Christmas

Today we enjoyed our Christmas Party at my home. Many Students came and we have had a lovely time together. Christmas is the Birthday of Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Christmas presents

All 290 children of this elementary school in Ishinomaki, which we are supporting after the great damage of the recent earthquake, will recieve next week a Christmas presents with sweets, a cuite handtowel, a notebook and a booklet with the Christmas Story. You can see Miho Y. and myself while we were shopping. In addition we have bought for every school classes different learning material and jigsaw puzzle world-maps. Christmas time is a time of giving presents so we want to make the students happy.

Orchid Garden

Yesterday Hatsue came to visit me. I know her for a long time. She is rigth now looking for a new job. We had a great time together. When guest´s coming were do I take them, if the weather is good? in my nearby parc.  Aren't the flowers beautiful? If you come and visit me, I will take you there too, that´s for sure.

Congratulation!

Sometimes I wish I would have more time to write for the blog. Right now my time schedule is very full with different Bibleclasses. Today three dear students had completed the Biblestudy course, which took them three years. Of course we did celebrate this special event. May the women be able to use what they have learned in their daily life. 

Congratulation!

　

Recently I talked in one of my sermons about Peter, the disciple of Jesus. He experienced two events completely differently. The same boat, same nets and same place, but the results were completely different nevertheless. What was the cause for that? He went for fishing in the night on his own strength and caught nothing, but the second time he did the same work however with a large difference. Indeed he departered with the confidence and the dependence on Jesus Christ only, that´s why he became so successful  fischerman even during daytime. This is marvelous. Where does the secret come from? If we obey Jesu instructions completely and obey his commandments, even if we do not understand it in that particular moment he will reward us and give us a successful life.  Don´t depend on your feelings! Let´s try it in your daily life and you will find out that it will work. 

Here you can see Peter after a disappointed night ful of work and still he was unable to catch even one fish. In this Situation Jesus met him and challenged him to do what he is commanding him. Peter obeyed and was successful. 

Last week Saturday I came back safely from my third trip to Kessennuma. Even the third time, the view was awful- the beautiful area along the north-east coast of Japan is completely destroyed and the tsunami has been flattened over all. The military volunteers have worked diligently and taken away the piled up garbage. The coastal landscape looks barren and desolate. Along the coast there only the ground left from the homes. One family, Mr. and Mrs. Abe, which we were visiting, went with us to see there empty ground, were they have built a house just 4 years ago.  A beautiful house with a garden is simply gone, nothing remains, only two large stones are left. This family belongs to the Dai Ichi baptisted church, were my students helped as volunters on our second trip,

Mr. and Mrs. Abe has moved in their daughter´s house. They do have a print shop and one part of the room they have changed  into a worship church meeting place. It looks very beautiful.

The cleanup in the city of Kesennuma will last a long time. You can not imagine how that looks right now. Everything is gray, dirty and destroyed. As bad as after a war. I think if I had to live there, I would be sick in my heart with pity and sorry. It will take years before a reasonably normal city life with beautiful shops, etc. can be thought of. And yet people have to continue to remain to live there, because they have no other home. They have lost everything. Recently there were built a lot of simply homes. I 've seen the houses, but to be honest they look not very nice. I am sure the victim´s will be lonely. Especially elderly people now die of grief and loneliness. And there are already many new problems. Those who were allowed to move in such a log house, are right now lucky, Because  they do have light, water, electricity and food, probably for the next two years. Until then, they must have managed to maintain their own life. They all need a job. And that's not easy to find. And those who can  keep their houses, even if the tsunami has caused a lot of damage, they get nothing from the government. They have to support themself- No wonder that those affected are disadvantaged and now feel dissatisfied. The mutual envy is inevitable.

The Abe family takes care of several victims and hurt people in their city and will distribute the supplies, which we buy and send over. First they were mainly needed water, rice, warm blankets, vegetables, and items for the daily care .... etc.  And now six month later, the victim´s need summer dresses, T-shirt's, bug spray, fans against the heat, and of course all food items etc. The Abe family let us know by phone what they need. One of my student, Mrs. Miho Yamada is a great help. She and some of her church members buy the goods  and send them over.

We were also able to make contact to one of another volunteer group, which is sending young people from Tokio to Ishinomaki to help in the neighbourhood to clean the durty houses. Young Japanese are willing to give their time and strengh in helping the victims. Those affected are incredibly grateful for the work of the volunteers. They have expressed this to me over and over. This Japanese aid organization we will also support with your money. And I am sure you are happy with this decion.

And then we visited an elementary school in Ishinomaki. For the kids I was a stranger. In Northjapan foreigners are very rare. I promissed the children and teachers that my German friends are praying for them and will help them. The teacher of one class was very impressed, I later learned that even her husband, who was also a teacher, has lost his life in the tsunami. Even among those children there were kids, who have lost family members, parents, grandparents, or even the home or their school. They are living  temporarily in other schools. We bought gifts for about 100 children that were distributed in this school. I realized how unfocused and confused some of the kids had been in their behaviour. Please pray for them, that they will cure and be released from their heart pain.

I am thankful that I could find some good ways to help some victims. To bring them a little joy is a delight. We want to continue with these personal contacts in the near future.  My student Miho is an excellent manager. She is supported from some of her church ladies and even her pastor and his wife.

I want to thank you all for your faithful prayers and gifts of money. My prayer is now that the victims will  be touched by your love. And may they find Jesus Christ, as their saviour. Any further donations are still necessary and valuable. The Lord bless you all! 

This time, the second once, I took my students to North-Japan. They all were so willing to help and did a great job as volunters. I´ll be thrilled and thank them all. There were lot´s to do: clean houses, deliver food and listen to peoples tragedy. We baked waffles and tried to talk to them while we were trinking a cup of coffee. It was sad to see their sorrow and discouraged faces.Please God help them and give them strength to face the future. Here are some pictures. 

Continued: 3 Part: Date: Thursday, April 21: Drive to Higashi Matsushima in Miyagi Prefecture. (About 20 km away from Sendai)

On Thursday morning 7:30 in we drove to the warehouse, where we took a lot of new relief supplies, which we wanted to deliver. What should we take? What would the people need most? We chose different items of which we thougght that people need at the moment most. Then we drove up to Matsushima. This city is located on the Matsushima Bay, the main attraction of the prefecture. This is a bay with about 260 pine-covered islands, 22 km northeast of Sendai. In addition to Amanohashidate and Miyajima, Matsushima is one of the three most beautiful landscapes of Japan - which has made its beaches and nearby historical sites to appropriate centers of tourism, this I read afterwards on the website. 

Matsushima - Bay with 260 pine-covered islands, before the earthquake.  

But what we saw today is a picture of horror. I have no words. I'll let the pictures speak. The place resembles a single pile of garbage, while many houses are still standing, but everything is totally muddy, dirty, a scene of horror. We drive right in front of a house whose owner (Mr. Takahashi), our team leader knows. Today we volunteers are going to help him cleaning his house. The first floor is completely in mud. The rooms are completely distroyed. We throw all things in his garden. Books, furniture, lamps, pictures, everything is muddy and totally unusable. Mr. Takahashi asks me to clean the pictures, porcelain vases and other things. I did obeyed and tried to give my best to treat these dirty things well .. but to be honest, in my mind I thought, I better would throw everything in the trash. But for him it might be hard, because he had probably many memories and it might be hard to throw everything away. An unpleasant smell was in the air. Today we are lucky, the weather is good and everything can be done outside. But his garden is like a muddy farm field ... He told us that he were able to buit this house 12 years ago. Unfortuanatelly  his wife  died five years ago. For lunch he offered us his garden but he went up to his 2.nd floor to have a brake. 

After lunch I walked around the neighbourhood and discovered that most houses are currently empty, only Mr. Takahashi and a few others have chosen to endure in the rubble. I wonder now, what would be better for me: a crowded gymnasium hall, but warm and dry, or this durty and desolatet area. I probably would have preferred the gym. In the 2nd floor of his house, where I could use the restroom, I realize that he is a great gentleman who has a good sense of beauty in the style of interia. No wonder he wants to live here again. But for me it would feel uncomfortable and dangerous to stay in the mud-covered garden because of the associated hygienic and bacterial pollution. Mr. Takahashi brought us everyone later a cup of coffee, which he served in valuable porcelain cups, a collection, he says. 

Mr. Takahashi´s house and his brandnew car he bought after the earthquake. His livingroom. lunch time.

2. Part: As a volunteer to Tohoku in the disaster area, five weeks after the earthquake.

After all the first day experienced I needed a little distance inside myself and made a small path around the block, where we had parked our car. I wondered about all the sandbags in front of the entrance doors and at a corner I suddenly discovered houses that where standing in the flood. What has happened now? People had been so far through a lot of worse, is it not enough, I thought by myself? Where is this water now came from? As I stood there the owner a man with a red raincoat and a backpack came up to me and explained that he and other residents had to fight another problem: the flood which overflow the first floor of all the houses in this district. The reason why this happended I did not completely understood what he explained me, anyway his first floor of the house now up to his knees is under water. He currently live in the 2nd floor. When we got to talk, he pointed to his backpack and joked, "Now I wear my wife with me always." At first I did not quite understood what he meant. Than he told me that his wife died five years ago. The most important things for him, is not the bank account or ID card, which people usually carry with them when they suddenly have to escape ... instead of this for him the most important thing is the urn of his wife. Because he did not know what will come next, he decided to carry the box with her bones with him always. It would help him to overcome his loneliness, he said. I realized this day that the Japanese do have their own views on salvation and the relationship to the deceased. They believe that their souls are around them even after death. For me as a christian this is not acceptable. That day it was not easy for me to see all these people with their grief and sorrow. It was one of the hardest day to say goodbye to them and leave them alone in their helpless situation. 

overflooded houses                   a man with backpack                        one of our distribute place

My first trip to Sendai

On Tuesday 19 April I took a night bus to Sendai and arrived next morning at 7:10 clock  their. Than I went to the center of the Organisation „Food for the Hungry“, to start with other helpers for our first destination: Ishinomaki. On the way we stopped by a large material storage and packed our bus brimming with boxes of materials like water, some food: such as vegetables, instant cup noodles, rice, soups, then we chose several pieces of clothe of all kinds for men, women, kids, baby, children's books and everyday things like toilet paper, tissues, etc. .. then the ride was over bumpy roads badly damaged by the quake on to Ishinomaki to share the things with lovely Japanese, who are despirately in need, because of the damage of the earthqake. 

This time we are not planing to go first to some of the camps, because people are there at the moment supplied regularly with food and the necessary daily needs, but there are many other people right now who have survived in their homes, but have no chance to go out to buy something. Because the daily stores were destroyed in their city. On the way to the first destination their I saw a picture of horror. I have no words, it is just like a big disaster. All about garbage, mud, the tsunami has washed out everything. A picture of horror, as after the war. 

What a devastation? Unthinkable? Arriving at the first destination, we went to the houses near by and rang the bell to announce to the owners that we have brought for them some good food and goodies. First the people were a little shy but as soon as the first people come to our vans to discover what we brought for them, other joined us too. Everyone took with lot of thanks in their hearts things we brought for them. Their faces where sad and frightened faces. But when we distribute some balloons and sweets to children, there came a big smile on their faces. When I carried the goods to their homes, I saw how dilapidated and poor their homes were. Although they were spared by the tsunami, but many things from the strong earthquake and some aftershocks had been destroyed and broken things were spread around the yard. 

  Child's smile, "Everyone who makes others happy will recieve a lot of joy!" 

I was at the end of this first day very happy to watch how these needy people went home with full bags. It was a big present for me to make others happy. Then we went to two other places, and experienced similar situations: first, some kind of hesitation and uncertainty, but then a special joy over the recieved things. I am reminded on the Biblevers: "To give is more blessed than to receive!" 

Earthquake in Japan- Prayerrequests

Here are guidelines and prayerrequests after the big Earthquake, which hit Japan recently. Thanks so much for your prayers. That´s what Japan needs most!
click here for detail prayerrequests:  Crash   -love on Japan.

Small Group

Yesterday we gathered together and have had a great time of sharing and fellowship. It´s so good to hear from each other and meeting together. Everyone faces new challenges and changes this year, but we trust, that with God´s help we can master it. One is going back to Australia soon and is looking for a new job, another one want´s to stand firm in the company and be strong in her own opinion, one is praying for guidance towards her future work and another one want´s to express her feelings more honest and not hesitate. How about you? What are your plans for this year?

Biblevers 2011

Every Year there is an annual biblevers choosen. For this year it is Romans 12, 21: „ Don´t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good!“ Let´s first have a look to this nice card. There is at first the tear of the „Evil“, which we do experience daily in our life. The Evil= Satan did his first bad work, when he could convinst Adam and Eve to eat from the forbidden fruit. Then, the tear between human and God was born. Thats why every human been naturaly seperated from God. You can read about it on the very first pages of the Bibel gen 3. Adam and Eva didn´t listen to God´s command. This has led to the quarrel between the first children of Adam and Eve: Cain and Abel. The results are: Fight, wars, unforgivness and revenge. Do you see the precise glance of the warm yellow light, which shines in the background of the tear. The light is a symbol for God, his glory and his greatest miracle: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. On the cross almost 2000 years ago he, Jesus, defeated Satan (the one, who destroys everything). The Evil is already defeated! The victory is in Jesus Christ! The light shines deep in the ditch and gives hope for a change. Do you see the tender red bridge over there? This means the dear love of Jesus Christ on the cross for us. Where are you focusing your eyes right now? On the big tear which means „conquer evil by doing evil' or are you looking to the bridge of love, which means „ conquer evil by doing good“. Conquer evil by doing good, this is the solution and the content of our annual slogan. Paul want´s to remind us: conquer evil by doing good! Unfortinatelly I have to say, to write down this trues is much easier than to do it in every day life. We fail, if we wnat to do this through our own strength. Which tears of Evil are there right now in your life? Do pray to f Jesus Christ, that he will help you to overcome evil with good. In this sense I wish you a sucessful NEW Year and the rich blessing of God. May He strengthen you and give you the willingness to forgive each other daily.