7/11-15 Thoughts from Bethany
Everyone in my family had already been to Tohoku before me, so when I went up there, I basically had already heard stories and seen pictures of what it was like there. However, I was amazed at how much progress was being made after only four months after the tsunami. Don’t get me wrong, there is still much more work to be done, but compared to the beginning of the disaster, there is a significant difference. Many roads are now cleaned up, while formerly the cars had to swerve around fallen trees and rubble. The people in Ishinomaki are beginning to smile and the children are starting to relax and play, while formerly only faces of desperation for basic needs were seen.
It was so encouraging to work with great volunteers working with Be One with the united purpose of being Christ’s hands and feet. Making relationships with the local people there and seeing them being extremely hospitable and thankful to our teams greatly inspired us all.
God is indeed working in Ishinomaki!