19 years ago, God cut short a planned 3-year-ministry in Kobe after the Great Hanshin Earthquake hit this city and killed more than 6,000. That morning, January 17th, 1995, as I went around my neighborhood and saw the devastation, God softly spoke to my heart, "You were ready to go and be with Me today, but what about these people here, those who died, the dying and broken people who never had the chance to know or hear about the God who loves them?.." (Romans 10:14) That was when I made a promise, "Lord, I'm going back to my country soon, but if You need me back here again to help in spreading the Gospel, I'll drop everything there and come..." Well, God did take me up on the promise, not once but twice...first time in 2005-2011 and the second time, March 2013 up to the present,... until when will I be here - only He knows!
 |
| The marker at the park |
 |
| time on the clock: 5.46 a.m - when the earthquake struck |
 |
| every anniversary, people light candles in these cut bamboo- one candle for each person who died |
 |
| a white chrysanthemum in loving memory of those who died in the quake |
 |
| the eternal flame |
 |
| the messages to the dead loved ones on the yellow paper flowers |
No comments:
Post a Comment