JAPAN UPDATE - 3/21/11

Report from Richard Lucas, Missionary to Japan:

Brother Yokoyama is hoping to connect with the proper authorities today (Sunday) in order to distribute the supplies they took with them as well as to coordinate subsequent trips.

Brother Ohara, the brother who lived near the nuclear power plant in Fukushima has gone to Tokyo and will be in service there today.  He is staying with his sister in Tokyo, but will soon re-locate near another family member.  He has been told he can not return to his home in Fukushima.

A point of interest:
I heard on the radio yesterday a report from the Salvation Army and from World Vision.  Both are doing exactly the same as what we are doing.  They are using teams from inside Japan to distribute goods purchased in other areas from within Japan.  They asked for monetary donations only from outside of Japan.  They stated that the logistics of trying to gather goods and ship pallet of relief suppLies from outside of Japan, clear customs, etc. makes no sense at all.  Neither of them are accepting any other types of donations for Japan relief from outside of Japan except monetary donations.  The vast majority of donations for Japan relief are nations and agencies simply giving through the Japanese embassies to the Red Cross in Japan. 

I am confident that the Brethren who are involved in this trip and trying to see what we can set up to help are the very finest men possible to represent us in this.