A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday. At least 13 people have died and many remain missing. In the town of Kashima, the second floor of a shopping mall collapsed after a suspected gas explosion, trapping people inside, and a chimney fell at a paper factory in Yatsushiro, where seven people were still feared trapped. Nearly 37,000 homes are without electricity and more than 9,000 people are staying in over 500 shelters — in the middle of a heatwave, with temperatures above 32°C. Kumamoto endured a deadly earthquake ten years ago, and for many families that fear has returned. We pray for the families mourning those they have lost, for everyone still waiting beneath the rubble, and for the soldiers and rescue workers racing against time to reach them. We pray for the elderly and the young enduring hot nights in crowded shelters, and for the people of Kumamoto as they begin, once again, to rebuild. May help arrive swiftly, and may hope hold firm.