3/9-10 Fri & Sat: Seattle > Tokyo > Sendai

And they're off!  Final packing went well, got to SeaTac in good time, security not a hassle. But... 


Our flight tickets were "stand-by" status.  The good news is that "stand-by" tix are 70% discount (made possible via some generous friends); the bad news is that you risk not getting a seat. You guessed it: the flight was FULL!  Additional passengers booking in from a cancelled Osaka flight filled all the open seats, and we were starting to dread having make alternate plans. Eleven of us were on the "stand-by" list. With minutes before departure our names were called, we were given seat assignments, and we hustled onto the plane! Found out only 7 final seats were open - wow!  To paraphrase Shakespeare: we few, we happy few, we band of strangers on a plane. Ha!  Actually, we're grateful to God for whatever it was that set it up for us to get on, though I'm sure he would have helped us get through the alternate plans as bizarre as that would have been. 


Flight was smooth, arrival worked well (didn't forget any baggage this time), and then Sylvia and I zipped off different directions. She headed over to another part of the airport to catch a flight to Sapporo, while after renting a cell phone to use for the week, I jumped on the express to Tokyo and caught the bullet train for Sendai. 

Crazy!  but not bad after being up 22 hours traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles.

I'm staying with Mika and Hidemasa tonight and hook up with Gilberts tomorrow morning and go to Ishinomaki for memorial services. Meanwhile Sylvia is arriving in Sapporo about the time I get to Sendai, will overnight at a recommended airport hotel, and take a morning train to join the Clarks at the Teine church. 


Can you say "long day"?

Getting Ready for Take Off... Again

          The disaster in Japan was 3/11/11, so I'm heading over tomorrow 3/9 for a 10 day visit. Among other things, I get to help lead a memorial service, to connect with our Ishinomaki partners, the Gilbert's and their team, to visit a couple disaster cities I've not seen yet, and to strategize on plans for future teams and outreach. 
          Sylvia will be on this trip too - yea!  She'll have the chance to zip up to Sapporo and check in with our partners there, and then come down to Sendai on 3/14.  She'll be joined there on 3/12 by Ralph Rowland, the Missions & Outreach Pastor from Westminster Chapel, who is currently in the Philippines.  Ralph will also come down to Sendai on 3/14 to meet the Gilberts and get a first-hand look at the disaster area, meet survivors, and help envision plans for ongoing Partnership connections.
          Our team this time is intentionally a bit smaller, and our agility will help us scope out the progress and upcoming milestones.  Should be a great trip (though I'm not looking forward to all the jet-lag again... ).

12/19 Monday: Tokyo > Seattle

Today we say "good-bye" to Japan, but we're leaving our hearts here.  Final pack-up and clean-up, then Rob S picked us up.  A quick stop at the Post Office (to return the remaining caroling songbooks/CDs we had been selling for Gary B along with the sales revenue), then a quick 30 min drive to Narita Airport by noon.  We checked in, this time with much less worry about stand-by due to many open seats.  Time for final shopping, a bite of lunch, change yen into dollars, security check, immigration, and out to the gate for our 3:40 PM flight.

Because the eastbound flight crosses the dateline, we arrived back in Seattle that same morning, at about 7:30 AM.  Wild.  Sylvia met us with the church van, and soon we were back to Bellevue, and saying "Good-bye" to each other.  Hope to get together again in January to share photos, memories, and more sushi - yum!

It's been a great trip, one of the best I've been on.  The team members were terrific, the musical part worked out well, the costumes fit well and were a big hit, Gilberts arranged a great schedule, the budget balanced out, and food and health were better than par for the course.  The best part was connecting with so many people, and providing the gift of hope and joy through music, and sharing the real meaning of Christmas.

12/18 Sunday: Chiba & Tokyo

Whoo-ingy!  The heater-less rooms in Hope House makes for a very cold morning.  Everyone slept pretty well under lots of blankets, but because the house is typically Japanese with no insulation and no furnace, the rooms are freezing.  We could all see our breath in the morning.  We got the kerosene space heater going in the 8' x 10' kitchen, kept the doors closed, and soon all 6 of us were in there warming up, and getting a bite of breakfast.

We changed into our costumes, and Rob Stoddard & family came around 10:15, and guided us a mile or so to Oyumino Chapel for the bi-lingual international worship service there. 

Rachel at the Oyumino Chapel

        Nice group of folks, including Shige and Luann Nakazawa and their 4 kids who've just returned to Japan after 10 years in Turkey as missionaries.  They are going to be part of Gilbert's team in Ishinomaki.  Sylvia and I knew Luann 12 years ago at our church in Tokyo, so it was fun to reconnect with her again and meet her family.

In the service, we told about our ministry then sang 2 songs, and asked them to sing along, too; they seemed to really enjoy it.  After the sermon, the pastor asked if we could come back up and sing another song.  Fun!

Afterwards we came back to Hope House, changed clothes, Olsons packed up, and we all left for lunch at a beef-bowl place with Nakazawas. 

  Then they took us to the train station, where we 6 all started off together.  After a couple stops, Keith and Celia changed trains to go to Haneda for their flight back to Sapporo, and we said farewell to our good friends.  

We remaining 4 took another sequence of trains over to Shinjuku, then walked over to the Metropolitan Towers, and went up to the 45th floor observation deck.  It was 5:30 by now, and the sun had set over Mt Fuji, but it was still nice to see the immense city stretching out in all directions.

25 million people live and work in this metropolis - wild!

From there, we took the JR to Shibuya.  Wow - lots of crowds, lights, and noise!  Saw the Hachiko statue, then swam across the big intersection to the world's busiest Starbucks!  Nice to be there (again for me), and enjoyed watching the river of people.  

Shibuya! You have to experience it to believe it.

On the 2nd floor of the Shibuya Starbucks

It had gotten to be 7 PM so we went around the corner to the 8th floor of the Seibu Department Store for a marvelous splurge on the best sushi meal we've ever had.  Actually, once we saw the menu, we were going to have to find another place because the prices were so high, but I talked to server, explaining our tight budget.  After talking to the chef, he offered us the lunch menu which was in our price range and even more suited to our appetites.  Incredible quality, very well prepared, and delightful nuances in each bite.  Yummy!

Not an exaggeration to say it was some of the best sushi in the world!

After the meal, we chatted through the trip, debriefing for a final time.  It was going on 9 PM now, so we headed back, taking local trains via the Rinkai Line and Shin Kiba which routes past Odaiba (didn't see it) and Tokyo Disneyland (did see it - yea!).  Rob was waiting for us at Honda station - bless his big heart - and drove us "home" to Hope House.  It was 11 PM, and we were tired but happy puppies, and all went to sleep right away in spite of the chilly rooms. 

12/17 Saturday: Sendai, then to Tokyo

It snowed overnight - just enough to make a winter wonderland, but not enough to slow traffic.  The sunrise was interesting, especially with an interesting "steam" coming off the beach.  

It's been great to be in Ishinomaki, and we're all kind of sad to leave.  Gilberts and Ann had to be up and gone by 7:30 for the weekly takidashi, so we said farewell to them - terrific people and outstanding missionaries.

We 7 packed all our stuff, cleaned the Guest House, and left around 10 AM for Sendai.  We stopped at the Subway near Mika's condo to get sandwiches for lunch and went to her place to eat.  Hidemasa didn't have a school project so he was able to join us - great guy.

Drove half an hour to a nice church in south Sendai.  Got there around 12:30 to prep for a 2 PM concert.  We were all feeling a little "zoned-out", especially me - I realized I left my costume vest, pants, and shirt back at the Guest House.  Crazy, because I had prepared them that morning, and then promptly forgot to get them into the van.  Had another white shirt to wear, and my corduroy pants, so it didn't look too bad.

The concert was just us for an hour!  We weren't sure we could fill that much time, but it worked out well, and the people seemed to enjoy it.  We included the 12 Days of Christmas as an activity song, similar to the way we did it with the Kindergarten kids last Thursday - fun!  

The pastor's daughter (right) and friend.

Enjoying the post-concert refreshments

Added in the Christmas story from Luke, and Celia gave a testimony.  People sang along on songs they knew.  Found out nearly half the 80+ audience were first-timers.

Around 4 PM we were on the expressway south to Tokyo.  Fortunately the weather was good, and the road was bare and dry.  Stopped for a couple times en-route: supper, fuel, snacks, potty visits, etc.  Finally got to Hope House around 11 PM and all settled in quickly and off to sleep.

12/16 Friday: Onagawa Kids & Tomei SP

We were out at Onagawa today, and caroled for the school kids at the Onagawa Elementary School. A privilege in many ways and a lot of fun.  

Caroling for students at the Onagawa Elementary School

The local radio station interview

With Rob Lehne, the English teacher (back) and the radio station crew (right)

A little local radio station has been set up there for Onagawa, and they hopped over for a quick interview - more fun!  The town itself is really getting cleaned up and the basics of rebuilding are getting into place.  Heard the plan was to build a 5 meter high wall / road on the water front and all housing and essential services will be above the tsunami line.  Below that will be industry, fishing, etc.  Got some good photos.

The tsunami was above the gridded hill on the left.

On the right was where 2 buildings were with a car on top of each; note the power poles being replaced.

Heard at least one of these buildings will be left as a museum.

From there we went back to the big Aeon mall for a debrief with Gilberts at the food court.  Good time to chat through the trip and concerts, and it was all pretty positive.  Lorna asked the gals to help her do some final shopping for the big "takisashi" tomorrow, so Keith and Andy and I had a cup of coffee together.  At 5:45 we left to go north on the highway up to the Samaritan's Purse camp at Tomei.  Through a chance meeting with some SP workers, we had gotten an invitation to go up there for supper and to sing for them.  Many are international workers who come for weeks or months at a time.

Caroling for the Samaritans Purse staff and crew

Enjoying sounds and memories of Christmas

Invited some volunteers to wear the hats and join us.

What a privilege to connect with their staff and the crew - some 50 people.  We sang about 45 min and stuck around for their 15 min prayer time.  

Got back here around 9:45, and are getting ready to pack up, clean, and say "sayonara" tomorrow morning.  We head to Sendai for a 2 PM concert, then leave there around 4 PM to drive to Chiba.  Gonna be a late night.  We'll sing a couple songs in the morning service on Sunday and then be tourists in Tokyo for a bit of decompression and personal fun.  

It's snowed several times around here today, but nothing sticking too much on the roads.  Unless it dumps overnight - it's not supposed to - it shouldn't be too problematic to drive. 

Am feeling ready to come home - eager to be home! - but just finally getting past jet lag.  Plus the group is getting to sound pretty good now too.  Sigh….

12/15 Thursday: Ishinomaki Kids & Old Folks

        Long day, so this will be kinda short.  We had great time at the kindergarten and old-folks home.  The little kids aren't able to use their own school because of tsunami damage, so are sharing space with an undamaged school.  They were gap-jawed when we first met, but enjoyed the songs, and sang along well.  It was hard to say Good-bye.

Cheri and her new friend

        Between concerts, we stopped for lunch at a Cocos that has reopened - fun to be there in our costumes!

        The old-folks home was really interesting.  We sang 3 times here, beginning with the most active group, then the assisted-living group, and concluding with the extra needs folks.  They enjoyed the songs, and sang along too.  Seemed to know the English lyrics for some of the songs, especially Jingle Bells.  Talking with each group afterwards was a delight.

Keith and his new friend

        Before heading home, we spent a few minutes at the Be One house with the Huddlestons who are living there now.  It was my turn to cook tonight so made Mexican Haystacks - turned out pretty well.  Good talk with Gilberts tonight.