Japan 2011
I'm on week 2 of a 2 week mission trip to Japan. This country is a striking mixture of cultural heritage, customs, incredible natural beauty and 21st century technology. Against this backdrop is damage and devastation beyond imagination. The immense power of the March tsumani is only imaginable viewing from the aftermath or from Youtube video accounts. In contrast to the rubble, gutted out stores and homes are a beautiful people with an incredible spirit will , courage and the will to rise from the ashes of this tragedy. It has been and is a privilege to be a small part of helping them get back on their feet.

We've had numerous opportunities to serve.  Initially we planned to work alongside a local church, but that didn't happen. Instead we have gone to the Kesennuna volunteer center daily and taken jobs alongside numerous other volunteers. We are fortunate to have 3 people on our team who speak Japanese, so we've been able to manage quite well. Our jobs have been varied. The dirtiest would easily qualify for the TV show, Dirty Jobs. Most of the street drains in Kesennuna are filled with decayed muck, sludge, and who knows what else. We've “mucked” out drains for a day. You must wear masks because of the overwhelming smell of decay. In the midst of “dirty day” we made friends with shop owners adjacent to the property. They allowed us to wash off. We met a wonderful, friendly golden retriever, Corella. We spent a day at a local gym where thousands of photos have been found in the mud, undergrowth, etc. It is estimated that there have been in excess of 1 million photos found. Each one is hand washed and restored as much as possible by volunteers. People come in daily searching for photos of their family. We cleaned bolts at a local business. We spend the day at a home helping clean drains, washing damaged windows and doors. Every job is a drop in the bucket – yet an important drop.

Japan has historically been very cold to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe we have been able to share His love in tangible ways. In several instances we have made genuine friendships which I hope will continue beyond this visit. The Japanese people are so remarkable, innovative and disciplined one can only imagine the world wide impact they will make as they turn their lives over to Jesus Christ. I believe it's coming. That's my prayer.

I thought this blog entry was over,yet walking back to the camp the ground began to shake...and shake....and shake.  Another earthquake.  It is nearly a daily occurrence.  The best way to describe the sensation is to walk under the tracks of an (elevated) train in NYC.

I've uploaded some pics from the trip.  Check them out in the photos section.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Rob