We’ve been really thankful for the people who have been getting the word out about the Nozomi Project!  Those of you who have shared on Facebook – it’s awesome!

Thanks to Jes, a volunteer who has come up in the past and helped out with Be One and the Nozomi Project, who is sponsoring a contest to help spread the word.  If you participate in her contest, you can win an amazing necklace.  (Contest is through Friday night, January 25).  Her blog has brought a lot of pr to our site this week.

It was totally an amazing and humbling thing to have Fuller Seminary feature a story about us and the Nozomi Project in their alumni news:

We’ve started a blog on the Nozomi website. Our first entry was aimed to thank those who have helped us get a great start (If you’ve been part of helping us – please find your name.  If we forgot your name- please please let us know).

And in the Nozomi workshop- we have had a rewarding and very busy week – especially today!  We had three Osaka friends visiting the NP who are making a video about God’s work here.  We had another friend Matthias over helping train two of our staff in the internet and computer issues.  Two of our staff were working on a letter and some samples going to a Tokyo department store (pray with us!).  Three children were there with moms.   One of our staff who has had personal and health issues and was out for the past two weeks came back (YES!).  Another member, Y., hasn’t been able to come the past few weeks because her husband with cancer has been in the hospital.  Today she brought her husband and little one in to say thank you to everyone for worrying and praying. A Japanese volunteer with us for six weeks was in- she is working on translating each of the women’s stories for us to use on the website and in different profiles. It was a full house today- but with a lot of energy and joy.  At one point mid-morning we gathered in a circle to introduce some of the visitors and to pray over the samples going to the department store and ask for God’s leading.  It was wonderful to feel so much anticipation.

We will slowly be putting the Nozomi staff women’s stories on the NP website.  Here is one that really touched me that will be going up later.  I wish you could meet Tomoko – you would love her as much as I do.

I was living at my sister’s house.  When the earthquake hit, I was with my son.  He and I went to my daughter’s school.  My sister went to get our grandmother and came to school.  We were all at the auditorium where there were over 100 people.  Children were all panicky and crying.  Water came into the auditorium, so we had to stand on the stage or up on the gallery.  We had very little food and water.  Next day my sister and her two sons went to get futon from the house.  My mother, brother and his child came to school.  They were caught by the tsunami but able to survive.  Sadly, my brother’s wife didn’t make it. 

The following day my sister’s husband came looking for us.  He had to walk long hours since no one could drive around this area.  We went back to our house.  The first floor was flooded, so we slept on the second floor.  We didn’t have kitchen, so we lived on snacks and juice for a long time.  Eventually we fixed up the first floor. 

I met Nozomi because my daughter is in the same class as Sue’s son.  After the tsunami I wanted to do something but didn’t know what to do.  I was a little hesitant about working at Nozomi because I have never made jewelry before.  However, I received a lot of compliments during the training time and started gaining confidence.  It was such good timing and a healing process.  Nozomi helped me take steps to move forward in my life.  If I hadn’t met Nozomi, I would have been stuck in hopelessness.  I don’t even know how to express my gratefulness towards the Nozomi staff who have cared for me.  I enjoy working at Nozomi and relating to my coworkers.

God is at work – this is truly something to talk about!