Message for Japan and messages from Japan

It has been over one week since the TV program that we were watching suddenly switched over to an emergency alert for Tsunami in Tohoku, Japan. Since then, many many people have expressed their concern, thoughts, support and sympathy to me. Just like me, many people expressed their powerlessness, offered their services, and asked me what they can do.
Although it was after another big disaster in Christchurch, New Zealand, many kiwis also came to me and expressed their thoughts, even while they haven’t yet rebuilt or recovered from their own disaster. I got the sense that we all want to express our thoughts somewhere and do something for people in Japan. Donations of supplies, money, or blood are one thing and prayers for Japan are another thing. And here is another option: to write your thoughts in your words to people who believe in sustainability for Japan. The website below is their bulletin board where I volunteer translating from English into Japanese.
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pray4japan/message.cgi
I have been trying to get in touch with people I have known through the F&M-TGU exchange program. I briefly translated the part telling us how they are doing.
*From Miya Shimura: Former exchange student from TGU in Ishinomaki
私のこと覚え下さり、わざわざご連絡頂き本当に本当にありがとうございます。昨日やっと携帯が使えるようになりました。ただまだ電気が通っておらず、電池がなくなってしまうとまたお返事できなくなるかもしれません。先生、お元気ですか？旦那さん、娘さんは？本当に懐かしいです。
私の住んでいる石巻の街は本当に大変なことになっています。話をきくたび涙がでます。
私は幸運なことに、家の一階は水でダメになりましたが二階は無事だったので今は家族みんなで二階に住んでいます。
先生本当にご連絡ありがとうございました。とても心強く、元気を頂きました！！電気も通って落ちついたらまた連絡致します。
本当にありがとうございました。
I can finally use my cell phone now. But we still have no power and if the battery runs out, I may not be able to respond to your message… The Town of Ishinomaki where I live is truly in terrible shape. Every time I hear a story (from other people) I start to cry. Luckily, the second floor of our house was safe although the first floor was damaged by water. So I now live with my family on the second floor. Thank you very much for contacting me.
*From Prof. Michiko Oda: Former Dean of the International Program at TGU
御親切なメールを拝受いたしました。夫の小田忠雄と私は無事で、横浜在住の小
田正雄と京子宅に泊まっております。マレーシアで開かれた会議に出席し、３月
１４日に成田に戻りましたが、仙台に戻る交通手段がありませんでした。それ以
来息子夫婦宅におります。１４日夜に仙台の我が家の隣の方と電話連絡がつきま
した。彼女の話によると、我が家は外から見る限りOKとのこと。高森の我が家の
あたりでは電気と水道が復旧していますが、ガスはまだとのこと。食糧難で大変
のようです。いつ仙台に戻れるかわかりません。
どうぞお元気で。マルソー先生に宜しくお伝えください。
My husband and I are safe and we are currently living with Tadao (their son) and Kyoko Oda in Yokohama. We attended a conference in Malaysia and returned to Narita on 3/14 but there was no way for us to go back home to Sendai. Since then we have been with our son’s family. We could get in touch with our next door neighbor in Sendai on the night of the 14th. According to her, our home looks okay from the outside. I heard that electricity and water now are restored but not gas in Takanomori (Sendai neighborhood), where our home is. There seems to be difficulty obtaining food there. We still don’t know when we can return to Sendai.
*From Hishinuma sensei in Yamagata who taught Japanese at F&M for 2 years
応援メッセージありがとうございます。中出先生に元気をもらいました!確かにしばらく大変ですが、いずれまたよくなりますよね。そう信じます。私は被害を受けなかったんだし、今自分にできることを探してがんばりますね。とりあえずは献血。それから節電。でもガソリンは死活問題です。週末並んでみようと思います。
……….Certainly it has been terrible but it the situation will someday return to normal. I believe this is the case! I didn’t experience any injury or damage, so I’ll do my best to look for whatever I can do here. For now, blood donations and saving electricity! But the gasoline shortage is a matter of life or death (here in rural Japan). So I’ll try to wait in line next week.

*I also got in touch with former Japanese TAs: Brandy and Yui in Tokyo. Although they are suffering from rolling blackouts and shortages of supplies, they are well and sharing their energy and spirit with others.
Jeremiah Sechrist, who is in Mie Prefecture, is safe.
Katy Handlir’s, Steve Kennedy’s, and Verny Lim’s host families are safe according to them.

This is what I have found out so far. I’ll inform you if I find out more information.