The following are images taken From Google Earth that show different parts of Ishinomaki in March of 2010, March of 2011 soon after the earthquake and tsunami, and spring of 2012. I'm still struggling with the magnitude of what happened there and of our experience there, but wanted to post these to help provide context for what we witnessed.
You will notice small labels that highlight places we lived, worked and visited.
You can also follow this link to a GoogleMap that has some of those places called out.
First off our flight is on time. I'm typing this at the gate as we wait. The teens are pretty exhausted, but in good spirits. Our flight lands @ 8:45am on Monday morning. Flight #DL618. Sorry for any typos going forward. You all know how autocorrect is.
The last two days in Tokyo have been a good time for our team. We have walked more miles and taken more trains than I care to count. We hiked 2 miles in the heat with our packs on, took in fireworks, and got caught in a crowd of 1 million people all trying to push to get home. That was only day one.
Tokyo is one of those cities where it feels like you could spend a month and still not touch all it has to offer. So our two days were only enough to scratch the surface. I think that's a pretty strong metaphor for the trip as well. We attempted to spend two weeks living lives focused on service and God. For all the adventures we experienced and ways we saw God move it still feels like we just barely scratched the surface of the deep waters of faith.
Last night as we had our final meeting it was amazing to look around at the lives represented and see the ways they've grown. Our teens accomplished much, but I would argue that God accomplished much more inside of them. The time of prayer at the end was especially rich as they thanked God for His provision. You can hear their hearts beginning to come to life.
As we bring them back home to you let me offer up two things. First, your teens really have evolved into people who not only love God, but better understand what a life of worship looks like. They have more confidence from their travels and they've seen more tragedy than most will ever experience in a lifetime. Secondly, they're still processing all of these experiences. Your teens might not be fully able to explain everything they've seen and felt yet. It will probably take a while for them to spill out all their stories and the ones you get initially might be the superficial (ie. onsen) ones. Keep digging deeper with them though. They have significant things to say. Ask them for both the fun and the difficult, the superficial and the spiritual.
They will be severely jet lagged. It's going to take a couple days for them to feel "normal" again.
Thank you for trusting me with your teens lives. Hopefully the trust will pay off richly. My prayer for them is that all the successes will be multiplied and the difficulties redeemed in such a way that they follow Jesus with everything inside of them with all of their lives. We'll see you soon!
I asked Christi to write a blog post on the experience that half the group had in Kyoto yesterday. Good stuff.
Buddhist Tea Ceremony
Yesterday was a full day of sightseeing in Kyoto. Groups had the opportunity to walk through the bamboo forest, visit a monkey temple, and do a little souvenir shopping.
One of the groups also stumbled upon a Buddhist tea ceremony at one of the temples in the area. After embracing our American roots with lunch at McDonald's (sometimes you just want a burger), we decided to go to a nearby temple hailed as the largest in Japan for "pure land" Buddhism, the most popular sect in Japan.
Arriving at the temple, we all observed the unique structure and architecture of the temple itself (interestingly, it's apparently the largest wooden building in the world). As we walked into the main hall we realized a tea ceremony was about to start and decided to stay and observe.
The students all watched interestedly and after leaving we all sat on the steps outside and talked for quite awhile about what we had witnessed. Among the comments made, the kids observed how sad it was that the people were paying homage to an inanimate statue; that there seemed to be no joy or life in the ceremony; and that even the decor of the temple felt dark and oppressive.
As we continued walking and talking, the kids then began to think through how it compared to their own faith. One of the particularly striking things that several kids commented on was how the Buddhists ring gongs to "wake" their gods. The kids talked about how cool it is that our God never slumbers or sleeps- no need to wake him up! We were reminded of the words to the song "Christ is Risen"- our God is not dead, he's alive, he's alive!
Students also talked about what might draw someone to Buddhism, particularly tradition or cultural influence. We talked about how the same thing happens in the Christian faith- people can go to church their whole life because "it's what we do" without ever making that faith their own. This led to some awesome discussions about what it looks like to really own your faith and build a relationship with God.
It may sound funny to say it, but that trip to a Buddhist temple was truly one of the many God-ordained moments of the trip. How awesome for our students (and leaders!) to be reminded that we serve a God who is alive and that there are people who desperately need to hear that message.
If you haven't tried it yet you really must know that Shinkansen (the bullet train) is the best form of travel known to mankind. It's fast, efficient, comfortable, and quiet; the perfect spot for processing our trip.
As I've been sitting here chatting with our teens I've been encouraged and blessed by their spiritual growth and their impressions of the trip.
Just yesterday we capped off our time in Ishinomaki by visiting Onagawa,the neighboring town which was possibly the hardest hit by the tsunami. Words won't do any justice to the feelings that arise when you drive over the crest of the hill into Onagawa. The town is on a peninsula, so when the wave hit it squeezed them from two sides. The first couple blocks on one side of the hill looked bad. Obviously flooded and badly damaged. The other side was a different story entirely. The main section of town with its seaport and the two valleys that branch off of it were literally wiped from the map by the tsunami.
We stood on the hillside by the hospital over looking a valley that was now completely empty, with only a couple remaining apartment buildings left. Those two buildings were on their sides though and one was missing four stories. The pictures we posted yesterday show it. At the hospital on the hill we were about 90 feet above sea level. It was an evacuation point where most of the city fled to. Only problem was the waves reached 100 feet high. Swamping not only the evacuation point but the whole first floor of the supposedly safe hospital. Needless to say many people lost their lives right there. There were actually three massive waves that day. After the first one hit most people thought they would be safe and stepped out to escape. Unfortunately the wave met its counterpart on the opposite side created a whirlpool effect and rebounded back at the hospital, sweeping many people out to sea as they fled.
We then drove into one of the valleys where they have begun to collect the debris. It feels much like driving up to go skiing, with the road dwarfed on both sides with drifts that rise 20 feet into the sky, except these drifts are all made of rubble and garbage. It is surreal to look at the piles and see personal effects spread among the debris. Those mile long piles of garbage represent countless lives that were ripped to shreds on that fateful day.
We finished our time there sitting by the water meditating and processing the destruction we had seen. It was a sobering time to say the least. The teens were dead silent for the 35 minute ride back. Emotionally it is one of the most devastating things I've personally experienced and it hit even harder with our kids, all of whom had never seen something on that magnitude of suffering. It will take a lot of time to process what we saw.
That being said, we had a fantastic finish to the trip. God really stepped into our midst and began to change hearts and lives. Many of our teens had been struggling to connect how scooping mud from the bottom of a house could possibly be beneficial to helping people. Seeing Onagawa changed everything and brought the enormity of what we took part in into stark contrast.
All told we accomplished much as a team. We finished 5 houses (As far as we could, apparently we're not professional carpenters. Who would've guessed?). We served four separate temporary housing complexes and built relational bridges for the church in Ishinomaki, significant because our presence in those complexes is a first for volunteer groups like ours. We enabled the church to have a permanent Friday night cafe concert series to connect with the community. We also were able to be of encouragement and blessing to the staff of Grace Mission Tohoku, our hosts. I wish I had the time to type all of the stories that our team has, and I don't even know half of them. The ways God moved and worked are too numerous to count.
On a trip like this there is always a purpose for what we do that seems to emerge only only with the ability to look in hindsight. It takes time and reflection to discover beyond the surface relief work and general spiritual growth. As I've processed with our staff people I think we have finally identified what our unique purpose and learning experience was. Last year in San Francisco it felt like God wanted to show our team how he worked and what it felt like to have his power move through us in ministry. It was like a jolt to the system, comparable to a caffeine boost from a Red Bull. This trip feels far different. Instead of the quick jolt this feels more on par with a gentle simmering of God's presence. Perhaps more comparable to a 24 hour release Prilosec (ha!). God work in and through us took more time and was hard won. My belief is that where last year was about God's work this year is about God's character. We were really discovering as a team who He is and what that means for us. Especially in terms of waiting on God and realizing that sometimes God moves in a quiet whisper rather than in the fire, thunder, and earthquakes of spiritual life that we like to see (1 Kings 19). It felt very much like moving from instant gratification spirituality to deeply rooted and tempered faith. Our teens are growing from spiritual infancy into adults in their faith. This trip is probably one that is going to take months to fully process.
Either way, as I ride on this train I feel incredibly blessed to work with our teens. They have gotten rave reviews from every team and staff person they've come in contact with. Probably the best compliment was that they renewed and refreshed many of the long staff members with the way they lived out their faith and worshipped. That's an incredible thing to hear and is a real credit to our kids actually living as the body of Christ and living like their lives depend on it.
Be praying for these last four days as we debrief and process as a team. Pray that God would really reveal lessons to our hearts and that he would give wisdom to see how He has worked. Also pray for refreshment and a rich time of relational growth. Our God is good!
I asked Charlotte to write about the team's experience at the Onagawa Temporary Housing on Monday:
On Thursday, Friday, Monday and yesterday (Tuesday) groups of us went to four different temporary housing locations, and I'd like to share with you a few of our most memorable encounters there. There are so many stories to share, and so I'll apologize in advance for the length of this post. You might want to grab a cup of coffee as you read!
At each housing complex, as you already know, we planted flowers with the residents there, did crafts and performed small musical concerts. These activities gave us many opportunities to interact with the residents, and as our time progressed students grew bolder using the small amount of language they have learned to communicate. Jenny and Meredith have picked up phrases quickly were especially bold. Alex, Emily and Ryan have put their language studies to good use as they often translated for others in our group. Alex and Emily wrote name tags in Japanese for each member of our team. All the students have now given their self introduction in Japanese, and the residents especially love hearing how old we are! What has been most powerful for us, however, has been listening to specific stories from people who experienced the terror and powerful destruction of the tsunami.
One woman spoke of her experience running to the mountains to escape the tsunami with only the clothes on her back. She said that as she waited on the mountain it was cold and snowy and during those first twenty-four to forty-eight hours there was nothing to do but wait and endure the cold, wet snow. Once she came down from the mountain there was no way to get out of town and no way to contact her son to see if he was o.k., nor did he have any information about her. This experience is common. She pointed out that the clothes she was wearing now, and every piece of clothing she has, have been given to her by Christian groups, and she is thankful.
Another man said he managed to run back to his house and grab his camera before running up the mountain. After our musical concert, he pulled out a half dozen large photo albums and invited us to join him looking at the photos. Along with two young mothers, he shared his story. He said he wanted to take the photos so that the next generation, like the young children of the two woman who were currently playing in the room, would know and remember what had happened. One photo showed a man sitting on top of his floating house, surrounded by water. The woman said this man was her friend's dad who was, luckily, rescued. When the wave first washed back out towards sea they said the water was calm enough for rescue, but subsequent recessions of the water were more violent. Another woman spoke of wanting to help people who were crying out but there was no chance of a successful rescue and so she had to run to save herself.
Amidst these sad stories our students have cheered on and supported the residents through their presence and smiles. During crafts at Onagawa West a woman commented that the girls surrounding her gave off joy and energy that she needed. Students, just be being themselves, have brought out countless smiles and happy laughs from residents. Fiona especially connected with a woman when she found small green frogs outside. The woman also loved frogs and we made a friend as several of us joined Fiona and the woman and talked about the different sounds frogs make in Japanese and in English (kero-kero versus ribbit-ribbit). She came back the next day when we visited the other half of her temporary housing complex. Jenny, who has been quite bold speaking to residents, initiated conversation between herself, a few other girls (Amy, Alex Figone, and Anna) and some women who were sitting around tables outside. Yesterday, after crafts were completed, another woman started playing the piano we had brought and explained some traditional Japanese songs to us. Bethany sat next to her and Ariel and Devon joined them and soon we were talking again about the tsunami. Her story was similar and yet unique. She explained that with her house completely gone, her children in a far-away city, and with her being past working-age she really didn't know what to do. She asked for our opinion as to whether she should try to rebuild or to rent an apartment, explaining that although she could get a loan she would never be able to pay it back. Through the help of Satoshi, a Grace Mission Tohoku staff member, we explained that because we are Christians when we encounter problems that seem to have no solution we bring them to God in prayer. We offered to pray for her. She seemed reluctant, saying that her husband, who was a fisherman, would pray everyday to the Shinto god in their house for safety and good luck for the day, but that she wasn't religious. After some more conversation we asked her again if we could pray for her. She agreed. When we bowed our heads and closed our eyes she did the same, but kept one eye open glancing around to see if we were really serious and whether or not all of use were actually closing our eyes. Ariel prayed for the woman and asked God to give her guidance and support. Satoshi translated the prayer, and when we finished we told her that we would be praying for her even after we left Ishinomaki. Her name is Kyoko.
In addition to connecting with adults, the students have made special connections with young kids and other students as well. Yesterday we met three girls who are in 7th grade. While eating dinner together they asked why we came to Ishinomaki. This is a question that residents often ask and the older residents specifically want to know how we paid for the trip. Meredith was bold in telling these three girls that we came because we are Christians and serve a God who loves us and loves them. She then shared the gospel story. The girls said this was the first they have ever heard the story. Last week Mack connected with a small boy who stuck to his side like glue. They played and played in the parking lot and then Mack helped him get his dinner and sat together with him in the middle of the bench of a picnic table filled with older men. Simply being there is what matters. Residents have told us that it is the Christian groups, specifically, who have stuck around. In this way, just our presence is a testament to God's love and one that requires no translation.
At each complex we also have performed some music. At Watanoha 1 during our first day of visits, some residents came into the community center while Ariel, Alex Tymchenko and Emily practiced. As they heard us singing some traditional Japanese folk songs they joined in and invited others to come inside. Soon there were about eight residents. They explained that in this room they had a kind of Church meeting and that they were studying some hymns. They brought out their own music and we sang together "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" in Japanese with them as well as "Amazing Grace." Some other of our students were sitting in the back and between songs the residents asked if we were all Christians. When they heard our positive reply they looked both surprised and impressed. One woman said she was an "egg" Christian - not even a baby yet but she is learning and wants to learn more. It was amazing to be able to share our music and our faith in this interaction.
Constantly the residents thank us as we go about our work at each complex. One housing unit, Onagawa East, went above and beyond our expectations, however, and showered us with gifts. After planting flowers we were told the residents wanted to dance for us. They set up two large taiko drums and we brought out chairs for the other residents who were gathered. They asked us to sit in front on the ground as they had a surprise for us. The music began (the booming of the taiko felt powerfully somewhere inside your chest, accompanied by the high trill of a wooden flute). And then a dragon peered out from behind a parked bus and danced around us, pretending to devour each of our heads in turn. This was for good luck. After the dragon dance they invited our students to try out the drums for a little while and then three different woman preformed traditional Japanese dances. We felt quite blessed by their outpouring, and as if that wasn't enough they then presented each of us with handmade goodies (knitted scrubbies, bags made from Japanese cloth and tissue holders). Considering that all their worldly possessions, including their houses and towns were washed out to sea this was a very poignant experience for us.
Through these four days at temporary housing we have truly seen the presence of God in the small connections we have made and the larger relationship we have cultivated on behalf of Grace Mission Tohoku (GMT). We are learning that God is bigger than the language barrier, bigger than we can comprehend, and he is working. Although we will probably never see these residents again on this side of heaven, GMT will continue to minister to these people after we leave, and that is encouraging. Please continue to pray for the residents of Watanoha 1 and 2, and Onagwa East and West.
Today we will all be headed out to different houses to help reclaim them
for their owners. We'll be stoping early today to have an opportunity to get a larger perspective on the impact of the tsunami on this area. So far we've had a ground level view, getting to see the impacts to individuals and neighborhoods. Today we will get to move a little higher up to get wider view and put our macro level experience into perspective.
We partnered together with the Onagawa West temporary housing community to plant flowers. This will add beauty and creates a lasting memory with our team. Super sweet to watch our teens side by side with the residents.
