One Year On: Remembering

A whole year has passed since The Great Eastern Disaster hit Japan. Yet, as I look at the worst hit areas, I still feel like it hap-pened last month. No-one feels a need to repair the houses that belonged to those who died. No-one wants to. Other houses have been removed for every-ones safety, and there is a huge gap left where they used to stand, and still a huge void in peoples hearts that only Christ can fill.

Although much of the rubbish has been cleared away, I still see a huge pile of cars. A week after the tsunami, the bodies were removed from these cars so people could identify their loved ones. I hear a story of how one lady had to look through 2000 bodies before she found the body of her daughter. An-other story of a lady who re-turned to her home to find bod-ies outside her house. Before people sleep at night, these images are still there to haunt them. But also, people are also finding comfort by replacing these images with memories of the volunteers who have come to help them and showed them love. In this security, they can sleep.God is bringing peace through His people to Tohoku.

Finally walls are breaking down. Before the tsunami, many people didn't know any Christians. But now, hearts are beginning to open. With events being held to help people over the one year anniversary, people are hearing a clear gospel message, accompanied by the love they have received through Chris-tians over the last year. One lady says, 'It would be wonderful if I could believe that!' And others have believed.

This is an incredibly exciting time. There is still so much work to do here but I am waiting in anticipation as to what is God going to do in this area next! Surely He has great plans to continue working here! Surely He will build His church in this place and bring His glory to Japan!

Cat Porter