Great news! CRASH Japan has successfully passed an independent audit of our financial records. We have had over five million US dollars in donations, have managed multiple field operations and have supported dozens of programs over an area the size of Northern California. Undertaking all this while still trying to figure out how to do it is indeed a great miracle.

I am deeply thankful for the diligence of our finance section and for the many CRASH staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to make all this possible. Most of all, I am thankful to our Heavenly Father who cares deeply about the great nation of Japan.

To learn more about the work of CRASH -- including a financial report -- click here (.PDF). We still need your support! Our goal is to raise over 1,000,000 USD by March of 2013.

Acclaimed sculptor, Douwe Blumberg -- known for his "America's Response Monument" at Ground Zero in NYC -- recently visited Japan on a short term mission trip. While here, Douwe created a unique sculpture of (God's) hands releasing birds into the air. Douwe said, "I wanted to create a piece of art that would inspire and bring hope to the lives of the Japanese people." Douwe donated his sculpture to SonRise Cafe, where it is on display. In an exclusive CRASH interview, Douwe discusses his admiration of the Japanese work ethic and how it relates to his life as an artist.

Hula, music, card-making, quilting, and drawing are some of the creative activities that CRASH Japan volunteers utilize to connect with survivors and share the love of God. One volunteer even brought her full-sized harp that she plays at mobile cafés and other venues. Make a donation to CRASH to support our creative arts/sports fund! See instructions here.

On Sunday, May 6, a tornado tore through the city of Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture. One person was killed and dozens were injured. Around 200 homes were destroyed and 24,000 houses lost access to electricity.

As soon as possible four CRASH leaders went to the Tsukuba area to evaluate how to respond to the situation. Like many small towns in Japan, the roads are very narrow and with many power lines down and debris, it is difficult to get into the affected area. At the local volunteer center our team saw a map of the town. The map showed that the tornado traveled along the main road, cutting a swathe about 500 meters wide through the center of town. The CRASH leaders met with local pastors who have already worked with CRASH in Tohoku. They found that these pastors are eager to reach out to their own community with the compassion of Christ. Due to the expressed need for help, CRASH Japan will be partnering with local churches in the Tsukuba area to bring help and hope to those who are hurting!

We are accepting donations for Tsukuba Tornado Relief. For overseas donors, at the moment we can only accept wire transfers for designated gifts. This funding will be used to provide:

• Equipment and supplies for local churches to use to help survivors

• Volunteer coordination

• Training for trauma care

• Running at least one OperationSAFE program for children

Our funding goal for this project is 1,000,000 yen. We hope you will continue supporting CRASH Japan financially and prayerfully.

The following is an excerpt from our 1-Year Anniversary Donor Report:

As we approach springtime in Japan, the return of warm weather and the beautiful cherry blossoms, CRASH Japan is once again entering another distinct phase of the Tohoku disaster relief response. Six months ago, the situation was very different. We had made it through the initial crisis, but beyond this, there were still many challenges and concerns facing survivors. The fall and winter months saw a decrease in receiving volunteers. Relocating evacuees from evacuation shelters to temporary housing generated additional needs. Isolation and depression were now the biggest threat to survivors' lives. In order to mitigate the greater potential of people committing suicide, our focus shifted from delivering supplies to bringing hope.

That was then, but today the scene looks much brighter. With the help of volunteers from all over the world and an increasing number of Japanese volunteering multiple times, we have been able to keep a continual presence of Christian workers throughout the disaster area. Survivors who struggle with thoughts of suicide testify that the continuous stream of volunteers has given them hope to live from week to week. Surprisingly, a Japanese government report revealed that the suicide rate in 2011 did not increase as feared, but actually decreased — the lowest in 14 years. I can only imagine how different the suicide statistics would be without the presence of Christian volunteers in the Tohoku region.