Earthquake and Tsunami

Many of you have probably been hearing about the earthquake and resulting tsunami that happen early this morning (our time) in Japan, centered near Sendai.  We have of course been hearing about all of this second-hand, and somewhat late, as we were asleep before news made it to us and did not begin hearing about it until this morning.  Here's a short summary of what we know so far:

The 8.9 magnitude earthquake occurred late Friday afternoon (local time), and has been followed by over 100 aftershocks, some of which are over 6.0 on the Richter scale themselves.  The city of Sendai was the worst hit, being near the epicenter, and reports so far are placing the death toll over 300, with many more people still missing.  The quakes were felt strongly in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, but there was significantly less damage there.  Even though Japan has been built to survive earthquakes, there was still some damage, including a parking garage ramp that collapsed and has trapped people in cars beneath it at the Costco that the MTW team in Chiba frequents.  There have also been several refinery fires reported around Tokyo, including at least one in Chiba, and there are cracks that have opened up in the ground in many areas, which could lead to instability in areas.  Hopefully there will be no long-lasting effects of this damage, but it will be some time before that is known.

All of the MTW team members, as well as many other friends of ours in Japan, have reported in and are fine.  There is no damage to the team buildings either, and everyone is home safe at the moment, though they continue to feel tremors even now, keeping them on their toes.  At least one family reported that they are sleeping in their clothes, in case they have to flee their home because of another quake during the night.  We continue to pray that God would keep them safe as the disaster unfolds.

We have family members visiting Japan, my aunt, uncle, and cousin, but they are staying in Kobe, a good ways away from the epicenter.  They were not affected by the quake, and in fact barely felt it.  We're very glad to hear that they are safe.

The missionaries in Chiba, while making sure that all of their loved ones are safe, have also geared up to travel to the coast if needed to provide aid.  So far we have not heard any more news about those plans, but if they do go to provide aid, we will make sure to keep everyone updated as best we can.  Right now, they are most likely attempting to get some rest, since it is the middle of the night there.

Please pray for Japan and for all of those affected by this quake!  Despite the hours that have passed since the quake first struck, the problems are far from over.  Some of our friends have been reporting that they have not yet heard from people they know in Sendai, and since aftershocks are continuing and may be reported for days to come, there is still potential for more devastation.  Pray that God's hand would be on His people there, and that they would be a blessing to those around them during this time.