Life after the earthquake

Saturday, March 12th

My friends and I woke up at 6am to see if any of the buses were running and going to the airport. I had made a bus reservation for 6:45am that would take them directly to Narita Airport. Their flight was at 11:20am back to Chicago. However, we couldn't get through to the bus company and the hotel staff said no buses were running and all the taxis were in high demand. There was no way to get to the airport, so my friends called the airline to see if they could switch their flight to a different day. The airline allowed them to cancel their flight and switch it to Tuesday morning.

There were about 60 people that slept in the lobby room as well as people in the corridor and on the couches. The radio was kept on throughout the entire night and all day Saturday. Among the guests there was a young couple that was suppose to have their wedding reception at the hotel. They were no longer able to have it because of the earthquake so they donated their cake and sweets reserved for their wedding guests to the hotel guests. For lunch everyone enjoyed cake, sweets and some bread. Many people congratulated the couple and thanked them for the special treat.

In the afternoon my friend and I went outside to get some fresh air and survey the damage in the daylight. We walked over to the train station and saw a shattered window, big cracks in the sidewalks and streets. Near the station the stairs and escalators were roped off and no one could enter the station. We walked to the convenience store across from our hotel, but there was little left. Most of the shelves were bare, but we were able to buy some juice.

Later that afternoon power came back on in the hotel and everyone cheered. I didn't have cell phone service for most of the day Saturday, so we spent most of the day in the hotel waiting for updates and contemplating what to do next. The president of the hotel came and updated everyone on the situation with the rooms. He said many things had fallen like the tvs and dressers were damaged. Water was not working in the bathrooms and the stairwell was damaged. Elevators were still not working and it looked like we would be sleeping on the floor for another night. Afterwards, I went up to him to clarify some things and found out he spoke some English. He was very kind and told us to talk to him if we had any questions or needed help. Throughout our stay the hotel staff, including the president were truly amazing and did their best to provide for us.

It's amazing how quickly plans and life can change. After the earthquake I was just focused on getting through the day. Several people left the hotel on Saturday, but more people came that night. For dinner the hotel staff served us a riceball, seafood patty and a piece of bread with hot tea. It wasn't your typical meal, but we were all thankful for the food. We continued to use the bathrooms in the lobby, went another day without showering and attempted another night's sleep on the floor.

Sunday, March 13th

We woke up on Sunday and planned to go to church. I found out that my pastor and some other friends would be at the church and they planned to have worship service. Most people had left the hotel early Sunday morning and there were only three Japanese people in the room. One woman's hometown was Iwate, one of the hardest hit areas and had no way of returning home and didn't know if there was a home to return to. I invited her to church, but she said she was waiting for an important phone call and politely declined. I asked the other woman in the room if she would like to go with us, but she said needed to complete things for her work. So my friends and I made our way towards the station.

Our hotel was located on the south side of the train station and church was on the north side. If it was a normal day we could have walked through the station to get to church. But, since the earthquake no one was allowed to enter the station. We started walking around the station, but kept running into the tracks and needed to find an overpass or bridge to cross over. We stopped near an overpass and I called one of my friends from church to ask his advice for directions. While I was on the phone with him another friend from church drove up in his scooter. God provided again with perfect timing and after I hung up the phone my friend on the scooter showed us where to cross the tracks and how to get the rest of the way to church. We thanked him and continued on our way. Normally, church is about a 15 minute walk from the train station, but on this day it took us about 45 minutes to get there!

On the way to church we saw cars lined up around the block waiting for gas. We saw more damaged stores, parking lots and sidewalks. I was shocked and couldn't believe how strong the earthquake had been. There weren't many people at church, but many of my friends who are English teachers in Mito were there. I was so relieved to see them and it was comforting being together. We sang some praise songs, prayed for the people affected by the quake and my pastor gave an encouraging devotional message. We continued to feel aftershocks, even during service.

After service I talked with others to hear their stores and situations. Most of my friends were at their schools when the earthquake hit, but no one was injured. I also met with two fellow team members going to Cambodia. Eight people from my church, including myself had been planning to go to Cambodia on a mission trip for 10 days. I had missed the orientation meeting and they helped catch me up on the details of our trip. I tried my best to listen and remember everything they told me, but I had so much on my mind that I don't think I retained much. I was also worried because I didn't have my passport yet and time was running out.

Some people found out about a fresh fruits and vege market near church and went to see if they could get some food. My friends and I walked to the 7-11 down the block to see what we could find there. It was the same as most of the other convenience stores we had gone into- mostly bare shelves. Not long after we arrived back at church, my friend walked in carrying a box full of veges and fruits. He asked us what we had planned for the rest of the day and we replied, "No plans."(and really didn't want to spend the rest of the day in the hotel). He invited my friends and I and another church friend over for a late lunch and said we could take showers at his apartment! We were so excited about a good meal, showers and fellowship!

On this day I really saw the body of Christ come together and it was a beautiful sight. People helping people, checking on church members and friends, sharing what little resources they had- food, water and gas and opening their homes to one another. I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love shown to my friends and I. My friend C offered to drive us back to our hotel to get our shower things. My friend H offered to come pick us up to drive us to our friend K's apartment. While we headed back to our hotel, my friend K went back home to cook the meal. When we returned to the hotel the staff asked if we had eaten lunch and I told them we were going to eat at a friend's place. Again, I was touched.

Before going to my friend's place we walked to the trains station to see if there were highway buses leaving from Mito. There were buses going to Tsukuba and that looked like our only option for getting into Tokyo and the airport. When we arrived at K's apt he had finished cooking. It was such a feast and so nice to have a real meal. He had power, water and internet so I was able to skype with my family for the first time since the earthquake. My friend looked up hotels in Tokyo and was able to make a reservation at one near the airport for Monday night. We planned to take the bus to Tsukuba early Monday morning and continue on to Tokyo. That way my friends would be able to make their flight Tuesday morning. After dinner we took turns showering. It felt so great to shower, something I too often take for granted.

The rest of Sunday was spent hanging out with friends, watching movies and laughing. It felt so good to laugh, relax and do normal things. My friend dropped us off at the hotel later that night and the staff greeted us at the door. They asked if we had eaten dinner and I told them we had eaten and thanked them for asking. I told one of the staff workers we were planning on leaving early in the morning for Tsukuba.

Monday, March 14th

Monday morning we woke up early to get to the bus. The first bus was leaving at 9:20am, but it was first come first serve. On Sunday we saw people arriving 2 hours ahead of time, so we wanted to secure our seats. I went up the to front desk to get my cell phone that they had been charging for me and a staff member handed me an article and a note. He told me rolling blackouts would be starting that day and the Tsukuba Express train that we would be taking would be affected. He had written down the times it would not be running and printed an article about the blackouts in English. I thanked him and all the hotel staff for their wonderful care over the past few days. They truly did their best to provide for their guests, despite the circumstances. I asked about payment and they said we did not have to pay since they weren't able to provide us with comfortable rooms, wow! We left the room that had become our temporary home for the past few days and added our comforters to the large pile in the lobby.

We were one of the first people on the bus and found out the bus was leaving at 8am, an hour and a half earlier than scheduled. It would take about 2 hours to get to Tsukuba and the rolling blackouts were set to start at 10:30am. I think they moved up the time to get people into Tsukuba before the blackouts started. As we got off the bus in Tsukuba a man asked us if we were going into Tokyo. I told him we were headed to the airport and planned to take a bus or taxi to our hotel from there. He said there were buses going to Narita from Tsukuba. We found the bus stop for Narita and waited in line with many other people. When the bus arrived I discovered we needed reservations and did not have any. We stepped into a stand by line and waited anxiously to see if there would be room for us. There was a group of four in front of us and we prayed there would be space. There ended up being space for five more people, so the group of four made it onto the bus. My friends and I and the rest of the people in our line were told that we could wait on stand by for the next bus, but they couldn't guarantee us seats.

We decided to take the train and got off a few stops before the end of the line only to find the next station closed because of the blackouts. So we got back on the train and rode it until the end of the line. It was a race against time because we knew the trains would be stopping soon. I called a friend who lives in Chiba to see if she knew what the train situation was like in Tokyo. She told me trains in Tokyo were stopped and wouldn't be running again until the evening. After a hectic morning we finally made it into Tokyo. We had no choice but to take a taxi to our hotel. At first the taxi driver said it would take 4 hours to get to our hotel and my jaw literally dropped. But, once we got out of the main part of Tokyo the GPS dropped to 2 hours. Our hotel was in Chiba, outside of Tokyo not far from the airport. In the end the taxi ride took a little over an hour and was quite expensive. My friends and I were just relieved to finally be at the hotel!

We checked into our room and were exhausted from the stress and travel. We ate dinner at the hotel's restaurant and bought some things at the gift shop. It had been a whirlwind of a day, but God had watched over us through it all.

Tuesday, March 15th

We took the first shuttle from our hotel to the airport early Tuesday morning. The check in line was really long, but luckily it moved quickly. My friends checked in for their flight and got their boarding tickets. I was relieved that we had made it to the airport after not knowing for so long. I was sad to see them go, but happy they were finally able to get back to Chicago. We said our goodbyes and I began my search for supplies and internet.

I walked around the airport stocking up on batteries, food and water to bring to my friends. I had a difficult time finding the computers and walked right past the place twice because there were so many people in the waiting area in front of it. Was able to get online and check my email. My plan that day was to go back to Tsukuba to stay with a friend. I had no clue how I was going to get back to Tsukuba, but God provided again. My friend's husband had just returned to Japan from China and I called him to see if he was still at the airport. They live about 10 minutes away from my apartment, so I knew he would be headed north. When I called him he had already left the airport, but told me there was a bus from Narita to Tsukuba. I bought my bus ticket and from Tsukuba planned to meet up with another friend to drive north to get my passport from my apartment for Cambodia.

Well, all that changed after reading an email and receiving a text from a friend living in Ibaraki. The email and text said there was concern radiation had been released into the atmosphere and people were being advised to stay indoors. My friend strongly advised me not to go to Tsukuba and to stay in the Tokyo/Narita area. Mt friend DR had a friend who lived close to the airport and said I might be able to stay with her friend. DR texted a few minutes later and said it would be ok for me to stay with her friend. At this point I was feeling exhausted and stressed and news of the radiation did not help things. DR is a missionary in Japan and I've known her for almost two years and trust her. So, I made the decision to return my bus ticket and stay with her friend. Thankfully, the train I needed to use was working and I only needed to take it one stop. From the train station I took a taxi to K's apartment. I gave the taxi driver K's address, but he seemed really confused about where she lived. I put K on the phone and handed it to the driver. K explained directions to her apt. in Japanese to the panicked driver and after a short 4 minute drive made it to the correct place.

I thanked K for allowing me to stay with her and she could tell I was stressed. K lives in Chiba very near Narita Airport and is also a full time missionary in Japan. God again provided and worked out the details even when I didn't know what to do. It turns out that my friend I was suppose to stay with in Tsukuba flew back to America two days later and my other friend I was suppose to drive north with went further south to stay with friends in Nagoya.

Since Tue, March 15th I have been staying with K. She has a spacious condo with electricity, water and internet. While the rolling blackouts have been affecting many parts of Tokyo, her condo has not had any power outages! The grocery stores in this area are well stocked with most things and we've been able to buy food and water. I've been in contact with friends and teachers from Takahagi area and things are slowly coming back in my town- power, water, and food in the stores. The train I use to get back to my apartment is still not running because the track was badly damaged by the earthquake. Takahagi is closer to the nuclear power plant and many people have advised me to stay south. It is spring vacation, so the students will not be back until April.
Some empty shelves of food at grocery store in Chiba.

I've been hanging out with K and learning so many things from her. The earthquake also changed her schedule, so we are both adjusting and praying about what God wants us to do. I've been able to rest and take it easy and am contemplating when to return to my apartment. A few days ago I mailed a friend my spare key and she was able to check on my apartment. By God's grace there was little damage. My shoe rack, microwave, tv, small bookcase and coffee maker fell. But, my laptop that was sitting on my kotatsu table was fine and china cabinet in the kitchen was still standing.

My kitchen
Living room

As for the Cambodia trip, sadly I was not able to go since I was not able to get ahold of my passport in time. I was suppose to leave last Friday, but the earthquake affected so many things. Out of our team of 8, only 3 ended up going and all 3 made it to the airport with enough gas. Hopefully, there will be another chance to go to Cambodia in the future.

I feel so blessed to have wonderful family and friends in Japan and America. I know many people have been praying and I've felt the holy spirit with me every step of the way. In a crisis such as this it is the little things that leave a lasting impression- my Japanese friends using their limited supply of gas to drive to my apartment to check on me, an ALT friend in Takahagi saving a bottle of water for me when I had planned to go back north, a friend offering to go to my apartment for me to get my passport, numerous friends offering me a place to stay, one of my teachers in tears after hearing about my safety and apologizing for not being near to help, so many emails, phone calls and fb messages checking to see if I am ok.

Because of God's love and the love shown to me by others, I want to love people in Japan at a time when it is needed the most. My prayer is that God will use me to draw many to Himself. May many Japanese come to know God's unconditional love and be forever changed.