Baptist Convention of Maryland/Deleware

TOKYO—It’s a lot different this time. So much so that Southern Baptist disaster relief specialist Don Hargis looks incredulous if you try to compare Haiti’s earthquake last year, or even the 2004 South Asian tsunami, to Japan’s March 11 triple disaster. Of course, there are the obvious differences in Japan: a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, a tsunami that brought in three walls of water measuring 50 feet high, the invisible radiation threat of the ongoing nuclear crisis.

ISHINOMAKI, Japan --- Japan's Baptist leader has expressed heartfelt gratitude for the assistance Baptists worldwide have provided in the aftermath of his country's March 11 earthquake and tsunami -- and has made specific requests for continued prayer. Southern Baptists working in the disaster response say they are pleased that weekly caravans can now make their way into the disaster zone and that training efforts are helping Japanese Baptists mount effective relief initiatives. "Please accept m...

ISHINOMAKI, Japan (BP)--Things appeared to be getting better in Hirasuka Kiiko's neighborhood on the outer edge of Japan's tsunami disaster zone. Cleanup crews hauled off mounds of debris blocking the entrance to her home. They even towed the pile of cars deposited in her driveway by the March 11 tsunami.

TOKYO --- Yongala and her husband, Junkichi, couldn’t believe their eyes. Their 145-year-old family business was gone, swept away in a moment by the March 11 tsunami that struck Ishinomaki, Japan -- hard on the heels of a massive earthquake. A thick layer of gooey black mud covers the floor of their kimono shop.

TOKYO --- Excellent progress is being made on developing partnerships and training church members for disaster response in Japan, but major obstacles stand in the way of an effective disaster relief effort, the executive director of Baptist Global Response said March 28. “Tokyo Baptist Church is proving to be, as we anticipated, a great partner for responding,” said Jeff Palmer. “They have people, connections and resources to help mount an effective response.

Japan Earthquake/Tsunami The Louisiana mud-out team has arrived in Japan. Pray that God will enable them to quickly make the transition to their new time zone and for the people whose hearts He has already prepared to hear His message of hope and love through these volunteers. These are the teams scheduled for Japan, please lift them and their ministries in prayer.

Posted on Jun 30, 2011 | by Susie Rain KAMAISHI, Japan (BP)-- The woman closely examines the handmade doll. On one side, the doll's face sports a big smile and exudes happiness. She flips it over and sees the facial expression is a frown, symbolizing sadness and grief.

About three teams of Southern Baptist volunteers are going to Japan each month to help with the ongoing disaster response, said Jeff Palmer, executive director of the Baptist Global Response international relief organization. Three teams from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention have assisted Japanese Baptists in relief initiatives in recent weeks; a team from North Carolina currently is in the country; and teams from Oklahoma, Louisiana and Kentucky are going in August.  Full Article

TOKYO—It’s a lot different this time. So much so that Southern Baptist disaster relief specialist Don Hargis looks incredulous if you try to compare Haiti’s earthquake last year, or even the 2004 South Asian tsunami, to Japan’s March 11 triple disaster. Of course, there are the obvious differences in Japan: a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, a tsunami that brought in three walls of water measuring 50 feet high, the invisible radiation threat of the ongoing nuclear crisis.

ISHINOMAKI, Japan --- Japan's Baptist leader has expressed heartfelt gratitude for the assistance Baptists worldwide have provided in the aftermath of his country's March 11 earthquake and tsunami -- and has made specific requests for continued prayer. Southern Baptists working in the disaster response say they are pleased that weekly caravans can now make their way into the disaster zone and that training efforts are helping Japanese Baptists mount effective relief initiatives. "Please accept m...

ISHINOMAKI, Japan (BP)--Things appeared to be getting better in Hirasuka Kiiko's neighborhood on the outer edge of Japan's tsunami disaster zone. Cleanup crews hauled off mounds of debris blocking the entrance to her home. They even towed the pile of cars deposited in her driveway by the March 11 tsunami.

TOKYO --- Yongala and her husband, Junkichi, couldn’t believe their eyes. Their 145-year-old family business was gone, swept away in a moment by the March 11 tsunami that struck Ishinomaki, Japan -- hard on the heels of a massive earthquake. A thick layer of gooey black mud covers the floor of their kimono shop.

TOKYO --- Excellent progress is being made on developing partnerships and training church members for disaster response in Japan, but major obstacles stand in the way of an effective disaster relief effort, the executive director of Baptist Global Response said March 28. “Tokyo Baptist Church is proving to be, as we anticipated, a great partner for responding,” said Jeff Palmer. “They have people, connections and resources to help mount an effective response.

TOGAJI, Japan – The scenic drive along the ocean-side road was always one of Yukie Otomo’s favorite routes — or it was until March 11. The young pastor’s wife and her two sons were on their way home in Togaji, Japan, when the road started shaking. She felt the ground gyrate wildly and knew it was a powerful earthquake.

TOKYO --- The Southern Baptist relief effort in Japan is moving forward, in spite of uncertainties about the ongoing nuclear crisis in the northeastern part of the country, the executive director of Baptist Global Response announced March 18. A “second wave” team is following the two-member assessment team that arrived March 12, said Jeff Palmer. Two disaster relief specialists are joining the additional two assessment experts, giving the new, four-member team an opportunity to launch the initia...

Nuclear threat complicates Japan relief Mar 15, 2011 TOKYO --The danger of radiation from damaged nuclear reactors has greatly complicated Southern Baptist disaster relief efforts in Japan, one member of the assessment team reported March 15. A third explosion at a nuclear plant March 15 exposed fuel rods for several hours, sending radiation levels soaring to 163 times previous levels, the United Nations reported. The government responded by ordering people living within 19 miles of the nuclear ...

TOKYO -- A two-member disaster relief assessment team is on the ground in Japan and a second team will follow in a week, Baptist Global Response’s executive director, Jeff Palmer, has announced. The first team arrived as the estimated death toll from the March 11 earthquake soared past 10,000, and nuclear plant operators worked frantically to keep prevent meltdowns in several reactors crippled by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, according to news reports. Thousands of survivors are coping ...

Japan Earthquake, Tsunami Assessment Underway March 11, 2011 NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Southern Baptist relief workers are assessing needs in the aftermath of an earthquake that struck Japan March 11, spawning a 23-foot tsunami that crashed into the country’s eastern coast and moved on out across the Pacific Ocean. Police said at least 60 people were killed and 56 missing, according to news reports.The death toll is expected to continue to rise.