I am happy and relieved to report that our church’s missionaries in Japan, Leon and Cheryl Hill and their two adult children, are safe after experiencing the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit northern Japan last night. It appears that all of their fellow missionaries and church families are safe as well.  Most of the devastating damage is north of them, but the greater Tokyo area (where they live) has experienced wide-spread, major damage.

Cheryl reports that “things are all over the place” in their neighborhood, house and in the church too, but all of them are safe. She also reports that “We have some roof damage as do most in our neighborhood. Leon was about an hour away at a seminary graduation. He is home (now). Abi is ok. Jeffrey is ok. We have a mess in our house, and the aftershocks are numerous, but we sit safely in the Lord’s hand.” She later reported that “things are fine for us, but not so good for others. We are headed to bed. I guess God will just rock us to sleep tonight.”

Junko Ito, the church administrator at Midorino Chapel (the Hill’s church) writes, “Most of the rooms in Midorino chapel, especially the sanctuary are a mess. Nobody got injured.” I told her that we are praying for her and her church family, and she wrote me back saying, “Thanks Mike. Still have small shakings but no major stuff here. But ugh, in Tohoku…. Your prayers for Japan are really needed and appreciated!!! Thanks again!” Tohoku is the region north of Tokyo that sustained the most damage.

Deborah Trotter, a missionary that lives in the same region as the Hills said that she is “shaken, but not stirred. It’s amazing how God’s Spirit can keep a person calm and peaceful even through something as severe as a major earthquake.”  At 9:30AM (MST) this morning she said that the aftershocks are finally becoming less frequent.  Another friend, Joshua Hari, who is a pastor of one of the Hill’s sister churches in the town of Karuizawa (west of Tokyo) reports that all of his people are safe as well.

Would you please join me and my church family in praying for the Hills, the Midorino church family, and for all of Japan as they clean up from the devastation of the earthquake. Pray that God would use the Japanese Church – especially the churches in the Kaisen Church Network (of which the Hills are a part) – to be agents of God’s love and mercy during this time of crisis.