MEGAPOST! About time, right?

          Wow. Its taken me this long to get out a post? Dang, I'm sorry guys! For our first three weeks here in Japan, we were serving with an amazing International Relief organization in the countryside of Tome (pronounced toe-may) where, IF the internet was working, could only support 5 people at a time. I have been writing bits and pieces about things we experienced during our time there, so this is the (dun dun dun) MEGAPOST! 

FIRST 3 WEEKS!

We’ve been here at Samaritans Purse for almost 3 weeks now, doing home restoration and disaster relief. This organization is absolutely amazing. The people here are the most servant-hearted people who are the hands and feet of Jesus. Everyday, they get up at the crack of dawn (no, really. Crack. Of. Dawn.) and head out to various homes that had been hit by the tsunami. They’ll assess what needs to be taken out, and the ‘mud-out crew’ (yours truly) comes in. Everything touched by the water, gets pulled out. Walls get knocked down, dry wall taken out, floors pulled up, dirt under the floors cleaned out, ceilings taken down, walls get bleached and scrubbed, etc. In some houses, the water-line (a visible line left on the wall from where the tsunami water hit/sat for days or weeks at a time) served as our marker so we knew where to stop, and in some homes that line reached over 8 feet. But let me just tell you guys, knocking down walls is seriously SO FUN! If you have never been just handed a hammer and told, “Go for it,” you don’t know what you’re missing. It’s super fun. Unless you’re working on one side of a wall, and suddenly a hammer (or, some days.. a foot) comes flying through from the other side with an explosion of dry wall flying everywhere, much closer to your head than your mother would probably like to know about (right, Mom?). This may or may not have happened a few times, but its fine.. it was really funny after the yelling subsided and we realized no one was bleeding. Seriously you guys, hilarious. But I’m digressing.. let’s focus here. So once we have “mudded out” the house, the carpenters come in and restore everything.. new walls, floors, insulation, etc, so that the house is livable. Painting and carpet and such is up to the family, but with the work that has been done, their house is now water damage and mold free. And once all has been said and done, instead of asking for payment, a Bible is given to the family. Even though there is an often times impenetrable language barrier, the love of Jesus is shown so strongly through what this organization does. Many Japanese don’t understand why there are more Christian foreigners helping then their own government or people, but the love of Christ is shown regardless of money, language or culture. It truly is our honor to serve them and help them restore what has been lost in the name of Jesus Christ, who brings more restoration then we ever could, but letting us at least start with their homes is enough. Having the opportunity to serve the Japanese families has blessed US in the most incredible and unexpected way. I have never been so challenged to show the love of Jesus, because I can’t simply share about His love like I normally would. 

SNOW DAY!

This post is brought to you today from a under 18 layers of clothing, in a sleeping bag, on a cot, in a wooden portable, in the country side of Tome, Japan.. in the middle of a blizzard. A blizzard, you guys! A BLIZZARD. Horizontal snow, 65 mph winds and all. has been cancelled for the day too, so to top it all off; My first ever SNOW DAY! Praise Jesus! We had a sweet little mini typhoon yesterday, though. Kate and I were cuddling in my cot because the wind was so intense, which is why we aren’t working today. But thats beside the point.. I have never seen anything like this before! My little southern-Californian brain is about to leak out of my ears, I can’t even handle. Yes, I have seen snow and gone snowboarding, but I have never seen it blizzard the way it has been. I am so excited, I’d be embarrassed to be seen with me if I was the rest of my team, but its okay because it gives the Japanese on-lookers something to laugh at.

EARTHQUAKES!
So, maybe our 3rd night here, we had our first big, scary, Japan earthquake.  Actually, I shouldn’t phrase it like that.. because I am in no way mocking the earthquakes here. The last dude I know of that mocked a freak natural occurrence ended up sinking the Titanic so.. I will not be making THAT mistake. Especially HERE.  Now, I’m from California, okay? Earthquakes aren’t exactly shocking or uncommon back home. But for some reason, I was not prepared for this little 4.5  monster that shook us awake that night. I know I said earthquakes aren’t a big deal back home, because we get them all the time, but I may or may not be the only Californian that loses it whenever we do have earthquakes. So when we had the 4.5 one, I didn’t completely lose it, but I came pretty close. BUT when we had a random, short but strong one last night (4/12/12), I just about ran and hid.. in the fetal position.. in my suitcase.. which is in my room, under my cot. I didn’t quite make it to my room though, because Jon was too busy holding on to me, laughing at me, and reassuring me I was going to live after all. Sigh. I hate earthquakes you guys, I really do. 

SEA WEEDING!

Today we drove to this small fishing ‘town’ beside the sea, and embarked on one of the most culturally enlightening and slightly awkward adventures, ever. We went.. Seaweeding. Think shucking corn.. but seaweed. I actually don’t know what shucking corn looks like.. but I imagine its similar to what we were doing today. Pretty much, we spent 8 hours separating the leafy part from the stem part, with either this little tool or our hands. For all 8 of those hours, I hung out in a small room with 6 japanese women, along with their father (61) & grandfather (82), and talked (okay.. THEY talked) and laughed (mostly at my foreign ignorance). I absolutely love the Japanese, don’t get me wrong.. but I fail to understand why they keep talking to us after we clearly don’t comprehend a word they are saying. They will continue talking or asking questions, as if my utterly lost and confused face somehow conveyed, “No, no.. I DO understand everything you’re saying.. I’m just pretending I don’t.” It’s kind of hilarious.. once the awkward staring and head shaking subsides. But bless their patient hearts for continuing to engage me in conversation despite my foreign ignorance.
Anyway, so we spent the whole day talking, laughing and sharing stories (through my amazing translator, praise the Lord for her) and singing different worship songs, both in English, Japanese and Korean. We even got to share the gospel with these women, which said, “Well, I guess that makes sense. You’d have to have quite a strong faith in something to be out here, doing what you’re doing.” Through Mo, who translated, I told her it was an honor to be there, serving Jesus.. and her. She smiled a smile that, even though it was covered by her mask, I was sure would’ve melted my heart. After that, the conversation took quite an interesting turn.
The mother asked me when I was going home and I told her I was going back home to see my family in June, and that I hadn’t seen them since January. She then said, “That’s a long time to be away from home. Your boyfriend must not be happy,” to which I replied, “I don’t have a boyfriend. I find it easier to do missions without one. Lighter travel.” But she shook her head and said she was sorry, not for assuming I had a boyfriend.. but sorry I didn’t have one. Awkward. In attempt to change the subject, I started saying how much I was going to miss Japan, and she responds with, “Well, marry my son then! He’s good looking. Live in Japan! You can be our in-law!” I just turned bright red and stared at the massive pile of sea weed in front of me while the room full of 6 Japanese women laughed and laughed at my expense. Then came break time, which I was so grateful for.. anything to escape being married off. So, while enjoying my paper cup of hot green tea, I realized the 6 dudes standing in a circle across from me were talking amongst themselves and pointing at me. One broke away from the rest, walked right up to me.. and I mean RIGHT IN MY FACE.. staring curiously. I’m looking around for one Mo or Anne (who had been translating for me, because keep in mind, NO ONE spoke a word of english) who had disappeared, as this man reached out for my mouth. I stepped backward and he pointed to his upper lip. OHHH! My lip ring. I pointed to it, and he reached for my mouth again.. trying to get me to open my mouth so he could see how it worked. I typically like to be in-charge of the contents of my own face, so I pulled my upper lip up so he could see.. and he examined it in a way that my dentist would be proud of. I was asked about my nose ring and lip ring periodically through out the rest of the afternoon.. about how they worked and if they hurt. They don’t see piercings on anyone in that side of town, typically. Awkward, yes. But altogether hilarious.
We talked about where they were when the tsunami struck, and listened to them reflect back. Many of them ran for the hills, literally.. up the mountain next to us. The father told us we were actually sitting on the site of their house before the tsunami washed it away.

TOKYO! 

        Alright, I'm going to be honest with y'all for a second. First of all, yes, I have started saying y'all, and secondly.. I am terrible at this whole blogging consistently thing. I love writing, but outreach has been such a whirlwind. We arrived in Tokyo after a 2 hour Bullet Train ride, and half way home (with 24 stops to go) Zak starts puking. Poor man caught the stomach flu. Brutal, right? Yeah, the onlookers that helped catch the puke bag as it slipped out of our hands thought so too. Anyway, on to things less disgusting and puke filled. 

        We've been working with the YWAM base here, meeting so many new people, getting lost in the heart of Tokyo and seeing a Japanese man give his life to Jesus! We don't have a translator, finding ANYONE who speaks a little english is hard to come by, and finding a Japanese person who is even open to hearing the Gospel is even more rare. So the fact that this man set his gods aside and accepted CHRIST is nothing short of a miracle. Living here has been the most incredible experience so far, and I am so in love this this city, this nation, and the Japanese. We're moving again today, to a house for missionaries so we can all live together as a team (we've been living in separate houses for the last week), and we are SO EXCITED! More posts coming soon.. no, really, I swear. Keep us in your prayers and if you have any prayer requests of your own- let us know!! LOVE YOU ALL!