Being with this team has meant some true silliness and levity.  Each person has been harassed and insulted – in a loving, edifying manner, of course – as we continue to travel.  We’ve covered already about 1,000 miles.  You can ask me later about Rev. Dr. Rick, Casper, the onsen and the ladies room.  Or maybe not.  I had a very nice dinner with Cam, Campus Crusade’s director in Japan and Steve, a retired TEAM missionary over some tasty miso ramen last night.  I’m nonetheless still pondering what I witnessed on Saturday. 

We arrived in Kamaishii, preparing to do whatever was needed.    I think it’s better that I let the photos speak for themselves, because I’m left speechless.  I’m only including a few of my photos.

It was in Kamaishii that warning sirens were activated at 2:46 p.m., exactly three (3) months since the tsunami that changed Japan forever.  We joined others in a moment of silence and prayer.  Tommy’s holding a piece of wood that says kiboo, “hope.”  Definitely what we’re praying for.

The New Life Church is one of the few buildings standing with manageable damage.  They’ve wiped down the building in order to serve as a distribution center for aid as well as a place for people to sit down and share tea and conversation.  They’re already holding services.  Pretty amazing.

While in Kamaishii, we got down and dirty – really dirty.  The pastor’s house, damaged by waters reaching eight or nine feet, had all of the drywall and flooring on the first floor stripped out.  We were asked to wipe down all of the beams and surfaces covered with sludge from the tsunami.  Already others have shoveled out the layers of toxic sludge, we’re just doing the finishing work.  It was still really dirty.  Without going into detail for now, we learned what it meant to serve gladly and humbly.

We then proceeded to Ikuzen-Takata.  Again, of the many photos I’ve taken, I’m including just a few.  More moments of being speechless.

Few buildings are standing.  Most of the houses and businesses were swept out with the tsunami.  All that’s left is debris.

Yet there is kiboo — there’s hope that’s evident.  We met the staff at the CRASH Japan base in Sendai.  One couple is here from Berkeley, he’s literally a rocket scientist (his Ph.D. is in Astrophysics).  Another worked in the jewelry business in Hawaii.  The base leader is professional translator quite fluent in both Japanese and English.  And one is about to return to Kentucky, he was given a month to work with CRASH Japan because he’s so valuable to his company. 

Then there’s the delightful teams of Campus Crusade students that are now here with servant’s hearts.

All have brought their God-given talents and gifts to help the work of Christ in Japan as volunteers.  These are all members of the millennial / post-millennial / post-modern / create your own label generation.  Their dedication and their service bring me great joy.  Again, divine intervention is teaching me to redefine the meaning of the word “joy.”  We of the more mature generation (how’s that for a euphemism?) have a lot to learn from those younger than us.  Are we listening?

I’m a day late with this edition of the blog and will need to do some catch up.  My next ramblings will be about a visit to the Seaside Bible Chapel and an incredible meeting with the Pastor and his wife, who both escaped the tsunami two minutes before it hit.  Tommy gets to meet his Dad’s cousin’s sister for the first time and filling in the family tree.  We’re now at the Nasu Base and will travel to one of the largest evacuation areas in Koriyama.  Thanks for the prayers.  See you at the next internet location.