Up until now, meetings and discussions for the entire network have been held online (Skype, email, phone), but on this day, for the first time, core members from inland and local staff from the coast met face to face for a meeting.
Network Meeting
Website launched
The 3.11 Iwate Church Network website was set up and is now operational.
Skype Meeting
In response to the many offers of support from outside the prefecture, Kondo (Morioka), Otsuka (Morioka Minami), Sasaki (Kitakami) and Wakai (Mizusawa) discussed how to respond via Skype, and decided to make a field trip to the affected coastal areas on the 21st.
On-site inspection
In order to inspect the area and confirm the safety of church members who could not be reached, we took two routes, one going south from Miyako and the other going north from Ofunato.
Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake
On Friday, March 11, 2011, at around 14:46, the Tohoku Pacific Ocean Earthquake occurred. The earthquake had a magnitude of 9.0 with its epicenter off the coast of Sanriku.
3.11 Iwate Church Network established
A Skype meeting was held based on the field trip on the 21st. It was decided to establish the 3.11 Iwate Church Network to serve as a contact point for future support activities in the disaster area and for volunteers from outside the prefecture. Since it is a church network, each pastor will explain the network to his or her church and ask for approval.
The name of the network was not decided in the Skype meeting, but was decided in an email meeting that night.
