10 October 2014 - Typhoon (Post by Kris)

This post is from Kris:
There is a large a large Typhoon headed straight for the Fukuoka mission.  I having been reading many articles on the weather channel and CNN regarding the possible effects of the Typhoon.  Many emails and facebook posts were sent out to friends and family to pray for the missionaries safety.  This is a letter I received from the Mission office.

Dear Parents of the Japan Fukuoka Mission Missionaries,

As you may have heard, there is a Typhoon of considerable size coming to Japan. The Japan Fukuoka Mission has an Emergency Plan and we made sure each area and companionship had a 72-hour emergency kit with water, food and flashlights with extra batteries. They were instructed to stay indoors and we will keep them updated daily if needed. All the emergency precautions took place and all the missionaries are safe. We will notify you again when the Typhoon is past. We appreciate your son/daughter work in the mission and pray for their protection. Thank you for your concern and prayers.

Japan Fukuoka Mission.

日本福岡伝道部で働いている宣教師の御両親へ、

もうお聞きになったと思いますが、かなり大規模の台風が日本へ向かっています。日本福岡伝道部では緊急対策があり、各同僚組みが７２時間緊急キット（水、食料、懐中電灯と電池）を持っている事を確認致しました。宣教師達はアパート内に残り、必要ならば私達が彼らに必要な情報を提供します。必要な準備は全て出来ており、宣教師は皆安全です。台風が去った後、又お知らせ致します。皆さんの愛する息子・娘達の伝道部での働きに感謝し、彼らの安全を祈っています。

皆さんの懸念と祈りに感謝しています。

日本福岡伝道部

I also emailed Travis's recent convert, Tomoko Uchida to check on the status of the Typhoon, preparations as well as Travis.  This is the email I received in return from her.

Sister Kris,

I contact propagator at the time of rain and typhoon immediately.

When I go to the church, I take the same taxi.
Therefore do not worry about you.
It is your important son.
They go to Naze now.
I do not know whether an airplane flies.
Love, Tomoko

She is soo awesome, with her limited English and google translator, she tried to tell me not to worry about Travis that she would check on him as soon as the typhoon hits and that she knows he is very important to me.  She said she will take him in Taxi to church.  She also said that he was on the Island of Naze and she is not sure how he will get back if the airplanes are grounded because of the storm.

We received this email from the mission office, the day after the storm:

Dear Parents of the Japan Fukuoka Mission Missionaries,

Good morning. The Typhoon passed by yesterday and all the missionaries in the Fukuoka Mission are all safe and sound. Thank you for your prayers.

Fukuoka Japan Mission

日本福岡伝道部で働いている宣教師の御両親へ、

昨日の台風が全体の福岡伝道部から過ぎ去りました。福岡伝道部の宣教師たち皆さんが安全にいます。皆さんのお祈りに感謝しています。

日本福岡伝道部

This experience was a true answer to prayer for this mother.  I was so worried as I watched the Satellite picture from space show the enormous size of the storm and knew the damage it could cause. They said that it was so fierce that they could not even rank it on the scale as it was greater than a 6 with all the wind and rain in the storm. The closer it got to where Travis was, it continued to break apart and by the time it hit land, it was just a tropical storm.  I know the Lord heard all the prayers and the people of Japan and the missionaries were protected.