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.

Last night we had a party to celebrate Olivia’s fifth birthday.  It was a bit cozy, but we invited the other three Asian Access families over – thirteen kids in all!  We had ordered Disney’s “Tangled” (the story of Rapunzel) DVD from Amazon U.S., and it arrived just three hours before the party started. Woohoo!  Everyone- adults and all – enjoyed watching it together.  (It just came out in the theatres in Japan, so most of the group had not seen it yet).

The girls had fun during the party donning princess dresses, and Livvy received some special princess clothes as well… I told her that it was going to make me cry when she tried on the white one…

A fun picture Ian and mom took together…

This theme was a fun cake to make… If you’re going to make a Rapunzel cake, you have to make the tower, and you have to make the hair… Eric was a saint and stayed up with me till 1 am the night before helping with the design and making Rapunzel’s face.

Kent M. and Erik B. were in and out at the party, doing their last minute preparation for their upcoming trip to Sendai to do relief work.  They left this morning for six days.  We had a chance to pray over them, and to also pray as a group for Peter who is up in Sendai for four days.

We are still waiting for more information about Eric going up to Tohoku on Tuesday for four or five days.  This morning during worship we were so encouraged as one of the wives in our group shared that God has really given her a burden to go up to Sendai and do relief work, as well.  Her husband and son have been thinking of going, too.  Our prayer has been to see teams of Japanese from our area going with Eric, so we are praying for the possibility of Eric and the Y. family (and possibly others as well) going back up over Golden Week (a string of national holidays in Japan)  the first week of May.

Our colleague Peter drove up yesterday to Sendai until Tuesday;  tonight we prayed off our other two partners Kent and Erik B. who are leaving in the morning to drive up for six days with a van full of supplies;  Eric is hoping to leave on Tuesday morning and help drive supplies and then assist in relief efforts next week.

There are still many stories of huge needs.  Evacuation centers are the easiest places for the government and others to reach;  bu there are stories though of near-starvation for those who have returned to  their homes but without transportation and other bare necessities.  Here is one of the stories from a Japanese newspaper about the real hunger needs of many.

A missionary colleague, Gary F., just returned from a number of days in Ishinomaki.  He shared this story on his blog:

Yesterday morning we almost had a riot over food.  Well, if I’m honest, I guess we DID have a riot over food; it’s just hard to admit that.  It happened so suddenly.  It was pretty scary for a few moments, and it was overwhelming.  Without warning, the line broke and these normally well-tempered and polite Japanese folk lost all restraint and started diving for what was left of the food.  Some had gone before others who were still waiting in line (they were at the front of the line and had been let in first).  In the opinion of some who were still in line, the people let in before them were taking too much for themselves.  We had brought cleaning supplies, undergarments, water, cooking and hygiene kits — even a couple wheelbarrows — but not enough to eat, apparently.  Just after we unloaded, I heard one person comment from near the head of the line, “there’s hardly any food.”  Hindsight being 20-20, I guess that’s what started it all.

The first morning things had been somewhat orderly and we finished with a “feeding frenzy” at the end with what was left but, overall, it went well and without any incident.  Yesterday, disorder and confusion abounded.  People were not fist-fighting or harming each other but there was a lot of pushing and grabbing and everyone was out for themselves.  It was like a rogue wave, first, there was an orderly line and then, out of nowhere, a flood of bodies broke ranks and descended upon the food.  With the initiative of the first group, the rest of the line quickly followed suit.  Someone looked over and said to me, “it looks like it’s a ‘wash'” which caused me to start yelling to ask everyone to move back.  No one heeded my voice but, why would they?  What would I do if I were in their position?  Probably the same thing.  For the first time in my life I saw real starvation impulses; I saw desperation and self-preservation at work; I saw human need in all its raw and naked reality.  If what I saw the first day was “hunger” then what I saw yesterday was “famine.”  I will never forget those few seconds or minutes or however long it was.  Things were totally out of control.

In my own panic, I threatened them with words.  I said, “if you don’t get back in line then we won’t come back!”  Not only did it not seem to register but people seemed to become even more intense in their actions.  I saw others running away with hands full, looking over their shoulders to see if anyone was coming after them.  I saw those of us who were supposed to be supervising all of this just standing by helpless.  I saw sheer chaos although I would say it was “Japanese chaos” with a modicum of dignity and restraint, even though they were going at it pretty hard.  That part, that self-respectfulness which normally won’t let a Japanese hurt another person (no matter how they feel), definitely made it easier even though it was still hard.

Eric said this is hard to imagine from when he was there;  the lines had been so orderly; the people dignified.  This is a new stage, it seems.  Everyone is weary;  not getting enough food must be so tiring.  There is still REAL NEED IN TOHOKU!  Please keep praying;  keep giving.

Here is a post from Chad and Jennifer Huddleston, who are organizing the B-1 Hope for Tohoku group that Eric is hoping to go with next week.

They visited a nursing home that has been turned into a shelter and gave them some more supplies.  They met a couple of young ladies there who had lost everything, so they spent some time getting some clothing together for them.  They also made it back to the home of a family they met a couple of weeks ago.  The mother was at home with their two small children when the tsunami hit.  Somehow as the water rushed into their home, she was able to grab onto a tire that came floating boy, got her children on top of it and held onto them for over 12 hours!!  Later they were rescued and eventually reunited with the father who had been working at the time.  Today, this family took them to an open field nearby where they were able to set up and distribute supplies.  It warmed my heart to hear that people remember our team members by name and are so excited to see them again!  Thank you for helping us make an impact in people’s lives with your giving and your prayers! 

We just heard from a group in Hawaii who have sent a large donation to help us with relief – we are so touched!  Thank you to each of you who have given in different ways.  I really believe that God blesses those who are generous.