12/9 Friday: Ishinomaki - First Concert

After a quick breakfast, we loaded into a van on loan from "Help Tohoku" (a ministry of MTW) and drove into Ishinomaki.  I'm the driver again this time, and it seems so normal to be on the left side of the road.  Plus, I'm remembering the roads fairly well too, so haven't needed a map or the GPS much at all.  Weird.

First impressions of the disaster areas: 99% of the debris is gone, only a few damaged houses & buildings are seen, many "vacant" lots where houses used to stand.  

Note the debris pile in the background

     Thought we'd be seeing many work crews rebuilding houses or infrastructure, but have only seen a few. Odd, and I wonder what is delaying the rebuilding process.  I also find myself wishing the team could have seen the mess before so they could appreciate the vast amount of work that has been done.  Have heard that all people who used to live in emergency shelters (school gyms, etc.) have moved to temporary housing.  One such place is near the Guest House, and it has expanded from two long rows of units this past June to 5 or more rows now.  

      It takes 90 minutes to 2 hours to drive into the disaster areas of Ishinomaki where Andy and Lorna have been doing a lot of work.  How they do that commute every day is beyond me - they're looking for a place to live in the area, but it's tricky to find something appropriate when everything is either in ruins or long since rented out.

We stopped at a "conbini" - a convenience store - for a little snack.  Turned out to actually be a nice cultural plunge for the team, as they enjoyed exploring new foods, and doing simple purchases.

We headed into the Watanoha neighborhood, and found the house being used for storage of supplies for a weekly "takidashi" - handing out emergency food.  Our team job was to unload a van full of supplies and organize it inside the house.  Bev and Rachel like to organize so as we pulled box after box out, they did a quick sort outside on the vacant lot next door.  Then we arranged it all inside the house so Lorna could get the supplies she needed.

After lunch, we drove to a Homac store (similar to Home Depot) where we met Andy and Lorna and the Huddlestons, missionary friends also working in Watatnoha.  We changed into our costumes there (inside the van!) and drove a couple miles to an old folks home for our first concert.  

We 6 (Mika was still in Sendai) sang for about 40 minutes and people seemed to really enjoy it.  Our songs are mostly in English, but we include a verse in Japanese on several songs.  Some of the songs are fairly well known: Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Joy To The World, and Silent Night. People often start to sing along - fun!  Afterwards, we chatted with the folks and took a lot of photos.  They really enjoyed putting on the bonnets and hats.

Bev, Rachel, Celia, Cheri, Keith, Mark (Mika was still in Sendai)

Chad and Jennifer Huddleston were our main contact there.  They were delighted with the connections that the concert provided, especially because the leaders invited them to bring other such groups in the future.  Hurray!

We drove back to the Guest House, stopping at the Seiyu grocery store to get supplies for making our own meals.  We are taking turns making supper, and tonight Celia and Keith made an Italian style meal out of only Japanese items.  It was yummy!  Andy & Lorna and Anne joined us, and we debriefed about the day and the concert. It was a great day, and we're all pleased to be here and getting started in our music ministry.

At the Guest House: Keith & Celia, Andy, Rachel, Cheri, Mark, Anne, Bev, Lorna

12/8 Thursday: Tokyo > Sendai > Takayama

Next morning, we all woke up early - 4:00 AM for me - due to jet lag.  We made coffee and shared a small breakfast and got ready for the day.  Rob Stoddard met us at 8:30 to take us to the train. 

Mark & Bev in Hope House kitchen

 Joining us on the trip to Takayama was Anne Lynn, a new intern who will be working with Gilberts for the next 6 months.

Rob and Ann at Hope House getting ready to take us to the train

As we loaded our luggage in his van, I realized my suitcase with the costumes for Mika, Celia, and Keith was missing!  After double-checking the house, we concluded the only possibility was that I inadvertently left it on the luggage carousel at the airport.  Aaargh!  Silly me hadn't done a good count of bags like I usually do.  

So instead of taking a train directly to Tokyo, we had to take a couple trains back out to Narita, where after a bit of nervous searching (and hopeful prayers) it was found!  Whew!  Now we were 3 hours behind schedule.  Made some phone calls to Mika in Sendai who was expecting us for lunch and she graciously adjusted her plans.  

Took the Narita Express - nice train - to Tokyo Station, bought some obento lunches on the platform, then hopped on the bullet train to Sendai.  It's always a great experience to travel 150 mph on wheels!

After a 2 hour trip (it takes 7 hours by car on the expressway) we arrived in Sendai at 3:15 and were met by MIka and Keith & Celia.  We walked a few minutes with all our luggage (yes, I counted this time) to Mika's condo, and after some refreshments, had our first actual group rehearsal.   

Rehearsal: (l-r) Mika, Bev, Mark, Keith, Cheri, Celia, Rachel

 It was the first time for all 7 of us to actually sing together - crazy! - but we sounded pretty good.  I'm amazed at how this team has come together.  I knew ahead of time that the musicianship of the singers was strong, that everyone could sight-read their part in the music, comfortable singing acappella, and that the SATB parts were well covered.  But to hear it for the first time was a special joy.  Mika's neighbor and daughter heard us singing and came over, so Mika invited them in to listen.  She told me later that it was the first time for them to ever come inside and visit, and she was grateful for that connection.

We collected our stuff (yes, I counted bags again) around 4:30 and headed back to Sendai Station.  Mika needed to stay for a concert of her own that evening, so we 6 plus Anne took a local express train 15 minutes out to Tagajo.   Andy Gilbert met us and took us to the EFCA Guest House in Takayama where we'll be staying these next 10 days.  The team met Lorna, had a yummy supper, and settled in.

The first order of business was for Keith and Celia to try on the costumes we brought.  The dress didn't fit Celia, but Cheri swapped outfits with her, and presto - everything worked out fine. Amazing!  A huge "thank you!" to Marsha Stueckle and Evergreen Family Theatre, to Mark Lewis and The Attic Theatre, and to Scott Lee for their collaboration to loan costumes and help us look like we come out of Victorian England.

It was a long, long day, and it's great to be here!

12/6-7: Seattle > Tokyo

Bev, Cheri, Rachel and I met at Westminster Chapel for a van ride to Sea-Tac. (Thanks for driving, Sean!) Check-in went smoothly, but because Bev and I were on "standby" status, our seats weren't confirmed until after Cheri and Rachel had already boarded.  A bit of a nervous moment there but it all worked out.  (We were standby because a generous friend of a friend was able to make 2 tickets available on Delta's buddy pass system which saved our team a lot of money!) 

Surprise visitor!  ;-)

The 10-hr flight was uneventful, and we arrived at Narita in good shape but a little cross-eyed.  Rob Stoddard, our EFCA ReachGlobal host in Tokyo, met us, and after a quick supper at the airport we drove to Hope House and settled in for the night.  Hope House is a very typical Japanese house where many visiting teams stay.  It hadn't been lived in much when our first JDRC team stayed there last June, but now it's been dusted off pretty well.  It even has bunk beds now, but the sagging floor near the bath room is still exciting.

Countdown to Caroling

We fly from Seattle to Tokyo in less than a week.

Between now and then, we've got some countdown items to take care of...
   10. Today through departure: finalize remaining team responsibilities and itinerary details (as much as possible);
   9. Today: try to kick a sore throat and cold that's grabbed me - yuck!
   8. Thursday: try to find some final costume items, esp. Christmas vests for the guys;
   7. Friday: print off some info cards for people who would like to join our support team;
   6. Saturday: take care of extra house chores since I'll be gone for a couple weekends;
   5. Sunday morning:  our sending church will introduce and pray for us in 4 morning services;
   4. Sunday evening: our first official Caroling time - we only have 4 members of the full 7-singer group, but somehow we'll manage a complete SATB arrangement for the songs.
   3. Monday morning: double check banking, passport, international driver's license, flights, etc.
   2. Monday afternoon: pack my suitcase, plus an extra check-on bag with bonnets and top hats and costumes for the 3 team-members already in Japan;
   1. Tuesday: all get together at 9 AM in Bellevue for van ride to SeaTac airport, and departure.
   0. Tuesday afternoon: "This is Delta flight 295 bound for Tokyo, Japan..."


PS (on 1/5/12): Here's a photo of the 4 of us singing on 12/4 Sunday evening.  Great start!

Bev, Rachel, Cheri, and Mark (l-r) caroling for the first time - for a mesmerized audience!

Christmas Caroling in Ishinomaki ??

Renewed hope is one of most urgent needs for the survivors of the tsunami.  And one of the most powerful sources of hope is music, especially songs of joy, cheer, and love.

So here comes the Dickens Christmas Carolers.  This won't be any ordinary caroling group.  Of course, we'll be singing the traditional carols (and a few contemporary favorites too) so we can sing almost anywhere: the open air, shopping malls, hospitals, schools, you name it.  But because the carols are full of the true meaning of Christmas, we'll have the opportunity to talk about the Gospel, and build new relationships among the audience with the local churches and missionaries.

We're putting together a 7-member ensemble from Westminster Chapel, plus our former staff member and good friend, Mika Takana who lives in Sendai.  We'll dress up in Victorian-era clothes (thanks to Marsha Stueckle and the Evergreen Family Theatre) and sing acappella carols all over Ishinomaki.

Our partners and hosts are Andy and Lorna Gilbert, who we connected with on the June trip to the tsunami area.  They are working hard to put the details together for our time there.

Meanwhile, the members here are raising support, rehearsing music, and preparing to travel to Japan.  Check back soon for more about the members of the team.

Tokyo-Seattle; 6/21

David, Izo, Sylvia, and Masumi at Kawagoe Station

This is the day that happens twice.  When you fly across the Pacific from Tokyo to Seattle, you cross the dateline.  So get this: we left the Suzuki's apartment this morning at 9:30 AM, travelled 3 hours to Narita Airport, had 3.5 hours for check-in, lunch, money exchange, etc., then flew 8.5 hours and arrived in Seattle at 8:40 AM the same day, 50 minutes before we left the apartment.  Anyone singing "The Twilight Zone" theme song?

Izo and Masumi Suzuki were wonderful hosts, and staying with them has restored our energy and spirits as we return home.  We're grateful for their hospitality!  

The flight back to Seattle was uneventful - nice! - and it was great to arrive in a sunny Seattle with blue skies and Mt Rainier greeting us.  We'll have several days of jet-lag to deal with, finalizing the trip budget accounting, and following up on contacts and connections we made in Tohoku.  Also have to remember to drive in the right-side lane…

The three phases of disaster response are Rescue (measured in days & weeks), Relief (measured in months), and Recovery (measured in years).  On this trip, we often found ourselves at the pivot point from Relief to Recovery.  Some places, especially in the Watanoha section of Ishinomaki, still look like the tsunami happened last week: debris and mangled cars are all mushed up alongside rubble-filled houses.   Many other places, such as parts of Onagawa, have cleared the debris and the land is ready for reconstruction.  In other areas scattered around the disaster area, rebuilding has already begun.  How long it will take to completely recover is a guess - I'd say 4 or 5 years in most places, but yesterday in Ikebukuro I talked to a lady from Onagawa who thought her town would need up to 10 years to recover.

Yet as we talked about measuring the success of our trip, we realized that much of the meaning of this trip has less to do with the tangibles of buildings and food, though we did plenty of that kind of work, and more to do with the intangibles of providing hope, lifting spirits, and establishing friendships.

A local train and rice fields in Tohoku

Throughout the this trip, I kept noticing rice fields in various stages: some just being planted, some with just little seedlings, some with a month's growth.  It encouraged me to realize that the seasons of life are happening in Japan, and also are occurring in Tohoku. It will take time and much, much work, but I'm optimistic that the seeds are being planted for recovery, not only in buildings and civic infrastructure, but also in people's hearts and lives.  We're praying that hope will grow fast, and that true Hope will find root and bring life to many.

Ishinomaki-Sendai-Tokyo; 6/18, 19, 20

These are the countdown days to wrap up our time here and prepare to return to Seattle.  

On Saturday 6/18, we spent the morning cleaning up the Guest House and doing laundry.  After we leave on Sunday, another team is arriving for a week of work in Ishinomaki with the Gilberts.  We wanted to do our part as well as prepare the place for the next group.  It's been nice to stay here and a good place to be restored each evening after working in the disaster areas.

Guest House - we've been staying on the first floor.

Shichigahama beach with shipping containers still waiting to be removed.

That afternoon, we went to Ishinomaki to have a special meeting with Aoyama Sensei about some ongoing English outreach opportunities.  The first event is next Monday 6/20, but since we won't be here, we're passing the torch to Amy Newsome.  So she was at the meeting to meet Aoyama Sensei and they hit it off well.  Lorna Gilbert was also there because she'll be the ongoing connection for these opportunities.  Aoyama Sensei also invited his sister to attend - she's an English teacher and speaks it well.  Fun to get everyone together and enjoy planning ahead.

Aoyama Sensei (blue shirt) telling a funny story.

Sunday 6/19 we said farewell to Shichigahama and drove with Andy & Lorna into Sendai for a morning church service at a well-established church (a rather rare situation for Japan).  Seems like that church will be a good resource and encouragement for the Gilberts in the coming months and years.  They drove us into downtown Sendai where we had lunch together, did a team debrief with them, and then said farewell.  They are a great couple and we think the world of them: great attitudes, well trained, 15 year veterans of Japan outreach, and strong convictions to transplant their lives from smooth-running Fukuoka to the chaos and challenges of Ishinomaki.  Looking forward to continuing connections with these wonderful people! 

In Sendai with Andy & Lorna Gilbert, Sylvia, Mark, David

Sylvia waiting to board the approaching bullet-train.

We hopped on a Bullet-train at 3:30 PM and "flew" from Sendai to Tokyo in just 2.5 hours (the van on the expressway took over 6 hours).  We took a local train and then a taxi to the apartment of close friends of Sylvia who live out in the western edge of Tokyo just beyond where we used to live.  We're staying with them for 2 nights - feels like coming home to be out here again. 

Monday 6/20 is our final full day in Tokyo.  We planned this day for decompression and debriefing, as well as a bit of sightseeing and shopping.  It turns out that we remaining 3 (David, Sylvia, and me) all felt comfortable going different directions to see and do different things.  Sylvia enjoyed hooking up with half a dozen friends throughout the day, David went with our host to nearby Kawagoe to see it's ancient buildings and museum, then spent the afternoon journaling, and I took advantage of a free pass to take the bullet-train up to Karuizawa (a mountain resort town where we often went for conferences and camps when we lived in Tokyo), and then back to Tokyo - actually the Ikebukuro area where our office used to be.  Fun to be in all these places.  

Looking north from Sunshine 60 in Ikebukuro

At lunch in Karuizawa, I happened to chat with the server about our work up in Ishinomaki, and how we gave away 2 bicycles.  He offered to give a bunch of bikes for the same purpose!  Turns out his dad owns a bike rental store and has too many bikes.  So this would be an amazing opportunity, and I connected him with the Gilberts and the partnership team.

We three gathered for a final supper in Japan and talked through our trip.  We've had some incredible experiences, some big challenges, and are deeply grateful to be part of the relief and recovery process here.