Last week, a few Japanese teammates and I had an event at a temporary housing complex in Sendai where people who lost their homes in the earthquake and tsunami live. It was a very eye-opening experience and I was happy to be involved. It basically looked like a trailer park with rows of small homes set up. We came to meet the people, sign autographs, take pictures, and give the families winter mittens. The 89ers cheerleaders also came to lead the people in stretching, because I was told that it is good for the older citizens to stay active. There were a bunch of media there to cover the event, and we presented the residents with some autographed memorabilia. I was pleased to see that everyone was very happy and upbeat. I admired their strength to continue on with their life and be positive. These people have lost everything, some of them even lost family members. But, they were all smiling, laughing, and so appreciative of us.
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In December I received an email from a fellow Marquette Alumnus and former MU athlete, Kristin Stonecki. She was currently stationed near Tokyo and knew that Dan and I were also living in Japan. Its great to know that Marquette alumni can stay connected all over the world! Kristin wanted to know if I was interested in joining her and a volunteer group that was heading up to Ishinomaki, to help with tsunami cleanup. Ishinomaki is a city located about 35 miles north of Sendai and is one of the most affected areas by the March 11th 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami. I was delighted to go and help with such a great cause. I also wanted to see first hand what we have been watching on the news on March 11th, 2011. However, as soon as I agreed my fears began to creep in, it didn’t help that while talking to my mom she kept reminding me to prepare myself for the worst. “You know, they are still finding bodies along the coast, are you prepared to see that?” No, I wasn’t. I actually wasn’t prepared to see any of the destruction and visit an area where close to 10,000 people died. 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! The closer we drove to the coast the more visible the damage became. Buildings showed signs of cracking, streets were uneven, and construction sites were set up everywhere. The closer and closer we drove the damage became overwhelming. There was debris scattered everywhere, houses missing walls, piles of cars, piles of boats and piles of objects that you would never see in a pile! Cars were completely mangled and one couldn’t help to think about the massive force that swept through. It’s been estimated that the wave that hit this part of Japan was close to 33 feet high. We pulled into the Samaritan's Purse International Relief makeshift office and a member briefed us about what we will be doing. Our group would be cleaning up one house, knocking out walls, taking out the insulation and preparing the home for complete remodeling. Samaritan's Purse International Relief has been in Ishinomaki since March helping locals rebuild their lives one house at a time. The volunteer group we came with, the KBF Tohoku Relief Team, is a Christian organization from Tokyo that has been coming up weekly to Ishinomaki to aid with the cleanup. Many of the homes in the region were completely knocked down but others survived. The ones that did survive are now being renovated so the owners can move back in. The house we were cleaning up was right on the coast, about a five minute walk from the Pacific Ocean. We spent five hours cleaning up, removing debris, insulation and knocking down walls. I was completely shocked when we removed soaking wet insulation, which has not dried out in the nine months since the tsunami! During lunch Kristin and I walked around the area. I felt a mixture of emotions; I was sad and felt guilty looking at peoples' personal belongings scattered everywhere. Honestly, it looked like a bomb went off and people abandoned everything. There were toys, bikes, dishes, silverware scattered on every corner. Peoples' homes were completely on display! An errie feeling sat in when we walked by homes that were missing walls and you could look into someone’s living room, their chair still placed in front of the TV, a coffee cup sitting on the table and magazines scattered on the floor. You could imagine what those peoples' lives looked like. Words can not describe the destruction and painful feeling I felt while walking around the Ishinomaki coast. Even while facing such a great disaster there was absolutely no looting in this area. I even found a bag of money that had probably been sitting on the ground for nine months. There were memorials set up in front of some of the damaged houses. Someone in our group mentioned that some were dedicated to kids that passed away because there were traditional Japanese dolls called Kokeshi next to the tea offering. The homeowner was very welcoming and at first very overwhelmed. I couldn’t image twenty some people sweeping through my house and tearing it to pieces. She was very grateful and even bought us lunch. Fried pork, rice and salad! We all took a break from working and ate lunch on the second story of their house. The homeowner also talked to those that spoke Japanese about their tsunami experience, above is a photo of one of our group members recounting the homeowner’s stories in English. Thankfully everyone in their family survived, they escaped through a rice patty. They said they had friends that stayed behind and were trapped in their homes. The water was so high up that they were on the second story of their house completely trapped by the high water. They described it as being stuck in a washing machine. Some survived but a lot of them didn’t. People are still missing to this day; their remains have not been located. 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. Below is a photo of all the debris we took out of the house as well as Kristin and I in front of the home. Group shot with the homeowners. I was so thankful to be a part of such a wonderful cause! I think anyone who is living in Japan or will be traveling to Japan needs to see the coast of Miyagi. The damage will take your breath away and truly leave you speechless. Words can not describe what this nation went through and how gracefully they handled the worst tsunami disaster in the 21st century. Here are a couple more photos of the Ishinomaki sea wall. Crazy how peaceful the Pacific Ocean was the day we went to volunteer. For more information about the KBF Tohoku Relief Teams please visit their website or their Facebook Page. We live in a part of Sendai called Izumi, its located about 6 miles north of the city center. When we first heard that Dan received an offer from the Sendai 89ers we were a little hesitant knowing the recent natural disaster that struck the Sendai area. We were under the impression that the city was completely damaged and everything was in disarray. There was a nuclear meltdown going on (just south of Sendai in Fukushima) and anyone thinking of going to or near Sendai was a fool. After talking with some people and doing some heavy research, we found out that the total destruction was limited to the area near the coastline, a good 40 minutes from the city. The earthquake and tsunami was epic and devastating, but it didn't wipe out the city of Sendai like american media reported. Gotta love how the international media portrayed what was going on in the area!
After much deliberation we decided to take the risk and move to "disaster-stricken Sendai." When we got to Sendai we were surprised to see a beautiful city standing before us with no signs that the biggest earthquake in Japan's history rocked it a few months prior. Everyone was going about their business, streets were packed with pedestrians and cars. People were laughing, talking and visiting the many stores, restaurants, and bars. This city of a million people did not show visible signs of damage, and we were happy to see that our decision was a good one. From what we know now, most of the damage happened on the coast, the area we have not visited just yet. The airport was completely damaged but both times I visited it was at night. We drove by a pile of tsunami debris but again at night its hard to tell what exactly you are looking at. Our Japanese friends told us that the streets of Sendai used to be smooth but now they are uneven and bumpy. The other day I walked around Izumi to see if I could see any visible damage to show you all. Since I grew up in Warsaw and then lived in Chicago for almost 18 years, I know that in all big city there will be damage from cars, people, and the weather. Poland still has buildings that have not been reconstructed after the communist regime swept through and Chicago has the pot holes that could easily engulf a Smart car. So for me actually realizing what was earthquake damage and was just regular city wear and tear has been difficult. But here are some images of damage around Izumi: |
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