We started with a nice breakfast, followed by worship and devotion. We will be doing this every day to keep us focused and centered - to keep our priorities straight and to unify us as a team.
While we are stationed in Sendai, our work and service is in Ishinomaki - one of the areas hit by the tsunami. The tsunami wiped out 300 milies of coastline, but this city had the greatest loss of life. We commute 1-3 hours each way (it really depends on traffic).
We got to tour the tsunami area. A lot of cleanup has been done, especially further from the coast where mud and deris was in the 'inches'. The areas nearest the coast still have a long way to go. You still see boats in yards (blocks from the coast) and whole houses sitting in lots where there is no foundation (with no idea where the house came from - only knowing it wasn't there before). In parts, the land dropped 4 feet and now floods at every high tide.
Our first job was mucking. We cleaned out a storm drain along one side of a street. With this cleaned, the houses in the area will no longer flood when it rains. Some people may ask why the locals are not doing this themselves. In this neighborhood, there were only 9 survivors. They are trying to put their lives back together - dealing with traggic loss and the horrible disaster.
Yes, it is hard work. Yes, it is very rewarding. We have to move concrete covers, loosen debris, shovel it into bags, haul the bags to a designated pickup location, cleanup after ourselves, and put the street back together.
After mucking the gutter, we canvased the neighboorhood and handed out fliers inviting people to a movie/BBQ night at 'J's Cafe' in Inshinomaki (which is our local base in the area). Janett cookup up some excellent spaghetti under less than ideal conditions and fed the whole crew.
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