2012-04-30 15:16:38
Working together with foreign volunteers
テーマ:Work report
Working together with a group of foreign volunteers
Voice of a Japanese volunteer
By Narakazu Nishihama, 04/09/2012
A group of eight volunteers including five high school students, 15 to 17 year old, came from Texas. The students were from different high schools, but belong to the youth group of the same church, Cedar Park First United Methodist Church.
The first day, the Texas group painted a house. They appeared to have enjoyed the painting with the rest of the staff and volunteers. I picked up small pieces of debris from around the house. I thought it was an easy job at first, but debris from tsunami consisted of broken glasses were scattered all over the place. We even had some snow. The work did not progress for 5 meters.
On the way to work the next morning, a staff said that we need to stop by a house. I was puzzled, but it was the house I worked more than three months ago on the last visit. On that day I wrapped dishes with newspaper to prevent breakage. They were intended by the host to give to me. The host remembered me. Volunteers come and go, but even the staff remembered that job I did. I had come here as a volunteer several times.
We went to Oshika Peninsula, which is situated at east end of Ishinomaki, which took more than one hour driving from our center. Oshika has many beaches and we went to Ayukawa Beach in the morning. It was the first time I worked together with other volunteer groups and also the first time to Oshika. I am a Christian and always came to the Northeast volunteer work via Emmaus Support Centers operated by United Christian Church of Japan, but had interest in learning the projects of other volunteer groups. This occasion gave me a chance to learn about others.
We joined the project organized by Pikari. It usually coordinated a project involving several groups. The project was to clear up a field to be made into a parking lot. There were more than fifty volunteers made up of YMCA and several other groups. We removed large rocks and spread gravels on low areas. In the end we lined up side by side having arms over shoulders of each other and stumped to firm up the ground.
In the afternoon, we went to Ohara Beach to clear up more debris and wastes.
I was moved by the seriousness and hard work of the Texas group. I came from Osaka in western Japan, and every time I came the survivors of the
disaster thank me for coming from so far away, However, compared to Texas, the place I came was very close. I was inspired by their seriousness and firmly pledged a new to work together with the survivors of the disaster to revive the area.
We have not yet eliminated wars from the world. We are one with the Lord and seek real peace and justice through out the world. We pray and work together toward our goal. I would not forget for the rest of my life that we lived, worked, and joked together with the people from Texas.
Thanks; really thanks!!
Voice of a Japanese volunteer
By Narakazu Nishihama, 04/09/2012
A group of eight volunteers including five high school students, 15 to 17 year old, came from Texas. The students were from different high schools, but belong to the youth group of the same church, Cedar Park First United Methodist Church.
The first day, the Texas group painted a house. They appeared to have enjoyed the painting with the rest of the staff and volunteers. I picked up small pieces of debris from around the house. I thought it was an easy job at first, but debris from tsunami consisted of broken glasses were scattered all over the place. We even had some snow. The work did not progress for 5 meters.
On the way to work the next morning, a staff said that we need to stop by a house. I was puzzled, but it was the house I worked more than three months ago on the last visit. On that day I wrapped dishes with newspaper to prevent breakage. They were intended by the host to give to me. The host remembered me. Volunteers come and go, but even the staff remembered that job I did. I had come here as a volunteer several times.
We went to Oshika Peninsula, which is situated at east end of Ishinomaki, which took more than one hour driving from our center. Oshika has many beaches and we went to Ayukawa Beach in the morning. It was the first time I worked together with other volunteer groups and also the first time to Oshika. I am a Christian and always came to the Northeast volunteer work via Emmaus Support Centers operated by United Christian Church of Japan, but had interest in learning the projects of other volunteer groups. This occasion gave me a chance to learn about others.
We joined the project organized by Pikari. It usually coordinated a project involving several groups. The project was to clear up a field to be made into a parking lot. There were more than fifty volunteers made up of YMCA and several other groups. We removed large rocks and spread gravels on low areas. In the end we lined up side by side having arms over shoulders of each other and stumped to firm up the ground.
In the afternoon, we went to Ohara Beach to clear up more debris and wastes.
I was moved by the seriousness and hard work of the Texas group. I came from Osaka in western Japan, and every time I came the survivors of the
disaster thank me for coming from so far away, However, compared to Texas, the place I came was very close. I was inspired by their seriousness and firmly pledged a new to work together with the survivors of the disaster to revive the area.
We have not yet eliminated wars from the world. We are one with the Lord and seek real peace and justice through out the world. We pray and work together toward our goal. I would not forget for the rest of my life that we lived, worked, and joked together with the people from Texas.
Thanks; really thanks!!
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