This is a general update from the directors of Teen Challenge Japan on the aftermath of the earthquake which hit Japan on March 11th 2011:

First of all, Teen Challenge Centre in Okinawa was protected and all the staff and students are fine. TC Headquarters in Tokyo as well as our church in Hachioji are also O.K.

However, the coastal part of north-eastern Japan is devastated, as you would have already seen on the news. We've been watching the news since this morning, but we still do not know the full extent as more news of damage and death come in literally every minute.

There are still earthquakes of M5 every few hours. The entire coastline of Japan, including Okinawa Island, is on red alert for tsunami. There are possibilities of landslide and avalanche on the mountain side.

Furthermore, there is a real danger of radiation leak from the nuclear power station. It is already too dangerous to be near there so they have started evacuating the local residents.

I was walking down the subway in central Tokyo when the earthquake first hit, and I was among the 100,000 people who got stranded there for hours without transport or communication line. While I was looking at the people who were at a loss and totally helpless, I was reminded of Times Square Church on 9.11 and Phuket Christian Centre during the tsunami.

All the roads and railways to the north-east is closed so we cannot actually get there, but there must be something we can do to help. And we as Teen Challenge and the Church would like to do just that. Please pray for us as we meet tomorrow to pray and decide what we should do at this time of national crisis and opportunity.

Please continue to pray for Japan, that the earthquakes and tsunami will stop, and that as many people as possible will be rescued and saved.