Second trip up north

Quick update. Just a few hours sleep in the past 60 hours. Drove supplies to refugee camp in western Fukushima. People there were from towns on coast hit by tsunami and then evacuated from nuclear power plant explosions. All needed a checkup at hospital to check radiation levels. Thankfully they were okay! People evacuated so quickly they only had the clothes on their back. Needed everything. All grocery stores empty. Brought gas. Many stranded cars. Tsunami washed away so much of their towns. They don't know who of their friends are missing...evacuated to so many places.

Resting for four hours then I lead a team back up with another truck load. This time to Sendai. Twice as far as last trip. Hope to be back in 2-3 days. Large need for food, water, and fuel. Bringing satellite phone to communicate with team back in Chiba.

Our home in Tokyo became a rallying point for the relief efforts in Tohoku (the area up north). People heard I was bringing things up north. Literally hundreds of people have been bringing supplies....so far 5 trucks worth waiting to be loaded into trucks. So hard to find trucks! Businesses rented all of them. Chiba team was able to find 2 and Grace City found 1 truck. Abi realized quickly that our living room was not big enough for all the supplies and was able to get the community room downstairs. Boxes were piled head high all around. As many trucks as we can find will continually be making round trips this next week to deliver all the goods.

There is so much to tell, powerful stories, but I have to prepare for the next trip! People are really hurting. Saw many tears of gratitude this last trip. Need to provide for needs and assess how best to mobilize people as quickly as possible. After this trip, I promise I'll share more about what is going on!