12/12 Monday: Sendai Day Off

Whew!  Time for a day of rest and refreshment!  Overall a nice day.  Woke at 7 AM, fixed some coffee and got some good photos of the sunrise.  

Worked on our accounts (it all balances well so far), and getting caught up on the journal which will become the blog (I'm so far behind - haven't posted anything since we got here!), finished up laundry and ironed my shirts. Also gathered everyone's photos so far, which will help on the blog. 

We left around 10:30 and drove into Mika's condo where we left the van for the day. Walked through an interesting market with fresh fish, veggies, and other items unusual for us to see.  

Downtown market in Sendai

Mika explains all the "curious" foods

Fish heads for lunch, anyone?

Met up with Mika's husband, Hidemasa, at Tohoku Univ., where is a Physics prof and also researching plasma - very ultra high tech stuff that's way beyond me.  We all had a Japanese lunch together - fun!

Yummy lunch!  Mark, Hidemasa, Rachel, Celia (l-r)

Enjoy lunch!  Keith, Cheri, Mika, and the server (l-r)

After H. had to go back to TU, we headed over to one of the biggest shopping arcades I've ever seen.  Probably 4 city blocks with hundreds of shops and a dozen big department stores, including a couple Starbucks and even a Tully's!  Joy.  We all split up to enjoy shopping or coffee or relaxing for the afternoon, the met up again at 5:30 for supper at an upscale italian-style pizza place.  

A shrine in Sendai near the shopping arcade.

Hmmm.  Maybe you shouldn't ride a bike through the train station...

Nice to enjoy some non-japanese food for a change.  Then back to Mika's, and drove back to Guest House.  Mika is with us now until we wrap up here on Sat afternoon, and we 6 drive to Tokyo.  

Tomorrow, the gals are going to sing at a women's tea (while Keith and I are going with Andy to work with Samaritan's Purse all day).  That'll be interesting, but they're working out songs & parts to be able to sing without the bass & tenor parts.

Called Saito-san today, and will plan to call again tomorrow with Andy and figure out a time to meet.  That'll be fun!

12/11 Sunday: Koganehama Church

Things are going pretty well here.  It's Sunday night, and we're heading into a day off tomorrow. Nice.  The gals are sitting around the table rehearsing for a Ladies Tea this Tuesday which doesn't need the guys. They're figuring out which 5 songs will work best.  Keith and I are doing some laundry.  Mika joined us yesterday in IshM, stayed overnight and was with us today, but has gone home for the night.  Rachel's temporary bug is gone, and she was full speed ahead today.  

This morning we all had a chance to sleep in, and I made it until about 7 AM - good for me!  We did our own breakfasts, and then rehearsed from 10:00 - 11:15.  We were supposed to do 60 minutes at church today so needed to add a several more songs.  It was really sounding good.  We left at 11:30, and since it was such a nice day, we took local roads to Matsushima where we took some photos and had lunch: ramen, soba, udon, scallops, etc.  

Matsushima - one of the "3 Most Beautiful Spots" in Japan

Matsushima lunch: (l-r) Mika, Rachel, Keith, Bev, Andy, Celia, Cheri, Anne; Mark taking photo

Squid for Keith

         Then up to Ishinomaki and arrived at a new church plant in Watanoha area.  Andy said the church has gotten started since the tsunami.  They are meeting in a reworked house just a street or two from the houses we worked on in June.  (BTW, those places are looking pretty good.)  

The church service started at 3 PM, and because the the plan got changed, we sang for 30 min instead of an hour.  The fun thing was that the place was packed with about 60 people in two rooms plus an overflow, and even 2 or 3 guys standing outside looking in the kitchen window.  The tricky thing was that even though we got there an hour early, we didn't get a chance to warm up or sound check the room (because of a group hula lesson being taught as a community outreach before church), and we encountered a few wobbles along the way.  Nothing disastrous and most people wouldn't have noticed, but we did - especially because we had sung so well in our rehearsal.  Oh well, it was a good experience, and a great connection with people.

Arriving at the Koganehama Church

Caroling at Koganehama Church: Mika, Bev, Rachel, Celia, Mark, Keith, Cheri

Because we have an extra bonnet and an extra top hat, we have been inviting 2 audience members to come up and join us on Jingle Bells.  This time, I asked for a girl and a boy, and after much coaxing, a little girl - maybe 3 yrs. old - slowly came up.  She was cute and Mika helped her tie on the bonnet and stayed with her the whole song.  No boy came up, so I asked for a man, but no man volunteered.  So I noticed the pastor, and invited him to join us, and he was a good sport and did.  I think it built a good bridge with him and the church, esp the many newcomers.  

After we finished, we stepped outside because by now, there was no room in the inn.  The pastor preached for about 30 min, then as he closed in prayer we had another slight earthquake - nothing like yesterday and only noticeable if you were completely still.  Many people hung around afterwards; saw the pastor in a long conversation with a middle-aged guy.  Several people bought CDs and books too, so I'm glad for the long-term influence they will have, and also glad for Gary B to get some extra income.

Close "fellowship" after a packed service

We came home, had a good supper.  It was Rachel's turn and she prepared "tomago gohan" a family concoction her dad used to make: boiled egg smushed in with rice and a touch of soy sauce.  It's actually pretty good…

Tomorrow, we're driving into Sendai and after lunch with Mika and Hidemasa, we'll do some sightseeing and shopping - Mark's translation: go to Starbucks - and have supper there and return home.  It'll be nice to have a short break before this next week.

The days seem full, and the drive to and from Ishinomaki make them seem extra long.  This music ministry is much as we hoped.  Good music and the interesting costumes drawing a crowd, then many new connections being made for Gilberts and the other ministries they are collaborating with. I'd like to try a spontaneous concert somewhere, say at a mall or even the eki, just to see what kind of response we'd get.  Andy and Lorna seem quite happy with it all, so that's great.  I'm looking forward to seeing the coffee house this week and also the camper van.  Will be talking things over with them about future teams, funding their projects, etc.  Also plan to contact Saitos tomorrow, and hope to connect this coming week.

12/10 Saturday: Koganehama "Takidashi" & Chakko House

Today was full and fun.  Started early with bkfst and out the door at 7 AM to get to Ishinomaki & Watanoha by 9 AM.  We helped set up large (20'x60') canopies, tables, benches and food prep for Bingo and soba lunch.  

Putting up the tents for "takidashi" and Bingo

A local neighbor and Cheri and Celia help prepare lunch

Rachel helping prepare prizes

Andy and the Coffee-guy

One guy has come regularly and has volunteered to be the coffee prep guy.  It was given out freely, and tasted pretty good too.  I'd guess 100 people came full of excitement and energy.  It's quite a phenomenon.  The best part is all the relationships that develop.  We sang a bit for early arrivers while waiting for Bingo to start. On Jingle Bells, we invited a couple volunteers to come up and sing with us wearing the extra hats.  Fun. 

Andy calling the Bingo game

Cheri spinning out the numbers for Andy

 Pretty soon, Andy started the Bingo game, and this was no ordinary event.  It's actually a very strategic activity which builds community and comraderie, but also provides a happy and orderly way for people to receive needed but limited supplies such as coats, boots, long underwear, jeans, etc.  Each winner - and they go through the whole Bingo card so nearly everyone is a winner - gets to choose from among the supplies that Lorna organizes each week.  Afterwards, Enough soba was left over for us to eat lunch too, so we had a bowl, then helped pack up the tents, tables, etc.

We headed off at 1 PM to get ready for an afternoon event that started at 2:30 PM.  It was at a small little cafe/coffee house near the iconic Manga Museum near the river in Ishinomaki.  Mika was able to join us for the first time and she really helped fill out the parts.  Unfortunately, Rachel was getting bothered by a nasty bug, so she didn't sing.  Maybe 30 people jammed a 20'x40' room to listen.  The music went pretty well, and we're starting to get some nice harmonies and phrasing.  It was fun to invite a couple volunteers up to wear the extra hats and sing with us on Jingle Bells.

Mika at the door of Chakko House in Ishinomaki

Caroling at Chakko House: (l-r) Mika, a volunteer, Bev, Celia, Cheri, Keith, Mark, & volunteer

Partway through, a strange noise started behind us, got louder, and then the place started shaking.  It was an earthquake.  (Found out it was 4.7 R and just off the coast of Onagawa.)  All the people jumped up and prepared for the worst.  Fortunately it wasn't that big and didn't last very long.  Andy said later that the noise sounded like it would be a huge quake, and Mika said the media is forecasting another big one some time soon, so people are especially jumpy.  We made sure everyone was OK and wasn't freaking out with PTSD, etc., and resumed the next songs.  Wild.  Actually, that was the 3rd quake we've felt so far…

Good conversations with the audience afterwards, then headed home around 5 PM, but didn't get here until 7 PM, fixed supper, and chatted about the day.  

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.