doing what I can do

Right now, my students are on spring break. When they come back, they will need to understand how to find the volume of a sphere, tell the difference between metamorphic and sedimentary rock, and find themselves in a environment where it is safe to voice their feelings, fears, and questions about recent events.

Though I don't have time to go north on a team of relief workers, I can help my crew of seventh-graders feel secure in our gradual return to normalcy. School starts Monday, and I am scurrying to be ready! To tell the truth, a little stress that has nothing to do with aftershocks or radiation is a welcome change!

Wednesday, March 30

The headmaster of the school where I work has been very supportive of all staff during the aftermath of 3/11. He has urged us to make our own informed decision about what action we should take. The list of sources in this entry were included in an email we received from him recently.

I have felt safe in the time after the (biggest) earthquake and tsunami. My area was shaken by aftershocks for a couple of weeks, but not big enough for anything (pictures, dishes, etc.) to fall down. Stores have had less of things like bread and rice, but have had more in recent days. God also provided some freshly-baked bread from a loving neighbor. Some staff and students left the area with their families for this week's spring break and the weeks before when physical classes were canceled and homework was given online. School is scheduled to begin again on Monday, and I am eager to see my students and coworkers again!

Here are some info recent tidbits I gleaned from a survey of some of the information sources the school is monitoring:

• From MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology-Japan): March 25 report from Saitama ken (where I live) showed decrease in environmental radioactivity level to .35 μSv/h (down from .79 on the 28th). Readings seem to show a steady decrease.
• From IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency): Contaminated accumulated water found in trenches around the Fukushima power plant, workers monitoring water temperature at the six units (Units 1 and 3 showed temperature increase, 2 stable temperature, 4 expected to receive fresh water pumped in soon, 5 and 6 in cold shutdown.
• From the US Embassy in Japan: "...the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recommends that U.S. citizens who reside within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant leave the area, or remain indoors as much as possible if departure is not practical." Where I live is approximately 225km from the plant.

As often as I can, I'll post updates to this information. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and messages. I think it's probably harder being such a great distance away from everything that is happening than it is to be close. Please know I'm safe, well taken care of, and will keep praying for and seeking wisdom regarding decisions I make regarding the situation. God has not urged me through fear or other means of communication that immediate relocation is necessary at the time being, while I have plans in mind should that change. He has shown me I've been needed where I am, though. More to follow about friends I've been in contact with and volunteer work at CRASH Japan in coming entries.

weekend in Mito

(When I arrived by bus, I took a quick photo of a cracked bridge on the North side of Mito station.)

I went to Mito this weekend to see my friend, Sasha. Her roommates have both been traveling this week and she was holding down the shaken up (and still shaking) fort on her own. There is a LOT going on both at her house and at the church where she works on a regular basis. Now that daily tasks also include earthquake cleanup, contacting and caring for victims in the area and corresponding with people in other countries eager to help, she and other staff members at the church are pulling long, continuous, draining hours.

In this time, self care is critical. Everyone who felt the shaking on March 11, no matter how far they were from the epicenter, was traumatized. We've been conditioned now to respond to shaking. Someone merely bumps the table we are sitting at and our reflex reaction is to respond as we would to an earthquake. Thinking of/experiencing the devastation in Tohoku effects people in multiple ways: "cognitive impairment, depression and anxiety, which are normal reactions to abnormal events". (Christian Relief Assistance Support and Hope (CRASH) Japan Field Training Manual) Even now, when taking personal time also comes with a guilty feeling, it is important to step back, say no to obligations and taking moments of rest, even if only for a short time.

It was a joy to connect with Sasha this weekend. We spent time processing our experiences together, praying and worshiping. While she did have a lot of things to do, some of which I was able to help her with, we also got to take some much-needed self-care time. It looked a little like this:

• lunch at an Italian cafe
• making a "Cooking with Dog" omurice dinner together (yum!)
• karaoke
• enjoying Sasha's takoyaki-style pancakes
• fellowshipping with friends at a goodbye party for a family moving to the states
• heart-to-heart conversations (that we got to have daily when we lived together and have missed ever since)

Thank you for the time, Sasha! I hope it was as healing and rejuvenating to you as it was to me.

waves

Hello once more, one and all.

It's been far too long and I apologize. Please accept my humble attempt to keep you updated as to what is happening post-earthquake/tsunami in my small corner of the world.

Since March 11th, many, many facets of life have changed for people all over the world in a very personal way. With the number of people reported dead or missing increasing, the number of people who suffer loss of family members and friends increases exponentially. The world watches the devastation on the news and is traumatized. Our lives have been changed. We will not be the same. Waves of water, trauma, grief and numerous other emotions have hit and we've become plainly aware of our fragile human state.

And, in all this, God is working. Waves of love are washing in! Huge donations of relief in countless forms are pouring in. Relief teams have been able to find their way north. Supplies from both inside and outside of Japan come in mass quantities.

Here is a website a friend started that has lots of information about current news and ways to help with relief efforts in Japan:

http://www.workingandprayingforjapan.org/

The reality that clean up/rebuilding will take at least five years reminds me how big this disaster actually was. I had not seen any damage at all until I traveled a couple of hours north to Mito this weekend. There are cracks in sidewalks, roads, bridges and walls of buildings. Even though none of this kind of damage was visible where I live in Saitama, I still see secondary effects of the quake, watching as people around me stock up on bottle water and other staples. While it's important to make sure each family has what it needs, it's also important to conserve energy and other resources to help the victims with a more critical shortage.

For now, know that I'm safe and that I am working and praying for earthquake victims in Tohoku. Please continue to check this blog for regular updates.