24 hours

Pastor Mori warned me that the destruction in Iwate (ee-wah-tay) would make the destruction in Iwaki look mild. 

He was right. The devastation zone was far larger. Buildings with bodies were marked with a circle, and an X was drawn through it when the bodies were successfully removed. I saw more circles with Xs than I ever want to see again. The destruction didn't stop at the first floor either. I saw buildings with the third floor busted out. And cars. Mangled cars dotting river valleys. 

And this is after five intensely busy months of cleanup. 

I talked to some survivors here in Iwaki about what I saw up North. They asked whether it was worse up there. I almost said yes. But something in their eyes stopped me. 

"I can't say it was worse, because each person has their own devastating loss. A home, a town, a job, loved ones. What I can say is that there are a lot more people up North who have those losses than there are here. The loss for each person is the same." 

In Iwate, we stopped in Miyako and talked to a preacher there. They're at the same transition that Iwaki is facing: temporary housing. The government thinks they're finished. That the people are fine now, since they're out of the shelters and into slapped-together housing. But hearts are raw and the sense of community is gone. The major concerns now are depression and loneliness. There is a high risk of suicide. "Visit us. Don't forget us." That's the main request he's hearing from the evacuees. He does what he can. More volunteers are needed. 

On to nearby Otsuchi. We went to the temporary housing and found out that it was election day. They lost their mayor in the tsunami. The town government buildings are gone, and so are five out of their seven schools. By 10 PM the town would have a new mayor and a new town council. The gentleman we spoke to was running for a Councilman position. He's been one for many years, but he's never faced an election quite like this. If elected, he and twelve other men will work with the mayor to shape the future of Otsuchi. He lives in temporary housing too, like so many others. They'll meet in a room in a community center that still stands. 

One man in the temporary housing lost his son's entire family. Someone in this team of volunteers has come to see him twice a month for a while now, and went to visit him again. He used to say he's fine. This time, he was finally grieving and telling stories about his son. Healing is on its way. 

In Miyako, a Christian organization has been routinely playing with kids and have seen their behavior change for the better. In Otsuchi, a secular organization was there for the kids with crafts and toys and movies and snow cones. There are opportunities out there for working with the kids. 

Efficiency experts, plug your ears. Financial conservatives, skip this part. The guy who heads up this trip to Iwate has only Sundays off. We use it to the max. It's an eight-hour drive there, and we stayed in Iwate for eight hours, and drove back for eight hours. Wise? Not by usual standards. But those eight hours in Iwate were totally worth the long drive. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

Dare you to have a better day. You have 24 hours. Go.