Rambling Notes from Japan
Here are some blog posts that we hope will make you feel a part of things, and help you understand how to pray better for us and Japan. Please see our external blog in Blogger, if this page does not display correctly.
Relief Work in Miyako-Taro
August 10, 2011 12:50
| Relief Work, Tohoku Earthquake, Tsunami
| Permalink
Taro is a mid-sized fishing community along the hard-to-evangelize coastal area of northern Japan. Twice in Taro's past (1896 and 1933) the town experienced major tsunamis that destroyed much. Small seawalls were built. Then in the 1960's Taro came up with a final solution: a 40-foot high super seawall built at the cost of billions of yen. The town felt secure and took great pride in this human testament
Foreigner, but Odor-free
Have any of you made any embarrassing mistakes recently? Anyone? I just want to know if I am writing to my equals. This week's mistake will probably earn some kind of recognition in the Hall of Shame. This past week, on a rainy day, I drove Kaori to her violin lesson. On the way home I had a little adventure. I found this can of car deodorizer a while ago. It’s been in our van since we bought it
Tsunami Stones
July 22, 2011 03:30
| Culture, Devotional, History, Tohoku Earthquake, Tsunami
| Permalink
His family perished in the water along with hundreds of others. His beloved town was destroyed beyond recognition. His family home and grave markers were washed away. First the earthquake. Then the waves of water that crushed everything in their path. There was little warning of the tragedy that came ashore that day. In the midst of his grief, the man desires that generations to come not endure the
Uncool Hero
Another sign of the times in Japan: a new superhero has been born. With the Fukushima nuclear power plant down (melted down), and the mecury up, Japan is scrambling to find the extra energy it needs to avoid summer blackouts. Everyone is being urged to turn off or turn down unneeded electric.Only in Japan would you find a superhero to champion the cause. Right out of the PR office of Tokyo's Power
No Second Opinions?
I was interested to see this hospital scene. That any doctor's opinion in highly vertical socially structured Japan is even questioned is a sign that, perhaps, things are changing a bit. The Second Opinion window, however, is obviously not getting much business. After hours? Shut down by the doctor's union? Shut down for lack of inquiries? Japanese patients embarrassed to appear so brazen? Perhaps
Symbols of Hope
As life in the Tokyo area returns to a new kind of "normal," the waves of challenges and sorrows continue in northern Miyagi and Iwate prefectures. It's easy to be so overwhelmed by the destruction and sadness of the area as to miss the symbols of hope... A solitary pine tree remains standing on a destroyed beachfront. It withstood the tsunami that destroyed everything around it. The tree has been
Brace for Impact?
June 4, 2011 12:17
| Devotional, Earthquake, Technology, Tsunami
| Permalink
As small aftershocks keep coming two and a half months after the major 3/11 quake, Japan's hi-tech Earthquake Early Warning System is getting increasing scrutiny. The hi-tech system was rolled out to much fanfare just a few years back. It's set up to ring, vibrate and flash the 125 million plus cell phones throughout Japan when an earthquake is imminent. Sounds great. Makes me feel more secure. Technology
Tsunami Ground Zero
April 7, 2011 08:55
| Earthquake, Tohoku Earthquake
| Permalink
I still haven't returned from tsunami ground zero. That is to say, although I've been back several days already, the reality of the scene is still with me. The incredible amounts of mud in once beautiful homes, the cars tossed around like toys, the shell-shocked people moving about sadly, the piles and piles of everything imaginable from the lives of so many now gone, the smells of kerosene and decay
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We serve with WorldVenture, an evangelical faith mission. Our sending/home church is Cornerstone Church of Lansing, Illinois.