LCMS World Mission Blog

From left to right: VYM Director Rev. Shinri Emoto of the Japan Lutheran Church, GEO missionary Justin Kumfer, GEO missionary Jenae Siebarth, GEO missionary Matthew Hass, GEO missionary Kim Sherwin, GEO missionary Peter Pfaff, Japan Lutheran Church representative Yukie Shimomasu, career missionary Rev. Jonathan Blanke and career missionary Matthew Wasmund.

LCMS World Mission’s regional director for Asia, Rev. John Mehl, announced on Wednesday, March 16, that LCMS World Mission missionary personnel serving in the greater Tokyo area are being temporarily relocated to Kobe in south Japan as a precautionary measure.

“Just as we pray for you and all the people of Japan,” wrote Rev. Mehl in a letter to President Kumei, “our attention has also been for the safety and well-being of the LCMS World Mission personnel serving in the Kanto (greater Tokyo) area. Due to the current uncertainty of the situation, we have felt it prudent to ask all the LCMS World Mission personnel serving in the Kanto area make their way out of this area for the time being. Rev. Emoto has indicated that there is a place in Kobe that could serve for the coming days as a safe place while we wait to see how things develop. Of chief concern is the situation with the nuclear reactors damaged in the earthquake last Friday and subsequent challenges to logistics and infrastructure in the area caused by this earthquake.”

Following the crisis management plan in place for Japan, the decision of LCMS World Mission’s Asia Management Team was made in consultation with Dr. Jonathan Blanke, LCMS career missionary in Japan; President Yutaka Kumei, Japan Lutheran Church; Rev. Shinri Emoto, Japan Lutheran Church pastor and director of the Volunteer Youth Ministry program in Japan and Matt Wasmund, LCMS career missionary serving as the strategic volunteer coordinator for East Asia. The missionaries are currently scheduled to be in Kobe through Monday, March 21 at which time local and regional leadership will re-evaluate the situation in the greater Tokyo area. Concurrently, the five LCMS GEO missionaries serving through the VYM program in Japan were already scheduled to finish their terms of service in Japan at the end of March and return stateside. [Learn more about recent changes for the VYM program in Japan.]

Other LCMS members who are living in the Tokyo and Fukushima areas were also notified of LCMS World Mission’s decisions regarding current missionaries in the Tokyo area. LCMS World Mission asked them to keep a close watch on Japanese and U.S. government travel advisories in making personal decisions about their safety and well-being.

Rev. Mehl also encouraged President Kumei, saying, “As the events of the past few days have unfolded, our prayers have continued for you and the congregations of the Japan Lutheran Church. We ask God to give you special strength at this difficult time, especially as you help those around you rebuild their lives.” The LCMS has already committed $200,000 to supporting Japanese Lutherans in their effort to rebuild and reach out with God’s love.

• Pray—Please join Rev. Mehl and members of the missionary team in Asia in prayer for the JLC and the people of Japan. Also, download a Japan missionary prayer card from www.lcmsworldmission.org/prayercards.

• Learn—Listen to yesterday’s KFUO AM interview with Dr. Jonathan Blanke from Japan, read first-hand accounts from LCMS missionaries in Japan on the LCMS World Mission blog, and much more at www.lcms.org/help.

• Give—Please consider supporting the relief response in Japan by making a secure gift online at www.lcms.org/help, calling our toll-free donor care line at 888-930-4438 or mailing checks (noting “Japan Disaster Relief” in the memo line) to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO 63166-6861.