Last Week-Part 2



At Ise Jingu Shrine

 It has been a little over one week since the earthquake in Miyagi Prefecture. Things in Nagoya have settled down a little bit now. Since my last blog posting was little more than an assurance of my safety and update on what’s been going on here, I though that’s I’d post about what it’s been like to be in Japan over the past few days and share a few experiences I’ve had during that time.


After the earthquake on March 11th, people in Nagoya were worried and anxious for family, friends and everyone who was affected up north. This anxiety soon manifested itself into worry for a large earthquake that Nagoya is expecting and has been expecting for years now

On the Monday after the earthquake, while helping at the Mitsuba nursery school class, I’m fairly certain that I found two 3 year old boys “playing tsunami” in the sand box. People of all ages in Nagoya are trying to deal with the enormity of what has been happening up north. This is especially true for the children. They all know what is going on and are definitely picking up on the anxiety around them. Also on Monday, my friend and fellow missionary Steven Hart arrived in Nagoya. His placement was too close to the nuclear reactors and he came to Nagoya until he figured out what to do next. It was great to be able to hang out with him this past week and I really appreciated being able to process what was going on with him. His blog is here: Steven's Blog
On Tuesday, there was an earthquake in Nagoya. It was very small but enough to shake people up a bit. I was in a busy restaurant at the time and missed this one as well. The next day, all most people could talk about was the expected earthquake in Nagoya.

On Thursday I went to the Immigration Office to pick up a re-entry visa for my trip to Hong Kong this week. It was extremely busy there and I was told that the line was hours long because of the earthquake and nuclear problems. Some foreigners who can are trying to leave for a while.

On Friday I went to a department store to pick up some things that I needed. There has been a little panic buying here and the store was running low on flashlights, large bottles of water and some canned foods. The Youth Center where I work has updated and re-distributed their earthquake evacuation plan.

Things today seem calmer now. Nagoya is EXACTLY as safe a place to be as the day I first arrived and I keep telling myself that when I feel myself getting anxious. I don’t like to use this comparison, but it’s the closest one I have to put what’s going on in Nagoya in perspective: The atmosphere in Nagoya feels very similar to the atmosphere in Massachusetts after September 11th, 2001. While the events are completely different and not really comparable, the anxiety and fear of the unknown is remarkably similar. While life continues on in Nagoya, everyone is aware that it could have just as easily happened here and that Nagoya will get earthquakes in the future. These thoughts have shaken people up a bit and caused some anxiety.

Many people at home keep asking how they can help Japan in this situation. Right now all I can tell you is to keep Japan in your prayers, especially the relief and rebuilding efforts. Please pray for the children who are having a hard time processing what is going on and please pray that the nuclear problems will soon settle down and not cause any damage or widespread panic. If you want to do something tangible, please consider donating money. Yahoo news has put together a list of organizations that are collecting donations including the Red Cross.  The list is here: Yahoo News Donation List Meanwhile, the Anglican Church in Nagoya has sent a group up north to see how they can best minister to the communities that were most effected. I will keep posting all the current information on my blog in case there is a need for anything more specific.

Also, Steven and I were interviewed by Episcopal New Service. Here is the link: Episcopal News Service Article

Please don’t worry about me in Nagoya! I am safe, happy and healthy. I was anxious for a few days after the earthquake but now as things are calming down here I am much more calm and relaxed. Life has continued on as normal and now things are beginning to feel normal again as the atmosphere is less tense. I thank all my family, friends and communities back home for their prayers and continued support through the last week. Please continue to hold Japan in your prayers. It’s going to be a long road to recovery.


At Ise Jingu Shrine


Peace in Christ,

Christen