Kong Hee, the pastor of Singapore's City Harvest Church, has shared an update regarding the work that some relief teams are doing in Japan to assist in recovery efforts after twin earthquakes and violent aftershocks devastated the region.
In a Facebook message shared on Sunday, Kong thanked the CHC relief teams helping people in Japan: "Thank you, guys, for working so hard for the Lord Jesus Christ in Japan. We are so grateful and proud of you. Everyone here in CHC Singapore and the Harvest family of churches everywhere are praying for you. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."
The pastor shared that on Tuesday, one of the CHC teams in Kumamoto delivered water, bread, tomatoes, rice balls and basic toiletry supplies to Sakura Hospital in Mashiki, Mashiki Health & Welfare Centre and the suburb of Higashi-ku.
The team in Kumamoto also provided spiritual and physical aid the Hukurounimori Old Folks Homes, praying with elderly residents. Volunteers from Fukuoka Harvest Church also repaired the church roof of a hearing-impaired congregation, climbing onto the roof to cover it with a blue canvas sheet.
Relief efforts continued throughout the week despite inclement weather, Kong explained.
"It was difficult to do many repair works but our volunteers became creative. Since there is very little water supply in those towns, they collected a lot of rain water to use it for washing and toilet use," he said.
Kong also shared several photos of the devastation, and images of CHC members ministering to those affected by the disaster.
The pastor quoted Naomi Matsuda, one of the relief workers, as saying: "We will not stop touching lives here no matter what. ... We are living for this!"
Japan experienced the two of country's biggest earthquakes in five years. On April 14, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake devastated the region, followed by more powerful 7.3-magnitude tremor.
The earthquakes and aftershocks caused widespread damage across Japan and destroyed hundreds of homes, snapped bridges and left at least 49 people dead and nearly 1,200 others severely injured.
Just days after the devastation occurred, Kong revealed that members of Fukuoka Harvest Church and Kumamoto Harvest Church, affiliated with his CHC ministry in Singapore, had joined together to help in disaster relief work in the predominantly atheist country.
He wrote: "God loves Japan. Let us keep interceding for the people and nation of Japan. God is a good God. May His light shine brightly in the midst of the darkness."
As earlier reported, Kong and his wife and fellow CHC pastor, Sun Ho, made a ministry visit to Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Osaka and Kyoto earlier in April.
"Sun and I were so stirred and moved in our spirits. We can hear the sound of revival in our hearts, and sense that the harvest is definitely ripening," Kong wrote at the time. "We have a deep love for Japan and for our beautiful Japanese brothers and sisters-in-Christ. Their hearts are so hungry for the Lord Jesus and His Church. They are believing that God is opening up Heaven and pouring out His Holy Spirit afresh upon this generation.
"Japan, Jesus loves you and we love you too! Thank you for receiving us with such open hearts! Jesus says, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23)."
