The Lord’s day broke sunny and peaceful. Took a shower and shaved (I don’t think the grizzled look works). The CRASH team went into town to worship with a local Bible church. Paul, Beth, and I decided to stay behind and have a quiet devotional here.
Sat on logs in the campfire circle surrounded by the lake, trees, and blue sky. I shared Luke chapter 10 where Jesus sends the disciples two by two into the villages to teach and heal. (This is the theme passage of the Osaka house church group.) They were to find and stay with men of peace as they ministered to the village. It says after a time they returned with joy because God had worked so powerfully through them.
Beth shared Isaiah 58.6-12 where God says:
Is this not the fast I chose. . .to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
When you see the naked, to cover him. . .
If you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday
Then the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places. . .
And your ancient ruins will be rebuilt;
and you shall raise up the foundations of many generations
You shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of streets to dwell in.
We found a bottle of grape juice and some paper cups and some crackers to share communion with.
We sang songs from memory, which was embarrassing because as a song leader at church I should have known the words better.
We prayed that all that we are doing would be according to God’s strength and not our own, and that he would protect and give hope to the people who have lost so much. That we would have wisdom and guidance to find the people with the greatest needs.
We spent the afternoon organizing and repacking the boxes in our supply room. Relabeling boxes: cookstoves, salt, diapers, personal hygiene kits, hand lotion, and donated scarves—dozens of them, all different shapes and sizes and colors—imagining the new owners wrapping themselves against the chill. OK, I admit it, we even got a little silly at times, joking about the sparkly blouse we found in a box labeled men’s pants.
Went shopping at the coop market and practically bought out their supply of cabbages, green pumpkins, cucumbers, apples, and carrots. Beth bought toys and games for Mina, the girl we met hanging out at the rest home (since most of her town had been washed away). I bought my own towel and washcloth, which I had forgotten to bring. The checkout counter is easy in Japan--the total shows up on a little screen, and you put your thousand or two yen and change on a little platic tray which the clerk then picks up. I had looked for slippers, but none of them were big enough for me. (Of
course you know that all shoes have to come off in the entry way, and only slippers or socks are allowed indoors; where all the floors are hardwood and/or tatami mats.) Shoes that tie are a big drawback it you are doing things both inside the living quarters and out.
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