Week 25 - Kichioji, Japan

Thanks for the out pouring of emails! It was nice to feel the love from everyone and to feel the support from all of you!

Well, i can imagine you're all wondering what exactly is going on over here, but I can bet that you actually know more than me! As missionaries without a TV the only random bits we know are going on, are things from the Mission home and what members tell us. Since getting back to Kichijoji Saturday as you can imagine things are a little different. Really my area and others in the Tokyo Mission haven't been affected too badly, when we got back to our apartment only a few things had fallen over and around the city there's a little repair going on. I think the biggest difference is the somber feeling that has come over the city. The weather has been absolutely strangely gorgeous since Saturday but compared to the usual hustle and bustle of Kichijoji, everything is quiet as people silently move around. Saturday we went around checking up on our investigators, particularly one woman Koike san, who is 82 years old and lives all alone. She was a little shook up but okay. I don't think I've met any Japanese person who is as go to it as her. She's cute.

Sunday morning we got word that finally all of the Sendai missionaries had been contacted (Sendai is the mission right above Tokyo and the area that got hit the hardest). What a relief that was, as from the MTC, I know many people in the Sendai mission including Sister Tehei (who was Sister Lynch's companion for 6 weeks and from New Zealand). I guess the last two missionaries took quite a while to find. The focus has shifted now to making sure all the members are okay and helping the area.

In my areas, 2 members had fires, one a direct result from the earthquake and one that just so happened to be on the same day, that we're helping to clean up. We've also been asked to just go around to less actives and others to check up on them. We're allowed to tract, but have been asked by President Albrecht to stay close to the church and our apartment, just in case. Other precautions that have taken place have been to stock up on food and water for a month, and well yesterday because of the chance of acid rain and the nuclear plants that received some damage in the upper Tokyo mission area, we were told to remain in our apartment for the day, and do things from there. Don't worry though, halfway through the day that was lifted when they got full confirmation that all was safe outside.

We continue to have smaller earthquakes throughout the days, and I think the scariest part is not that they're happening, but of the unsurety of if they'll get worse or not. As I think I mentioned in the email I sent on Saturday, I was at the Mission Home, when the earthquake took place, miracle there actually...the training was supposed to last until 2, but it didn't end until 2:30, this is strange because President Albrecht is usually a very stick to the schedule kind of guy. Anyway because it got out late we were all in the church packing up when the quake hit, instead of on the trains. Anyway the 8.9 earthquake started out like a normal one (we've actually had quite a few since that first one I mentioned weeks ago) and so we were all like "mmm, it's just another earthquake", and then it just got crazy in a few seconds. So the scariest thing is basically the wonder if the earthquake that is occurring at that moment is going to get bad fast as well. But they haven't been too bad.

Really they are taking good care of us here in the mission, making sure we're okay. We're being safe and taking extra precautions in all that we do. Thanks for all the love and support. I think as of now, I'm good and don't need anything but your prayers and love.

Love you all!

Erin

The cherryblossoms are starting to bloom, they're gorgeous.

And oh yeah, I think I forgot to mention this, I have the flu...woke up with it this morning. But since we couldn't get a hold of one of our investigators to cancel a lesson, we had to come to the church anyway, so I figured I would write and let you all know a little bit more about what is going on.