I arrived at the Ishinomaki train station at 8 am on December 12th , it was a cold yet sunny morning and I couldn’t wait for the KBF (Kurume Bible Fellowship) bus to pick me up. My hands were already freezing and I was kicking myself for not bringing my warm gloves. KBF informed us to dress in warm clothes, since we would be spending some of our time outdoors, and to wear clothes that we wouldn’t mind ruining. So here I was in my sweatpants, a hoodie and old gloves. Not a smart way to start the day, especially since it was December in northern Japan!
The KBF bus picked me up and we headed toward the coast of Ishinomaki. I was happy to be reunited with Kristin. We knew each other in college and spent a lot of time training at the Old Gym as well as the Al McGuire Center but in reality its been five years since we spoke, other than the occasional Facebook conversations, and I didn’t know what to expect when we met again. It’s a funny feeling of happiness and uncertainty. In our years of traveling abroad we had a lot of those experiences, it’s great to see someone you know or knew of in college and then see them in a foreign country. You automatically feel a connection even though you hardly know them. Seeing Kristin was absolutely great! I have to admit; I am disappointed in myself that we didn’t hang out more in college. She is a great girl and I definitely missed out!
At times like this I felt a little relived that I did not understand Japanese, it was hard enough for us to be there but hearing personal accounts of life and death would bring me completely to tears. Below is a photo of the homeowner speaking to our group.
Crazy how peaceful the Pacific Ocean was the day we went to volunteer.