for God’s guidance towards the next step.”

Learn more about A3’s work right here. Follow Mission Network News for more updates on the work of the global body of believers.

Header photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

Bruce Allen with FMI says, “Authorities are concerned that the volcano […] will collapse into the sea. And if people have seen photos of glaciers in Alaska, calving and just dropping into the water, you can imagine what happens if a mountain [collapses] that’s 2,500 feet tall. So there’s a tsunami alert because that could trigger tsunamis.”

Around 11,000 people are in the affected area of northern Sulawesi Island and nearby islands. At least 3,000 people have evacuated, and authorities are helping more flee the area.

Evacuation efforts were hampered by the closure of an international airport in Manado due to heavy falling ash. However, the airport was re-opened on Monday after authorities downgraded the volcano alert level to a three.

Mount Ruang, Indonesia (Photo courtesy of Suratman/Volcanological Survey of Indonesia/Wikimedia Commons)

“I’ve been on erupting volcanoes in Indonesia. It’s necessary to evacuate because this hot ash with the lava burns everything. The poison gases can kill, and then the threat of a tsunami is very severe,” explains Allen.

“It’s not just for the island where Mount Ruang is located. Another island could face the severest impact, Tagulandang. It’s only separated by about a half mile of water from North Sulawesi, the island where Mount Ruang is. So if there is a tsunami, all the water getting pushed out because of the volcano would just hit that coast.”

FMI works with Christian ministry partners in Indonesia for evangelism, church planting, and discipleship. Allen says none of their partners are in the area on volcano alert.

Please pray both for people fleeing the threat of disaster and for local Christians in areas receiving evacuees. Pray for opportunities for the Indonesian Church to show Christ’s comfort.

Allen shares, “I’ve been on a volcano while it’s erupting, and I was able to see how the majority population is just thinking of themselves. It’s the Christians who reach out and make sure the people are being fed [and] have water, things like that. So pray that people would encounter Jesus through the actions of Christians at this time.”

Bible distribution in Indonesia, July 2019. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. Having a widespread Church community and ministry work is important so when disasters occur, Christians are there to offer relief and Gospel hope.

Allen says, “I have a dozen church planters waiting for support in Indonesia, and if we can support these church planters and come alongside them and empower them, we’re going to have impact in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation where most of us would never get to travel or have engagement with people. But we can stand alongside others who are already there.”

Click here to support FMI church planters in Indonesia.

Header photo of Mount Ruang courtesy of Devicanatasya/Wikimedia Commons.

“We didn’t feel strong shake; however, we receive warnings through our smartphones, and then almost [immediately] the community loudspeaker announces the recorded tsunami warning to move to a higher place,” A3’s Takeshi Takazawa says.

“After the warning, the tsunami started to hit some of the smaller islands closer to Taiwan.”

Thankfully, no deaths were recorded in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture as communities heeded the evacuation orders.

A “tsunami warning is not like crying wolf. It’s a serious business,” Takazawa says.

“The big earthquake in 1995 in the Kobe area shook up Japanese people. Then, in 2011, we experienced a triple disaster with tsunami, and many people lost their lives.”

Wednesday’s earthquake affected communities in several regions in Taiwan. Pray that Christian leaders can deliver help and hope in the name of Jesus.

“Jesus is in control of everything, even this quake or tsunami. In the midst of that, God’s care, love, and protection are there,” Takazawa says.

“God is way more powerful than this.”

As believers meet needs, pray they will have opportunities to tell people about the Lord’s soon coming.

“Jesus left words for us about ‘the beginning of the end,’” Takazawa says. “These things (natural disasters) will happen more and more, but that’s not the end.

“Something way bigger, way more drastic will happen in the future, and we must be prepared. Our hearts, spirit, life, and community need to be prepared for more.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Matt Paul Catalano/Unsplash.

Ash from the volcano has settled in thick layers over the Tongan islands — as deep as three inches in some places. The blast also damaged power lines and cables. Communication on the islands has been hampered.

The volcano also caused a massive tsunami wave which hit the main island Tongatapu and other coastlines. Several other countries had tsunami alerts.

(Photo courtesy of Tonga Christian Radio)

Tonga is a nation of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Among the 169 islands in the Tonga chain, 36 are inhabited with a total population of just over 100,000 people.

Mission Aviation Fellowship New Zealand got us in touch with contacts at Tonga Christian Radio (TCR). We spoke with Andrew Marriott, the Executive Director of the Missionary Ventures New Zealand office (known as MotiVate in NZ).

Marriott was able to share the report from TCR’s station manager Willy Florian who saw it all happen.

“Willy reported to me that as they were watching the dust cloud rising into the air, they were hearing explosions that sounded like gunshots. He said the noise was so loud that people were on their knees. They were covering their ears because of the power of the explosion.

Marriott adds, “Would you believe, even friends of mine in New Zealand were emailing me saying that they were out in a quiet location around New Zealand and they could even hear the explosions here, almost 3,000 kilometers away. That gives you some impression of the sheer power of the volcanic eruption.”

(Photo courtesy of Tonga Christian Radio)

So far, only three deaths have been reported from the volcano and tsunami. However, Marriott says, “I think it’s expected that there could be more fatalities reported as the survey teams are able to go out to some of the islands.”

If you were to visit Tonga today, you would see everybody outside in masks — not because of Covid-19, but because of the toxic ash in the air.

“There’s a desperate rush to get the dust off the roofs of the buildings, including our radio station because that dust can actually settle like a form of concrete onto the roof and is extremely hard to remove later,” Marriott says.

“The other major issue for the people is that they are running very short of water. One of our Navy boats arrived yesterday with 250,000 liters of water and a desalination plant that can produce 70,000 liters of water every day. That will be distributed and prioritized to those islands as well as Tongatapu that need it the most. Water is getting in, but of course, we’re going to need constant supplies. The Australian and New Zealand Air Force and Navy are looking to make regular runs of relief aid.”

Willy Florian, station manager for Tonga Christian Radio. (Photo courtesy of Tonga Christian Radio)

Amidst tragedy, TCR is working tirelessly to continue broadcasting Christ’s hope and encouragement across the islands.

Over the last two years, TCR worked to establish a new radio station building. By God’s grace, the building was completed this past Christmas and they sent out their first broadcast from the new station. The new building is stronger and has held up well under the weight of the ash.

“We do want to bring a message of hope to the people,” Marriott says. “I spoke with Willy yesterday and he told me that the station is still broadcasting for a few hours every day. I believe that it’s running off a generator most of the time because the power can be quite intermittent.

“People know this is a station that really cares for them. It’s not a commercial station. It’s founded on the principle of discipleship. We want to disciple the people of Tonga through the airwaves.”

With some limited communications gradually being restored, and a number of telecom operators offering toll-free calls to Tonga last week, the station ran a special live phone-in program for friends and family overseas to send their greetings and pray on-air for the people of Tonga. So many calls were coming in by midday that the station extended to program hours.

TCR is currently raising funds to support their broadcasts and assist with local relief.

US residents can donate in support of TCR here!

Donors in other countries can click here to give!

Marriott also asks, “Please continue to lift Tonga before the Lord, not just now but continually. It’s going to take many months for the situation to recover to any kind of sense of normality. Not only has the water been polluted in the catchment areas, but also the crop plantations have been destroyed. It will take some time before the people can return to being self-sustaining. Please pray that that will be possible.”

Header photo depicts volcano eruption in Tonga, January 2022. (Photo courtesy of Tonga Christian Radio)

Takeshi Takazawa of Asian Access says, “We want to think, ‘That was it. We went through hardship enough. So until Jesus comes back, this will be the end. We just continue without earthquakes or any disaster or suffering.’ But it was a wake-up call that this can happen anyplace, anytime, to anybody.”

Japanese Christians

But God works in a mysterious new way in the world, Takazawa says. And He doesn’t stop in times of pain and hardship. “The global Church came together as one and came alongside the part that was hurting. We felt [their love] not just theological reflection. We saw it, we touched, and we smelled it. We tasted the global Church.”

The disaster also taught Japanese Christians to move towards areas of disaster and hardship, not away from them. “Of course, an evacuation was needed for the moment. But where they live, the Church must be established, raising leaders for the harvest, from the harvest.” Pray God will bless their continuing ministry in a country that still bears scars from this catastrophe.

The header image shows a small town in Japan abandoned after the triple disaster. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

Saturday, the region suffered an aftershock of the 2011 quake, according to the Japanese Meteorological Society. Aftershocks can continue for years after a major earthquake. In fact, this isn’t the first major earthquake to hit the region since the disaster.

An inspection of the Fukushima area in 2012 (Photo courtesy of Global 2000 via Flickr)

Thankfully, no casualties were reported this time, and nuclear power plants in the area showed no sign of damage or abnormalities. Joe Handley of Asian Access says, “I’m hearing people are safe, but the anxiety levels are high. The shaking was so bad that books were thrown across rooms, glass was broken. It was a pretty severe shake. I believe I’m hearing it was about 7.1 on the Richter scale.”

Lingering anxiety

The Fukushima disaster remains one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The Japanese government will continue cleaning up sites contaminated by radioactive materials for decades. Several areas still exude higher than normal amounts of radiation. Many people have never returned to their homes in Fukushima.

This new earthquake has further unsettled people living nearby. Handley says local Christians want to embody the hope of Jesus in an anxious time. “It’s in moments like these that we the Church can rise above. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, Japanese leaders in that region, and missionaries that we work with, as they try to come in and be a presence for Jesus. If they can be that light of Christ and be His hands and feet in the midst of what’s happening, I think it’s a great encouragement to the people.”

Pray the Holy Spirit will empower Japanese believers in this work.

The header photo shows a radiation hotspot near Fukushima in 2012. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

The quake affected Both Turkey and the island of Samos in Greece, and so far, more than 90 deaths have been confirmed. Several hundred have been injured, many buildings collapsed, and streets were flooded in a mini tsunami.

Christians in Izmir

Map courtesy of the United States Geological Survey, Public Domain.

Joe Handley from Asian Access says they have heard from Christians in Izmir, the hardest-hit city in Turkey, and he says the believers there have suffered no harm. “Church members are trying to reach out to the people that have been most impacted, providing food and fresh water. Now, I’ve got direct requests to pray as [cold] weather and aftershocks are really impacting the city. It’s pretty rough in these regions.”

Asian Access is expanding its influence across the entire continent of Asia, including Turkey. In fact, Asian Access just began working in Turkey about three months ago.

These Turkish Christians want to share the Gospel as they provide food and shelter to those in need after the earthquake. Handley says, “The leaders that I’m talking to want to be peace agents in society. They want to bring the true everlasting peace that only Jesus can bring. Pray as they share the Gospel with their neighbors and those impacted.”

Relations between Turkey and Greece

Relations between Turkey and Greece have been rough, with the two nations embroiled in an energy standoff this year that nearly led to war. However, both countries offered condolences after the earthquake. Handley says, “Erdogan, the leader of Turkey, has reached out to the Greek leadership saying, ‘I know we have our differences, but this is the time we need to come together.’ That’s really a good sign.”

Pray Turkey and Greece will have better relations going forward. And pray Christians and Turkey will be witnesses to the peace and love of Jesus.

The header image shows a collapsed building in Izmir after the earthquake. (ApChrKey, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

Disaster at Bible Camp

FMI’s Bruce Allen explains at least 800 hundred people are still missing and over 60,000 are displaced. But Allen says one of the saddest stories he’s heard is about a Bible camp in Jono Oge, a town 15 miles south of the city of Palu.

“Two-hundred high schoolers were at this camp when the earthquake hit…What ended up happening during the earthquake was liquefaction, which means that the soil actually behaved as if it’s liquid. It would have ripples and waves and would have the power to suck people. People can sink in it.” Allen shares.

Aftermath of earthquake outside of Palu, Indonesia, September 2018. (Photo courtesy FMI)

Some people ran for the hills or woods when they saw the liquefaction of the soil. Over 30 people have been confirmed dead, and 55 people are still missing from the camp. Debris from the camp’s buildings has been discovered up to a mile away from the site. The debris was dragged away during the liquefaction of the soil.

“One young man, I’ll call him Boby, said, ‘You know, yesterday I had a bed to sleep in. I was safe. I was well. Today I am sleeping in the middle of the forest. I have nothing to eat and nothing to drink. I have my brother, our clothes are ripped, and that’s all we have’,” Allen recounts.

Boby communicated with Allen by using a cell phone. However, without electricity to charge the phone, Allen is unsure how long Boby will be able to stay in contact with him or others.

Surviving Isolation

Allen has also been in contact with another Christian survivor, Atin. Atin is a midwife who lives outside of Palu. Thankfully, the disasters have not damaged her home. But because of the blocked roadways and limited food access, she has been surviving on instant noodles. These same challenges Atin faces also face the government, making rescue and aid operations more difficult.

Damage caused by triple-disaster in Palu, Indonesia September 2018 (Photo courtesy of FMI)

Still, Allen is encouraging Boby, Atin, and other Indonesian Christians to use this triple-disaster as an opportunity. Southern Sulawesi is a majority Muslim area where radical Islam has been on the rise. Northern Sulawesi is predominantly Christian. The triple-disaster hit Central Sulawesi, which means both Christians and Muslims have been affected and need aid.

“There have been clashes. What I’m really encouraging the Christians there in Sulawesi to do is us this as an opportunity to show compassion to people who have abused you or mistreated you. Show forgiveness, extend compassion, reflect the values of Jesus Christ to everyone,” Allen says.

Be Prayerful, Be Active

Please pray for Boby and Atin, that God would sustain them and encourage them. Pray for the government and aid organizations’ ability to rescue and respond to the needs of people impacted by this triple-disaster. Also, pray the government would secure better warning systems for natural disasters. Finally, pray Indonesian Christians to be a part of the relief efforts and for them to reflect Christ’s love and compassion even to their enemies.

Another way to help Christians in Indonesia is by donating to FMI’s “Tangible Resources” fund. These funds will then be used to supply Indonesian Christians with aid to distribute.

Click here to donate.

Want to encourage your Indonesian brothers and sisters? Drop a note to let these Christians know you are praying for them by emailing FMI.

Email FMI here!

Header photo courtesy of FMI

As described here, a massive explosion of ash blast more than 19,700 feet into the sky from Mount Soputan – one of Sulawesi’s most active volcanoes. Experts tell the Associated Press there’s no concrete evidence linking Soputan’s activity with the 7.5 magnitude earthquake on September 28, but the disasters could be connected.

Thankfully, the ash explosion isn’t expected to interfere with ongoing rescue efforts. Indonesia’s spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, told Reuters, “We hope the death toll does not rise. We’re continuing rescue operations but right now the team is racing against time.”

Joe Handley of Asian Access says the archipelago needs your continued prayers. The death toll just passed 1,400 and is expected to rise.

“Pray for the people of Indonesia that are so devastated right now…and then pray for the local Church, that they can be the hands and feet of Christ in the midst of all this pain.”

Helping Sulawesi communities

Shakemap of the earthquake in Sulawesi, Indonesia on September 28, 2018

Asian Access, also known as “A2”, is a Christian leadership development ministry working throughout Asia. They’ve heard from three pastors in the disaster zone so far and expect to hear from more contacts in Sulawesi in the days ahead.

“Hopefully they can get some supplies and aid that will give them the capacity to reach out in the name of Christ,” Handley notes. “Our role will be to come alongside them, empower them and equip them for the long haul.”

Right now, pastors in the disaster zone are meeting the immediate physical needs of their communities. However, their continued presence and care in the weeks ahead will provide something other aid agencies can’t offer.

“As pastors [and] their lay people go into these areas, they not only can pass out blankets and food and clean water…but they also can just listen to people, and hear what they’re going through; console them and pray for them,” Handley explains.

“In the chaos of all the relief [work] that’s going on, you can often overlook the personal aspect. That’s where pastors and churches really can make a significant difference.”

This long-term effect doesn’t discount the need for “first responders,” Handley clarifies. The first week following a disaster like this “is really the place [for] those big international aid agencies, and many of them do a great job. But, this longer-term phase will begin to emerge probably within the next 3- 5 days…

“If you want to be there for the long haul and really meet the long-term needs of the community, then come alongside groups like Asian Access,” he suggests.

Click here to give to local pastors’ relief and rebuilding efforts through Asian Access. Most importantly, please continue praying for Indonesia.

“It’s a critical need situation. Pastors are asking us to desperately pray for their country in the midst of the pain that they are facing.”

Header image depicts 2008 eruption. Photo courtesy of John via Wikimedia Commons.

FMI’s Bruce Allen says infrastructure has been destroyed by the double disasters. Power lines are down, making communication on the island difficult or impossible.

“Palu [was] the hard-hit city where the tsunami came into their bay and just decimated the area. The death toll over the weekend has exceeded 830 people and will likely rise. The vice president, Jusuf Kalla, said the death toll could reach into the thousands,” Allen explains.

Current Situation

Shakemap of the earthquake in Sulawesi, Indonesia on September 28, 2018.

Indonesia is in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where shifting ground often causes earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, and more. Considering the country’s location in an area susceptible to natural disasters, it is hard to believe Indonesia was not better prepared for Friday’s catastrophe. Indonesia has a tsunami warning system, but the tsunami warning system failed to provide sufficient notice.

“The emphasis is going to be on rescue and release. Over the weekend on Sunday, there was a mass burial for health reasons. They said we just have to put all the bodies in one grave. But there are still reports of scores of people who may be trapped under the rubble,” Allen says.

Rescue operations have been delayed by damaged runways, blocked roads, and a lack of heavy machinery to remove debris. Getting aid to people is important, but this can only happen if transportation avenues are cleared.

Indonesia, Christians, and Aid

Allen says because of the island’s shape, the southern part of Sulawesi was not as affected by the double disasters. The people in this area did feel the impact of the earthquake, but there were little to no effects from the tsunami. Thankfully, all FMI partners and ministry sites are fine.

“They say, ‘We grieve for our nation right now and we’re eager to help.’ They’re coordinating with Christians who are in Sulawesi in order to help with relief efforts,” Allen says.

Many Christians in Indonesia have experience with disaster relief efforts. While part of the problem is lack of access to the impacted areas, lack of access to resources is another issue. People impacted by the earthquake and tsunami don’t have clean water, food, medicine, or electricity.

By donating to FMI’s “Tangible Resources” account, you will help provide Indonesian partners with aid to distribute.

“If there were folks who wanted to donate to FMI’s ‘Tangible Resources’ account, we can make sure that those funds get directly to Christian ministries that are serving in Palu and the surrounding area,” Allen says.

“Even in the midst of chaos, upheaval, persecution, or any hardship, Christians are typically the very first to respond and they want to respond.”

Opportunity for Christ’s Love

(Photo courtesy of FMI)

Indonesia is among the three largest Muslim-dominant countries in the world. Radical Islam has been on the rise in Sulawesi.

Despite the disaster, heartache, and trauma, Indonesian Christians have the opportunity to reflect Christ’s love and compassion to people who might prefer to persecute them.

Help your Indonesian brothers and sisters be the tangible hands and feet of Christ so that relationships may be built for Christ to be shared.

You can give to FMI’s “Tangible Resources” account here.

And finally, do not neglect the power of prayer. Pray for Indonesian leaders’ wisdom in the recovery process as they prioritize needs. Ask God to sustain the Christians on Sulawesi and pray this would be an opportunity for the Church to shine as a light of Christ. Pray for practical needs to be met, including for lines of communication to be opened.

Header photo courtesy of FMI