(something we can learn)

Mrs Saito or Ryoku San – one who cries out to keep a part of what memories she can recovers. God hears and brought us to her, telling her: “keep a part that you treasured but take on a new page in life, start by writing that new life that is everlasting.” We carefully cleaned and restored her personal belongings that even her husband, Saito San gave a nod of approval.

Saito San – stern and traditional Japanese man, staunch believer in another faith but Ernie and Ann managed to get him thinking in Christ.

Strange carpenter – working in Saito’s house, lost something and acting strangely but felt he wanted to be heard and be reached but don’t know how to tell except keep mumbling. We were reminded Christ was also a carpenter and we should never to choose whom we should minister to.

The persistent housewife - very petite Meiko San (Mrs Sugimoto) all alone but daily, cleaning partially damaged six year old house, burdened with debts, a teacher husband likely to lose his job. She is spiritually drained and has a three year old son who developed asthma from the sight of the oncoming tsunami while been carried on the shoulder of the mother to safety. She reminds me of the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18). A huge container narrowly missed her house but not her neighbor in an area ravaged by water and fire. We told her she is saved for a reason. By God intervention, we as lights of Christ are brought to a housewife, whose name means child of light. God wants her to be a light and we are to light the path for her to Christ. She is recovering from the ordeal and was given a Christian literature to read.

Honda San – kindness and hospitality towards volunteers despite shop severely damaged.

Volunteer lady manning a stall at a local Tanabata star festival in Rikuzentakata – Her desire to overcome and help despites losing six members of family leaving only another sister. For the town folks, this festival is also a reunion since the March tsunami and for them to find out who survived. Chikako San and me managed to draw her to Japan Bethel Mission church nearby by showing the Pastor Morita name card given to me when we attend Sunday service earlier, praise God that He gave me one of the only two cards given out by the Pastor to our group from Crash Japan.

Unidentified man sobbing quietly in the same Tanabata star festival. He was alone and we wonder who he has lost. Many such folks are still in a world of their own and suicide rate is high in the area.

Old lady owner in Rikuzentakata who gave us iced cold energy drink and home grown peaches. Turns out she and Pastor Morita volunteer at same old folks home and know each other. Pastor Morita has been speaking to her about god. Although she is a Buddhist she was willing to pray with us to bless her and her land. She lost eight members of the family, four still missing, six generation stayed there, all three adjacent land with houses destroyed owned by her other sister and relative.

Generally, volunteers are majority youth although the oldest is 71 years of age. There is good comradeship among them and although all came out of commitment to help, there are also other reasons. Some were shown kindness by the residents eg. Naoki San at age of 21, was cycling through Kesennuma as part of his 1000 km journey through the Tohoku region, was given shelter from the pouring rain. This is his way of repaying that kindness. His home here is the camping site where many volunteers stay. Then there are those who are very sadden and moved by this tragedy that they quit their job just to volunteer long period here and throughout the region staying in camps or trucks they drove. Others come in search of a purpose in life, some tired from the commercial world and at their prime are here to do something worthy. Yet there are others who are father and son, retirees, jobless, university students, teachers here to help and find new friendship.