This summer I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work at Snow Mountain Ranch in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.  The mountain air is refreshingly cool and apparently oblivious to the fact that it’s mid July and should be boiling hot. The scenery isn’t half bad either  :P

When I first arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a big group of students from all over the country that are here as part of the Navigators summer training program. The Navigators are a college ministry dedicated to “knowing Christ and making him known”. As part of their summer training program every Tuesday night here is Super Tuesday, a weekly bible study and worship service presented by the Navs. Each week they bring in a guest speaker to deliver a message and this past week the guest speakers were three staff from the Navigators program in Japan. I wasn’t aware of who would be speaking that night and ended up wearing my Aggie Japan Project shirt!

The National Director of Japan Navigators, Takahisa Kusuda, the Administrative Director, Yoichi Suzuki and the Campus Minister, all shared their stories of the March 11^th earthquake.

They talked about not being able to communicate with their families living in Sendai city for weeks after the earthquake, not knowing if they were even alive. In spite of this, they along with many students from the Japan Navigators immediately went into the tsunami ravaged areas without hesitation, preparing meals, passing out supplies and making sure the tsunami victims had a place to sleep. After hearing them speak I had an opportunity to talk with them and they were beyond excited and grateful to hear that students at Texas A&M cared about what happened to the people of Japan, a half a world away.  I asked what they thought of the Red Cross (since all the money we have been raising has been going to them) and whether monetary donations were being used efficiently and correctly and if they were still present on the ground in Japan. They had nothing but good things to say about the Red Cross. They said that they have been a huge source of immediate relief for families in desperate need of food, water and shelter and they are still on the ground today, working to help the people of Japan rebuild their lives.

So, if you ever wonder if all your time, effort and money is really making a difference in the life of someone on the other side of the world rest assured, the people of Japan are eternally grateful for what you’re doing for them.

Keep up the great work and remember, even though you may never meet or see the people you are helping you are saving lives and giving hope to those who have nothing left.

I was also really impressed with their leadership abilities and unwavering confidence in their cause, despite the fact that the odds are and have been stacked against them for a long time. Japan currently has a Christian following of less than 1% of the total population and the few pastors they do have are aging, some are still preaching into their 80’s! Yet the Japan Navigators haven’t given up, they continue with their mission to “know Christ and make him known” and you can see how passionate they are about their cause the first time you speak with them.

 I know sometimes those of us working in social justice in College Station, TX can sometimes get discouraged. We often feel like the underdogs and sometimes people think we’re nuts for wanting to end world poverty or recycle (what a crazy idea!) But don’t give up. There is a reason why you’re here instead of in Austin or Denton where you’re ideas would probably be more readily accepted. You’re here fighting for your cause because College Station and Texas A&M need you! If you believe in your cause then fight for it with everything you’ve got, no matter what the odds are. If you don’t believe in your cause well then it’s time to find one that you’re passionate about. :)

Here is a link to the Japan Navigators website as well as to a video they showed about their tsunami relief efforts.

Keep up the good work!

http://www.navigators-japan.com/index-e.php

http://vimeo.com/26391810

Erin Ponsonby