Getting to the Bottom of It...

Hedoro, (tsunami sludge) that is. While Carol, Megan and I went up for 24 hours in Tohoku to help with serving lunch in a neighbourhood of Ishinomaki, we also got involved in removing the sludge from a home. Carol remarked that it didn't stink as much nor attract the flies as it had in June. We met a team there from Ontario, from Hamilton, Burlington and other nearby places.

Meanwhile, Megan was manning the beverage table, keeping people hydrated on a very hot September day. I posted earlier about a volunteer who'd been bathing the feet of the elderly in shelters, thus following Jesus' command, and here's Megan offering a cup of water in Jesus' name. Every Saturday since March Christians have been organizing this lunch for the people of this neighbourhood.

It's yakisoba this Saturday. That's a fried noodle dish with vegetables and chicken. Notice the huge imported propane barbecue in the background. Not a common sight in Japan.

Over 100 came for lunch and conversation, and there was also a program for children after lunch. Then it was pack up the food, fold down the tents, and head back to Tokyo. We slept for 12 hours on Saturday night after this exhausting trip that had started the previous night.

This is representative of the local neighbourhood. The house on the left is completely untouched since the day the tsunami flooded in. The house in the foreground is completely gone, either swept away or collapsed by the tsunami, and carted off to the five story tall rubble pile near the sea. The house in the background is in the midst of repair. The same could be said for the lives of the people living here. We provide a hot meal, a place to gather and meet neighbours, and a listening ear for the many who need to talk. We trust these bonds of friendship and trust will grow and bear fruit in time.

Back in Fukuoka

Carol and I enjoyed a quick trip to Fukuoka for the ordination service for the Shaos, who are planting a Chinese church in that city in western Japan. Francis Tam, representing the Canadian Chinese Alliance Church Association, conducted the service and I participated in the prayer for Ken and Winnie Shao and their ministry.

By removing some sliding doors between two large rooms, the Shaos were able to convert their apartment into a church sanctuary for their growing congregation. Check out the choir robes! They may be a small church, but they've got a well outfitted choir!

Rev. and Mrs. Hirai of the local Alliance church were able to visit at lunchtime, and we were glad to snap a picture of this international group. International cooperation and partnership is how things get done nowadays.

Sweating Out the Setsuden Summer

Japan's 20% short on electricity as a result of the Fukushima situation (how's that for a euphemism?), so everyone has to try to cut back in order to not trigger rolling blackouts.

As a result, this is a common sight at buildings and stations all over Japan. Shutting down escalators, fountains and some lighting is a quick and easy way to cut on electrical consumption in public areas.

When it comes to household electrical use, 25% of total demand comes from the air conditioner. With temperatures in the 30's and high humidity, using the a/c sparingly with a fan, or using a fan without the a/c is the way to survive and not overtax the system. Everyone's on board this summer, but the shortage will continue for years, since it takes time to replace such a massive amount of capacity in the system. So, will people forget all this next summer, or has "setsuden" become a new way of life for Japan? It will have to become a new way of life. There's no alternative.

Hedoro, Up Close and Personal

 

Four months later, it's no longer wet, but it still stinks and attracts flies and needs to be removed before sanitizing and reinhabiting buildings like this house. And once you've gotten if off the floor, you need to get the floor off to get the hedoro (sludge) out from underneath the building. Then let it dry, and disinfect, and replace the floor.

 

Carol and Laura went to Ishinomaki last week to help with the hedoro. Since it's so nasty, you have to remove it from yards and even pull down chunks of it from branches of trees to get rid of the stench and begin to have a normal neighbourhood again. The hedoro was bagged in the bags you see here, and is then trucked away by the city.

You might notice a little superficial earthquake damage to the church where Carol and Laura stayed. Last Sunday's aftershock was 7.1, which seems pretty minor after March 11.

Carol's Last Day at CRASH

 

Ami, to the left of Carol, will be heading up the Volunteer Coordination department of CRASH as Carol moves on. Carol was there from the first day, putting in 3 days a week at CRASH, but now it's time to hand the department over and move on. Today Carol heads to Okutama to be the camp nurse at Joy Bible Camp for a few days, enjoying the elementary school aged campers and the beautiful surroundings in the mountains. 

The Wrecking Crew

 It's hard to tell from all the protective layers that this is Heather. It's also hard from looking at this scene to tell that it's been three months since the earthquake and tsunami. While one would hope for rebuilding at this stage, what Heather and the other volunteers did this past week was to tear away all that had been ruined by the muck blasted in by the tsunami. Even the floor needs to be ripped up to empty out the 30 to 50 centimeters of black muck contained in the concrete footings.

This was Heather's second time as a volunteer in Tohoku. It still feels like scooping out the ocean with a teaspoon. Having worked for a year in Japan, Heather will return to Calgary and further studies leading to a degree in education.

"Can you give me a hand with this?"

Remember to keep your knees bent and your back straight when you lift this one! This couch is good for people who tend to overstay when they visit. It may be lacking in comfort, but it is very good with support, and it's quite durable and stain resistant.

This is in the outdoor courtyard of Triton Square, where workers from the office towers flood the place at lunchtime, either with box lunches or meals that they purchased at the food court. No brown bags here! That's our apartment in the background.