When God Shakes a Nation: Real Relief for Japan

I have been praying for Japan over the last few days, as I know many of you have.   In particular, I have been praying for Grace City Church in Tokyo where my friends Roger and Abi Lowther are missionary artists.  (In case you’re wondering, that just means that they use their gifts in music to open the door for the gospel.)  Roger and Abi and their three children have been missionaries in Japan since 2005, and they have done some amazing work.  You can see more about their work at their Youtube channel, missonart.org, and the Lowther’s family blog.

While Redeemedreader.com isn’t generally in the business of recommending particular missionaries or organizations, in this case I thought Grace City merited a plug.  When I experienced flooding in my neighborhood last summer at 1,000 year flood levels, the aftermath was hard to believe.  In the first few weeks after the flood, the damage was so widespread that we had very little help even from the Red Cross or food banks in the area.  Individuals in the area, though, who just opened their eyes and gave what they could to meet the needs they could see–that was where the real work of relief and compassion was done.  And it was also where I saw the gospel proclaimed–often not by organizations but by individuals whom God could use to meet the needs of others through prayer and service.

I know there are many good charities out there that will be important in rebuilding Japan.  But if you would like to support missionaries who are already doing God’s work in Japan, who know the culture and have been laying the foundation for ministry for years in that area, then you can’t do better than Roger and Abi Lowther at Grace City Church.  My guess is that they will have plenty of ways to serve those hurting around them and in the surrounding areas for many years to come.   You can support them by sending your donation to Mission to the World, P.O. Box 116284, Atlanta, GA 30368-6284, “Lowther #14376”.

Also, I’m curious if any one knows of any other grassroots and/or long-term mission work that we could support.  Or if you just have any thoughts about how to make the most of your relief dollars….

P.S. Just found out that you can donate to the Lowthers and Grace City Church online: https://www2.mtw.org/donations/donate/default.aspx.  Or click on the Donate button at https://www.gracecitychurch.jp/ for the Grace City Church Earthquake relief fund.