Hope {Nozomi}

3 years ago exactly (at the time of this post) my world changed forever.  I was home alone in our house in Japan when the ground started shaking.  I assumed it would be like all the rest, causing brief pause, then I would go about my day.  I had just returned from an outing with some of my Japanese friends and was working on a blog post.  I remember like it was just yesterday.  You can read some of my posts here and here and here and here.  The days immediately following were chaotic, confusing, alarming, stressful, the list goes on. My emotions pale in comparison to those who lived near the epicenter and in the path of the tsunami.  After months spent in that area after the event with All Hands and on mission trips, I still cannot begin to grasp the fear and despair that ripped through the area.

While it is important to remember to remember the past, it is also crucial to have hope in the future.  On one of my many trips to Tohoku I had the great pleasure of working with a group of women on the Nozomi Project.  Today, while remembering the past, I'm also finding hope in the future.  Hope I see in those who sacrifice(d) their time, money and talents to help the people of Japan heal.

Nozomi Project

I am so unbelievably excited to be sharing with you all today.  I mentioned the Nozomi Project briefly back in November after I returned from a mission trip and I promised to make an announcement once the project was up and fully running so that's what I'm here to do today!

The Nozomi {nozomi means hope in Japanese} Project was created in response to the devastation left behind after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.  It is a social enterprise bringing sustainable income, community, dignity and hope to the women in Ishinomaki, Japan by training women to craft unique jewelry products.  One third of these women are single mothers and grandmothers; most of these women and their family members lost their livelihood when the tsunami crashed through half of their city in 2011.​  These women are creating one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry featuring broken pieces of pottery left in the wake of the tsunami (called the Shards of Hope product line), as well as other beautiful products such as kimono accessories and note cards  Each of our product lines has been named by a Nozomi woman in honor of a loved one in her life. 

I had the honor of working with some of these ladies back in July and then on our trip in November  we got a sneak peak into some the lines that had been created.  If you look back at my two blog posts, you will see that the concept and designs have changed a great deal and will most likely continue to do so as the project evolves but each piece is truly beautiful in it's own way. 

Today, I want to share some of this beauty with one of you while also spreading the word about the project!  I am going to give away this GORGEOUS necklace from the Kukiko line {this is really, really hard for me to do because once it arrived in the mail, I fell in love with this and badly want to keep it for myself!}

I am a decent photographer but these photos really don't do the piece justice.  It is absolutely stunning in person!

My main goal here is to bring awareness to the project, not my blog so you don't even have to be a follower to enter to win this necklace.  You MUST complete number 1 or all other entries will be invalid.  For each task you complete, leave a separate comment on this post so that I am sure to give you the appropriate number of entries.  Also, be sure to leave your email in the comments so I know how to reach you if you win!

1. Go to their website, click on "gifts" and leave me a comment here telling me which piece is your favorite {line name and number}.

2. Like their Facebook page.

3. Tweet "I want to win a #Nozomi necklace from @bleudressnjapan #tsunami #relief #Ishinomaki #Japan http://tinyurl.com/ahmk99s". 

4. Blog about this giveaway & the Nozomi project.

BONUS.  If you purchase a piece from their website and email me a copy of your receipt {the receipt does not contain payment info but PLEASE feel free to block out your last name/address if you'd like} I will give you 5 extra entries!

Deadline for all entries is January 25th, 2013 at 10pm EST.  

Please tell all of your friends & family about this great project and the chance to win this beautiful necklace!

Mission Trip

This poor little blog of mine has been neglected lately but I plan to rectify that starting today!

Two weeks ago, I spent 5 days in Ishinomaki on a mission trip with our base chapel.  We took 15 people up to work in an area that was hit hard by the tsunami over the long Veterans day weekend.   This was my 2nd trip to this specific town {you can read about my first trip here} and unfortunately I think it will be my last.  The needs of the area are changing and they desperately need people who speak Japanese now which counts me out.  Over all I spent about 5 weeks in Tohoku and that area will always hold a very special place within my heart.

This trip we spent most of our time working on two projects.  Picking the tiny pieces of dry wall left in an apartment complex and putting up an enormous tent that the missionaries will use for storage.

While we were there a local fisherman donated some fresh fish, squid and crab to the missionaries so we had a BBQ our last night in town with everyone.

 rice, salad, grilled veggies and lots of grilled seafood, YUM!

After dinner, some ladies who are working on the Nozomi Project came by to sell us some of their jewelry.  

From their website

"Nozomi, translated 'hope' in Japanese, is a social enterprise organization striving to bring sustainable income, community, dignity and hope to the women in Ishinomaki, Japan by providing employment crafting unique jewelry products that can be commercially sold. Most of these women are single mothers and grandmothers who lost their livelihood when the tsunami crashed through half of their city in 2011."

We worked with some of these ladies on our 1st trip so it was great to see how much product they had created since we were last there.

We were able to purchase some of the pieces and we almost wiped them out.  I bought 3 pieces myself. 

The bracelet and necklace on the right were made by the lovely Yuri who happened to be there that night along with her daughter Moeka.

Yuri's story was shared with us later that evening and no one in the room had a dry eye when she was finished.  {some of my details may be a tad off here} She was with her daughter and 3 year old son when the sirens went off.  Her ex husband came by and took her son saying he would keep him safe and meet up with Yuri and Moeka once they were given the all clear.  That was the last time she ever saw her son.  She was holding him safe in her arms and let him go thinking he would be safe.  Unbeknownst to her, she was pregnant at the time of the tsunami with her new husband.  When her new son was born she was so overcome with grief that she couldn't bare to hold her newborn.  After months of working with the missionaries and the Nozomi project, she has started to overcome her grief and pain and it now a loving mother to her little boy. 

Yuri and her family are now a permanent fixture in my prayers.  If you are once who believes in the power of prayer, I ask you to pray for Yuri and the women of the Nozomi project.  These women have suffered more than most of us could imagine.  At this time, there jewelry is only available locally but as soon as it is available for purchase online y'all will be some of the 1st to know {I plan to do a giveaway and make an announcement as soon as I hear anything}.