The Palette Center in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture normally serves as a convention center — it’s huge, ultra-modern, and quite impressive.  It’s called the Palette Center because…well, it’s shaped as a Palette.  However, it’s current service is to house over 1,200 evacuees, both individuals who’ve lost their homes as well as those families relocated from the “hot zone’ around the nuclear plant.

I came to soon realize there wasn’t a lot I was going to be able to do there — we were with the Kokoro (heart) care team offering hand massages and conversation with the evacuees.  Having someone offer the support of touch and comfort is a great means of engaging with the people there, although many still haven’t said a lot about how they’re doing.  Since I wasn’t trained to offer such care, today I was an observer.

Kokoro care is under the CRASH Japan service category of “survivor care,” a term that still intrigues me, causing me to pause.  It’s likely there are people here who wish they’d be swept away in the tsunami having lost everything else, while others see only a dark future.  God has taught us that every life is important.  That’s why Japan needs people to share that truth.

These are the “private” living quarters, one section per family. Families are provided shelter, food, job and legal counseling, and childcare…some continue to work (the parking lot is packed with the cars evacuees used to relocate) and return back to the shelter.  Others can’t go back to their home or their jobs because everything about their lives are in the “hot zone.”

Leave it to Tommy and Rick, of course, to find friends quickly.  These soldiers are helping provide military equipment that allows the evacuees baths and showers, including water purification and portable facilities.  They quickly bonded chatting about guns and other weapons.  A lot.  Tommy claimed on Facebook that “I’m a man of few words.”  After hearing him talk about all sorts of different calibers, rifles, pistols, etc., all I can say is “HA!”  

Both soldiers are considering a future as career military.  Tommy and Rick were able to share about the reason they were visiting from the States and let them know about our ministry effort.

There’s been visitors from all over the world to offer their encouragement and help.  Posters and letters from different countries have been sent to those who now (must) call the Palette Center home.  Speaking of letters…

…Tommy and I were given letters from our children’s schools to deliver to the evacuees.  Mission accomplished!  The woman in the middle, one of the people in charge of the children’s program, is holding donated pencils, pens, and highlighters that I brought over from my school, Azusa Pacific.  Of course, our teammate Shannon — a Biola student — was mildly appalled (the Biola Eagles and APU Cougars are as bitter rivals as allowed in Christian community).

A big effort to offer some sense of normalcy to the children is in place.  This play area is within the convention center since there’s no place to play outside.  There’s donated toys and books which have been put to good use.

Each of the boxes was donated by a company, there’s someone (or sometimes several) who lives within the cardboard partitions.

Tommy said that he didn’t want to be a tourist amidst those who’d lost so much.  I see his point, but that’s probably how I was perceived.  Still, our job is to share what we saw and what we experienced on this trip back to the States and help bring people and support to Japan.  If that’s the best I can offer, I hope it’s somehow useful.

(By the way, to my El Marino friends, here’s proof I did bring the shirt with me!)

We said farewell to the CRASH Japan kokoro care team as they returned to the base in Nasu.  We may have offered just a glimpse of God’s goodness, but we hope it’s a start of more.

Once again, a shameless plug…think about coming to Japan!!  Last night, after dinner, I had a one-minute chat with the restaurant owner, telling her we were from the U.S. and why we were there.  It was one of many times that we were thanked profusely, which I received as humbly as possible.  I really don’t think I’m doing much here, but if just being here is helpful (see yesterday’s post) I’m glad to be of service.

More thoughts about our journey up north and gaijin moments in the next installment.  The prayers are making a difference!