In reviewing the statistics for what CRASH Japan has accomplished in the year since the March 11 earthquake, it's clear that God is still in the business of performing miracles like he did through Jesus in John 6.
Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, 'Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?' He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, 'Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!' Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up. 'There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?'
'Tell everyone to sit down,' Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted.
Within hours of the giant earthquake in Japan on Friday, March 11, 2011 CRASH Japan president Jonathan Wilson announced a meeting to organize a response. Over one hundred people showed up eager to help but — like the little boy in John chapter 6 — none of us had much to offer. Frankly, we were a bunch of "amateurs" who knew little about disaster relief work. What we did have was a core group of deeply committed people who believed that God wanted us to be his "hands and feet" on the ground here in Japan. We offered what we had, that is all we could do.
After Dr. Brian Stiller, Global Ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), visited the disaster zone late last year he wrote, "In the middle of these sad and hopeless communities, Christians have set about to do what most would never have believed they could do. They were considered too small to do much."
We are all weak human beings. The church in Japan is very small. However, God has blessed. God multiplied what CRASH Japan started with. As you watch the video marking one year since the beginning of our "Love on Japan" campaign we invite you to give thanks to God. Please keep praying for Japan!
CRASH Japan website: www.crashjapan.com
Related Articles:
> 3-11-2011 Earthquake & Tsunami in Japan – One year later
> Report and Prayer Chain request for 3.11 Memorial Day
> Earthquake & Tsunami in Japan – One Year Later (Pictures)
> HOPE PERSISTS for JAPAN: One Year Anniversary (Video-Slideshow)
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