I keep hearing of the devastation and heartbraek that is ongoing in my homeland of Japan ever since the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami leveled much of the countryside.

Millions of homes and businesses are flattened; tens of thousands are missing and presumed dead.  The death toll is expected to exceed ten thousand at the least.

On top of that, several nuclear reactors on the brink of melting down.  A volcano in the southwestern part of Japan is rumbling to life, threatening to erupt.

This will only add to the misery and chaos.

My heart breaks for the people of Japan because that is where I lived until several years ago, when I came to the United States to live.  Japan is as part of me as America is.

When I hear of bad things going on over there, my heart shatters into a million pieces.

I don't know how much more the people can stand over there.  Haven't they already been through enough now as it is?  It's as if God is angry with Japan and her people, and I can't figure out for the life of me what she might have done wrong to anger God so much!

One disaster at a time, Lord!

Kazuhiko, my fiance', has been trying to get ahold of family over there ever since this disaster first happened, and so far ... nothing.  We don't know if his family survived.  I guess no news is good news, but it doesn't settle our fears any less.  If anything, not knowing anything about them makes the fear worse.

I have been trying to call my best friend, Rinko Kubachi, who lives near where the epicenter of the quake was.  So far, nothing.

I doubt she even survived; if she did, it would be a miracle.  Kaz keeps telling me the images of the earthquake and resulting tsunami are horrible, and it might be a good thing I'm blind, so I can't see how bad it really was.

I keep praying for her safety or to hear something, but like Kaz, I keep hitting loose ends.  We don't know anything, and it is driving us both mad!!

I am going to go and try again.  Seems that's all I've done for the past few days: hang around the phone or the computer, in the hopes we hear something from our families/friends!  Just keep us (and especially the people of Japan) in your thoughts and prayers; they (and we) would greatly appreciate it!  Thanks in advance!

~Love, your friend, Michiko.  +Tears!+