Arrival in Ishinomaki

This morning Dad dropped us off at the airport so that we could take a short hour long flight up to Sendai.  We were all very anxious to meet up with the Huddleston crew there.

Flying out over Osaka was quite different than when we flew over Sendai to land.  Below is Osaka, but when we got near Sendai, you could easily see where the tsunami had hit and wiped out anything in its path.  As excited as we were to see our family, it was sobering to remember that we were coming to an area that had been so devastated just two years ago.

Outside of the airport, you can see Benjamin in the middle of the picture with a blue sign above him marking how high the water from the tsunami had come up.  You may well remember Sendai airport being on the news quite a bit, but this wasn't even the hardest hit areas.

Hurray for cousins! 

It was an hour drive from the airport to Ishinomaki where my sister and her family now live.  They moved up here after the earthquake/tsunami to help with relief efforts.  On the way to their house, they drove us through some areas of the city that had been particularly hard hit.  We stopped at this makeshift memorial, which had once been a store on a busy street.  All around was just bare wasteland.  The white pole has a blue sign at the top where the water line hit.  It was hard to stand there and think of the many lives that had been lost in that immediate area.  The city of Ishinomaki lost over 6,000 people.

A local woodworker made these three benches in remembrance of the three children that he lost.

We pulled up to a neighborhood where this elementary school (white building) still stands.  A gentleman was on his bicycle where we pulled up to park and immediately starting chatting with us and sharing his story.  He ended up taking us on a walk around the area and telling many details of that horrific day.  So heartbreaking.  His home was across the street from the school, where we could still see the foundation.  His family survived, he pushed his elderly mother up the hill in her wheelchair, but as they saw the tsunami coming she managed to walk as best she could.  His neighborhood had 41 people, 21 of those lost their lives.  He pointed to foundations around his home....2 people there lost, 1 there lost, etc.

Many vehicles washed up on the grade school yard and the gasoline caused fires to erupt.  The school burned for three days.  His house ended up in the school yard and burned for three days.  All of the school children and teachers were able to escape to safety.
  

This sign says, we will not forget.

There is a graveyard on the hill next to the school.  The lower graves had been destroyed by flood and fire, even the headstones had exploded from the heat.  New names from two years ago were on many of the stones.

This is looking from the side of the hill out to the ocean.  On he far left is the blue shell of the swimming pool that was left in front of the school.  Our new friend said that he learned to swim there as a child.  So many years of memories in this place.  I can't imagine standing on this hill, where he said he escaped, and looking out to the impending water, fire, and cries.  He was such a kind man to share his story so willingly.  I wonder how much time he spends here, how many times he has shared his deeply personal trauma.  This was just one man, with so many more thousands that have their own stories, but I will not forget him.  No, I will not forget.

In the evening we had dinner, then went to a missionary teamworker's home for a birthday party.  The kids enjoyed playing and really got into the dress up for the party.  :)

My sister, in the pink, and the birthday girl...Lora.

Good night from Japan.  I'm too tired to proofread this post, but wanted to get it blogged while it was still fresh in my mind.  On my heart are the survivors of 3-11-11.  I pray that we can be of some small service and encouragement during our week here.