Although it's been more than a year since the 8.9-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused massive destruction in Japan, Rev. Brad Wordell, missionary to Japan, can recall vividly where he was and what he was doing. In actuality, he wasn't even in Japan; he was in Nepal. "I happened to be Skyping one of our secretaries in Japan the moment of the earthquake," says Wordell. "She told me it was a big earthquake, typed the word 'help,' and then ran out of her office."

Within a half hour, Brad had made contact with his wife, Andrea, who rode out the quake underneath a pew at a Lutheran Evangelical Christian Church (LECC) church in Tokyo. Their five children were also safely evacuated from school, just one day after they had a practice earthquake evacuation. “The earthquake reminded the Wordell family that the Lord is our refuge and strength,” says Wordell. “The end of the world is getting nearer. Let us work while it is day.”

And that’s what Wordell and church members did: they got to work. Our Japanese sister church body had one member living in Kesennuma, a city that was 30 percent destroyed by the devastating tsunami that followed the earthquake. “At first we did not know if Mrs. Sato was still alive. We were praying for her and her husband,” says Wordell. They soon found out she was okay and that her home had turned into a mini refugee camp.

Funds from WELS Christian Aid and Relief helped the LECC send supplies to Mrs. Sato and a local distribution center. In December 2011 the church body opened a relief center in the area where members and volunteers coordinated by Christian Aid and Relief provide physical and spiri¬tual aid to a still hurting community.

According to Wordell, who has served in Japan for 13 years, outreach is difficult in this land that is less than 1 percent Christian. “Some people study the Bible for 10 to 20 years before they are ready to [commit to] be baptized,” he says. But these natural disasters have opened up op¬portunities, especially in a community like Kesennuma, which is strongly Buddhist. “[Community members] are more willing to speak to Christians and listen to what they have to say,” says Wordell.

While Wordell will continue to serve part time in Japan, he now also will be coordinating Lutheran materials for Japan and Asia. As Wordell transitions into this role, he continues to support our fellow Christians in Japan. “Japan is living in darkness, but the Holy Spirit is leading people to the light of their Savior,” he says. “The members of our LECC are rooted in God’s Word. They are eager to serve. And they do not give up.”