March 11, 2011 - MTW Japan

Earthquake Update

1. Thanks to many who have called or sent e-mail to express your concern for us after the major earthquake on Friday, March 11. It was by far the worst we have experienced. We are all OK. When the earthquake hit, we had just assembled for our first Urayasu Church Plant planning meeting, which was soon transformed to an under-the-table prayer meeting. H and M were at school a little more than an hour away. Relatively speaking, damage in our area was fairly minor – buckled streets and sidewalks, broken water pipes, fallen fences, lots of mud that has come up from underground. Other parts of the country have experienced much more terrible damage. I (Craig) just returned from standing in line for 2.5 hours to get a few containers of drinking water (we still have no running water). Ree is standing in a long line at the supermarket. H and M have not yet been able to return from school (as of Saturday afternoon), but were able to stay with friends near the school. In God’s providence, this terrible tragedy has provided opportunities for us to meet new people in our community and to take another step in relationships with new neighbors we have already met. Please pray that God would use even these circumstances to open Japanese hearts and to further His kingdom.

Outcomes of Previous Prayer Requests

2. [Feb. 2011] Thank God with us for our smoothest transition back to Japan ever. The final stages of departure went very smoothly, thanks to much help from our brothers and sisters in the U.S. And we were able to move into our new apartment in Urayasu (address and telephone number above) on the day after we arrived, thanks to the preparation of Mrs. S and Mrs. H, the two Christian ladies we know here. Please pray that God would grant us divine appointments in which we meet people whose hearts are open.

3. [Feb. 2011] Thank God for opportunities to spend time with the husbands of Mrs. S and Mrs. H from early on. Mr. S and his father both had surgery in February, and Craig was able to visit with both, to share some Scripture, and to pray with them. Mr. H helped to pick us up at the airport, and Craig has seen him one time since. Please pray that God would give us further times together, that our relationships with them would grow deeper and closer, and that their hearts would open to the gospel.

New Prayer Requests This Month

4. Our first Urayasu Church Plant planning meeting will be rescheduled to next week because of the earthquake. Please pray for God’s clear leading as we consult with the 2 Japanese ladies (Mrs. S and Mrs. H) and another missionary (Karen) in making some initial decisions about how to get started in the outreach here and try to establish a timeline for when and how to start worship. Ask God to give us His wisdom, to enable us to know how to weigh various factors affecting these decisions, and to reach consensus in the decisions.

- Craig & Ree Coulbourne