To Senai with Love

16 March 2011

Dear Phyllis,

This is probably the most unusual dispatch I have ever sent. Gomen nasai (I’m sorry). Today is Wednesday and I doubt seriously that I will be able to write this coming Sunday. In two hours I am leaving Chiang Mai to go directly to the tsunami area of Japan. In all probability this will be a long term project.

My very dear friend, Neil Verwey, called from Japan last night asking why I wasn’t in Sendai. He wasn’t critical, but as the founder of Japan Mission he has a deep concern to help people in such a stricken area with as much assistance as possible. They had no one on their immediate staff who were in a position to go, and he resorted to calling his old buddy, Bill Cook, asking him if he would go as their representative to the Sendai area. He said they had a truck loaded with blankets and all the sulies that they could get, loaded, waiting for me to drive up there.

The roads, of course, are gone. Transportation to that area is virtually impossible. But Neil did some investigation, and it looks like there is a possible way in by going up the west coast of Japan, and then crossing over the mountains from the west to get as close as possible to the desperate area.

Neil talked with his son David about the proposed operation and both thought I was uniquely qualified. I am in a somewhat unique position with my knowledge of the language, the country, and construction to be a help to those people. I had a deep desire to go but it looked totally out of the question until Neil called pleading that I go as their representative. They have the organization and supplies but needed a man to carry the supplies up to there and join the fight to help survivors. They are standing behind me but I must go by myself and trust the Lord to open the way to show me what He would have me do there.

I bought my ticket for Japan two hours ago and will be leaving soon, arriving in Osaka early tomorrow morning. I can’t say that what lies in front of me is what I would choose for an exciting adventure. I would rather stay in Chiang Mai in the lovely weather working in my comfortable shop. It is an exhausting trip to drive from Ikoma to Sendai on the expressway. This is impossible now, which means I will have a grueling two days driving by myself on back roads through terrible snow country. Just existing in a disaster area like that is challenging. There is no electricity. It is freezing cold. Rain and snow are to be expected. Food and water are scarce. The work is utterly overwhelming and endless. There is extremely little that one person can do. I will simply be one ant on a huge mountain. But one ant can move one grain of sand. Jesus said of Mary, “She has done what she could.” That is the best testimony the Lord can ever say about anyone of us. How can we do less?

In the Air Force, they had a policy that when a man was down in an inaccessible area – as a last ditch effort – they would drop a survival specialist in that area to be with the down pilot and work with him until they could get him to an area that could be reached by ship or helicopter. When the rescue specialist parachuted out of that plane, he was totally identified with the man in his environment; whether it be the arctic, a jungle, or the ocean; to share the same fate as the man he was sent in to rescue. This is what Jesus did for us – only in a much profounder way. He went beyond our suffering to take the full brunt of the wrath of God to suffer for our sins. It is not fun to leave my comfortable home in Chiang Mai to go and live with those people who have lost everything, including the roof over their heads. But this is a privilege, and one that I cannot decline.

 I don’t know when I will write again but when I do it will probably be with stories beyond anything I have hitherto seen.

When you speak to Jesus in these coming weeks you might remind Him that one of His most limited servants there in that tsunami area as a candidate for His use in any capacity He may choose.

Thank you for your participation with me. In the cause of our gracious Lord Jesus,

                                         Bill

PS: I wrote this just before leaving for the airport. I am now in Ikoma getting things ready to probably leave tomorrow for up north. Jesus is in charge of this operation. All I have to do is follow Him.