Monday

Monday was Michael's first day of leave - and it dawned on us - WE HAD BETTER PACK BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL FLYING OUT SOON!!!

Arielle went to the ortho and got a mouthful of new hardware. Poor thing.

Jared had his final practice and youth group.

Michael and I worked on details that needed to be wrapped up. We spent quite a bit of time trying to find a home to rent that will fit all of us and my folks on the beach. Still looking.


Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Election Time In Northern Japan

Evidently, in rural Japan, the key to getting elected is to install one of these cool speaker systems on the top of your van, and drive up and down the streets 24/7 asking all to please vote for you. I'm not sure how effective the method is but it sure got our attention.

I first thought it was another tsunami warning...then I saw the vans.....and they've been going at it all week out here.

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Another Week

It's been a full week since I blogged and I'm going to have to rely on the camera's memory card to remember what we've done. 


School has started back in Japan....and it's always fun to watch the new kindergarten glasses. They wear yellow hats, carry yellow umbrellas and have yellow covers on their back packs to let us know they are new students. Darling. Poor picture -but darling sight to see. 

Monday was full of shopping....for the RETREAT coming up next weekend. It was a bit jarring to change hats and I'm not sure I'm doing it well....but I'm trying. LOL I've got a great retreat team and  it seems to be putting itself together with very little help! Monday night was the first session of Faithful, Abundant and True at PWOC. 

Monday a band of shoppers went out and shopped  for the Transition Home Kits. 

Tuesday a.m. I organized and did paperwork during most of the video part of Faithful, Abundant and True, as I'd seen it Monday night. 

I ENJOYED both discussion groups (Monday night and Tuesday morning immensely) and God spoke to my heart LOUDLY. 

I spent quite a bit of time early in the week trying to keep up with emails from folks asking about helping, donating etc etc. I also did a fair bit of  inventorying and organizing for the ongoing Chapel Transition Home Kit project.  Somewhere along the line I realized I'd outgrown my clipboard. I created a notebook - and promptly out grew it. 

This led to buying the biggest notebook I could find and filling it with the many forms, schedules, handouts, directions to cities etc that I've compiled for the project.  

Wednesday was our second kit assembly day! Wow - so much easier. We've worked out a routine. I'm sure we'll keep tweaking as the weeks go by.  I LOVE this is a project that Moms can do with children in tow.  On assembly days we have lots of children and youth who show up to help. It's WONDERFUL!  It helps us all to know we are doing something concrete to help out. 

Susane has been my partner in crime or I have been her partner in ministry for two years. I'm going to miss her when she moves this summer. See....we even point alike now.  Though I wonder if we were answering two different people or simply confusing one. ::snort:: 

We seem to have gotten ahead of the city officials so this week's batch of kits were assembled and stored. Ready for delivery when CRASH determines their best spot of service. 

This was my shopping funny of the week....

Can you make it out? Horse Fat Shampoo

Jared was disappointed this week when we encouraged him to quit soccer. It took about a week of practice but we finally realized his horrendous headaches were coming after practice.....and he'd been told it could make months-year for his concussion to heal. He wasn't ready for soccer. He talked to coach and Coach asked him to stay on as a manager and morale booster. Thursday he left for Iwakuni and Hiroshima for games down there.  Our home has been strangely different with him away. 

Thursday and Friday I spent time updating my stock inventory sheet and making shopping lists of what was needed this week for the home kits. I was able to give all the ladies shopping logs, Japanese words to explain what they are doing to the curious, Japanese shopping list and YEN to go shopping by Friday. We're getting the system down. 

Friday, Susane, Annette and I zipped over to Komaki to see the meeting room and onsen we'll be using for the PWOC Spring Fling next weekend.  Then we headed back for the Good Friday Tenebrae service. It was meaningful and thoughtful. 

The weather changed somewhere during the week and my lack of coat wearing caught up with me. I'm sick....and taking zicom every 3 hours.....trying to kick it quickly....much too busy to be sick long. 

Mike stayed in late last night to welcome home our first plane load of returning Voluntary Departurees. Is that a word?  It was fun to hear of all who have made it back and know who is coming back tonight and tomorrow.  I'm a bit sad I'm leaving and won't have time to really visit with so many friends who have been gone....and yet I'm going to have all NINE BABIES IN ONE HOUSE for a week! Can you imagine the blessing of THAT? 

Today, Tina took my lists and went shopping. What a BLESSING. She told me I needed a break. I came home to sleep but spent the day researching OR Beach homes, hotels in Eugene, flights from TX to OR etc....I also found graphics for Mike's sermon, fielded phone calls and moaned and groaned. 

Mike is at the office writing and OPR and making sure all is ready for tomorrow. I happen to know three women have called about how to get their purchases into the storage room - so I'm betting he'll be taking breaks.  I think I'll grab a blanket and snuggle on the couch. I wish I had Orange Juice or chicken noodle soup or CHOCOLATE but I'm too tired to care enough to go shopping. ::snort:: 

Michael and the kids will be leaving on Tuesday to go to OR. I will head out as soon as the retreat is over. The first plane I could catch out was Monday (bit difficult to travel from here these days with the trains and roads out - the plane is solidly booked. We have to retrain ourselves not to wait to buy our tickets a couple of days before flight).  I'll keep busy with one more Kit assembly day, the last minute details for retreat and the retreat.....I'll sleep across the ocean and wake up in EUGENE, OREGON. 

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Weekend of Normalcy

You may have noted I was a bit worn out in the last few posts.  After the lovely day of playing in the dirt, I spent Saturday doing a bit of cleaning. Mike had a "dec" or "OPR" or something or other to write and spent the day at the office.

I fell asleep in the afternoon....pretty much unheard of...but needed.  I ran out to Homac to buy 60 containers for this week's  home kits (all the van would hold). Praise God the funds came in for another week of kits. I organized the shopping list into 4 categories and 4 lovely women have volunteered to shop a category each. This should greatly ease my shopping duties this week.

We ended our Saturday night playing Pitureka at Stacia's request. Arielle's energy level picked up as she began to win. ::snort::

Palm Sunday - what a great way to begin a week. I feel in some ways that Easter has slipped by us this year, but we're living lessons of Easter in a new way.  I read this quote a couple of days ago and it resonated with me, "I have learned that faith means trusting in advance for what will only make sense in reverse!" Phillip Yancey.  I've been contemplating. Sure seems like a good definition....it is what we are living these days in Japan.

This afternoon we paid our taxes and discovered there are PERKS to having someone in a combat zone for 8 months.....nice perks. ::grin::

Time to prepare for the week. Lots of activity once again....but God gives strength...in fact He gives JOY which is our strength...grace which equips us to fulfill His calling....

Choosing Joy!
©2011 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Japan through the eyes of the Church

This is long, but it is powerful! Have you been wondering how the church in Japan has fared? May God cause our hearts to give, to act, to PRAY. PRAY with Passion for revival and His mercy, strength and miracles.


"The light of the world"_After the Earthquake in Japan(English ver.) from Dear.Japan on Vimeo.


Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Playing in the Dirt

Sometimes you simply need to play in the dirt. Arielle and Nolan had been waiting for me to plant our "garden".  I knew I needed to do something comforting. 


Our little seedlings have taken off - should have been planted earlier - maybe - but we were busy last week. 

We had lots of plants to put in too. Last year we had about 4 containers and it went so well we are adding many new containers. Michael is home and has ideas to combat the crows.....he's also been watching the farmers with their plastic wrap..... it may have been early...but we needed to do something together that was NORMAL. 

I sat with tears and played in the dirt...and I was comforted in some strange way.  At one point Arielle and I headed out to buy flowers and more soil. The cashier pointed out we had fertilizer. I'm a bit worried that we planted many of our plants in fertilizer...we should know soon.  This is a start....we have the other side of the house, the back of the house and the strip of gravel off the patio too. 

Back in February we ordered, "Voyage of the Dawn Treader," for Nolan. He's been checking every box that enters our home. It was funny (oh, quake again) to watch him this afternoon. It had arrived and we'd hidden it. Tonight is pizza and movie night. We put on the movie and loved the surprise the kids received. 

It's late and I may be tired enough to sleep.  Tomorrow, we need to buy more soil, plant more plants, pay taxes, pick up some plastic containers that Homac will hold for me.....

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Riding an Emotional Roller Coaster

I've debated and decided not to gloss over the last couple of days.  I've decided to write.  This is long. You do not need to read it all. I need to write it all...without editing it to be the "right length" for a blog post. The last couple of days have been hard. This transition home kit project is huge. There have been minutes when I've wondered how I can possibly think of the details to pull it off...and yet God is faithful. I'm not energized by shopping. However, I've LOVED going out with the women who volunteered to help shop. It's been exciting to find "12 more toilet slippers" or "150 pairs of chopsticks"...but the thought of doing it all weekly can be daunting....BUT God is rising up volunteers willing to commit to shopping, counting money, assembling kits, driving to Miyako Shi....He's bringing in funds.  I've  learned much since March 11th, while separated from family,  about "dancing with God" - following His lead....and I'm trying to keep centered in His embrace and follow His lead. 


Having said all that....the days this week have been long. I knew Thursday would be an emotional roller coaster. I knew we'd probably see a bit of Tsunami damage on our trip.  I'd seen this youtube clip:  Be warned this is hard to watch - harder I am sure if you understand Japanese. I can tell  homes washed away, cars (some with people in them) float by, cars end up on 2nd and 3rd stories of buildings, ships end up in the middle of town, and the big brown building disappears by the end of the clip.  A 38 m wave came over the sea wall in Miyako City. Six thousand homes were destroyed.  I can't remember the number of people killed or missing. Many. 


Our mission on Thursday was simply to drive to Miyako City, meet Pastor Iwatsuka, encourage he and his wife, and leave the kits. We had 4 vehicles, 9 people. It was a 5 hour drive down and we wanted 2 people in each car for safety.  Akikosan asked to come with us. She was invaluable as a translator,as a friend and in providing a Japanese perspective on the things we were to see and do. She is not yet a Christian and I wanted her to see the body in action. 

We laughed that this was Akikosan in a box....surrounded by home kits. 

Loved Mt. Iwate on the way down

64 kits delivered to Miyako Community Church 

Church is held in the living/dining room of the home....notes on their board. 

 Curious? " Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God and there is no other." Isaiah 45:22

Ruth and Chaplain B - there are other unloading photos taken by Navy PA. If I see shots, I'll add them. We were really too busy unloading to take photos. 

What an honor to meet one of the pastor/ pastor wife which our project will resource. 

Team Misawa and Miyako - minus two

We had hoped to take Pastor Iwatsuka and his wife to lunch, but the timing was off.  He and one of his parishioners were heading to the center. He prays, the man is a chiropractor who adjusts....

Pastor Iwatsuka said  they will take a team of 15 to a home, help clean it and deliver a kit. What a blessing. 

We left to grab some lunch. Up to this point the day had been wonderful - really an emotional up...but the sickening plunge downward was coming.  As we drove through town we began to see damage. Damage we'd seen on news clips and such...but the impact was different. 

Akikosan explained this was a dump site for debris...it was shocking and yet only a dump site. 

 We've seen lots of boats where boats should not be - both in our city and on the road....but the boats were for the most part in the harbor....damage but not evidence of lost life. 

We took a turn and found ourselves in a different, unexpected section of the port. This was residential. Not only were uniformed men working, but there were women also. They were picking through the rubble. It was hard to switch gears so quickly...I recognized the scenery from videos, I remembered the fact that 6,000 homes were destroyed, I noted Akiko's demeanor getting agitated....and it clicked. I asked if we were were seeing people looking through their homes. Yes, we were. The Japanese government, now that piles of rubble have been removed from port areas and city streets, are turning to this housing area  to recover the bodies of  thousands of missing. I thought my heart had  broken for Japan over a year ago. I have prayed to have God's heart for Japan. At this point I was hit with incredible sadness and grief. It was unthinkable to note all the futons, furniture, toys and shoes jumbled in the mess.  All we are doing seems so tiny, so pointless.....I was shocked at how quickly we had gone from ministry to voyeurism.....We didn't take pictures. We left. We gathered up back at the church and prayed. 

I learned  details to make future teams run smoother. I learned something about human nature....it's easy to slide into spectator mode in a completely innocent moment - with a turn of the road. Future teams will not drive to the sea area until we are CERTAIN  recovery work is finished. We cannot risk Miyako Shi misunderstanding the motive of love and gospel. We are on a ministry mission - we are not trying to work in tourist trips on the sly. 

I learned, in my GUT, what I had known intellectually, we cannot meet all the needs we witness. We are fulfilling one small role in God's body. We can do that to the best of our ability. I'd set up an assembly line on Wed. Anna shared that if God has an assembly line and is creating a car, we don't have to make the whole car alone, we simply have the job of ratcheting down the bolts in this one spot. We can focus on the one need and do our best to excel in this one spot. Jan had shared a story weeks ago......and it has come back to me...."Why in the world do you TRY to throw all the starfish on the beach back into the ocean. You can't possibly get them all to safety?" True, true....."but to that one starfish it makes a difference." I pray our little offering makes a difference to those whom we  provide kits. 

I learned that I didn't fully GET IT. How precious it was to hear  the church would, "clean the home and give them a kit." I pictured them dusting building material from FEMA type apartments, wiping muddy footprints from floors.....but these saints are going to help families CLEAN the wreck and rubble of their home plot. I am humbled. I am saddened. 

The tears finally came. Yes, some of you have wondered when it would happen. I know I'm tired - but it is more than being worn out. It is weeks of being strong and not allowing myself to grasp the magnitude of HUMAN suffering which surrounds us.  I've always been empathetic. I placed myself in the shoes of the women I saw searching through the rubble, and I experienced new levels of brokenness. I'm driven to ever-more passionate intercession for the souls of Japan. I cannot imagine dealing with this level of pain without the comfort of the Holy Spirit - our comforter. My exhaustion from shopping is nothing. My determination to keep going is renewed. "Your kingdom come, Father, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May we be used faithfully for your kingdom purposes, wherever you have placed us."

We declared I would not do chapel work today. I've answered a few volunteer emails.....but today I needed to decompress so I can get back to it for next week.  We ran to lunch. We came home and did jobs around the home.....we enjoyed our children and lived a "normal" life for a day. 

This photos brings me a measure of peace. Please pray for this dear couple. There is ONE church in Miyako City....one. Imagine it; even small towns in America will have several flavors of churches. Their burden is great. Join me in supporting them in prayer. I'd love to be able to tell them Christians around the world are praying for them.  This picture represents to me two pastors, from different countries, serving ONE Lord to meet the needs of a beloved nation. 

BTW this is a chapel project - Catholics and Protestants working together.....the body as it should be...working together to be salt and light. 


I called Akikosan today. I needed to apologize for our cavalier attitude. She was a comfort. She told me I need to talk about what I saw and I need to show pictures so  others will understand what is going on. It felt inappropriate to take photos of the housing area...so much pain and they should have the dignity and privacy to go through their things with some measure of -  well - privacy. We couldn't read the signs which told us not to enter, and the JSDF waved us in. Akiksoan said  we are blessing many people and this is a great work. I will take comfort in not having offended a friend who I so want to meet Jesus.  So, with her blessing, I will share what I experienced. 


I'm sad, however God is GOOD, God is redemptive, God can, and I believe WILL, bring good out of this tragedy. I continue to pray for at least one soul for the kingdom for every soul lost in the disasters. I continue to pray for bridges for the gospel.  I am still.....

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...