"The strong earthquake measured 7.1 and caused some damage and injuries," Husby said in an email update this morning to Covenant News Service. "But this area is far from the area that was hit by earthquakes last month, and there are no Covenant churches or ministries in the affected area."

Life is slowly beginning a return to normalcy in areas affected by earlier earthquakes, reports Covenant missionary Jim Peterson, who shared information on a visit two weeks ago to the Nagaoka Covenant Church by Pastor Vernon Wu, chair of the Taiwan Covenant Church, who was accompanied by Pastor Umeda, chair of the Japan Covenant Church, Pastor Miyamoto and a Taiwanese exchange student from Pastor Miyamoto's church.

"Now that the expressway has been repaired and reopened, they were able to drive directly into Nagaoka without any detours," Peterson noted. "Pastor Hiyoshi of the Nagaoka Covenant Church took them around to see many of the hardest-hit areas. Pastor Umeda, who lives and works in Tokyo, is originally from Nagaoka and still has family there. He was able to visit his elderly mother who is hospitalized in nearby Sanjo City."

A mid-week worship service was held at the church and Pastor Wu brought a message of encouragement from Hebrews 12:25-29. He then presented a monetary gift from the Taiwan Covenant Church to help churches still trying to cope with the damage inflicted by the earthquakes.