prayers for japan

Good morning!

Just wanted to share what has been shaking me all morning.

I found out from emails between my mom and brother.
How did you hear?

If you haven't heard the news there was a 8.9 earthquake off the coast of Japan this morning that triggered massive tsunamis. I don't know about you but earthquakes scare me, really scare me. I remember the devastation of 1999 Taiwan earthquakes and that was a 7.7. When I visited the Puli area a year after, they were still rebuilding. When I visited NOLA a year after katrina hit, they were still rebuilding (and parts still are). After all those donations and celebrity outreach, Haiti is still hurting. You get my drift? These things don't quickly go away. Please keep the country and its people in your prayers.

If you have ever visited, you know it is a beautiful country with many shrines. If you've heard missionaries to the area, majority of the people do not profess belief in religion or follow Buddhist or Shinto traditions. In times like these a country needs healing physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Despite all the horrific details, people tend to focus on only what directly affects them. I was particularly worried for a friend from Fukushima. Just a few weeks ago we were shopping and laughing. What joy is a new pair of shoes (I got some too) if your house and shoes get washed away. Big reminders of where to store your treasures. The name of that town suddenly means something to me. She mentioned major toyota plants are located near her town and I've been test driving cars lately. Reports say many factories have shut down due to damage from the quake. In this world, we are all connected you know?


One dash of compassion.
A sprinkle of prayers.
Stir in some action.
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/