Tigard church sends disaster relief team to Japan after Ishikawa earthquake

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – On January 1, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake rocked the Noto Peninsula in Japan, killing more than 200 people, the Associated Press reports.

More than two months later, thousands are still living in temporary housing, many without water and electricity.

On Thursday evening, Pastor Kenji Yokoi from the Japanese International Baptist Church in Tigard is flying out with a team of 12 church members on a two-week mission to provide disaster relief to some of those survivors.

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“At first I thought sending money would be the best because the travel expenses can go directly to the hands of the people,” Yokoi told Fox 12 on Thursday. “But what I found is that people might have everything that they need, provided for by the government or agencies like us, but what inspires them are people who come and bring hope.”

Yokoi said 90 care homes in the region have requested help, and his team is going to help them meet some basic needs.

“These care homes, many of them do not have water or electricity,” he said. “They have access to food, but small details that seem small to us become large, like how do you wash clothes for 200 people in a care home? Hygiene, sanitation become very, very difficult.”

In 2011, the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami inspired the church’s first-ever disaster relief mission, and people are still suffering the impacts of it.

“It’s already been 13, 14 years, but these people are still living in temporary shelters and I suspect this earthquake will be the same,” Yokoi said.

Since then, they’ve sent missions to countries all around the world (Ukraine, Nepal, and the Philippines to name a few), but Japan always hits close to home.

“Certain family members, they were definitely affected,” Yokoi said. “I believe that gave us greater impetus.”

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About half of the team members can speak Japanese, bringing a personal touch to a situation that has left so many feeling alone.

“We’re here to bring hope and encouragement for those who are broken and hurting,” he said. “Once you see how hurting these people are, you can’t stop thinking about it.”

Even if you’re not a part of the church but want to know how to help with disaster missions, Yokoi wants to encourage people to reach out and he can help get you connected.

The church’s website: Japanese International Baptist Church in Tigard, Oregon

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