Back to Iwate

Almost a year to the day since last being here, David is back in Iwate with a team of 6 people, including once again Daniel and Matthew.  The journey was much the same - overnight ferry crossing, a three hour drive down the coast, arriving yesterday afternoon and settling into the team room at the OMF building in Miyako.  Things have changed and moved on in the intervening twelve months.  OMF has had a couple working here full-time since last September along with a Japanese couple and more recently others added to the relief work team, including a volunteer helping with different carpentry projects.  A big change since a few months ago is that OMF's work is now concentrated on a place called Yamada where a temporary building has been put in place offering local people a place to come and gather and enjoy some goodies in a bright and welcoming environment.  It was great to be able to see that place today but more than that, to see so many coming and going at different points in the day.  This morning we set off for a temporary housing area, having arranged in advance to hold an event in the small room set aside for such gatherings.  A number of mainly older ladies gathered and it was a great time of chatting, eating some snacks and making a craft together.  At the end our team sang a song with which the local ladies joined in and as they ate lunch (barbecued frankfurter sausages in tortilla!) we serenaded them with a song which has become popular here called God Bless You.  During the craft time some members of the team were preparing the barbecue and it was good to spend time with some of the men (all of them fishermen) who came to enjoy some food and chat.  After we had packed up, we headed back to the cafe in Yamada which was in full flow.  Round about the OMF place, a number of temporary shops had sprung up, and even a temporary hot spring bath which is offered free to local people.  We went to visit another area of town where an 86 year old man introduced us to a local community centre where every other month the old folk from round about gather for karaoke, but their equipment was now old and out-dated.  When, where, how, in what ways can and should OMF be involved in reaching out to meet the needs people in different areas of these communities?  As almost the only foreigners in the town, the OMF team stick out.  News passes round the community by word of mouth.  There are huge opportunities in Yamada but many challenges too.  From what we saw today, God is beginning to do a work there in that town of some 17,000 people where many properties have been destroyed, many have been displaced into temporary housing and the heart of the community was ripped apart by the tsunami of last March.  Yet, there is hope and people are moving on.  The OMF motto is 'one step at a time'.  It is encouraging to see these small steps forward and we look forward to being part of the work here during this week.