I haven't blogged in several weeks so I'm feeling really behind. In the near future, I hope to make up for posts I didn't write. This is not an account of all our doings in the past couple of months, but only a snapshot of what's happened lately.

Typhoon report - Typhoon season doesn't officially begin until June 1st, but we're already off to a big start. We've experienced several typhoons and typhoon warnings since coming to Okinawa, however this was the most severe and greatest damage we have seen. Typhoon Songda packed winds of 125 mph, a Category 3 event which hung on for three hours. Some 270,000 homes were left without power, including ours. Still, it wasn't that bad. Lots of broken and uprooted trees, dented cars and broken windows, but no serious loss of property nor loss of life. All in all, a memorable experience but not a tragic one.

Preparations for a typhoon include removing or tying down outdoor trash cans, bicycles, etc. Also storing water and stocking up on candles, flashlight batteries, and ready-to-eat food. Saturday the winds and rain grew steadily more fierce until we finally lost power for good late in the evening. We live on the third (top) floor of our building. I could literally feel the building sway in the wind. Structures in Okinawa are built to withstand this sort of event. This is why windows have bars - not to keep burglars out but to protect against flying debris. Phil says "everything in Okinawa is made of cement; even the wood is made of cement." True ... fences, picnic tables, and all sorts of things made to look like wood are actually made of concrete. This fence is typical.

Sunday morning dawned bright. The storm was over but we still had no power. Fortunately we did have water and gas. We were grateful for that! At least one missionary apartment had neither electricity nor water. Remember this is Okinawa in the summertime: no power means no air conditioning, not even a fan. But luckily the temperature outside was comfortable with a pleasant breeze.

We heated a small pan of water on our stove and each took a "marine shower". This is our two-burner gas stove.

Morning church was cancelled because the All Clear had not yet been announced. We enjoyed the unexpected downtime and made Japanese pancakes (okonomiyaki) for breakfast.

As it turned out, afternoon church services were shortened to only one hour so that everyone could check on neighbors and help with storm clean-up. We took two young missionaries with us to help with broken trees, demolished sheds and their scattered contents. Pictured here is just a small sample of the damage, and one of our clean-up crews.

We spotted this trampoline wrapped around a light pole.


This speed limit sign blew loose from its pole.

Returning home, we discovered we still had no electricity. You can't do much in the evening without power. After a walk around our neighborhood, we turned in. It was a relief to wake up this morning to find power restored. Hooray! Now we have hot water, lights and internet!

Update on Operation Tomodachi - Tomodachi is the Japanese word for friend. It is the title given to the US Armed Forces assistance operation to support Japan in disaster relief following the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. Most of the American military bases in Japan participated in Operation Tomodachi in search and rescue, food and water drops, and relief workers and cleanup crews. Kadena Air Base on Okinawa is the hub of airpower for the Pacific. Since Okinawa was close but unaffected by the events on mainland Japan, much support in the way of manpower and supplies was sent from our area.

We are also mindful of tragedies in our own country. The occasional news reports we get from the US tell of tornadoes, floods, droughts and wildfires at home. Our thoughts and prayers are with our fellow citizens. One thing seems certain, no one is immune from potential disaster.

The Lord in His wisdom does not shield anyone from grief and sadness... The dial on the wheel of sorrow eventually points to each of us... No one is exempt... Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training... Christ will strengthen us in our weakness and fortify us in our distress. ~ Joseph B. Wirthlin

Yet another reminder of the suffering of others and the need to always count our blessings: This snapshot of a burning house was taken from our balcony. It appears the interior was a total loss. No casualties, but again much loss of property.

Certainly the news is not all doom and gloom. We are happily engaged in the work. We're grateful the Lord has need of us, despite our limitations. Only three short months remain of our mission here. We can't say enough about the value of missionary service at this stage of life. It's an experience not to be missed if one is in a position to go.

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. ~ C.L. Lewis

Culture Corner - Vending machines are everywhere in Okinawa! And you can buy almost anything from a vending machine... hot drinks and cold drinks (from the same machine), ready-to-eat hotdogs with your choice of condiments, frozen ice cream, and much more. They are on every block, and rows of them line the streets. We have seen working vending machines in the middle of a sugar cane field. In some small restaurants, you make your food selection from pictures on a vending machine, put coins in to buy a ticket, and give the ticket to the food preparer who then dishes up your selection. Employees need never touch the money!