Women in Action – Becoming a Neighbor

Relief Action in the Disaster-hit Areas
Volunteering from a female point of view

JLER – your Neighborby Setsuko Ishida (Chiba)Rev. Noguchi, who is in Sendai conducting
the relief/support programs by JELC for
the survivors of the East Japan Disaster(Japan Lutheran Emergency Relief), asked
me to come and find out what was neededin the disaster-hit areas from a female pointof view. Therefore, I visited Ishinomaki
on 5th and 6th in December last year
together with Ms. Omaki, a board memberof East District and Rev. Koizumi, thedistrict adviser for the JELCW, in his car.
(photo: hanging dolls completed)

Photo Album Project Update
As reported in the Newsletter #145, thedonations from South Carolina Women of
the ELCA were offered for theyearbook/photo album project of JLER.
Recently, we received their thank-you
notes via Rev. Tateno. Here are some of
the messages:(photo: making the dolls)“This spring (note; 2012), I felt relieved by
the school reunion held for the first time in
30-some years. I lost my house in thetsunami last year but all my family wassafe. A lot of memorable items are gone
and my memory has limitations, but I cankeep the photos for the rest of my life. I
have heard that the followers of Lutheran
Church helped with the album.
I
appreciate your trouble paid for us
strangers. I say thank you to all people whowere involved.”

At the temporary meetinghouse for thesurvivors, we joined the making of“Tsurusi-bina (hanging dolls)” over a cupof tea. The ladies so concentrated on
making dolls and went back home forlunch break that we did not have time tolisten enough to them. We only felt gladthat we were able to hand over Christmas
presents in person.
Although we were unable tolearn what the women in the disaster-hit
areas needed, we were able to feel ourconnection more strongly by meeting themin person than by praying for them from adistance.
We are grateful for thisopportunity and hope to visit repeatedly.

“The tsunami washed away my houseentirely. Any witness of my life to thispoint, was lost.
Getting this album,
however, I felt as if seeing a beam of light.
Thank you very much.”6Since
March 11 on, asI saw and heard
the overflowing
news by themedia, I felt
more and moreeager to dosomethinginthe disaster-hit
areas for myself.
By chance, Ilearned
thatJapan Overseas
Cooperative Association (JOCA) recruited
some volunteers for disaster-relief. JOCA,
which is associated with JICA’s Japan
Overseas Cooperation Volunteers program,actually targeted at OB/OGs of the JOC
volunteers. Since I was a JOC volunteer
in the Kingdom of Tonga from 2008 to2010, I registered immediately and waited
to hear from the headquarters. In reply, Iwas asked to go to Kamaishi, Iwate Pref. tohelp bathing elderly and disabled people,
and taking interview surveys.
Theywanted someone qualified for thelong-term nursing care. Though I had
passed the level 2 of the qualification as acollege student, I have never worked inthat field. But I asked for a leave frommy workplace, which generously arranged
it as an official trip, and began to work on
April 16 for the following six weeks.
I washed many persons’ backs who had
not taken a bath for weeks. An old ladysaid, going into a bathtub for the first timein days or months, “I cannot take my hand
off the rail for fear of water because it
reminds me ….” I could not say a word
but just imagined that she had been washedby the tsunami.
I was asked to write an article on thetheme “volunteering from a female point ofview”. Looking back, it seems that I did
not have any particular awareness as being

by Sae Ishii (Chiba)a woman. I stayed at a shelter together
with the survivors for about two weeks,
where men and women of all ages tried tosurvive together day after day with all theirmight. I did not realize that I wasweakening but I had developed deafness.
One day I found myself having trouble
listening daily conversation.
I feltashamed that I forgot to take care of myself
as a volunteer worker.
Yet, I was filled with energy whenever
I was welcomed warmly by the disaster-survivors, helped by peer volunteers and,most of all, I was reminded of my family
and colleagues at my workplace waiting
for my return in Chiba. Support from thenative community is essential in order towork away from home.
I believe thatyou may know someone who is helping in
the disaster-stricken area.
Pleaseremember them in your prayer, which I
believe, will give them great power you

can never imagine.
(photo: the local radio station picked up Ms.
Ishii, volunteer interviewer)

Note: Ms. Sae Ishii is a powerful lady, whocontinues to visit Tohoku region as a school
counselor while working at Chiba Bethany
Home, a welfare facility for the women andchildren in need. She says that she was
happy to meet an old lady with whom she
had lived at the shelter in Kamaishi, on thenight bus on Feb. 24. She was sorry they
could not talk much because the otherpassengers were asleep.

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