An unfolding tragedy

It is now over 10 days since the earthquake struck and the ensuing tsunami caused such devastation of lives and property along the north-east coast of Honshu island. While the media coverage in the west continues to focus much on the nuclear plant in Fukushima, here the stories of human tragedy continue to emerge. Whole towns with reasonably-sized populations have just been wiped out along with many of the residents who failed to escape the waves in time. Many simply drowned. Many were fleeing with their special 'earthquake' bags filled with essential documents and basic suppplies but could not reach the high ground before the tsunami came crashing into their towns at heights no one could even have imagined. In many towns a line can be drawn where the waves stopped - on one side there is almost complete destruction; on the other houses stand as if nothing had happened. Different buildings serve as evacuation centres for those who have lost their homes. Some churches are using their buildings for that purpose. Getting sufficient supplies through can be a challenge. It is cold too. The elderly in particular find it hard. Obviously there are many physical needs. But so too are there emotional and spiritual needs. One of the tasks which needs to be done is identifying and then burying the dead. In some places mass graves have been prepared. But the task of finding survivors even yet is not over. In one place a 16 year old boy and his elderly grandmother were found (both amazingly well) after 9 days buried under the rubble of their house. The OMF team is preparing to go into one town from tomorrow and set up base at a church which suffered some damage during the tsunami but is still inhabitable on the second floor. Two missionaries who have scouted out the area have found some grim sights. The needs are vast. The task is great. But each of us can play our part, whatever that is, to bring relief, comfort and hope to those who need it so much.

Jesus' Hands and Feet

At the moment life is busy here. Since Friday we have been involved in coordinating a trip by a small team of OMF missionaries in Sapporo to one of the areas devastated by the tsunami from next Tuesday. Two of our colleagues who work in the north of Honshu have already gone to search out the area, make the necessary contacts and see in what ways OMF can help. An area has been identified, contact made with a local church which can be used and a decision made to use this visit to minister by way of providing simple hot meals and any other practical tasks which can be done. It is not a case of simply turning up and trying to help. There is lots we are learning as we go along and we are glad of the expertise of a group called CRASH which started a few years ago and is staffed mainly by missionaries which has the specific aim of reaching out to help people in crisis situations. At the moment we are gathering together supplies; a team is place; vehicles are ready; and we are trying our best to source the necessary equipment and not least the fuel which is in short supply in certain places. All being well the team of six will leave at 5am on Tuesday morning to connect with a ferry to Honshu at noon and then the long drive to the base camp. How it will all go, no one really knows. The key is flexibility. And a servant heart. One of our colleagues talked helpfully of being Jesus' hands and feet. We may well not be in contact with our missionary friends once they are in the area as communication is very difficult with no phone lines and few mobile providers which work there. We will try to keep you posted as to how things go. So how can you help? Please pray for the team for safety, stamina, good health and oppprtunties to love and serve people in Jesus name. If you would like to give to the relief effort in which OMF and other agencies invovled, you can do so by donating to the Sendai Earthquake Relief Fund which is an OMF project. If you are in the UK, visit the omf site at www.omf.org.uk and you will be able to give online or by cheque. It is a blessing to us to be able to help in some small way and to know the depth of care and support from round the world.

When disaster strikes

It was a day never to be forgotten. It was day which saw many lives lost in a moment. It was a day which saw some of the most horrific devastation left along vast areas of the coast and further inland on Japan's main island of Honshu. It is a day which has forever changed Japan. Things are not the same now and never will be. Although we felt the power and intensity of the earthquake to some extent where we are in Sapporo, we are far removed from the areas which were literally swallowed up the sheer force of the waves as the tsunami crashed into the north east coast of Honshu. Some had managed to flee to higher ground. Many did not. Thousands of people killed. Countless homes destroyed. Half a million in evacuation centres. The logistic challenge facing the country is almost unimaginable. The scenes on television screens, the stories of human tragedy leave everyone numbed and heavy-hearted. How do you begin to move on from here, far less to understand it? Even now there are many heroic efforts ongoing to find people as yet unreached. There are fears about the state of the nuclear reactor where some brave workers are risking their lives daily to fight off the threat of radioactive leak or worse. The immediate needs are vast. The long-term needs are also vast. What can we do? For the moment it is very difficult to get into the affected areas. OMF is joining with other agencies and looking to help in whatever way we can. We can of course be and are praying, caring for people and just being with people around us. What can you do? Of course pray. Give. Consider what practical help might be possible in the weeks and months that lie ahead. We plan to follow up this blog with more detail as to what we and you can do in the next entry which will appear soon. Meanwhile we appreciate the prayers and concern of so many. As we see the vast needs around us, may we also keep our eyes fixed on unseen things, on the Lord of grace and mercy who is in ways that may be a mystery to us working out his eternal purposes.

Masks

Seeing people wearing a white surgical mask is a common sight in Japan. People who have a slight cold, or do not want to risk catching a cold, can be seen with one of these masks that covers the whole of the mouth and part of the nose and is attached with elasticated string behind the ears. In times when flu is doing the rounds (it usually hits at some point in the winter months causing school classes, and even whole schools, to close for a few days) the masks are well on display. It's always a challenge for us to try to understand someone speaking Japanese behind a mask - it can be hard enough at the best of times! Recently we heard of a new trend in mask-wearing which has nothing to do with keeping clear from bugs or spreading your own. Some people are wearing (or perhaps it should be hiding behind) masks simply to give them a sense of security. Designer masks are now also in vogue. Some use the masks to hide what they feel they don't want others to see on their faces. There was a story of a high school girl who resorted to wearing a mask after being teased about being ugly. However, she was in time able to kick the habit by coming to the realisation that masks can conceal the face but not the heart. One of the discoveries we made early on in our time in Japan is that what you see on the surface is not necessarily the same as what lies underneath. That can apply in many ways from words spoken (or not spoken) to facial expressions to the way the dynamics work in a meeting or group setting. The trend of mask-wearing (for non-health reasons) seems to take that to yet another dimension.