Messages from Japan

Mission Network's work in Japan

According to the Mennonite World Conference website, there are nearly 3,000 Mennonites in Japan. Mennonite Mission Network has one supported worker, as well as four families who relate to MMN as Mission associates.

Messages by date

Type

Title

Article Date : 6/2/2011 ‎(1)

Article Date : 5/19/2011 ‎(1)

Article Date : 4/17/2011 ‎(1)

Article Date : 4/14/2011 ‎(1)

Article Date : 4/10/2011 ‎(1)

Article Date : 4/4/2011 ‎(2)

Article Date : 3/31/2011 ‎(3)

Article Date : 3/29/2011 ‎(1)

Article Date : 3/28/2011 ‎(1)

Article Date : 3/13/2011 ‎(2)

Article Date : ‎(1)

A presence in Japan

Japan

Over the years, mission work has spread to other islands, focusing on teaching, Christian-nurture ministries, and translating and publishing Mennonite literature.

Akiko Aratani and Ray Epp

The Epp Aratanis are directors of Menno Village, an urban/rural food and agricultural initiative of Mennonite churches in Sapporo.

Mary Beyler

Mary works with the Mennonite congregations in Hokkaido, teaching, preaching, leading music, and serving on several conference committees.

Mike and Teresa Sherrill

Mike works as chaplain and associate professor of Christian Studies at Aoyama Gakuin Women's Junior College. Teresa is co-pastor at West Tokyo Union Church.

Stephanie and Mark Bartsch

Mark and Stephanie Bartsch minister in Kobe. Both are active in their international church, and Mark teaches at a Christian high school.

Tomoki and Angela Yamanaka

Tomoki and Angela (Wenger) Yamanaka are associate copastors of the Asahikawa Gospel Church, a Holiness (Wesleyan) church in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan.

Responding, reflecting, rebuilding.

Though safe because they were not in the immediate areas slammed by the earthquake and tsunami, Mennonite Mission Network workers and associates in Japan were emotionally struck by the tragedy and continue to walk by their neighbors as the tragedy unfolds. The following email dispatches tell harrowing accounts of destruction, but also provide inspiring glimpses of hope.

Most recent messages

Poems from Yorifumi Yaguchi

Japanese Mennonite poet Yorifumi Yaguchi contributes two poems written to express his thoughts of the current tragedy's impact on his beloved nation.

Mother's Day Prayer

During the worship service I attended on Mother's Day, a woman broke down in tears as she prayed for mothers who had lost children and children who had lost mothers in the March disaster.

Fun to See Kids Play

Two images from the morning were kids playing in amongst the ruins, and the difficulties of the elderly in coping with the disaster.

All messages

Yaguchi

Poems from Yorifumi Yaguchi

Japanese Mennonite poet Yorifumi Yaguchi contributes two poems written to express his thoughts of the current tragedy's impact on his beloved nation.

Sherrill

Destructive Goo

We spent the morning scouting around for a place to set up to distribute food... Around 2 p.m., on the advice of Chihiro, a woman that the group had befriended from that community we went to a store and shoveled it out.

Fun to See Kids Play

Two images from the morning were kids playing in amongst the ruins, and the difficulties of the elderly in coping with the disaster.

A Sense of Disequilibrium

I was near Shibuya station downtown when the quake hit, right next to a huge building under construction. All of a sudden, I felt a sense of disequilibrium and noticed everyone looking up.

Mennonite Mission Network staff

Mission Network's work in Japan

When All Creation Groans and Quakes

A psalm of compiled prayer requests from Mennonite Mission Network personnel in Japan.

Beyler

Mother's Day Prayer

During the worship service I attended on Mother's Day, a woman broke down in tears as she prayed for mothers who had lost children and children who had lost mothers in the March disaster.

Reconsider Our Use of Power

The severity level of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident has been raised to the maximum 7, the same level as the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. The radiation released, at least so far, is below Chernobyl levels, but the crisis is by no means over.

Opportunity

Even here in Obihiro, our lives are affected because shipping routes to Hokkaido have been severed…

Resilient People

Even here in Hokkaido, far away from the main disaster area, there are major and minor affects from the cascading events that started on March 11.

Aratani/Epp

'The Time to Change Our Lives'

They do not want to leave their land. The government however has issued an order for all young children and expectant mothers to leave. People do not know what to do.

How Life Has Changed

The destruction of local people's lives is being accomplished through the failure of the electrical company's supposed best intention of improving people's live with electricity.

Unsettling

…The government is recommending that people relocate from the area either temporarily or permanently to aid in the clean up and rebuilding. Efforts are already underway.

Contamination Levels

News of water being contaminated with radioactive iodine in Tokyo and an order for children to stop drinking the water has created shortages of drinking water in Tokyo as well as in the disaster area.

Toll-free: 1-866-866-2872 E-mail: info@MennoniteMission.net