EFCA TouchGlobal Crisis Response update on the crisis in Japan

Hi, Everyone –

I just wanted to share a little about our response to the crisis in Japan.  Please read and follow the reports on the links below if you are interested and let me know if you have any questions.  Mark will be traveling into Tokyo this weekend to meet with the ReachGlobal Missionaries and churches that are already on the ground.  His plan is to try to get into Sendai, but his plans are God’s plans.  Please pray for safety for Mark and the other ReachGlobal missionaries and ministry partners in Japan as well as for God’s guidance and direction while on the ground this next week. 

Here’s our update as of 3.14.11:

As you are aware the  8.9 earthquake that hit NE Japan on 3/11/11 also spawned a Tsunami wave across the Pacific. Damage reports are still coming in and our Director Mark Lewis will be traveling to Tokyo and then into Sendai after that. 

ReachGlobal does have missionaries in the area impacted and we have started to initiate contacts with other partner ministries involved in the work in Japan, as well as other NGO’s and relief organizations.

For continued up to date information please go to www.efcacrisisresponse.blogspot.com and  www.touchglobal.org/japan .

How can you help?      

·         Pray -  see today’s current top story on www.efca.org

·         Please send funds   - financial donations are the immediate and priority need.

1.       Give to TG  ‘Earthquake Relief  21709-39707

2.       You can give online at  www.efca.org and click on donation link on that page.

3.       We also have a donations link at  www.touchglobal.org/japan  

·         Please stay tuned for more information to follow.   You can email crisisresponse@efca.org  with your contact information, or call our Crisis Response office at  985-893-0218 ext 7.

·         We are not sending teams in initial stages. Mark will be coordinating with our RG staff in Japan to assess and determine needs/strategies with our RG staff.  At some point in the future, there may be opportunities to send teams but not in the short term.

·         We ARE NOT interested in receiving bulk donations (eg. pallet loads) of gift-in-kind

If you would like for more info or information on how to help in other ways please contact Crisisresponse@efca.org or call the Crisis Response office at 985-893-0218 ext 7.

In Christ Jesus –

Dorinda B. Bogran

I'm a blogger now!

O.K.  So I'm going to try this blogging thing.  I'm trying to teach myself how this works, so if any of you see something that I can do better, please let me know.  I love learning new stuff, but I'm a little older than alot of the folks who post blogs, so.......Help me out please!!!

A team of 8 guys from Bethlehem Church in New Jersey has been here this week.  All great guys.  I had the privelege of hosting them for dinner Tuesday night at the church.  They are working on Miss Connie's home in the Central City area of New Orleans doing demo to part of the home and rebuilding a few rooms back to her home.  They are also putting the finishes touches on the staff house in Old Mandeville.  A member of our staff will be moving in soon and as future staff comes to work with the ministry, they will also be staying in the home. 

We've also been blessed this week to have Arnold & Julie back with us as well as George & Sylvia.  We do not have teams next week, so we will spend that time recharging for our spring break season. 

Pray, pray, pray.....there is hopelessness on all levels in the area....homeowners who have been ripped off over & over, teenagers who have no hope and see no way out other than suicide, a backlog of people on our waiting list who need more help than we can imagine, large numbers of volunteers headed our way with the same number of staff....and much, much more.  

This verse was shared with me on Tuesday night from my good friend and fellow staffer, Katie...

                            Isaiah 50:10...   If you are walking in darkness,
                                                      without a ray of light,
                                                     trust in the Lord
                                                       and rely on your God.

May we all rely on the one true and almighty God. 

Can I really do this?

Hi, everyone...this is me...trying to blog....wondering if this will work...let's see...