Another Update on Japan

Below you will find a letter that was sent to me to help update the congregation on what has been the LC-MS's response to the disaster in Japan. Our newly elected president truly has a heart for missions! We pray that God would continue to work through the efforts of our synod, as well as the other aide organizations as they continue to offer relief in Japan.


Dear Pastor,

In the three weeks since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, we’ve been in contact with leaders of the Japan Lutheran Church and others in affected areas of the country. The primary concerns are, of course, the effect of the damaged nuclear power plants and the humanitarian needs.

Darin Storkson, LCMS World Relief and Human Care's regional director for Asia, Rev. Carl Hanson, LCMS World Mission area facilitator for East Asia, and Rev. John Mehl, LCMS World Mission’s regional director for Asia, met with some of our Japanese Lutheran partners on Wednesday, March 30. On Thursday, President Harrison videotaped a conversation with Mehl, who is in Hong Kong. You can find the video atwww.lcms.org/help. You can also find a Reporter article about the conversation here.
In the video, Rev. Mehl told President Harrison that our Japanese Lutheran partners are appreciative of the LCMS support and our “ministry of presence.” President Harrison also thanked the LCMS and our members for their generous support of efforts to help, acknowledging gifts of some $500,000. He urged congregations and individual donors to continue giving to help the LCMS meet needs expected to continue well into the future.
Please share this video and/or article with your congregation and let them know they can keep up with our ongoing effort in Japan by checking www.lcms.org/help. Again, please convey our sincere appreciation to your congregation for each person’s response to the crisis in Japan. We continue to pray for the people of Japan. We praise God for the generosity of His people, and we thank Him especially for you and all you do in His name.