Here is the UCCJ update as of March 24, 2011:

1. Local Churches

* Hachinohe Konakano Church
One member lost the house by the tsunami.

* Shinsei Kamaishi Church (Cf. The first three photos as attached.)
 A team of an NGO "Crash Japan" came to the church and rearranged everything inside.

* Ishinomaki Eiko Church
The death of a member is confirmed.

* Sendai Kita Church
One member is still missing.

* Sendai Kawadaira Church
One member lost the house by the tsunami.

* Sendai Kita 3-bancho Church --- where the CGMB missionary, Rev. Jeffrey Mensendiek, attends.
Seven members are still missing.

* Sendai Higashi Church
The church has hosted fifteen refugees, both members and non-members.

* Sendai Itsutsubashi Church --- where the CGMB missionary, Rev. David Murchie, attends.
Five members are still missing.

* Sendai Minami Church
The church has hosted thirteen refugees.

* Miyagino Aisen Church
The church has hosted sixteen refugees, but has no more food available.

* Iwaki Church
A staff of a related nursery school died on the day of earthquake, while communicating with the kids' parents. Another staff of a related nursery school is still missing.

2. The story of the tsunami survivor (Cf. The fourth photo as attached.)

The survivor spent the night on the roof of a three-story building while snowing. The Kyodan team of four pastors gave him a ride from the coast area to Sendai City on Monday, March 14.
No wonder his colleagues bursted into joy when he arrived at his company, because his presence had never been confirmed before.

Der Ausschuss des Kyodan für Katastrophenhilfe berichtet:  
17. März 2011
> hier als pdf  

As the response to the devastating earthquake &tsunami disaster on Friday, March 11, the United Church of Christ in Japan (UCCJ) established the Relief Planning Committee the following morning. The committee is responsible for the initial actions, i.e. investigation, consolation visit & planning. It appointed Rev. Naito, UCCJ general secretary, as its chair. Dispatched to Tohoku & Ou Districts were four UCCJ executives:
Rev. Ishibashi, UCCJ moderator
Rev. Morita, UCCJ Committee on Social Concerns
Rev. Fujimori, UCCJ executive secretary on general affairs
Rev. Kato, UCCJ executive secretary on ecumenical ministries
<Relief food & goods>

Relief food & goods

Tsunami damage in Ishinomaki City

They left Tokyo in the early morning of Sunday, March 13, attended the Sunday morning service on the way at UCCJ Tokamachi Church in Niigata prefecture, bought relief food & goods, and finally arrived at Tohoku District Center in Sendai late in the evening. On Monday, March 14, they visited eight churches around Sendai city, escorted by Rev. Takahasi, UCCJ Tohoku District moderator. Due to the food shortage, they ate no more than some small pieces of banana on Monday before returning to the Tohoku District Center late in the evening.

Ishinomaki Eiko Church & its garden. Revs. Suzuki & Bae in the middle

They found that the major damage was caused not by the earthquake itself, but by the tsunami. The city of Ishinomaki was annihilated along the coast by the tsunami. The church building of Ishinomaki Eiko Church was OK, but the tsunami reached its garden. Rev. Suzuki, senior pastor of Ishinomaki Yamashirocho Church, was caught by the tsunami. The water covered his body to the breast level, but survived. He was safe and encountered the UCCJ team by coincidence on the mountain ten minutes (on foot) away from the church. The shortage of water was prevailing, and their distribution of drinking water was literary welcomed with tears. The gasoline was one of the scarcest resources.

Ishinomaki City, viewed from the mountain, only ten minutes on foot from Ishinomaki Yamashirocho Church

On Tuesday, March 15, they had an executive meeting with Moderators of both Tohoku and Ou Districts at Ishinoseki Church, after visiting two more churches in Iwate Prefecture. In the evening of Wednesday, March 16, they all returned home safe.
<Ofunato City in Iwate Prefecture>

Revs. Fujimori & Morita, giving water at Shiogama Higashi Church

Ofunato City in Iwate Prefecture

They found UCCJ pastors safe after the disasters. But the local pastors had hard time contacting with their church members, since the telephone system was largely down.
Upon return of the team, the UCCJ Executive Council's Executive Committee will take place on Tuesday, March 22, and will try to form the actual relief plan.
In the meanwhile, the PCT representative, Rev. Ng Tiat-gan (Huang Che-Yen), program secretary on church and society, flew all the way from Taiwan, visited the UCCJ office and handed the PCT relief donation. The PCK dispatched Rev. Lee Seung Youl and others from the Department of Social Service Ministry to Tokyo, and visited the UCCJ office, too, on Wednesday March 16.

Giving ride to a Tsunami survivor - Sendai Higashi Church as refuge. The UCCJ appreciates your prayer.

The survivor joins his colleagues

At Shiogama Higashi Church. From left: Rev. Morita, Rev. Kato, Rev. Fujimori, Rev. Takahashi (Tohoku District), Rev. Tsumura (the local church pastor) and Rev. Ishibashi.