Alien invasion! Fire-breathing bats! Wearwolves! Pirates! Zombie Pirates! Ninjas! Seismic readings! Body Snatchers! The Grinch! Radiation! Amoeba! Snakes! Hitler! Velociraptors! Voldemort! Gojira! Garlic Breath! The Loch Ness Monster! Moogles! Thetan levels rising! The Joker! Nanobots! Hippies! Holy Hand Genade! Alex Trabeck! Cloverfield! Waterloo! Birdmen! James Blunt! The French! HPV! The Bermuda Triangle! Bullying! Jennifer's Body! Killer Whales! Justin Bieber! Poltergeist! Gene Simmons! Frankenstein! Jean Claude Van Damme! Billy the kid! Leprechauns! Mech Warriors! Emperor Ming! The Candyman! Kryptonite! CCM! Nicholas Sparks! Dalecs! Necromancers! Pirrhanas! The twelve plagues! Global warming! Hurricane Katrina! Bodily functions! Ugly people! The Sheriff of Nottingham! Insane Clown Posse! The Black Death! Cannibals! Earwax! The Soviet Union! Cavities! High school dances! Tinnitus! Unplanned pregnancy! Mutant sheep! Ghengis Khan! Amelia Earhart! Original Sin! Fireproof!
But seriously. I'm fine.
Okay. So there have been a lot of disasters here, lately. We've had an earthquake, a tsunami, a volcanic eruption, and radioactive contamination. NBD.
None of these are things I had really thought about or expected to live through in my lifetime. Nonetheless, I am safe, and I am working hard to help people in need.
What a tremendous and opportune time for me to be here in Japan! I have been doing press and social networking for CRASH Japan, an organization created for disaster response. They mobilize volunteer teams to meet the needs of local communities in relief efforts.
Granted, there is an incredibly high level of stress around here. There is the looming shadow of possible (but unlikely) meltdown, an urgency of cause in helping those who are suffering, continued earthquakes, and twelve-hour work days. I am tired and stressed. But I am safe, and doing important work. I think that counts for something.
I understand many of you are worried about me. I discourage you from worrying, but I ENCOURAGE you to pray for Japan!! Not only that, but send aid. Here's how you can "love on Japan" through my organization:
1-Like the Facebook group Love On Japan | Crash Quake Relief
2-Donate by following instructions on the crashjapan.org website
3-Follow the @LoveonJapan twitter page
4-Let your friends know!
5-Pray. Safety and focus are absolutely essential to preventing more suffering.
Remember, kids.. this is where I spend most of my days from now on. Get connected. We can all help from where we are right now.
Seriously, I love you all, and I am okay; and if I wasn't, I would be on a plane tomorrow.
Stay tuned,
Michael
I am proud to say I got all your historical references in the first paragraph.
ReplyDeleteWhen you get back you should be a guest speaker for my Geography class, we talk about natural disasters in our last unit, East Asia. Think about it...
Glad to hear you're doing OK, and thanks for the on-the-ground reports of how things are going.
ReplyDelete