Japan (MNN) — Just weeks after the super Typhoon Hagibis, another storm raced in over the weekend: Typhoon Bualoi. Robert Adair of A3 says the area is still in recovery mode.

Japan Suffers Two Typhoons

For those who experienced the triple disaster in 2011, the typhoons have dredged up familiar fears. Adair says that visually, the aftermath looks the same. The remnants of the storms show the water’s pathways, and people’s belongings are scattered in the open.

Many people have lost their homes and are living in evacuation shelters. Others are trying to salvage their homes and figure out next steps. Last Monday, A3 started working with churches and volunteers in one of the affected regions to help with cleanup and offer relief support.

A3 Offers Help

“But those folks who lost their homes and residences were damaged, inundated by water, but they are still able to reside there, those folks aren’t necessarily getting the relief supplies they need,” Adair explains.

“And so, trying to look at how do we, through the relationships we have, through folks we know that live in those communities, how can we get water, food, blankets, other supplies directly to those people.”

Though the damage is mostly focused in northern and southern Japan, there are pockets of extreme devastation scattered throughout the country. One challenge A3 faces in relief efforts is its lack of relationships in all the areas the organization is trying to help.

Next Steps

Pray for relief efforts, the churches A3 is working with, and the first responders to have the capacity to treat and provide relief aid to those in need.

“I think people can be praying that there will be opportunities in these small towns, in these rural villages for the people that are affected by the disaster to encounter Christ and His Church. That the Christians that are trying to respond to the disaster will find kind of creative and appropriate ways to engage these communities that we haven’t had a presence of a relationship in,” Adair says.

To find more ways to come alongside A3 and its work in Japan, click here.

Listen to the broadcast: (top story)

Direct Link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Oct28-2019.mp3 

More Information

• This story by Bethann Flynn was originally published on 01-Oct-2019 by Mission Network News:
  https://www.mnnonline.org/news/japan-in-recovery-from-two-typhoons-in-two-weeks/ 
• Download the audio file: https://s3.amazonaws.com/a2-media/audio/4-5min-Oct28-2019.mp3
• Image credits: 
  • Header photo credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team
  • insets: Mudslide typical of hurricane aftermath. Representative photo only. (Photo courtesy of A3/Joe Handley/FB); Representative photo. (Photo courtesy of A3/Joe Handley/FB)
• Mission Network News is a ministry of OneWay Ministries.