by Dorrie Takazawa (with Takeshi Takazawa)

Would you rather push or be pulled?

Without knowing the context, I would have to say that the image of being pulled is much more appealing than the image of pushing something!  This is true if we are taking about little red wagons or stalled vehicles. It is even more so if the subject is water skiing!! All that is required of me is to trust the one doing the pulling and make sure I keep on course. This concept can be applied to the current context of Asian Access disaster response as well.

We desire to respond to the pulling of the front lines of the devastated areas. To this end, we will listen directly to the needs from those who live and minister there, so that we can respond to what they actually want. We want to be careful not to push what we think is needed―no matter how creative or how good our ideas or intentions may be or how good it may make us feel. This concept of pull and push is very well known in Japan since it is part of the "Toyota way." Pull refers to the needs or wants of the customers determining the supply. Push refers to suppliers pushing what they have to the customers. In order to have a just-in-time delivery system, Toyota asks itself, "Is this pushing or pulling?"

This question is also very powerful when it comes to providing disaster relief.  Our desire, as those who are outside of the area, is to come alongside and support those who are in the area in the most timely and effective manner. We want to provide the help that is "pulled" by the pastors and churches there. We don’t want to push. So we must go and listen to the needs and listen to the visions.  We must listen in such a way that the pastors understand that we are serious about our commitment to them and are willing to support their plans and ideas rather than our own agendas.

God placed those pastors there before March 11. It is part of his plan that they are there at this time for this service. It is our desire to please God by serving those He placed there in ways that respect and honor them.

We translated an article from the Japanese Christian Newspaper which speaks to the need of listening to the pastors at the disaster sites. That article "Listen to the Voices: Warning Against 'Self-Satifying' Relief Work" can be found here for your information.

Please pray for Joe Handley and the team that is interviewing the pastors and churches in the disaster areas to listen and be pulled into our next phase of disaster relief.

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