Dear Friends 3 May
I introduce some stories of my graduates.
I got a phone from Mr.Imai yesterday who graduated from my college two years ago.
He is working in Watari town located to the south of Miyagi prefecture.
Watari town was extensively damaged from the tsunami.
His factory was safe.
His grandfather in Aomori prefecture died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
I couldn't ask him the details.
But we know some accidents of carbon monoxide poisoning from the TV news.
It was snowing that day of the earthquake.
He told me that Mr. Nomura's family home in Ishinomaki was affected by the tsunami.
Mr. Nomura and Mr.Imai were my seminar students in the same year.
After that I found the telephone number in my mobile phone and called Mr.Ono.
He was my seminar student ten years ago.
I have been afraid to contact with him.
I turned my face away from confirming his safty.
I knew his family home and his office were in Watari town.
I heard the same voice as that ten years ago.
His house was damaged and family was safe.
His company feeds water into the rice feilds in Watari town and Yamamoto town.
The rice planting season is about to begin around here.
He told me that only twenty percent of all rice fields are possible to plant.
I found the name Mr. Oyama one of my students about fifteen years ago by use of google person finder yesterday.
He lives now at the evacuation center in Karakuwa town together with his parents.
He run a electric store in Karakuwa.
He told me that he could do fishing from the window of his house.
Indeed his house was side by side with the sea.
I found only the base of the house from the google photo.
I sent him a letter today.
I intend to do some support for him.
I'm sorry that I turned my face away from confirming my students.
I was depressed and anxious for days.
Surprisingly my children kept their activity after the disaster.
We have a stained-glass in one of the chapels of Tohoku Gakuin University.
We can see the design of the Second Advent of Christ on it.
And we can see Jesus Christ facing to us.
We know the next words.
"Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:11 (New International Version, c2011)
So, we can recognize that Jesus kept facing to us when he was taken up to heaven.
I think that Jesus kept facing to us on the Cross.
Who turned their back were the disciples.
Jesus always kept facing to us.
We must do as Jesus did.
P.S.
Today I went for a walk near my house.
I saw beautiful flowers.
They are God's gift.
And I saw the road damaged from the earthquake.
All artificial things are not everlasting.
Neighborhood2011/05/03
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Shinji Nagashima
