Hi from Mainland Japan... again!

{flying over Okinawa}

{snow-capped Mount Fuji above the clouds}

where to even begin?

this week up on mainland working with CRASH again has been totally different from when I was up in Sendai with them in September. 

This time, instead of doing cleanup along the coast from the massive damage caused by the tsunami, we have been in the Fukushima area visiting survivors in temporary housing units provided by the Japanese government. 

CRASH is partnered with local Japanese churches and together we're providing blankets and supplies, clean drinking water and other essentials to these beautiful people who cannot return to their homes ~ either because their home was washed away or because the radiation levels from the nearby Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant has made it too dangerous to return.

Can you even imagine living through that?!

{a temporary housing unit in Fukushima... with sweet little Yu showing me that she's three years old!}

The entire drive behind CRASH is to be the hands and feet of Christ, utterly devoted to these survivors who lost everything in the tsunami.

Traditionally in the Japanese culture there is little to no concept of redemption, and because of this, suicides are considered honorable. 

The post-tsunami suicide rate is the highest in Fukushima.

We have the amazing opportunity to bring the hope and joy of Christ to many of these lovely people. We set up something called a mobile cafe where we bring food, tea, coffee & they can gather together and feel somewhat normal for a few hours. We also give hand massages which they LOVE. It's a way to help them relax, and every woman (and one sweet sweet 80 year old man!) that I've given them to this week have all opened up and told their devastating stories of what happened to them. 

Today I had the most precious 85 year old woman tell me through one of our translators that she lost her husband and her home and cries every single night all alone. We spent hours together; she was laughing and gifted me with Japanese apples and we hugged tightly twice before she left. She had joy in her eyes when she did.. and choking back tears, asked us to please come back again. 

Do you know what is so amazing??

I'm only in the process of learning Japanese but by God's grace He's crossing the language barrier, for His grace is sufficient in my weaknesses. The Lord is using all of us and proclaiming to these incredible people that they are not forgotten and that there is hope! The greatest hope.

We're visiting more survivors tomorrow and then putting on a camp for their children.

I don't know a better time to bring the love and joy and hope of Christ than this Christmas season!

Love to you all from Fukushima,

Mands