A year ago I was in Mongolia when Psalm 46 happened in Japan. When the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, when the waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea. As I returned to Narita airport, I suspected I was entering a totally different Japan, and that was the case. Train service, electricity, and supplies in stores were all less than normal. Meanwhile, Carol had started working at CRASH Japan, and I soon joined her. Our colleague Don Love and I drove the first team up to the base in Tono, a couple of days after the expressway was reopened, and before it was properly repaired. That was one rough ride, only outdone by the aftershocks we felt at the base camp in the middle of the night! Meanwhile, Carol Love established the financial department of CRASH, often working until midnight with all of the details.
Our first two weeks at CRASH Japan were 9:00am to 8:00pm with meals provided. The work day reduced to more normal hours, and we cut back to three days a week helping in volunteer coordination. I was able to help with Donor Relations from home, and Carol continued going to the office until June. Yet, as you can see from the one year video, the work has continued since our time there, and the statistics speak for themselves.
Carol, Heather and Laura experienced CRASH Japan as volunteers, helping to muck out homes. Heather was able to volunteer with United Japan, and then Carol Megan and I went with a group right in our neighbourhood to serve lunch to people in Ishinomaki, back in September. No matter how much help Tohoku receives, the work that remains seems endless. Much of what CRASH Japan has been doing in recent weeks involves meeting the emotional and spiritual, as well as physical needs of the people in the affected areas.
