Christian Reformed Church Assesses Japan ?Quake Fallout'

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Christian Reformed Church Assesses Japan ?Quake Fallout'

March 11, 2011 ? Staff working with Christian
Reformed World Missions and Back to God
Ministries International in Japan are safe in the
wake of a major earthquake and tsunami that hit
the country today, Christian Reformed Church officials say.

> Bob Heerspink, director of BTGMI, and Gary
> Bekker, director of CRWM, reported that all
> ministry personnel and their families have been accounted for and are safe.

The Reformed Church in America reported that its
missionaries in Japan also are safe following the
most powerful earthquake to hit Japan in more than 100 years.

The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is
launching a response to aid earthquake and
tsunami survivors, working in concert with Back
to God Ministries International, Christian
Reformed World Missions, the ACT Alliance and other partners.

CRWRC has started a fund for earthquake and

tsunami relief. To make a donation, please visit www.crcna.org/Japan

Bill Adams, CRWRC?s director of Disaster Relief
Services in the United States, will be talking to
U.S. relief officials to make plans to respond
should a tsunami spawned by the earthquake cause
damage in Hawaii, other U.S. islands, or along the West Coast of the U.S.

The earthquake brought the bustling city of Tokyo
to a standstill as buildings swayed and thousands of people filled the stre ets.

BTGMI staff was staying in the ministry office,
near Tokyo, since no buses or trains were
running. Staff there reported that the office
shook and papers and pictures and other items flew through the office.

"When the earthquake occurred, Ms. Shimada and I
were in the office,? said Masao Yamashita,
BTGMI?s ministry leader in Japan. ?It was the
biggest earthquake I ever experienced in my life.