Voluntary Evacuation

After a lot of prayer and stressful deliberation, we decided that I should take advantage of the voluntary evacuation that the government offered to dependents of military members living in Japan. It had nothing to do with our safety - we trust all of the very smart people from our government that assured us we were not in any danger from radiation in Misawa. But we felt like the best thing I could physically do for Japan right now is to stop sucking up their resources until they get back on their feet. Plus, James would most likely be going TDY to a near-by location to continue their flying program until Operation TOMODACHI ends, and I didn't want to be there by myself.

The process of evacuating was extensive to say the least. It was a really long and tedious experience. But I am so impressed with our base leadership and how quickly they were able to come up with this system! They've never had to do this before, so the fact that they were able to find a way to get us all the information we needed to make this decision, then collect and organize all of the paperwork they needed from each of the 1,200 evacuees and figure out how to get us all to our separate State-side destinations in a very short amount of time is AMAZING!! I'm so proud of our base and the Air Force in general right now!

Once we decided for sure that I should go, I reported to the Colocated Club Ballroom to in-process. I had to provide them with all of my personal information, tell them where I was planning to go, get several powers-of-attorney from the legal office (just incase), collect all of the information I would need to help me get medical care if I need it while in the States, and then pin on a numbered arm band that would let me know when it was my turn to leave. Then for three or four days I had to keep checking official sources to see when that would be. I was a category 4, meaning that I was not a priority passenger, so I didn't expect to leave for several days. (Category 1 was pregnant women and people with babies under 24 months, Cat. 2 was people with children, Cat. 3 was spouses of deployed service members, Cat. 4 was all other active duty spouses, and Cat. 5 all other American citizens.)

However, I received short notice that I would be on the third plane leaving for Travis AFB in Northern California early in the morning on Thursday, March 24th! I guess they needed to fill a couple of extra seats with people who were traveling on their own. This was actually a blessing because our squadron commander's wife Jenn Steffens was on my flight, so I was free to help take care of her twin baby boys and 6 year old daughter. They were remarkably well behaved so I didn't mind at all. In fact, I was thankful to have a friend and mother-figure to help take care of ME during this long process instead of having to do it all by myself. O=^)

I received this notice around lunch time on Wednesday, and had to report with my luggage and go through final processing at 9:30 that night. So I had very little time to prepare to leave. I had already begun to pack because I knew the call could come at any time, but there was a lot to think about. In the back of my mind I knew that the future was uncertain. If the situation with the nuclear plant at Fukushima continued to deteriorate, there was a chance I may never be coming back to Japan. What should I take with me that I couldn't stand to lose - and would it all fit into my one large suitcase and small carry-on? First, I made an inventory of all of our household goods incase I needed to make a claim in the future to replace our things. Then I packed up all of my camera equipment, external harddrive, laptop computer, DVD of our wedding video and photos, my student Emmy award and diploma, all of the notes and files that I needed to continue working on my book, and my Kindle with a digital copy of the Bible and several other books in place of my book collection. Also, I had the file of all of our important documents (birth and marriage certificates, wills, medical records, list of family contact info, etc.) Of course, I had to fit some clothes in there too. (Not TOO much, though - I plan to do lots of shopping while in the U.S.) ;^)

After I packed, I cooked a few meals so that James wouldn't go hungry in my absence. Then I tracked him down at work and made sure he came home in time to say good bye. Thankfully, we had a couple of hours to spend together before he had to drop me off. It should have been a hard good-bye but I don't think the reality of it all had really sunk in yet.

The check-in process only took about an hour, thankfully. But our flight didn't take off until 4:50 am and so we all had to sit in the small Misawa passenger terminal for 6 hours and wait to board the aircraft. They provided us with a generous boxed meal, which was thoughtful. But there was no place to lie down and sleep, and there were so many small children and babies playing and/or fussing all night that we got no shut-eye. I was tempted to take a video of the dozens of kids climbing all over the baggage carousel and send it to TSA, but was too lazy to dig my camera out. ;^) Thankfully I had Jenn and a few other ladies that I know there to keep me company.

The flight itself was uneventful and only took about nine hours. We all slept for the first couple of hours, but after that the babies woke up so I spent the remainder of the trip keeping a watchful eye over the twin sitting next to me. But they fed us a couple of hot meals and played some movies. I put a headphone in one ear and watched The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 again, which definitely helped pass the time.

There was a tense moment a couple of hours into the flight that made it clear that we must all be suffering from mild post-traumatic stress. We hit a rough patch of turbulence and the plane started to shake pretty bad. It triggered that initial panic we all feel each time the gound shook, and it took several minutes for our hearts to stop racing. Even now, I get jumpy when someone bumps a table or bounces their foot and makes a bench I'm sitting on start swaying. I wonder how long it will take for that to go away?

We were welcomed with open arms when we arrived at Travis AFB at 9:30 pm Wednesday night. (Yes, due to the time change we got to re-live Thursday!) The base commander boarded the plane to welcome us, and then several airmen and volunteers got on to help carry bags and babies down the steps and into the terminal. There was a long line of people on either side of our pathway across the flightline, all smiling and welcoming us back to the United States. When we walked inside, they had the terminal set up with everything we could possibly need. There was all kinds of food and water that they were giving away for free, phones that we could use to call home (again, for free), long changing tables stocked with diapers, wipes, etc., a closed-off area for nursing moms, and a play area for the small kids. They even had some mats and blankets so the kids could lie down and sleep while we all stood in line to go through customs, get our paperwork all in order, collect our luggage, make plane reservations to take us home, and arrage for lodging and transportation to one of the three near-by airports. Again, I am SO impressed with the way the Air Force stepped up to the challenge. True, the process took a good four hours, but they did everything in their power to make it as pain-free as possible.

Around 2:oo a.m., the Steffens and I boarded a big bus bound for San Francisco. Jenn's daughter Samantha sat next to me, and we had a good talk until she fell asleep on my lap. It was a two hour bus ride, so those who had morning flights were just dropped off at the airport and waited in the USO. But my flight wasn't leaving until 4:15 that afternoon, so they took me to the near by Hyatt to sleep for a few hours, then catch a free shuttle ride to the airport. The hotel room was very nice, and I thought it was cool that they let me check in so early in the morning, and check out late, free of charge. I used their internet to talk to family before collapsing onto the hotel bed around 5:00 am.

The trip from San Fransico was pretty painless. They comped me on my overweight bag because I was a Japan evacuee (score!) and had lots of delicious food options in the food court. The plane was delayed because of rain, but I had plenty of books on my Kindle to keep me occupied. One short plane ride later, I was home safe in Colorado Springs. Over all, I traveled for about 36 hours with almost no sleep. So, understandably, I've been suffering from some MAJOR jet lag, and came down with a cold that I think is just stress-induced. But it's nice to finally be home and have an opportunity to rest and recuperate.

God is so good, and our government has taken such good care of us during this traumatic time. I am thankful!

Worship in the Dark

One of the most positive and powerful things that I've experienced since this whole earthquake business began is gathering with other believers in the dark chapel and spending time in sincere worship and prayer. I think I already talked about that first service when we truly had no power. But this past Sunday was just as good. Ch. Beyea preached on Psalm 46 and had us stand and read it all aloud, shouting the triumphant words:

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge...

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world... The God of Israel is our fortress."

(Ps. 46:1-3,10-11, NLT)

Then we talked about how God is our fortress, so we should not fear! He is our warrior so we should trust in Him! And He is our king, so we need to lift Him up! Ch. Beyea made a couple of good points. First - he asked us to think back on our reaction when the earthquake hit, and to ask ourselves whether we are where we should be, spiritually. Then, he focused on those last two verses and said that we need to pause, and stop looking at ourselves and at the chaos around us and look to God instead. For He is God. No matter how much it's shaking, He's still got the whole world in His hands.

Monday night was another awesome time, and one I'm very thankful I was around for. We got permission from Wing Leadership to hold our usual youth group meeting at the chapel, even though it meant having lights on in the building for a couple of hours. I agreed with chapel staff that it was really important to get that going right away so that we could help the kids process what they'd been through and to start hopefully thinking about how God is working in and through it all.

We turned the lights down low and scattered several candles throughout the room to help set the mood and take us back to that first weekend after the quake when we had no power. Then we sang some powerful songs, like "Mighty to Save" where the chorus cries: "Savior - He can move the mountains. Our God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save..." Then we took a look at the book of Job and talked about that thorny question: "How could God allow something like this to happen?" It was great hearing the kids responses to that question, as well as their stories and praises from the past week. I think it's safe to say that God really is doing some mighty works in their hearts and I'm going to keep praying that they're able to go out in their school and community and be a light in these dark times!

They also started up our usual Tuesday morning Protestant Women of the Chapel meetings today. Our numbers were few, but we spent the first 30 minutes worshipping and in fervent corporate prayer for the nation of Japan that moved many of us to tears. It was incredible! I can't wait to start hearing more and more stories about the way God is reaching out to these people who do not know Him and need Him desperately.

If you'd like to join us in our prayers, here are some things you can focus on:

* For speedy relief aid for all the victims, and that they would be protected from the effects of the nuclear radiation around Fukushima.

* For the Japanese church - that they would be bold and stand up and start leading their countrymen to Christ. They are small and don't have many resources, but God can work miracles through those who are devoted to Him and willing to answer His call.

* For the Japanese people - that they would begin to understand the concept of receiving a free gift, when you are totally unable to give anything in return. And that this would be a gateway into sharing the gospel with them and breaking down the cultural barriers that prevent them from embracing it.

* For strength, endurance and wisdom for all of the relief workers who are tirelessly fighting their way through the debris to get to those small towns that have not yet been reached. That they would not be overwhelmed or worn down by all of the destruction, but that they would be reassured that their blood, sweat and tears are making a difference!

* For the safety of all American military personnel and their families scattered throughout Japan - that those who are choosing to leave will have safe passage back to the States, and that those who are staying behind will be safe and have many opportunities to help in the relief efforts.

Thanks!

Stress Takes its Toll

Wow. What a week. We have seen some incredible things and had some fun times with friends as we gather together at night to help keep the cold and darkness at bay. But over all I think the defining emotion of this entire ordeal for most people on the base has been stress - and in the last two days I've begun to see it take its toll.

We are just worn out. Obviously, we adults are tired and have a million things on our mind. None of us are sleeping well at night - partly because of the cold, partly because the earth still won't quit shaking, and partly because of questions that keep circling in our brains about our uncertain future. Ever since the Department of Defense announced this "voluntary evacuation for military dependents," we've all been agonizing over this monumental decision. Do I stay or do I go? What are the consequences either way??

But where you really see it is in the pets and young kids around base. Both can sense the tense atmosphere in their homes and I think it's been weighing on their minds and hearts. Many of our friends have dogs and they've told us how their animals have been acting very strangely - skiddish, fearful and overly-needy. Many kids have been starting to get sick - possibly from our cold houses but I'm sure that lack of sleep and general stress is just wearing their little bodies down. Also, a week spent cooped up in the house hasn't been doing any of us good. I've seen two young girls slap their mothers in public! I'm sure many people are thankful that they're going to try and open up the schools tomorrow.

Keep praying for all of us as we weigh these decisions and try to do what's best for our families. We are so extremely fortunate compared with our Japanese neighbors, but it has been a very traumatic experience and we have no idea when it will all be over and we can return to living life "normally."

Some Words of Encouragement

Like so many of you, I have been stressed out and fearful for the last few days - trying to process everything that is happening and wondering what the future holds. This morning, I was SOAPing (life-application method of personal Bible study) and was impressed with two things. 1) I needed to remind myself of God's truths and stand firm in them, not on my own understanding. 2) "My grace is enough, it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:8, The Message).

So, I decided that I needed to set aside some time and remind myself of God's truth and get my mind and heart back on track. Below are many of the encouraging verses I found, as well as some awesome songs that have helped me feel better. Thought I'd share them with you! Feel free to add your own verses or favorite songs in the comments so we can continue to encourage and uplift one another!!

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea." (Psalm 46:1-2)

"The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The LORD protects me from danger - so why should I tremble?" (Psalm 27:11)

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation." (Romans 5:3-4)

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done." (Philippians 4:6)

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you." (1 Peter 5:7)

"Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?... You have so little faith! So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing... Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Matthew 6:27, 31-33)

"The LORD says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.'" (Psalm 32:8)

"We are pressed on every side by troubles, but are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit... we get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going." (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

"He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and needy, and he will rescue them. He feels pity for the weak and needy, and he will rescue them. He will save them from oppression and from violence, for their lives are precious to him." (Psalm 72:12-14)

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me... I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land." (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

SOME PRAISE SONGS TO PLAY FOR ENCOURAGEMENT:

"It is Well" - Written by Horatio Spafford, performed by Chris Rice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPPSG_SpojY&feature=related

"When sorrows like sea billows roll,

What ever my lot you have taught me to say

It is well, it is well with my soul."

"Mighty to Save" - Hillsong United

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-08YZF87OBQ

"Savior - He can move the mountains

My God is mighty to save, He is Mighty to Save!

Forever - Author of Salvation.

He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave!"

"Our God is Greater" - Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SAtWjBDFeM

"Into the darkness you shine,

Out of the ashes we Rise

There’s no One like You, None like You.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger

God You are higher than any other

Our God is Healer, awesome in power

Our God, Our God…"

"God of This City" - Chris Tomlin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk

"Greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done here."

Conserve! Conserve! Conserve!

That is the title of a notice that was posted on our doors shortly after power returned. The Tohoku power company was able to give the base about 25% of our normal supply, and they have chosen to funnel that into base housing. However, we are still trying very hard to conserve our resources - both to make what we've got last, and to help out the Japanese public. We've got a major shortage of fuel (including propane and kerosene) and so people are trying very hard to cut back on how much they're driving, or using grills and heaters (off base). Below are some of the things they've strongly encouraged us to do.

ENERGY CONSERvATION EFFORTS:

* Keep lights off inside during daylight hours. Only have lights on in one or two rooms at a time at night. We are not to use exterior lights at all, including street lights.

* Use only one media item at a time (one computer, one TV, etc.)

* Minimize stovetop/oven preparation when cooking, focus on using microwaves instead.

* Set thermostats to 64*F (which is COLD, especially since it's been snowing...)

* Minimize use of washers, dryers and electrical appliances

* Unplug appliances that are not being used

* Refrain from using non-essential power (dryers, toasters, hair dryers, etc. - my hair looks awesome right now... haha.)

WATER CONSERVATION EFFORTS:

* Reduce showers to 5 minutes; wash face/brush teeth in shower

* Turn off faucet when brushing teeth, shaving, washing hands

* Wash clothes in cold water, reuse towels

* Set dish washer to fastest setting

FUEL CONSERVATION EFFORTS:

Personal owned vehicles:

* Carpool when possible

* Reduce vehicle use as necessary, walk or ride bikes when possible

* If you own two vehicles only refuel one per week

* Only eligible to refuel if you are below 1/4 tank

Some of the ways we personally have been trying to contribute to the cause is by reading aloud together instead of watching TV or constantly being on our computers. We haven't gone anywhere in the last couple of days to conserve gas. When we've been eating at home (which isn't often) we've been using paper plates and cups to limit water and energy use to wash dishes. Of course, I already mentioned our food and entertainment rotations here in the neighborhood to cut down on the use of power in multiple houses at night. And we've even been limited the number of times we flush the toilet - only doing so when absolutely necessary. (Gross, I know - but that's the reality of survival!)

The Aftermath...

This was a MASSIVE earthquake, and the earth is STILL MOVING. Below is an image pulled from the USGS website that shows the sites of all of the earthquakes we've been having. there have been 528 in the last 7 days, and that doesn't include the ones on Wednesday that I originally posted about. =^O

The big earthquake on Friday was ruled an 8.9 on the richter scale. Since the Pacific plate shifted beneath us during the quake, the coast of Japan shifted 8 FEET to the East! They're also saying it was so violent that it tipped the earth's axis! To put things in perspective, the earthquake that decimated Haiti last January was a 7.0. The one that just flattened Christchurch, New Zealand a few weeks ago was only a 6.3. Granted, they were right on top of the epicenter, whereas the fault line here is about 150 miles offshore, and Haiti did not have the infrastructure to withstand a quake half that size... But they also didn't have to deal with the giant tsunami wave or the threat of nuclear meltdown. They're saying the destruction down south is like Katrina on a much, much bigger scale. Entire villages are just gone. People were trapped under heaps of rubble for days. Search and rescue teams were significantly delayed by several feet of mud and debris blocking the roads. It's still winter time here. (In fact, it's been snowing for the last two or three days) but people are without shelter, power, heat, or clean water. The National Police Agency in Tokyo said that, as of this morning, there are 5,178 people dead, over 8,000 still missing, and there are around 380,000 evacuees now living in shelters in eight prefectures (counties) including the worst-hit areas in Miyagi, Fukushima and Iwate prefectures.

We have to give HUGE credit to the Japanese warning systems here though. There are over 5,000 people dead, but over 100,000 homes destroyed. Clearly things could have been much, MUCH worse. The Japanese know how to build in order to withstand major earthquakes. Most of the damage was caused by the tsunami. The Japanese people have also reacted incredibly well to the situation. If something like this happened in the U.S. you could expect mass hysteria - people looting damaged stores and hoarding resources. (We saw some of that at the grocery store on Saturday morning.) But the Japanese all remained calm and silent during the quake, and continue to operate in a calm and orderly fashion. In some ways that has been causing problems with international aid because they won't let us just sweep in and help. Everything has to be done cautiously and with a well-laid plan.

Speaking of international aid - I am SO impressed with how quickly the US and other countries were able to get their rescue teams and supplies here. Derick was called in to work on Saturday night and helped receive the USAID workers, who unloaded and unbelievable amount of equipment and supplies. They came with a full team of search and rescue dogs, as well as their own rations and water so that their presence would not be a detriment to the local community. Now that we have power, Misawa has become the hub here for aid so we have helicopters, C-17 and C-130 cargo planes flying in and out of here at all hours.

As I said, we've been incredibly fortunate here on base. The only structural damage that I know of here occurred at the Youth Center, where Lisa works. She had to direct the kids to get under tables and into doorways to avoid falling ceiling tiles and ductwork as parts of the ceiling caved in. No one was injured, thank goodness. We went and investigated a couple of days ago.

Below are some pictures James and our friends have taken while out on humanitarian aid missions and general exploration around the coast here in Misawa.

Below: a ship upended in or near Hachinohe

Below: pictures of the beach. You can see the sand has been

washed away, giant concrete slabs were lifted and tossed,

trees were uprooted and boats are in the trees - sometimes

lifted as high as 15 feet in the air.

Below are pictures James took while out cleaning up Misawa port.

You can see that buildings were swept away,

The asphalt is covered in 2 feet of mud and sludge,

and boats, cars, and debris are scattered 100s of yards from the coast.

We have several friends down south working and cleaning up as we speak and I imagine they will have some incredible photos and stories to share. I'll keep you all updated when those come in.

Life After The Quake

Continuing the story of our experience post-earthquake...

When we woke up on Saturday morning, we were still without power, and had no idea when it would come back on again. We felt it was time to take a few more steps in preparation for the worst... We'd heard that the commissary was going to be open on Saturday so that people could stock up on non-perishable food items. We knew it was going to be a mad-house in there, but decided to go and brave the crowds in order to purchase a few necessary items. (We only had one more roll of toilet paper in the house... ;^)

Sure enough, it seemed like the entire base had turned up at 9:00 am prepared to buy the entire place out. The Exchange employees had to bring over all of the shopping carts from the BX because there weren't enough at the commissary for everyone. They had a generator hooked up to power the check-out stations, but all of the lights were off in the rest of the building so people were pushing their way through the aisles with flashlights in search of what they needed. When we arrived, they had two lines going, one that went to the left of the check out stations and wound its way all around the produce section and out the front door, and one that went to the right by the bakery and wound all the way around the store back to the deli. It was crazy! James got in line right away and I fought my way through the crowds and brought everything back to the cart when my arms were full. We got a good amount of stuff, but it was still nothing compared to most people. Standard American panic-and-hoard-everything syndrome had set in and people were shoveling items that seemed rather unnecessary into their carts. After two hours of waiting, we were able to check out and take our food back to our dark, cold house. It was exhausting but worth it.

From there we went to the squadron to warm up, check email, and gather some information. Mission essential buildings have big generators so that they are always prepared and functioning. It wasn't until we finally had access to the media, 24 hours later, that the reality of the situation began to sink in. We watched in horror as video after video showed the tsunami wave destroying the city of Sendai and its neighboring coastal villages. We also heard about the explosions at the nuclear plants at Fukishima, and all of the theories being thrown around about how severe the damage was and how likely a full melt-down might be. Thankfully, we're on a military base with lots of smart people and solid intelligence so we have a much more accurate picture of what was going on than the media does. Our base leadership has been working very hard to reassure us that, even in the worst-case scenario, we are not in any danger.

It never hurts to be prepared, though. So I spent a good amount of time that afternoon putting together everything for my NEO (Noncombatant Evacuation Order) folder. We were given these folders with paperwork to fill out and instructions for what to do in the event of an emergency evacuation when we arrived. Most of the guys filled in the important blanks then handed them to us wives and instructed us to hang on to them... but they largely went untouched until recently. We read through it all, then dug through our file cabinets and gathered all of our important documents in one place - passports, social security cards, birth certificates, marriage license, wills, medical and financial records, insurance paperwork, inventory of household goods, cash and yen, etc. That way we can just grab it all and go without wasting time. I don't know why we hadn't done this before... We'd always heard how important it was to put all of your important documents in a fireproof box. (Guess what's #1 on our shopping list when things return to normal? ;^) I guess it's easy to just assume you've always got time to put that together - that nothing that bad will ever actually happen.

That night we went to another friend's house for dinner and fellowship in the dark. The best part of that night was welcoming my friend Kendall home safely. She had been in Tokyo when it hit. She was on her way back from a trip to Australia, and should have been on the bullet train speeding through that area near Sendai when it hit, but decided at the last minute to stay in the city and go shopping for a few hours. I see that "random" decision as complete divine protection because the trains all shut down immediately after it happened, and kicked everyone off wherever they were (in a small fishing village, rice field, whatever...) She could have been lost out there near the epicenter and we would have had no idea where she was, and she would have had no way back. Instead, she walked several miles with the crowds of hundreds of thousands of other Japanese migrants in the city and found a hotel that was allowing people to sleep on the floor of their giant ballrooms. She had access to internet and was able to get word to us, and buy a local plane ticket back to Misawa on Saturday afternoon!

Sunday morning they held church services at the chapel, even though we still had no power or heat. James and I went and joined the small crowd that had gathered in the dark to worship. The Vice Wing Commander (second in command of the base) is a regular attendee and gave us a thorough briefing about what was going on and answered any questions. Then we had a powerful time of worship, and heard a great message from the Wing Chaplain inspired by Psalm 32. He said that it's natural for us to be fearful of the ground shaking, but that these trials, and our life on earth in general, are just temporary, but we have hope in Christ. Then he asked if we are equally fearful of our sins, which have eternal consequences? We need to praise God for his deliverance, remember how truly blessed we are compared to so many other people, and allow this crisis to motivate us to live the right way. Then we closed with my favorite hymn of all time - It is Well. What a fantastic anthem for what we're going through.

While we were at church, our friends headed out to the beach to see if the tsunami caused much damage this far north. I'll post some of their pictures in my next post. Misawa Air Base is only 6 miles from the coast, but we're on much higher ground than a lot of the flat, coastal cities near the epicenter. So the tsunami wave didn't make its way very far inland, but by all reports, we were still hit with a 15 foot swell. The port and beaches have all been damaged beyond recognition. Trees were uprooted, buildings washed away, and there are boats in the tops of trees or blocking the roads over 100 yards from the coast. It was sobering to say the least, realizing how truly lucky we were.

That afternoon (48 hours after the quake) we regained power in base housing. The phones also started working around this time, but it was another several hours before the heat came on, and it took about two more days for the internet to start working again. I tried my best, whenever we had 3G service on our cell phones or when we stopped in at the squadron, to send out updates. It's just hard sometimes to know what to say or where to begin...

Even though we had power again, the base has been urging us to conserve our resources (more on that later...) So our friends here in the north area have continued to get together for dinner and entertainment every night, rotating houses each time so we're only using light, heat, and power necessary to cook in one house instead of seven. It's been a great morale booster - partying every night for a week straight. haha. You have to make the most of any situation, and we are trying our best to stay positive and enjoy the good things.

We've had several opportunities to do some relief work. We've been collecting non-perishable food items, warm clothes and blankets at the high school gym every day to help the victims of the earthquake. The red cross has also been organizing teams to head south and start cleaning up the wreckage. James and the other guys from the squadron went down and helped clean up Misawa port on Tuesday. Again, pictures will be in the next post. I can't do a lot of that stuff physically, which stinks because I sometimes feel like I'm not doing much to help with the relief efforts. But we've given a good amount of money to the red cross, and are trying to spread the news and pictures to everyone we know around the globe and asking them to do likewise.

In the meantime, we're just waiting and praying. The guys are not flying because all of the jet fuel we have is going to the transport planes and helicopters that are in and out of here every day providing aid. In the meantime, all base personnel are assigned to help with operation TOMODACHI.

Each day we do our best to lay low and conserve our resources. We've been reading together out loud so that we're not sucking up energy through the TV, and each night we play board games and socialize instead of relying on multimedia. Although, last night we broke down and burned off some of our pent-up energy by having an epic dance-battle with Lisa's Kinect. It's a new feature for the X-box that picks up all of your body movement, so YOU are the controller for these video games. She bought a new one recently where you have to follow along with the dance moves on the TV and it tells you how well you're doing. It has a mode where two people can compete, and so we had A LOT of fun with that last night! Great photos and memories... haha.

Over all, we're doing ok. Keep praying for us and, if you can, please donate to the Red Cross or to other official organizations collecting clothes and warm blankets.

Day of the Disaster

Where to begin?

After the earthquake (or pre-shock, as they're now calling it) we experienced on Wednesday, the earth kept moving every now and then. Aftershocks are typical after a big earthquake, so I didn't think much of it when I began to feel some slight tremors on Friday afternoon, March 11th, around 2:45 pm. I was curled up on the couch trying to finish a book for our first Lady Samurai Book Club meeting that was scheduled for the following Tuesday night. It was a pretty depressing book so I was already not in the best state of mind. I looked up from my kindle, watched the curtains swaying, and waited for the movement to die down. I started to grow a little concerned when, after several seconds, it hadn't stopped. Clearly, this was not a normal aftershock.

Suddenly, the earthquake intensity rose and it grew very loud in the house. The windows were rattling, and it sounded like the walls were snapping back and forth. The ceiling fan was buzzing again and all of the crystal stemware hanging inside of our bar started ringing as the glasses banged together. I hopped off of the couch in a flash and braced myself in the doorway of our bedroom once again. It was difficult to keep my footing because the building was moving so much and the door kept slamming into me. I really started to panic as the Japanese collectibles we have displayed in our living room came crashing down off of the shelves and I heard glass shattering somewhere in the kitchen.

The power went out, and I was torn whether I should stay put or risk running through the house and building atrium to get outside. The earthquake lasted for almost three minutes. Finally, when it seemed to be slowing down, I make a break for the front door and stood out on the sidewalk, gripping the handrail of the front steps to help keep my balance as the ground slowly settled down.

It seemed to be over, but I did NOT want to go back inside and sit down, so I grabbed my coat and purse and hopped in the car. I didn't know where to go and felt silly running away when no one else really seemed to be panicking, so I decided that going to check the mail was a valid excuse to leave. I was still shaking as I drove down to main base, and seeing that all of the stoplights were dark down there didn't help my nerves.

When I reached the post office, the lights were off inside and the automatic doors were thrown wide so no one would get stuck inside. People seemed to be moving about normally, though, so I ducked inside and grabbed the mail, then sat outside in my car and posted a new facebook status about having an even bigger earthquake. Just then, the ground started shaking violently again and my car started bouncing and swaying like an amusement park ride. I wasn't sure what to do - is it safe to stay inside or should I get out? I looked around and the people in the cars next to me had the same wide-eyed expression on their faces. The question of the afternoon seemed to be: "What do we do?!"

After the second quake ended, I definitely didn't feel safe going home, so I drove over to the neighborhood near the chapel where some of my friends live. It made me feel better that everyone on main base had evacuated their homes and were huddled together out in the cold, talking animatedly. Clearly, I wasn't the only one freaking out.

First, I went and checked on Kara Paulus, our new ADO's wife who was pregnant and due any day now. The first time I rang her doorbell she didn't answer. (It didn't occur to me at the time that the doorbells wouldn't work because the power was out.) Later I revisited her house and found her smiling in the kitchen with a roller in hand. Their household goods were being delivered in a couple of days and she was determined to get that kitchen painted - power and stable ground or not! What a trooper!

Next I pulled in in front of Becky Jantz' house. She's been kind of a mentor/motherly figure here for me and so it was comforting being with her and her family. We had several more aftershocks while we stood out in the cold, and it helped me stay calm to see the kids giggling and enjoying the sensation. Then, after about thirty minutes, we walked one street over to check in with our squadron commander's wife, Jenn Steffens. She was standing out on the curb with her dog, daughter, and bundled-up twin baby boys. In the next couple of minutes, more wives from our squadron arrived looking for information and comfort. We joked that Jenn should have a Lady Samurai bat signal to send up and have us rally together whenever disaster strikes.

Soon, one of the guys showed up to let us know that every squadron was performing a full recall in order to make sure everyone was safe and accounted for. Jenn ventured inside to grab her home phone and started making phone calls from her doorway so she could step outside if the ground started shaking again. However, her efforts were soon proved to be futile because none of our cell phones were working, and most people had probably fled their homes as we had. So between the five of us, we divided up the roster and set out around Misawa to check on the other wives and make sure they were ok.

I drove up to the North Area - mostly concerned about our friends who lived at the top of the New Jersey tower. From the stories I heard on Wednesday, I knew that those towers were built on rollers and move a lot during major earthquakes. If I was terrified living on the ground floor of a town house, I couldn't imagine what they were going through. By the time I arrived at the tower, the parking lot was empty and all of the lights were off. Apparently everyone had already evacuated and found safe havens nearby. Later, I heard from those girls that it was indeed pretty traumatic being up there and feeling the building move so much. They had a lot of damage - broken glass, bookshelves and big screen TVs toppling over, etc. A few of the girls who had small kids grabbed them, swung them over their backs, and sprinted down 8-9 flights of stairs in the dark as soon as it was over and broke down in the parking lot. As far as I know, they haven't gone home yet.

Everyone else I connected with seemed to be doing ok. Same story as myself - they were shaken but had sustained minimal damage. Our main concern was what to do without power when the sun went down. It was around this time that I ran into Derick Gee who was sent to check on the 13th girls whose husbands are deployed. He's an intelligence officer who had seen the news reports saying that it had been ruled an 8.9, and told us about the damage down south and the tsunami warning. He said that we should plan to be without power for several more days, and to start filling up our bathtubs and any other containers we had available because the water was safe to drink right now but that could change. He also invited us over to their house. He and Lisa were busting out their camping grill and making dinner for anyone who needed a safe place to hang out.

I rushed home and called James, who was very relieved to hear that I was OK. He had been in the squadron basement at the time and didn't feel it nearly as bad as I did, but was concerned when he couldn't get a hold of me. (I had told the officer doing the official recall where I was but apparently that didn't get communicated to him until later...) He came home and helped me sweep up the broken glass from the one picture frame that broke, and to fill up every pitcher, mixing bowl or plastic container that we owned with clean water. We both agreed that our bathtub was not clean enough to drink out of - haha.

The earthquake party at the Gee's house that night was actually one of the highlights of this whole experience. Lisa is so extremely resourceful and had the house set up perfectly. She made little candlelit snow lanterns leading up to their front door, and filled the house with light from the dozens of votives she had left over from their wedding. She grilled some steak and veggies on her little charcoal camping grille. When the fuel ran out she burned left-over pizza boxes! As time went on and the power clearly wasn't coming back on, she took coolers and plastic storage containers out back and filled them with snow to make literal iceboxes for their perishable food items. AND she hung up a clothesline in the back yard to dry the load of laundry that was in the washing machine when the quake hit! Incredible!

There were about eight of us over there for dinner. Several people brought over the entire contents of their bar so that it would REALLY be a party. James and I contributed a stack of boardgames to help entertain us. We had some pretty rowdy games of catch phrase going that I'm sure woke the neighbors... Not that anyone was really able to sleep much that night anyway. We kept having big aftershocks that freaked me out a lot. I was very uncomfortable being back inside the house, where it was literally pitch black. But James was there to help calm me down every time the bed moved and I woke with a start and a gasp of fear. Thankfully I had memorized the following verse back when I was so stressed about my health last year. Its truth has been my one comfort through this whole thing:

"I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone,
O LORD, will keep me safe." Psalm 4:8

Update

Hey all,

No time to make a full blog post. Just wanted to let you all know we're ok. For your information, the post about the earthquake currently on the blog was written after the smaller quake we had on Wednesday. We are still ok, but things are much, much worse than I described in that post. When we have internet back at the house again, I'll fill you all in on our adventures. All I can say is that God is SO good, and we have incredible friends, and I am so very impressed with how quickly the military has mobilized to get us back on our feet and start supplying the locals with aid. Continue praying for us, and if you're looking for another way to help, you can check out the website below:

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/11/five-ways-you-can-help-earthquake-and-tsunami-victims-in-japan/

Thanks!
~Kim

Earthquake!!

This morning, while watching TV and checking my email, I felt that typical unsteadiness that signaled an earthquake. We have a lot of seismic activity here in Japan and have small earthquakes all the time. Most of the time, WHEN we feel it, it just feels a little bit like we're swaying for a couple of seconds. Sometimes the furniture will shake a little bit and we can see the lamps and curtains moving. But today was definitely the biggest earthquake we've experienced so far.

Its magnitude was 7.2 at the epicenter, which was about 150 miles east of Sendai. What we felt here in Misawa was only about a 4, but it was still really scary. Like I said, I immediately noticed the swaying and kind of stopped what I was doing and tried to gauge if I needed to get up or not. The swaying just kept going, for several seconds, and then the intensity rose and everything started to rattle. The glass in the windows was visibly shaking, the ceiling fan above my head was buzzing really loudly and I could hear the stemware in our bar clinking together. I jumped up and stood in the doorway of our bedroom, which is framed in heavy metal, and wondered if I should try to make a run for the front door as the house continued to rumble. Thankfully it didn't get any worse than that and nothing appears to have been damaged. However, I was very motion sick for several minutes afterward because our housing here on base is built on rollers and so our building literally swayed back and forth for a couple of minutes. I felt like I was on a boat in my own living room!

Since then we've felt a couple of small aftershocks. It was interesting seeing everyone's posts pop up on facebook right afterward. I am very thankful that we live in a town home rather than one of the towers. They are also built on rollers so the towers are still a relatively safe place to live. But the motion is so much more exaggerated on the upper floors, so some of my friends had dishes, picture frames, and other fragile things that were damaged.

If what we felt today was only a 3-4 magnitude earthquake, I cannot IMAGINE being near the epicenter of one of these major quakes that have hit around the world in the last couple of years. My heart continues to go out to the people in Christchurch, NZ who are not only putting up with the devastation of the recent quake, but are constantly stressed because of the continuous aftershocks.

Such is the adventure of living in a place right on a fault line! So - who wants to come visit?? ;^)

Pepper Lunch

James and I have made a commitment to get out more and make sure that BOTH of us are experiencing the best of what Japan has to offer while we are here. I got to do a lot this summer while he was deployed, but now that he's home I don't want him to miss out! It's not always easy. They work so hard during the week that it's difficult for him to get up the motivation to do much more than sit at home and relax on the weekends. But we've decided to at least go out and try new restaurants, if nothing else.

Yesterday, we took a short road trip down to Hachinohe to walk around the Shimoda Mall, which he'd never been to, and have a little lunch at the Picnic Court (what they call the food court... haha.) There's a restaurant there that people always rave about called "Pepper Lunch" where they pile up some raw meat and veggies in a hot, cast iron dish and as you stir it around with some seasonings it cooks there in front of you! It was pretty tasty, but I'm not sure it quite lived up to the crazy hype. Maybe we just didn't order the best thing on the menu... We'll find out when we go back, which I'm sure we will.


The rest of the mall was interesting as well. Shopping is one of the top Japanese hobbies and so their shopping complexes are always crazy! There are so many stores full of everything from clothes to housewares to books, music instruments, electronics, craft supplies, sporting goods, food and bicycles. They also have a huge arcade, a bowling alley and a movie theater. I haven't actually gone down there to buy anything other than food... But it's always fun to just go people-watch. Definitely a good Japanese day trip. =^)

New Samurai Mural

James had the opportunity this winter to use his gifts to make his mark on our squadron. They have been talking for a while about redoing the mural in the front entryway of the squadron, and he won the chance to design and paint it! It was not easy to find the time to complete it on top of all the work they have to do during the week, but sure enough - it is finished! It's a stylized picture of a Samurai warrior on the back of a black stallion. On the left side is a picture of Mt. Fuji - which is a Japanese icon. The kanji characters at the base of the mountain say "Samurai Wood." In the bottom right is a samurai sword. And the background is the Japanese battle flag. I am so proud of James and I know that others love the mural as well.

Spring Tease

The last few weeks have been beautiful here in Misawa. After what felt like non-stop snow in January, it was nice having a few weeks of solid blue sky and moderate temperatures. We even got to the point where it was warm enough to go out with only a light jacket or a sweat shirt!

I was really excited when I noticed that the cherry trees have little pink buds at the end of every branch. It seemed like winter may finally have been coming to an end, and I definitely have spring fever. But yesterday, little white flakes started falling from the sky again and today our yard is back to looking like a winter wonderland. We expected to get some more snow - the worst storm they had last year was in March. But it was a little disheartening after getting spoiled with the warm weather.

I'm tired of having to bundle up before walking out of the house. I'm tired of worrying about shoveling and clearing off my car and driving in the snow. The heat of the summer is miserable and I'm sure I'll be complaining about the weather again soon... but spring time is one of the greatest times in Japan and I can't wait to head outside and enjoy the cherry blossoms!