Japan Disaster
Following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan last Friday (11 March) Jonathan Edwards, General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain has been in contact with Makoto Tanno, General Secretary of the Japan Baptist Union. Here are edited pieces from their correspondence:
Email sent on Saturday 12 March from Jonathan Edwards
Dear Makoto,
I want to assure you of the love and prayers of thousands of Baptist brothers and sisters here in the United Kingdom. As we meet together tomorrow you will be in the forefront of our thoughts. We have been overwhelmed by the images of destruction that we have seen on the television and we want to assure you of our deep concern and our commitment to pray for you at this desperately difficult time.
I am glad that you have already had contact with the editor of the Baptist Times and I am deeply grateful that you have been able to reply so fully. It will be helpful for thousands of our members to read of your situation through that newspaper.
There is already an enormous number of points of contact between Japan and the UK, and I dare to hope that, through this tragedy our relationship with you as Baptist brothers and sisters will be deepened.
With warmest Christian greetings.
Yours sincerely,
Jonathan
Reply sent on Sunday 13 March from Makoto Tanno
Dear Jonathan and brothers and sisters in Christ in the UK,
Thanks for your warm reply.
At the present time we are worrying about the accident at a nuclear power generation plant in Fukushima. It seems be a very serious problem level like the accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine (1986).
In most of the areas of distress people are isolated. They are in trouble with the cutting of life lines - there is no electricity and a shortage of drinking water. Many people could not charge the battery of their mobile phones and are totally isolated from other areas.
Some help teams from overseas are arriving but it is difficult to enter the areas of distress.
A Baptist World Aid (BWAid) team consisting of staff from Hungary, Singapore, America and Germany are arriving in Japan yesterday and today and they are preparing to go toward the distress areas. The Japan Baptist Convention pastors are going together with BWAid rescue team by car.
200 or 300 bodies have been found in the tsunami attacked area but it is difficult to enter because this area is covered with water even now.
Please pray for Japan and that the Lord will use all Christians to be a faithful servant to those who are in trouble and suffering.
The Revd Makoto Tanno
General Secretary
The Japan Baptist Union
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