Souls shaken

Japan's recent earthquake and tsunami have left many Japanese homeless, and the evolving crisis at the Fukushima I nuclear power plant has compounded the situation.

Akira Satoh, a Christian pastor and evacuee from Fukushima, said, "Our wandering like Romany has just begun. To the congregation without houses, who were only with the barest necessities, I've asked, 'Do you need to laundry?' They replied, 'Since we don't have changes, we don't need to do the laundry.' I lost my words."

Despite the daunting task ahead of them, Satoh and his church are not losing hope. "What is apparent is that God is shaking everything up through extraordinary experiences. Some have trusted Christ their Savior without any reason, and some were repenting that their faith was just like sleeping," Satoh said. "Each soul is shaken from the bottom, moved and turned over by the Lord who is challenging us sternly."

Reconstruction for Japan will take years of labor and cost billions of dollars, but for now the Japanese still need basic supplies.

In response to the need, many relief organizations are seeking donations to aid the Japanese. One Virginia-based relief organization is Christian Aid Mission, which is working directly with the Fukushima church to provide aid. Bill Bray, Christian Aid Mission's news coordinator, said that its main goal is facilitating the evangelistic efforts of local, native pastors. In the case of the Fukushima church, that aid takes the form of money and supplies.

"It's something we have to help from a distance. Everybody in Japan says the same thing. 'Don't get on the plane, don't come over, we don't need you.' Mostly they don't need our physical presence, our physical help, they need assistance to help them do the work," Bray said. Instead, donations and prayers are the primary need of the Japanese.

Other Virginia organizations sending help include Operation Blessing International, which began distributing clean drinking water and emergency food rations.

Fairfax County also sent an elite urban search and rescue team to Japan to help with earthquake relief, as part of an effort coordinated by the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Many relief organizations now accept donations through their website, but Virginia's Office of Consumer Affairs warned the public to be wary of requests to assist the victims of Japan's recent disasters. The office warns the public to be especially cautious of appeals seeking personal information such as PIN and account numbers, and to contribute only to well-established organizations such as the American Red Cross.

Dan Busby, President of the Evangelical Counsel for Financial Accountability (ECFA), said, "When a disaster strikes, it is not uncommon for fake charities to spring up. It is so easy for solicitations to be made by fake charities or charities lacking substance because of the ease of setting up websites and requesting resources via social media."

Fraudulent organizations should be reported to the State Attorney General.

Busby suggests using an online guide published by the ECFA to choose an appropriate Christian relief organization that is accepting donations.

Other online guides to relief organizations include GuideStar and the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. William and Mary College has created a program specifically designed to inform the public and raise funds. Virginia state employees can also donate through the Commonwealth Va. Campaign, a program allowing both online donation and donation via regular paycheck deductions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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