Trip North

Here are some snapshots from my first short trip to Ishinomaki, one of the cities hit hard by 3-11, and the focal area for our relief/restoration ministry. Above, the neighborhood where we stayed (I slept in one of the big yellow tents with about 15 other volunteers).

Set up the portable pipe organ for the concert in Ishinomaki

started off with audience-participation
hula dancing
lead by a short-term team from CA!

There is quite the story behind what remains of
the building on the left.

It now has a memorial at the base. Smell of incense, song of birds who have taken up residence in the beams, bright colors of 1000s of paper cranes contrasted by the dingy greys of lost "hello-kitty" dolls...

The coast-line of Rikuzentakata, a few hours
farther north. It used to be known for its beautiful
pine trees, now broken stumps-

except for this one. One tall miracle tree somehow
 survived, a symbol of hope and strength.









~Sunday we went to a church that started last year after the tsunami. 2 people came for the first time, because of the work Samaritan's Purse (and other groups) had done for their homes. 

~Conversations about music after a concert- how it was the first time someone had heard a live cello... how years ago someone from their neighborhood got into one of the top music schools... why Juilliard musicians would come all this way just to play for them... 

~perspective. dreams. nostalgia. strength. perserverance. looking back, and looking forward.

Hope. Praying for these cities.

The team from Juilliard! Here they are (14 musicians and a dancer) with some new friends after a performance party. They did so many performances, lessons, played for churches...and were just a fabulous bunch. I miss them already!

3 of the musicians are staying a few extra weeks : ) This morning they performed a mini benefit concert at a tower community room, the center of "Tsukuda Loves Tohoku" (disaster relief from this neighborhood to the area hit hardest by 3-11). One of the workers at this tower dropped by, donating a pile of change he had found while cleaning around the building.

I'll be seeing a lot of this great little room as I get involved in "Tsukuda loves Tohoku", and it's also where I go for our neighborhood Gospel Choir rehearsals every Friday : )




Oops!

There has been plenty to learn these first weeks, from Japanese language and culture, to finding my way around, to singing southern Gospel music (in Japanese), to making awesome recipes my allergic-to-everything friends can eat. But I never would have guessed some of the things I have learned this week. There have been a couple times when my mistakes terrified me... but thank you, God, I can look back and laugh! And now, if you have time to read this novella, you can laugh at me, too : )

Like this one time when I was unloading groceries. Lots of big heavy bags of CostCo groceries, going from the basement garage to the 22nd floor. I heard the easiest way is to stand by the elevator, hold the door open, and shove all the bags on- you know, so you don't have to go up and down 30 times. But I learned that when you're almost done loading the elevator, if those last few bags in the hall are just out of your reach and you go to grab them, when you turn around the elevator doors are closed... and you watch your elevator full of groceries go up, up, and away... (not to worry, after pushing the "come baaaaack!" button a zillion times, it came back down several minutes later with 2 extremely confused looking workmen.)

And then there was the time I was "driving" the 3 year old to preschool on the bike...and I learned that when you stop a bike, and your legs are too short to reach the ground, so you have to tip a tiny bit to the side to touch your toe to the ground to balance yourself...that doesn't work so well when the bike has a kid buckled on the back. Gravity however, works beautifully. Time moved in slow motion as I tried to right the bike, and we (bike, kid, and I) tipped completely sideways onto the sidewalk of innocent bystanders trying to walk to work. Not to worry: the passersby lept out of the way in time, miraculously, no one got a scratch, and I'm pretty sure everyone involved got a good laugh out of it once we got our hearts beating at a normal speed. (I wonder how many times this story has been told around Tokyo now...)

Tower, Sweet Tower

As sleepiness hit this afternoon I went for a stroll to stay awake, and took a few snapshots around my new neighborhood!

Things to pray for this week:
-health and energy... gotta love jet-lag.
-the Juilliard team who arrives on Thursday; that God would shine His love and light through all of us during their busy 2 weeks here.
-my first Japanese lesson on Thursday!

33

You know you haven't posted in too long when blogger has completed changed format...a month ago... and you didn't even know...

And no, this is not post #33. This is 33 sakura (cherry blossoms) provided. This is Jeremiah 33:3 (and 6-11). This is a reminder of Our Abba who answers prayer, heals, forgives, restores, supplies, reconciles. Some of my favorite reminders of those attributes of God are little things: seeing "33" on a tough day, or realizing how deliberately God plans even the little details. For instance...

Last week I was reminded of a Church I hadn't contacted yet. I did a week mission trip with them in high school, and still remember what loving, hospitable people they were. So I left just one message, and a few days later they actually called me back! (Which in itself is kind of miraculous). And our short phone conversation was filled with joy- it was a "work" call I honestly did really, really enjoy. (Thank you, God). "Too bad they're so far away," I think, "it would've been fun to meet with them in 'real life' instead of phone and email".

That Sunday I heard from a friend who is going right through that Church's town for a weekend trip soon. What are the chances of that? And moreso, what are the chances she would even remember this random church was on her way, and what made her think to mention it to me? But she did. Too good of a "coincidence" to pass up, I emailed the Church and asked if they would possibly be interested in meeting with me...in 1 week. (Churches, if they agree, usually ask me to come MONTHS later, but it can't hurt to ask: especially since I'd have a traveling buddy). But what are the chances it would actually work out? Besides, I'm working on Friday- I'd feel bad canceling on such short notice.

And you guessed it: they invited me to come meet, not just with their committee, but to present the ministry in Japan to their whole group, and talk with the committee afterwards.

Oh, but back up to Monday afternoon, just hours before the church invited me to come: I hear I have work off on Friday.

I don't know if this church will decide to partner with me. I'm praying they do, but if they don't it will be ok. Because God will supply: He has a plan, better than I could ever orchestrate.

Home

This video is the song "furusato/my hometown", at the 3-11 Memorial Concert in Ishinomaki, a community that has become closely connected with my (future) community in Tokyo.

1 year. It's crazy how much can change. But at the same time...it's gone by so quickly. A year has passed since the 3-11 Great East Japan Earthquake/Tsunami, and the work of rebuilding is just beginning in Tohoku. A year gone by and people are still missing; the thousands lost still missed. People who still need homes, jobs, community, Hope. Need to know that they are not forgotten. My heart aches for them to know the One who never forgets them, who promises never to leave or forsake them, who promises He is a Home for us, forever. How long, O Lord?

And my heart aches to be there. In Japan. A year ago, I was quite confident I would be in Japan by 3-11-12; that it would be beginning to feel just a bit like home. And as much as I've grown and learned and seen the goodness of God's plan of having me right where I am...I can't wait to go. To see and experience what I've talked and prayed about for so long. To get to know people and play just the smallest of roles in this pivotal time in Japan. I have so much to learn, and I'm ready to be there soaking up and pouring out. How long, O Lord?

But spring is on its way, and the sakura will bloom again. There is hope. There is time. People are being comforted, churches are being planted, my heart and mind are being prepared. This season will run its course. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish" (2 Peter 3:9).

On a lighter note... my Mom pulled out this icey maker she bought in Japan years ago. She intended it for our nieces, but my siblings and I decided we didn't need 3 yr olds to enjoy the simple pleasures of life : ) Over 22 years old, and this little bear is still working beautifully!

Gospel!

A month later...I decided it's high time I gave you a few pictures of life! I had the privilege of helping out in Memphis last week as a dozen Japanese singers came to share Gospel music and see it at its roots. I loved getting to know them a bit and hear some of their stories...can't wait to see them again in Japan!
Other perks of the trip were hearing more about ministries across Japan (like disaster relief up North) and getting to spend more time with the Lowther family (see representative, below :) I'll be working/learning/living with them in Tokyo, so it's a good thing they're awesome! And I think we even successfully kept each other sane through a pretty busy week :)