SRPC in Japan

My backpack is my best friend.

He never leaves my side. He is there when I go to bed each night and when I wake up in the morning. He never complains, not even when I fill him to the brim with anything and everything that could potentially come in handy for the upcoming days: toothbrush, socks, clothes, granola bars, C.C. Lemon...all the essentials. I could literally become homeless for several days and probably be just fine due to all of the crazy, random items he carries for me. This was especially true when the Seven Rivers team was here. 

Having my mom and some of my closest friends here with me during this time was such an unforgettable experience. I don’t think I slept at all that week, but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. The team kept them fairly busy with teaching English classes, homestays, and helping tremendously with childcare for a women’s conference here. In between their hard work, it was a mission trip after all, I was able to spend some quality time with familiar faces! They came at the perfect time, and it was such an encouragement to me to have them here! Thankfully my backpack was always within arms reach, ready to respond to any spontaneous idea we concocted. Here are some of the highlights in my mind of their time spent here:

Karaoke for starters.

For those of you who don't know, Karaoke in Japan is about a billion times better than in America. First of all, you get your own private room to sing in, so you only have to embarrass yourself in front of people you already know. I guess that could be considered both a pro and a con, but I'm definitely a fan. You go for a few hours, order food and drinks, and serenade the ones you hold dear. It's a pretty sweet deal. Also, they are open till like 5 AM just incase you get that sudden urge to belt out a tune in the middle of the night. We sang our hearts out, and when we were finished making fools of ourselves, we let Keisuke show us his skills and basically had a mini concert; it was awesome. I took some pretty great videos, but for everyones sake, there is no way I'm going to share those with y'all. If you want to hear me sing poorly, just ride in the car with me when Taylor Swift comes on the radio. I can't resist singing along. 

Memory number two consists of the most delicious ramen I've ever eaten. One of the families in the church owns a Ramen shop in Chiba city, and let me tell you, once you've eaten ramen here, you'll never be able to eat the 28 cent packages in America again, even if you are a poor college student. It's that good. Also, if you need a good chuckle, please ask Chelsea how she pronounces the word ramen. I promise her answer will not disappoint. 

On top of that, the family that owns it is probably some of the coolest people I know. They are super involved in the church, and they just have the most giving hearts I've ever seen. They've been up north to Tohoku at least twice, where the earthquake and tsunami hit the hardest, and brought ramen to some of the victims there. They have been so welcoming to me, and their mom has driven me around after dark multiple times! Their generosity never ceases to amaze me, and I'm so thankful for them!

While we're on the topic of the earthquake, a few of us were given the opportunity to travel up north ourselves to help do some disaster relief. It was only a 24 hour trip, but it was such a good experience! My mom, Mrs. Commons, and I piled in the team van that caravanned with several other vehicles carrying both volunteers and supplies and embarked on the 7 hour drive to Ishinomaki. They were such troopers, I'm so proud of them! My mom even learned a crucial Japanese phrase that I think she still remembers. We left at 11 PM on Friday and arrived around 6 Saturday morning, ready to start our day of work. Thankfully, the local community center was still standing, so the team has kind of been headquartered there recently. We set up a food tent and served pastries, hot dogs, and hot coffee to people who are still trying to recover from that fateful day in March. Some of us were also able to help distribute bags of different household goods that they might find useful. We were so thankful to be able to hand out a surprise donation of apples and oranges that seemed to make so many people smile that day! We finished serving around 2 PM, and some of us headed out to drive around and witness some more of the devastation. It was hard to see, especially knowing that what we were looking at was so much better than it originally was a few months ago.  The New York times has a good website to check out that shows some before and after shots that I've attached the link for: Japan before and after the tsunami You can slide the middle bar over in both directions to see the full view. But here are just a few pictures that I took while I was there:

It was pretty intense. The Japanese have done so much already to help those affected, but there is still so much to be done! It's only been about four months since the earthquake and tsunami, but I feel as if people around the world are already forgetting what has happened. If anything I'd love for this to be a reminder that while they are making progress, there is still an incredible need for people to donate both their time and money to serving the Tohoku area. While Japan may not be publicizing it, they really do need help. But most of all, they need Jesus, just like we all do. Just in one little town of 10.000 people, at least 1,000 went missing or were killed. 30 children lost one of their parents and 6 children became orphans in a matter of minutes. The town was given 16 minutes warning after the earthquake before the first in a series of three tsunamis that would hit the coast. Between the first and second wave there was only five minutes. Five minutes. It takes me five minutes just to try to spell the word tsunami, let alone try to outrun one. Or imagine you were a fisherman in one of those towns on the coast that got completely washed away. Your whole house is gone, your train station has been wiped away, and you're not even sure if they are going to rebuild your city because of the threat of another natural disaster occurring. There is potential radiation in the water, so fishing, the only trade you know, is no longer an option, yet you still have to find a way to feed your family. This is the story of so many Japanese families right now. I can't even imagine how stressed I would be as a Christian. But as a nonbeliever, relying solely on my own abilities to survive, I think I would just give up. I will feel crushed, abandoned, and helpless. What a perfect time in someone's life to share the good news of Christ with them? When they have nothing else to turn to, no real distractions or hindrances, maybe God could use that time to open their hearts to his Word. I just read this verse in one of my English classes, and I feel like it's very applicable. Luke 10:2 says, "He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Please ask the Lord to send workers to Japan. I can't think of a better time to tell someone that they are loved and cared for by their heavenly father. 


Well now that y'all are all ready to pack your bags and head over here to do some disaster relief work, let me give you just one more reason you should want to visit this incredible country. 


Disney Sea.


This place is awesome, and the only one in the world! Rides include Indiana Jones, Journey to the Center of the Earth, a little mermaid underwater play area for children, and so much more. 

My favorite part however, was the water show that they held at night. It was kind of like the parade they do at Disneyworld, but naturally at Disney Sea, they had a water display. We found a great spot on this bridge, overlooking the whole park, and took in the beautiful lights and sounds of a Disney production. Amy's excellent videoing skills captured just a snippet of this magical moment:

You are never too old for Disney.


Thanks for coming Seven Rivers!! Y'all were such an awesome team, and I had to tell you in so many words what a blessing you were to Japan and to me. It was so nice having y'all here, and I miss you already!! Please keep Japan and my last couple weeks here in your prayers! Seriously, you guys make my heart smile. Thanks so much :)