3rd Relief Trip Notice

Well, the Bostrom's are off again to Sendai.  Please remember to pray for their health and safety as they brave the elements and obstacles and feed many hungry people hot meals again.

PaulandCheryl BostromMarch 29, 2011 at 4:59amSubject: 3rd Relief Team leaves at 10:00 PM tonight!
Please pray for everyone's safety while traveling, they're taking potassium iodide again (yuck, yuck, yuck!) :-) More details soon. Going to a school/evacuation center to cook hot meals, possibly to neighbors in the vicinity as well.
NOTE: sometimes the amount of people in the center, and the number of meals we serve don't match exactly, because many are able to come and get seconds. Great!

PaulandCheryl BostromMarch 30, 2011 at 12:19amSubject: 3rd trip
The team left at 10:30 PM last night for the third trip, about 12 people this time. So many people turned out to cut veggies and prepare that day, from various churches, friends, even neighbors!
Praise God we had a sudden addition of an extra driver the night before leaving. Of the 30 hour trip, about 20 hours is driving, and it's wise to rotate when sleepy.
Just before leaving, Paul cut his hand bad, and thankfully Dr. Kawase was here to stitch it up with his wife Sue. Then Dr. Minami (from our church here) took Paul to the hospital to get a tetanus shot. One of the other volunteers, a Japanese man about 75 who has the propane gas license for hooking up the cooking equipment and is one of the drivers, finished up the metal cutting job Paul had been working on.
They came back in time to hop in the bus and truck and take off for Sendai!  No word back yet, and will keep you posted when we hear something. Most likely they are cooking as I type this.
Cheryl for Paul 

Second Team in Sendai

Here's an update on relief missions our friends are taking to Sendai.  Their e-mail about the second trip follows:

Second Team in Sendai Dear Family and Friends, The second relief team drove out at 11 PM last night, 17 people (including Paul, his brother John, and 5 of our teenagers) in two large vehicles, with food to cook HOT MEALS for 2,000.  This time they have BIGGER and BETTER equipment!  Huge gas burners, rice cookers, water containers, even two big steel sinks!  Some bought at 2nd hand stores, some donated.  They'll return tomorrow about 2 AM, and then we'll have some new photos.  Trying to keep updates on Facebook (PaulandCheryl Bostrom), event name is Relief Trips to Sendai From Kakegawa.  Photos will also be posted to our school and church websites below. Everyone took potassium iodide before leaving (YUCK!), but radiation levels are all down, even in Tokyo area, so we are resting in the peace of God about all the scares. Please note a MISTAKE in the email for donations, so sorry.  Paypal to "kics@bostrom.ecnet.jp" (left off the "jp" in the previous newsletter).  DONATION buttons have been added for convenience to our school and church websites.  www.kicschool.net www.sccjp.net For US citizens, tax deductible donations can be made through;  S E A Crusades 304 Marsh View Ct , Carrollton, VA 23314 (757) 745-7144 In Christ's Precious Name, Cheryl for Paul  Cultural differences........ On a serious note : The Japanese sense of endurance and politeness is something Americans cannot comprehend.  They give their very lowest bow from the waist to graciously thank our team for one hot meal.  The international community needs to understand that the Japanese will politely starve to death so as not to be a burden or inconvenience to others.  On a light note : The school/shelter the team is cooking at today had instant foods dropped off previously by an American team.  They were baffled with the English instructions, and came running out to ask us what it was, and how to cook it.  Our team had to laugh : instant mashed potatoes and grits! :-)  The Japanese had no idea what these two things were.  Paul explained to a group of leaders what it was and how to cook and eat it :-)

News From Japan - Situation is Desperate!

Here's an update from our missionary friends in Japan, the Bostrom's.  They have returned from their first relief aid trip and have sent the following e-mail update.  Please continue to pray for the workers and of course for those who lost everything and hardly have any food to eat now.

Dear Fed and Bathed Loved Ones,  The team returned at 5:00 AM, exhausted and feeling guilty taking showers. Fed 1,100 people a hot meal, only their 2nd hot meal in 10 days! They said, "now we can sleep tonight"! Situation is DESPERATE and LONG-TERM.   Gained the trust of JHELP and Ken Joseph (watch him on FOX NEWS, 3 minutes into the interview), and will continue taking food/hot meals as long as we can. We unashamedly ask you to help us obtain more support to buy FOOD, RICE COOKERS, COOKING GAS, FUEL to get there, etc. Precious, precious people, hungry for the love of Jesus. Team will SLEEP, prepare more food, and drive back. Entire trip was record 31 hours. and fed 1,100 people ONE HOT MEAL.   Breakfast and Supper Rations JHELP needs prepaid satellite phones and wireless laptops to help the government ORGANIZE and DISTRIBUTE these supplies sitting in warehouses! READ ARTICLE.  Some people have asked to fly over and help.After thought, we are not saying no.  But, you will be responsible for all your own costs while here. On trips north we cannot be a burden on the people.  No running water there. We have no bedroom space, but we do have futon/floor space in the church downstairs with toilet/shower/kitchen access.  You would do own cooking, cleaning, etc., and help out as well.  If you have an international driver's license ready to go, and especially BUS or TRUCK driver's license (international) then that would definitely be a help. (our school starts again from April 6, after which the downstairs space will not be available and other accommodations would need to be found).  How you can help.  PRAY!    *SEND this info/contact information to others.  (use the forward at the BOTTOM of this email)   *Send funds to buy needed food/cooking supplies/fuel/.   Paypal(kics@bostrom.ecnet) or for tax deductible receipt: Bostrom c/o SEA Crusades 304 Marsh View Ct , Carrollton, VA 23314 (757) 745-7144   Buy a satellite phone (just over $600) and send to the address below. They'll mail to us, and we'll hand deliver them to Ken Joseph ofwww.jhelp.com.  Bostrom  C/O Madi at FBC USA 16920 S. Main Street Gardena CA 90248-3124 Ph: 310-515-8100 In Christ,  Paul & Cheryl Bostrom HELPFUL LINKS : Radiation level graphs of all prefectures in Japan for past 7 days.  (we are in Shizuoka).

Spread the Word - How to Help in Japan

You may be saying to yourself, how can I help the victims of the Great Tohoku Eathquake and Tsunami?  There are so many organizations asking for donations.  I wish I could see the effects of my donation actually helping people.

We have personal friends, the Bostom family, who are second generation missionaries in Japan.  They live in Kakegawa, which is in Shizuoka Prefecture and have 13 children--so many that they have started a private Christian school there as part of their ministry.  They are very conservative, faithful followers of Jesus and I am privileged to know them.

They have put together a group of volunteers and are spending the next month making trips to Sendai, Japan to give food and comfort in the name of Jesus to the earthquake/tsunami victims.  They are already just above Sendai doing just what they set out to do.  See photos of them on their Facebook page called Relief Trips to Sendai from Kakegawa set up for communicating about their efforts.  

On this first trip, the Bostrom's and their church friends have had to pack all of their food and fuel they will be using, since there is likely nothing available where they are going.  Simply amazing!  They will also endure days without showers and hot water.  Things we take for granted.  Let's do something to help them!

Directions are on the event page for sending donations to them.  They are living by faith and have put work on hold while serving the needy victims of the disaster, so I'm sure a contribution of any amount would be greatly appreciated.  Even if you send no money, please pray for the Japanese people and that the gospel be spread through the relief efforts of this fine Christian family.

If by chance you don't do Facebook and would like to send a contribution, please leave a comment or contact me and I'll post directions on this blog.

This is an awesome opportunity.  Don't let it pass you by.  God bless you,

Paul Spillers

Moving Baby Trees to Bigger Pots

Our baby Japanese Maple and Yoshino Cherry trees had outgrown their pots.  However, getting new pots and transplanting them to larger ones is no small task.  We had to buy the pots, and then get some soil to fill them.  We were so thankful when Lisa and Heidi pitched in and helped.  They made the job go so fast and easy.

Hannah & Naomi's New Friend Abigail

Our neighbors, two houses down have a little girl who is in between Hannah and Naomi's age. Her name is Abigail. Her mom is a teacher, so she is usually at her nanny's house during the day. Hannah and Naomi like her a lot, so they are always thrilled when they get to play with her. This is her first time coming to our house for a few minutes to play.

A Sunday Hike for a Change

We've been home too much lately.  It seems that the weather or our busy schedule has kept us from getting all the fresh air and exercise we need.  (I'm talking about us grown-ups, mostly.)  Today we got out for a much needed hike. There's something about spring and nature and energetic kids...combine them and you are sure to have a good time...and we did!  A good long walk can be so relaxing!  Naomi thought we would take her to a playground when we said "park".  But as you can see, there was a kind of playground of trees in this park.

Hiking at Red Top Mtn State Park

The very next day, we went to Red Top Mountain State Park to hike around. Here are some photos.

Trip to Red Top Mtn with the Sulser's

Heidi and Terry accompanied our friends, the Sulser's to Red Top Mountain State Park.  I have never been to the part of the park they visited.  It looks like fun!

Daniel Won's Birthday

Daniel turns 17. Happy Birthday, Daniel! Here are some shots of his party at a nearby Korean restaurant and having cake at our house afterwards.

A Modern Convenience

Old-fashioned is good, but there are modern tools to help us live more simply, too.  Our kitchen trash can broke.  It was the kind with a pedal you step on to open it, and it was round and it took up valuable kitchen floor space.  New trash cans of high quality were quite expensive, and we still would have a place in the kitchen where only one person could pass at a time--and it was really close to the sink!  The solution?  This concealed pull-out trash can.  It was on sale at Rockler, so it was actually cheaper than a replacement trash can.

Getting Back to Basics

These days, we are trying to learn new skills to help us live more independently, more frugally, and more sensibly. We also want to reduce the amount of man-made chemicals we consume and use, and live more simply. Here are a couple of examples: Making our own detergent, and composting our kitchen waste.