Less than a week after Eric returned from his last trip up to Ishinomaki, he left this morning to go back up.  One of our desires since we started doing relief work after the tsunami was to get our community more involved.  The first trip up we had many friends bring supplies for the guys to take up;  this time we loved how our communities chipped in and filled up our entranceway over the past few days, but more importantly, that Eric is traveling with three special friends from our community.  George and Aiko are newer believers from our community group and really felt God wants them both to be part of relief work this week.  Her mom has come to stay with their two teenage children while they are gone– probably the first time she has left them.  Yasko, our neighbor who is like part of our family, is also on the road with them.  We love it that she wants to participate as well.

In addition to our four, two teachers from Christian schools in Kansai also came out to Sanda in order to go up with our two vans today, so six left from our home at about 7:30 this morning.  (Yasko’s mom is also in the picture).

Eric called and they have all arrived safely – yeah!  These two vans were packed full -incredibly full.  We are thankful for the many we hope this can help.

Peter went up yesterday, and today the group up there did some initial clean up on one of the parks.  Eric said that finally the government is coming and taking away some of the cars plopped by the tsunami all over the place.  That is helping, but there is still so much debris and junk everywhere.  (The government has estimated that there is 28 years worth of trash created by the tsunami and earthquake on March 11).  Here are before and after photos that he posted:

Tomorrow the plan is to continue clean up with the big BBQ planned for Monday.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow, so praying that they will be safe and able to get a lot done anyway.  The large apartment buildings in the background are some of the area that they are reaching out to.

Stories have been shared from the week up there when Eric was not there.  The teams continue to spread out into the community and find people who need their assistance.  They have shared updates of specific families they have touched in various neighborhoods.  Because of the extent of the tsunami damage, the government is unable to help people clean up their homes from tsunami damage.  Many staying in evacuation centers are spending their days trying to work on their own homes, but there are many who are physically unable to do what needs to be done.  There are often huge challenges;  one of the volunteers two days agree got sick twice just from the terrible smells in one home.  The day that Eric was driving back last week, a few went to help in a home and discovered a bunch of dead squid under the floor boards – they were brought in with the tsunami and got stuck.  Ugh.  But these are the kinds of things that the teams are able to help do…

HOMEFRONT – Day 1 Theme:  Camping!

As Eric and the team drove off this morning, Annie burst into tears.  It has been hard this past week for our family to imagine him being gone again.  So I have had some good help and been coming up with some fun themes that we can use to do activities while he is gone until Wednesday.  This is Golden Week, which is a string of holidays near each other, so a time that many Japanese use to travel.  They have school on Monday, but besides that they are off.

Today after Owen’s soccer practice,  we came home for a few minutes and their first surprise and clue was a Skype call from Annie’s U.S. Kindergarten teacher, Tanicqua.  She now lives in Texas, and we’ve been wanting to touch base, so this was a great opportunity.  Besides catching up, Tanicqua read the kids, “Curious George Goes Camping.”

The kids quickly figured it out – we were going to do a camping day.  In the midst, though, we had one more relief-related delivery… the team up north needed a generator that the guys in Sanda had bought (and that didn’t fit into the vans).  There was a team leaving this afternoon who could fit it in, so me and the kids took some exciting winding roads and delivered it in time.

For dinner, we had hamburgers picnic-style!  Olivia had us set a place for Eric….

 I set up the tent while they were at the park before dinner – they were thrilled!  The older three are all nesting snuggly in sleeping bags  (But, at 11 pm, Annie continues to pop her head out every few minutes…)

We made some modified s’mores (they weren’t very good),  did a flashlight search game for glow-in-the dark (in theory) bugs and stones, and read some other camping stories.  I’m tired, but it’s been a good day… I so love the family that God has given me.   Even when one of them gets into my mascara while I run to the restroom, and the other three sitting next to him somehow don’t notice at all.

I have just ordered N.T. Wright’s book, Surprised by Hope.  I’ve wanted to order it for awhile, but made the decision after my friend Lauren sent me two quotes from this book.  This first one has struck me on several counts.  First, I am always wanting to be more strategic in our love, in our ministry, in our outreach.  Second,  there are many days where I realize that the majority of my day (often the WHOLE day) is spent within our home or within a five minute bike ride of our home.  My focus is often on our four children and family whose needs often seem to pull me in many different directions that may not be feeling particularly strategic.   Third,  I often wish I could “do” more — I wish I could go with Eric up to Tohoku each time;  I wish that we could multiply our efforts up there – care for more people, take more food and aid;  listen exponentially to the stories of pain and bring more hope.  But it is so wonderful to know that all of these things are part of the mission of God.

Here is the quote:

“This brings us to 1 Corinthians 15:58 once more:  …what you do in the Lord is not in vain. You are– strange though it may seem, almost as hard to believe as the resurrection itself– accomplishing something that will become in due course part of God’s new world.  Every act of love, gratitude, and kindness; every work of art or music inspired by the love of God and delight in the beauty of his creation; every minute spent teaching a severely handicapped child to read or to walk; every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support, for one’s fellow human beings and for that matter one’s fellow nonhuman creatures; and of course every prayer, all Spirit-led teaching, every deed that spreads the gospel, builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honored in the world–all of this will find its way, through the resurrecting power of God, into the new creation that God will one day make.  That is the logic of the mission of God. . . “(p 208)

And this: (p 280):  “It will, of course, be costly.  You don’t get to share in God’s life and escape without wounds.  Look what happened to Jesus himself.”

Eric came back from the Sendai area on Saturday night, just in time for a really busy Easter!  We started with a 6:15 am prayer meeting for Sanda and Japan.  It was a hope we’ve had since moving to Sanda to have a citywide prayer gathering for Christians.  Even though there were only about twenty in attendance, it was encouraging that six or so churches were represented!

After that, we had an Easter celebration for our community.  As Eric and I talked about it that night, we were so greatly encouraged by the turnout… in particular, that there were four whole families (ie dads, moms, and kids) who aren’t a part of any church who all came.  Wow – we loved that so much!   Many men (most men?) in Japan wouldn’t think about setting foot into a traditional church – or giving up their only free day — so it was a privilege to all these families come and want to be a part of this.  There is something so attractive about Jesus and all that He is about!

Our friends from Cerritos, CA sent us a great box that helped make this possible.  We started with an Easter craft- even the dads got into helping their kids make chicks and bunnies…

Eric used a car transformer, then, to grab everyone’s attention and share about the power of transformation that comes from Easter and Jesus’ resurrection.  He did a neat job tying the theme into what he has seen God doing up in Tohoku after the tsunami – and that it is only through the realities that come from Jesus that lives can be truly changed. I know he was REALLY tired, but I loved seeing God speak through him.

Then, the activity that all the kids anticipate for months – the egg hunt!  We loved some of the variety of  plastic eggs that we received- I had no idea that they are making soccer ball eggs now.  It was soo much fun for everyone- even some of the seniors there had a ball watching the kids run around and find eggs with such abandon.

The event ended with a potluck lunch and fellowship, and dyeing easter eggs.  It was great to get to hang out with these families… and to know that God is at work.  There are times where we wonder why it takes so long in Japan for the Gospel to spread.  But on days like this, we remember the hope and the miracle of resurrection, of peoples’ lives being transformed.  He is risen;  the great Transformer  is on the prowl.

One of the strange dichotomies about after-earthquake life is that there are statistics about an increase in suicides, and an increase in engagements.  Tohoku has a higher rate of suicide anyway, and March is the time with the most suicides in the years.  The tsunami and earthquake are already paying a toll on the suicide rates.

But there has also been a rise in the purchases of engagement rings and couples getting engaged.  Men who couldn’t commit are ready to walk down the aisle!  For a nation with a sharply declining birth rate and aging singles, this is interesting.  Both of these statistics coincide with parallel increases following the Kobe earthquake fifteen years ago.

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We are excited as Eric is making plans to go back up to Tohoku that our prayer for Japanese friends from our community to accompany him is going to happen!  George and Aiko, newer believers from our community group, are going up with Eric (and possibly their high school son), as well as our good friend Yasko.  I’m so excited about this team!  We are renting a van for them to drive up;  Peter is going the day before but he and Eric will go on Thursday to Costco to buy as many supplies as possible.  Eric has a dream to work with the team to host a BBQ for up to a thousand people from the large apartment buildings where they have been delivering aid.  They are hoping to get the community members to partner with them to clear out some of the parks in the area and then barbeque together.  Peter is hoping to work with stores in the community for local purchases and distribution.  We are praying about all that God has in store for this next trip, and for those who are up there ministering now in various parts of Tohoku.  Our good friend Dee this week is up in one of the evacuation centers in Fukushima with a team ministering to the people there.  I love how the body of Christ is at work!

Eric pulled in tonight just as we were starting a late supper to the thrill of our kids!  It is great to have him home again.  It was an eleven-and-a-half hour drive by himself, caravanning with friend Chad who was in a van behind him.

He has many great stories to tell – I look forward to him sharing them through different venues over the coming days- but wanted to post just one photo for now.

Their last day we wrote about how they ran out of food in the afternoon.  Playing “high and low” with the kids at dinner, Eric said it was his low of the week.  They felt so bad for people who had been waiting in the rain and they didn’t have enough to give them!

This woman (above right) was waiting and when she got to the front realized she wasn’t going to get very much.  Maya (left) is a karate champion who lives locally but  has been helping out the teams.  She is a student at the dojo where the team is staying.  Maya had the bag of scarves, and offered one to the lady.  She picked one out, still looking unhappy, and she wrapped it around her neck.  Eric said she broke out in a wreath of smiles and said, “Atatakai!” … “It’s so warm!”  She left with the scarf, and a smile.

One more picture from Eric’s iPhone.  The senior center where they took vegetables and underwear…. and the staff loved the underwear – they started opening the boxes and holding them up for size (which is when Eric and Chad exited).  Here they are, enjoying the new goods.

Thank you for praying for Eric and the others.  All of Eric’s teammates and our Sanda teammates are home safely tonight, able to celebrate Easter with families.  Eric has said that there were so many little ways where he saw God’s hand at work throughout this trip.

Today we have been working on plans for him to leave in a week again, this time taking with him three or four japanese friends from our Sanda community.  We are really excited for them to have this opportunity to serve and love.  We are still trying to work out details of vehicles and buying supplies.  We know it will be worth it.

Tomorrow we have a 6:15 am prayer meeting for Sanda and Japan at a nearby park (we set that time- what WERE we thinking?)  Then we have an Easter celebration/outreach/worship at a nearby community center and park in which Eric is sharing an Easter reflection based on his experiences in Tohoku…. it will be a busy day.  We will post more soon.

Eric’s team yesterday had a special time  of ministry on many levels.  It was one of the days where they sensed God’s divine ordination of their events.

They took supplies to several places where government help is not reaching.  One of those was a senior citizen’s center that Chad had visited previously.  They had requested vegetables, so Chad and Eric took a load of vegetables and other supplies. The staff there have continued working, even though most of them had also lost their homes in the tsunami.   The ladies’ under garments were a big hit — especially among the staff!  The ladies started opening the packages, and joking about the colors and styles, such that Eric and Chad left the room.  Several staff brought out one elderly lady in a wheelchair and showed her some of the clothes that the team had brought.  She didn’t like anything, and wasn’t interested in the undergarments either.  Then Eric remembered the scarves… and they showed them to her.  She quickly chose one, and wrapped it around her neck.  She didn’t take it off. (See photo in previous entry).

They found another area that had been struck by the tsunami but had not had aid.  Some boys showed them an empty parking lot where they were able to set up a “free market” of goods, and someone with a bullhorn announced to the nearby apartment buildings that there were supplies.  Eric said they did not need to wait long for the crowds to come, and soon they had “sold out.”

During the debrief time that evening, Eric said there were some touching stories of God’s creative and divine work.  One of the high school boys on the team, Collin,  had befriended a boy playing basketball in one of the areas.  They started talking, and Collin asked him his story.  He shared that just before the earthquake, he had a sense that something bad was about to happen.  He tried to convince his grandfather and family to get in the car and drive.  Then the earthquake hit.  He went inside to get his mother and smaller sibling and they all went up on the second floor.  The tsunami came and wiped out the first floor, but his family was safe.

Collin told him that God was watching out for him.  The boy told him that he had one friend who was a Christian at school – who died in the tsunami.  He thought this friend was watching out for him.  He said now he believes that God is caring for him.  His Christian friend who died – never knew then how important his solitary witness was.

Today, there was a 96% chance of rain so Eric and the team prepared bags of food evenly distributed that they planned to take door to door to residents of a large apartment complex.  When they went over there, it wasn’t raining, and the residence started pouring out and coming to the vans.  Eric said they quickly ran out of food, and wished they had put less in each bag so it could have gone further….

There was one guy, Aoki-san, who comes to help out whenever the team comes to distribute.  He shows up every day, asking to help and do whatever they need.  He shared that when the tsunami came, he was in his apartment on the fourth floor.  He saw it coming, and saw the monstrous wave moving towards the apartment building, bringing with it unwilling victims who were yelling out, and cars with passengers trying to drive away.  Aoki-san said that there were victims who saw him up on the fourth floor who asked him to throw a rope but he had nothing, and was totally helpless.

After the water receded, Aoki-san went out and gathered up the dead bodies.  He said they were covered in mud;  all that he could do was get rags and wipe the mud off their faces.  They were lined up in a parking lot for weeks until government officers got into the area and were able to take out the bodies.

These stories are so heart-wrenchingly awful.  There are so many who are living with these memories and pain.  Telling their stories is the first part of healing.  And being loved.  I pray God’s people can keep going, listening, blessing, loving.

Tonight as Eric and the team met to debrief, share, and pray, there were several girls who have been hanging out and a mom who is touched by their generosity who brought macaroni pizza and strawberry ice over for all the team.  They were touched by the witness of Jesus.

The kids and I have been reading the Bible narrative of the Holy Week leading up to Easter.  We have all loved a new version, “The Children’s Storybook Bible.”  Our reading today is about despair but also great Hope:  “It was for this reason that I was born into the world,” Jesus said.  This week, Eric has seen lots of Reasons.

We were very touched by a generous gift sent for relief work from a group of friends in Hawaii.  They specifically wanted Eric and I to use the money to do relief work, and one of their stipulations was this:   (2) you do whatever the Lord asks you to do with the money, no matter how strange or unusual His request.

While Eric was preparing to go this week, we were at the mall picking up some things our kids needed for school.  I walked past a section of women’s scarves in a store, and commented to Eric, “Hey- maybe we should buy some scarves for you to take for women up in Sendai to make them feel special.”  and then I followed it with, “No, that’s probably dumb.”

The next store we were in I walked right into the scarves section, and had to stop.  It felt strange, but I really really wanted to buy scarves for him to take up.  Eric agreed;  I picked out ten different scarves and paid for them.  Then Eric came with ten more – different styles and colors.  We bought those too.  He put them in a bag and we prayed that he would know how to give them away.

Today at dinner our kids and I were sharing highs and lows (it’s becoming a dinner tradition!).  Annie’s low is still school lunch (poor thing – she can’t get used to the variety of mushrooms and fish!), but my high was a picture and a brief message that I got from Eric.  The message was:  “One very happy obaachan (grandmother)”.  Here is the picture.

I have not heard from Eric today other than receiving the photo above… I imagine it has been a very busy day.  (But I really don’t like the television warnings of aftershocks up there tonight!).  So this single photo has been my “high” today.  I will find out tomorrow from Eric more about her story.

I just read a newspaper article that talked about how most people died in the disaster, and the average age:

More than 90 percent of the people confirmed dead in the March 11 earthquake-tsunami disaster in the most severely hit prefectures of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima died from drowning, while over 65 percent of them were aged 60 or older, according to the National Police Agency.

My heart hurts for the many seniors who could not flee, as well as those still living in the region who have lost so much.  I’m thankful tonight as I go to sleep that there is one dear old lady wrapped in love and prayers sent from many….

A few brief updates from Eric….

this morning they went to an area in Ishinomaki where Eric had been three weeks ago.  He said it felt like nothing has changed – there are still huge piles of debris everywhere;  people still have huge needs.  As they unloaded all the supplies, there was more of a sense of desperation and need in the people coming than he had previously seen.  The huge boxes of sardines; the underwear and socks;  the fresh produce – even with people honoring the limits it was all gone in a short amount of time.  He said the jam was a big hit, and the boxes of cereals.  People still with huge needs!  Here are some of the people waiting:

In the afternoon he and Chad and two women walked through the neighborhood and asked people if they needed help.  A woman stopped them and asked if they could move a huge wardrobe out of her home.  They went in, and saw where the tsunami had come in up to the second floor. The tatami- straw- mats were all gone, leaving just exposed floor boards and plywood.  After helping move out the big piece of furniture and throwing it on a trash heap, she asked if they could clean her back yard.  Eric said he wished they had a wheel barrow, but did their best with shovels and buckets, throwing all the debris and soot on the trash heap as well.  She was very thankful when they were done.

Yesterday there was quite a bit of snow and rain, which creates a problem as the drains no longer work in these areas that have been filled with tsunami stuff.  So the water from a day of rain that would normally drain creates a flooding problem.  It has been quite cold the past few days, as well.

Finally, one more photo that Eric sent – he called it hope is blooming.  We all needs signs of spring and hope in our daily lives.

Tonight at dinner the kids and I played “Highs and Lows.”  We all agreed that our low was Eric leaving this morning for five days, although Annie said that the mushrooms in her school lunch were a pretty bad low as well.

Eric got off today with a van packed to the top with boxes of vegetables, socks and underwear, instant ramen, individual stoves and gas refills, and individual cereal boxes.  Yesterday he had spent a few hours at Costco buying many of these goods.  He said it was all good until he had to discreetly buy three large boxes of women’s underwear and get them into his cart when no other shoppers were around….

He had two passengers, Glen and his daughter Julie,  who had flown in the day before from the U.S. and are friends with the Huddlestons, who are organizing the Kansai (Osaka) Be-One efforts for going up to Tohoku.  As we were loading up the car, Glen’s face and voice, in particular, seemed familiar.  Turns out — I was his small group leader in a Bobby Clinton class at Fuller Seminary fifteen years ago!  It was a fun connection.  After loading the van, we sent them the three off with some prayer – and lots of sardines for Eric.

Eric just sent me a text that they arrived a bit more than twelve hours later- around 10:45 pm.  He said it had been snowing the last hour or two of their drive.  I’m not sure the challenges that will add in delivering goods and helping people dig out their homes over the next few days…. They are staying at a karate dojo (gym) that has become a sort of base camp.

After returning home today with Olivia and Ian, I found a package in our mailbox from a church in California in which the children made cards for us to give to children who have been affected by the tsunami and earthquake.  As I went through and read them tonight, I was touched by the way that these kids expressed their hearts and tried to find ways to comfort children in Japan.  It will be fun to deliver them (well, most of them!)  the next time that Eric or one of us goes up.  I love how children express themselves….

Today was a strange, busy day on many levels. Eric spent the day preparing to go tomorrow – reserved and picked up a rental van (the group we are going with this time – various groups of Christians in the greater Osaka area working together under the leadership of Be One house churches,  needed an additional vehicle and driver.  See their website here).  He filled our van up at Costco, getting much-needed undergarments, socks, cereal, sardines, rice, vegetables and apples.

He has to take all of his own supplies and food for the five days, as well – helmet, boots, shovel, clothes, wipes as there will be no shower for him, masks, etc.  Still not quite packed yet at this moment…. It is a 12-14 hour drive up tomorrow.  He will have two passengers, and be caravanning with another van, but there is not another driver to switch off with him, so you can pray for this time and God’s safety.

I just read an encouraging report from Jonathan Wilson, the director of CRASH.  Some of the team with Eric the first time he was up visited a shelter at a Buddhist temple, being run by the monk and his wife.  Here is the update on them:

This morning I was encouraged to hear from missionary friends working with us at CRASH, after they returned from a weekend visiting our bases.  At one location they visited for a second time a Zen Buddhist priest who has had 100 evacuees sheltering with his family to drop off supplies.  As these Christians have loved on this man and his wife, encouraging them in the midst of their trial, they both expressed a desire to learn more about Christianity!  The wife mentioned that she would like to start reading the Bible and the priest went so far as to say that he was interested in becoming a pastor!  Pray that as we show not only our doctrine, but our manner of life, our purpose, our faith, longsuffering, love and perseverance, that Japanese would open their hearts to the gospel. 

Praying for Eric and his team as they go off tomorrow!  I’m hoping to go see them off if possible.

On another front… after prayer-walking around a possible rental home in our neighborhood last night, Eric and I both had a great sense of peace and anticipation about moving forward with the home.  Eric called the realtor this morning, and set up another time to go and see the house this afternoon at 4:00, this time with the kids.  We had also contacted Asian Access’ business manager and asked him to help us negotiate the rent and contract.  Fifteen minutes before leaving to see the home, the realtor called and said someone else had just put in an application and so he can’t show us the home.  Honestly, I was floored.  Shocked.  I really thought- finally- that God was providing that larger rental home!  When our business manager called the realtors, he found out that it’s a rich man who doesn’t care about the price of rent but is concerned about the way the home faces (many Japanese want the living room to face south, etc.).  He wants to have until Sunday to decide.

We didn’t realize – even after the different rentals that we’ve dealt with – that you can put in an application just to “hold” a home.  We weren’t holding this because we were still negotiating the rent with the owner.  We asked God to close the door if this home isn’t right, but I still feel really disappointed and sad.  And trying to prepare for Eric leaving again… this time the kids seem to really get that Daddy is going (I keep telling them its only five days!), but we are all trying to be good sports.  A friend shared this verse today that really touched me:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Ephesians 15:13

Real hope – coming from God.  Key is trusting – abiding – in him.  Praying for a good week for Eric and me both to be abiding while we are apart.