Earthquake Eyewitness: 'I Awoke to Find the Car Bouncing'

By Jim Peterson

Sunday evening

It's Sunday evening and the neighborhood around the Nagaoka Covenant Church is much darker and quieter than usual. Just across the street is a large parking lot of a library. Last night over 500 people slept in their cars in that single parking lot and tonight there are even more cars parked there. Unlike many of the surrounding neighborhoods, we are fortunate enough to have running water and electricity here, although the city gas is stopped.

The earthquake struck at six o'clock last night and was followed by several strong aftershocks over the next hour or two. Even today the aftershocks have continued, the biggest coming at 2:30 this afternoon. Small tremors continue to rattle the windows every 15-20 minutes even now, some 24 hours after the first quake. The Nagaoka church sustained significant damage, with large structural cracks all over the building (see accompanying photo). Some engineers came to inspect it and said that it appears to be beyond repair. It is a three-story concrete building with a steel beam frame and was built 25 years ago.

This morning an abbreviated worship service was held at 9 a.m. and again at 10 a.m. and about 30 people came. Normally there are about 40-50, but many couldn't make it due to road closures. When I arrived at 5 p.m. three or four church members were still here cleaning up. The inside of the building is a mess and the main task at hand is to move out all of the valuable things. It's not known when the building will have to be torn down or what the immediate future holds, but it seems that repair is out of the question.

I enjoyed a dinner of cup ramen (freeze dried noodles) in my car with pastor Makoto Hiyoshi and his wife and four children. They are especially concerned about the senior pastor Hiyoshi and his wife - they have lived in that building for the last 25 years. It is also a visible fruit of the many years of service they have given in that place. Now they are told it will have to be torn down and it seems they are in a state of mild shock.

As for my trip today, it was a long journey. I left Yoshioka at 10 a.m. and spent the next seven hours on the road. By the normal route it is only a two-hour trip covering about 120 miles. Due to road closures I had to take a huge detour, passing through some very isolated mountain roads, but I finally made it. I will spend the night here and return to Gunma and on to Tokyo some time tomorrow.

Monday evening

I'm back in Tokyo after a long day. Last night I slept in my car right in front of the church. It was cold and I didn't have any blankets, so I tossed and turned without really falling asleep until 3:30 a.m. when I finally gave in and turned on the engine and the heater. I fell asleep almost immediately. At 6:05 a.m. I awoke with a start to find the car bouncing up and down. It was the strongest aftershock in several hours. Smaller tremors followed.

Few people slept past 6:05 in Nagaoka this morning. After taking a few more pictures, I packed up and left about 8 a.m. for the long drive back to Gunma and then on to Tokyo.

The church in Nagaoka faces many uncertainties. The most immediate concerns are a place to live for pastor Hiyoshi and his wife, and a place for the congregation to meet and worship. The younger pastor Hiyoshi and his wife live nearby in an apartment, and for the time being his parents will probably squeeze in with them, but it isn't a permanent solution.

Along with matters of the future, we are contemplating possibilities for immediate ministry in Nagaoka. There are tens of thousands of displaced people who are struggling to get the basics like food, water, warm clothes and toiletries. We are assessing how we might be able to contribute to the effort to alleviate those conditions in the name of Christ and will keep you posted as matters proceed.

Editor's footnote: more information on the situation in Japan will be posted to this online Covenant news report as it becomes available.

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