Pictures from the Road

Hey all, we are starting week three on the road in beautiful Joshua Tree National Park. We started with some hiking in Big Bend, climbing in Red Rocks Nevada, driving (and some short hikes (and Christmas!)) in Death Valley and now climbing in Joshua Tree! I am going to throw some pictures up and let them speak for themselves (1000 words and all of that.)

And the Dog has a Vest

This little number was dogified by my beautiful wife N Are Dub, and is all the rave in pup circles this year. It helps him sleep.

.and.we're.off.

an evening of stove-top chai, experimenting with the possibilities available to one living in a metal home (SO rad by the way), tent repair, conversation and puppy coat sewing (he's about to embark on a month long winter climbing trip, cut us some slack) has brought us to a lovely and much welcomed end to the fall semester. new to rosie is a 6x6 foot magnetic fabric insulation partition that separates the living space from the bedroom space. the idea is that it is much easier and more efficient to heat half of a bus than a whole bus . . . turns out we were right. the winter has come on suddenly to the ATX area, but we refuse to be caught off guard. in addition to the cozy partition is the seasonal insulation sheet window blockers on the windows surrounding the bedroom. it also turns out that a dozen windows in a 100 square foot metal space during 30 degree temperatures doesn't help with heat retention either. good thing the mr. is a genius and had us warm and frost tight in no time. thanksgiving was a most gorgeous occasion at the m&n young abode, complete with approximately 25 tabletop feet cram packed with sweet and savory goodness, and family from all angles

having the honor of hosting two thanksgivings in our mere year of being together has most certainly contributed to my deep appreciation of the dynamics and richness of the crew and how well they function as one even if they don't always see it. my mother fit in perfectly, as she always does, and pie and music were had well into the night. with life overflowing and bellies almost as full, we are grateful beyond words

















this next week will find us dehydrating food, sorting gear and wrapping up life in rosie until mid january. the youngsters3 are headed to washington to scope out possibilities for the future - by way of big bend, red rocks and joshua tree, ca.




- warmth, spice and dreams run wild-

blessings from our home to yours,
mYn

from our bus to . . . . yours?

i am so very proud to have the honored title of guest blogger this week as we prepare for a beautiful thanksgiving celebration, the end of a school semester and the beginning of an epic winter break road trip. our days have been filled with friends, food, new family additions (miss jolene "cutie patootie puppy" walsh) and tying up small projects, including th

e exciting resurrection of our little "puch" moped, moshibby.

I have begun flirting with the art of aerial dancing thanks to our dear and talented friend, susan harkey, and mike is continuing on his journey

learning the ins and outs ofsolar energy, the mastery of electricity and green living.

we have most recently remembered a sorely missed brother, stewart jason wofford, on his birthday - welcomed a new little cousin, natalie claire marlow, into our family - and said goodbye to a beloved and magical grandmother, mary sue wofford, as she joins her cherished husband (our granfather) eddie louis wofford. its most certainly a time of beginnings, memories and endings . . .strengthening, stretching and adventure.

thank you for your love - you have ours

la paz, el amor y la familia,

nry

(our beautiful friend, mackenzie rollins, has finished our wedding photos! they can be viewed @ mackenzierollins.com, go to client proofing, password:young . . . enjoy!!)

Rosie Photos

It turns out, I didn't put many of the pictures I have of Rosie on the internet. In an effort to share this adventure I would like to remedy that situation. Here are three more photos of our lovely home.

Rosie and Atlas

Folks have been asking us lately for more pictures of Rosie, well here we find ourselves with more pictures so I can oblige. Living in Rosie as the Youngsters with young Atlas the holstein-boxer mix has been great. We adapted to the early challenges of heat and facilities and survived to the current bliss of fall temps and open windows.
Our first experience with rain, and hence muddy yards, offered some learning lessons on puppy wrangling, shoe management and rolling with the mess. But West Texans we are and we welcome rain in all of its forms.
I am pleased to announce we have running water in the bus now and are working towards a secure electrical source. I just received my electrician's apprentice license and I am giddy with the new world of wiring. Hopefully I will be able to move through the project with grace and safety.
Natalie is tearing her way through nursing school and we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are looking at job postings and future places to park Rosie. It is amazing how well she can balance school, work and quality time. She has been running with the dude (Atlas) and climbing at the Austin Rock Gym in the evenings to get strong for our big climbing road trip over the winter break.
I have not been climbing as strong but I am working on catching up. I just got back from a mountain biking trip with Outpost Wilderness Adventure in Moab Utah where we got to ride with the fellas from Cycle Wise in the UK. They were some great blokes. Right now I am just enjoying being in town with my new family and working on projects.
Thanks for taking the time to check in on us Youngsters and we hope you are enjoying everything you can. Drop us a line if you are coming through town and want to come by for a visit.

Peace Love and mobile housing.

Love
Mike y Nat

Married Life

Well, we are officially back from our honeymoon today. Natalie started class this afternoon and I am back on the job market. We got Rosie mostly settled and looking like a home, kicked it off with a bus warming party this weekend with Black Metal Stout by the fellas at Jester King Brewery, and we got ourselves a pup. Now onto life.

It is a good life, I think we are going to be pretty busy this year but I am excited about everything we have in store for ourselves with travel, climbing, exploring Austin, and working on our bus. So far we have a new floor in Rosie, a little bit of electricity, an air conditioner, a bed, some storage, a kitchen and a bed. Next on deck is running water, then into the full electrical conversion, and lastly full plumbing. I am currently fixing up our little bike fleet so we can roll in style. It will be good to put some time in on the bikes, I haven't gotten to ride much since January. However, now we live just a few miles from Walnut Creek a chill little set of trails.

Our friend Chris is a first year medical student and has decided to leave his Capri Cyclone with the house while he studies, we have dutifully taken on the care and exercise of said boat. He and I went out yesterday for a few hours and I really enjoy this little one class race boat. It has a more complicated rigging system than my slightly longer dagger boat but is a riot to sail in low wind, I can't wait until we get a little breeze in the fall.

Well, I hope everyone is weathering well, we are making our way through the heat and praying for rain. I hope you are enjoying life and eating well.

Peace, Love, and Rain

Mike

And we're back

Alaska!

With mixed feelings I am rolling out to Alaska today. I am leaving Natalie for the longest stint that we have been apart and that is sad but we are excited about the course and what it can mean for our future. This is going to be a great adventure. I am going to leave you with a few pictures of the last few weeks and I will get back to you soon.

Peace and Love and Good Food,


Mike

Bus news, Alaska Prep, ARI update

Well, I am in Colorado. I have left Texas for the summer, returning in August in time to get married to my dream girl. Before I left we got the bus titled, inspected, insured, and checked over by our friendly mechanics in Buda. She has been deemed road worthy and we are now planning the next steps in our remodel. As a gauge for the sheer size of Rambling Rose (AKA Rosie) I have posted a picture of all of my ladies (Natalie giving scale to Lola who in turn gives scale to Rosie) for you all to ponder. In August I will be bringing more updates as we make progress.

I leave for Alaska next week and it is just now sinking in how close that trip is to reality. I bought a new camera so I will be able to offer a full run down in the future, for now just know that it is going to be awesome.

I have received another update from ARI, and they are doing well. The participants have all arrived safely and they have begun the training program at the original host location at a farm in Tokyo while they continue to make repairs at ARI proper in Nishinasuno. Prayers and donations are still greatly appreciated and needed.

Have a great week wherever you are, find some friends, make some food, and start a conversation.


Peace and Love
Mike

I'm getting Married

Yep, I am getting married on August 13, 2011 to Natalie Ruth Wofford. The short story: we met at a climbing gym, hung out doing the friend thing for a while, I realized I was in love, she realized she was in love, we both thought about running, changed our minds, we decided to get married, and now we are planning a wedding. She is awesome, among other things she is a rock climber, amazing cook, farmer, chicken raiser, snake owner, traveler, humanitarian, artist, photographer, realist, get-things-doner, and a huge support. I am so lucky to have her in my life and she makes me strive to be a better person. I hope you get to meet her soon!


Peace and Love
Mike

PS (this is not our baby, he's just happy we're getting married too.)

Home Ownership

On this blog I have written a lot about the value of a simple life, and the ability to roam, and taking life slow, and the value of having a roof over your head. Always a fan of putting actions into words I am stepping into the world of home ownership with my fiancé. Well, earlier this week we bought a house... bus...bus-house! It is 40 ft of Bluebird snub nosed goodness and we are very excited. We got it here in Austin from a man who has been converting it into a studio/ office space. As a living space it is about 80% there, as a completed project we are probably looking at 60% done, and as a great recycleable home project it is right on.

For years I have been interested in the mobile lifestyle, tiny houses, re-purposing useful materials, and auto mechanics. Recently these interests have taken me into the world of buses. There seems to be a whole web community of bus conversion enthusiasts called Skoolies who retrofit old busses into tail gating machines, book-mobiles, Recreational Vehicles, and even homes. Since Natalie and I met I have been teasing her about moving into a van or somesuch nonsense to avoid high cost rent, have a mobile house, and travel. After joking about the idea for a few months we found a beat up old bus for sale in Hico, TX and the race was on, we were going to get a bus. It is a brilliantly simple plan and offers us so much room to work with our hands, be creative, and express our world views through physical action.

As an experiment in simplicity the bus allows us to strip our lives and possessions to a very finite number. We have just under 400 s.f. to contain our lives from working, sleeping, and cooking to cleaning, entertaining, and recreating. Both of us are coming from relatively modest living situations and working to fit our basic needs and a few enriching extras into this new environment. Our goal: to be able to live and thrive in a healthy, functional, and above all tasteful rolling home.

We are working with friends to secure a place to park/live next year as newlyweds while Natalie finishes nursing school and I work as an outdoor educator in Austin, TX. After that the world is our oyster and will most likely be rolling out of town onto a new adventure. We hope to keep you all posted on our home owning journey on this blog. Stay tuned for details.

Peace and Love

Mike

ARI Earthquake update #3

I have just received another update from my friend Steven Cutting about the current state of affairs at the Asian Rural Institute in Tochigi, Japan after the earthquake that hit March 11, 2011. The short version is that things are returning to normal, radiation levels are well below government safety limits, and they are going to run the first part of the training program from a location outside of Tokyo while rebuilding continues on the main campus. I am including the full email below. Please read and feel free to send me any questions.


Peace and Love,

Mike

Enter Steven

"#3 ARI Post Quake Report April 18, 2011

Hello everyone,

Sorry to be so long in getting out this 3^rd report. As you can imagine there is just so much to do with clean up and repair on top of our regular work of getting our crops sown and preparing for our incoming students.

It has been over one month since the Earthquake and Tsunami. On April 11, exactly one month after the quake, we had the pleasant experience of getting one of the biggest aftershocks, over 7 on the Richter scale. Only a few books and things fell down, but the tension, the almost imperceptible tightness that had kept us all on edge, but was slowly dissipating, that same feeling came back instantly. These aftershocks, both big and small, continue daily. Last night there were at least four. Each time you feel the tremor start, you wonder if this one will evolve into another huge quake or not. And sometimes you realize that there was actually no shaking at all – it was only the wind blowing or your heart beating.

At ARI we have been trying to get back to some of our regular activities that had been disrupted. We are longing to return to some sense of normalcy. We have resumed morning exercise, after which we hold a short meeting to share updates on the nuclear power plant situation, report the wind direction and radiation levels in the air and water, and decide our daily work. Today the news was not so good. The power company outlined a plan that will take nine months to stabilize the reactors. The first three months would be focused on getting the cooling systems working again, which is essential in stopping the release of radiation. This timeframe is assuming that things go well and there are no further complications. But the more immediate bad news was the wind direction. Today it is blowing from east to west and is swirling all around Japan. Up to now it had been blowing consistently toward the sea. It is not very comforting to know that our wellbeing rests on something as fickle as the direction of the wind.

We are moving forward, however, with our plans to begin the training program on May 2, just one month late. We are expecting 22 participants. The number is a bit less than usual because we had some difficulties with visas, but this year it will be helpful to have a smaller class. About two weeks ago we made a major decision to hold the first part of our training at a different location. Since all of our students come from overseas and live on campus, ARI bears somewhat more responsibility for their health and well-being than a typical school. The main reasons for this precautionary measure are: (1) the facilities in ARI are not completely ready for use. Work is going quickly and smoothly, but completion will require more time (2) We still continue to experience aftershocks in this area (3) The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant remains unstable. We are located 110 km from the plant. The government has issued no warnings about this region and no special actions are being taken at other schools in Nasushiobara (except to reduce outdoor sports and activities). However as long as the plant continues to leak radiation at the current rate we feel more comfortable relocating temporarily. The first 30 to 90 days of the training will be held at the Theological Seminary for Rural Mission in Tsurukawa, a suburb of Tokyo. This seminary is the birthplace of ARI and they have kindly allowed us to make use of their facilities.

At the beginning of the month I made a short trip to Kyushu to bring back my family, where they had been staying with grandma. School started last week, which forced us to make a decision for the kids – restart life here or settle in for the long term in Kyushu. Actually, life is pretty much normal in this town. Schools and businesses are open as usual. Both government and independent sources have declared areas this far from the plant as safe. Radiation in the air is down to 0.20 microsieverts/hour and water at the nearest reservoir is 2.5 Becquerels per liter. Both figures are far below government set safety limits. So we are back. But let me tell you, as a parent this was not an easy decision to make. No matter what level is said to be safe I never thought that I would have to decide how much radiation is OK for my kids. The fact that ARI water has been tested clean (at least for the time being) is a huge relief. A recent photo I saw in the newspaper of a health official holding a Geiger counter to the throat of a child who lives in a town closer to the power plant is still etched in my mind. Iodine, which accumulates in the thyroid, is an important component in the natural growth and development of children. Radioactive iodine, or iodine 131, is not. “Lucky” for us is that Iodine 131 has a short half-life of 8 days. Other staff with children have had to make similar difficult decisions. Gussan’s pregnant wife, Natsuko, is not planning to return soon!

Regional governments throughout northern Japan have been checking the soil to determine which areas are safe to start planting and which are banned from agriculture. Northern Tochigi was found to be within the safety limits, so we are preparing our rice seedlings and vegetable nurseries and we will see how it goes. We are exploring ways to be able to independently measure our soil and food products. We are also working with a research team that is experimenting with using certain kinds of microorganisms to clean radiation from the soil.

Bans on certain food products from certain areas of Japan continue, but they are slowly becoming less restrictive. I heard that Tochigi farmers are gradually finding markets to sell their produce – though consumers remain hesitant, even if the products are deemed acceptable. I find it ironic that we now call instant food and bottled drinks as “safe” (stores can barely keep these on the shelves) while we have to “protect” ourselves from air, water, and fresh vegetables. We are not sure yet, how our customers will respond to our products. Fortunately ARI eggs have tested completely free of radiation!!

The extent of damage to the campus is pretty heavy and the big aftershocks have not helped matters much. Actually the aftershocks have confirmed what the building inspector already suspected. Some of the buildings frames are in a weakened state and become more so with each quake. The Koinonia Dining Hall and the Main Building are especially problematic. With some repairs and reinforcements we should be able to use them for this year’s program but it is recommended that they be replaced at the end of the year. This is going to be an incredibly tough challenge for us since the costs are estimated at $2,000,000 for Koinonia and $1,500,000 for the main building. We also need to tear down and rebuild the “Denmark” style pigpen. It is basically in a state of slow collapse, but don’t worry, the pigs are in a process of planned evacuation. On the bright side, the construction of the new farm shop is coming along nicely. This was in the works before the earthquake, which hit just after the old farm shop was torn down and before work had started on the new one. The dorms and other buildings sustained some damage, but are basically OK. Most areas of campus have been cleaned up and water is running once again. Repairs continue all around with good progress being made. We have been receiving donations from people near and far and I can’t tell you how much this helps. The bills have started rolling in, but because these contributions are also coming in we are able to rebuild and we are able to continue to carry out our work and mission, not only this year, but in the years to come. Thank you.

ARI continues to supply food to people at the nearby evacuation center. On the weekends some staff go to visit farmer friends in the areas near the nuclear power plant. They carry eggs, meat, and produce to distribute to the people there. This food is very welcome since many are living on a diet of instant noodles and cold rice balls. I said this before, but I will say it again. ARI’s life of self-sufficiency is given even greater meaning by this disaster. Rather than being in need food we are able to help out others.

Last weekend that one organic farmer who lives about 40 km from the plant decided to pack up move out. After 30 years his land was rich and beautiful, but not anymore. We also checked on the boys from Iwaki city (who evacuated to ARI for about a week). One of the aftershocks seriously damaged their house, but they are somehow getting along. Tohoku people are known for being reserved, conservative, and tough. I saw a woman on TV who had lost her house and even some members of her family say, “I can’t think of myself because others have lost more than me.”

We at ARI are all past the initial shock and now that we have a plan in place to receive this year’s participants we are working with more vigor. This disaster has tested us in unexpected ways and at the same time it has brought us closer together. When you shake the foundations in life, you find the things that are truly strong, truly important.

In stubborn defiance to the seriousness of the situation, the spring flowers are in full bloom and the cherry blossoms are now at their magnificent peak. Last Saturday I went to the park with Miki and the kids to do drawings and a lot of people were out. As we sat on the ground with our sketch books we were rocked by yet another tremor, but no one moved. We were already in the safest place we could be. As I looked at the cherry blossoms stretched out over the small lake I couldn’t help feeling sad though. Every piece of nature that caught my eye; every flower, leaf, blade of grass, and the life of every person walking by has been affected by the radiation of a nuclear power plant over 100km away. How in the world did we do this? Why did we do this? These are the questions I have to answer to my children, and not some day in the future, but now.

Thank you once again for all of your prayers and words of support.

Steven

Sending Money

As I mentioned before my main purpose for sending this report is to keep you updated. However, people do continue to ask how they can help out financially and so I will include this information once again.

American Citizens can send a check to:

American Friends of ARI (AFARI)

c/o Steve Gerdes - Treasurer

11920 Burt St., Suite 145

Omaha, NE 68154-1598

Designate “ARI relief” on the check

or donate online through AFARI at http://friends-ari.org/

Canadian citizens

Cheques payable to The United Church of Canada can be sent to:

United Church of Canada

Partners in Mission Unit

3250 Bloor St. W.

Etobicoke, ON M8X 2Y4

Attn: Pat Elson (Please designate "ARI relief" on the cheque)

In Japan

Postal Transfer 00340-8-8758

Account Name: Gakko Hojin Asia Gakuin

In Europe

German Citizens can make tax deductable donations through the European Friends of ARI (EFARI). Please see their website at www.efari.org Europeans of other countries may also donate through EFARI, but it would not be tax deductable.

Steven Cutting

Ecumenical Relations

The Asian Rural Institute

442-1 Tsukinokizawa

Nasushiobara-shi, Tochigi-ken 329-2703

Japan

Tel: +81-(0)287-36-3111

Fax: +81-(0)287-37-5833

Email: ecu@ari-edu.org

Web: www.ari-edu.org

I wanna CHAI to make some SALSA

For those of you in the mood for a little spice in your life I want to share my two favorite recipes of the moment.

First: Salsa, I use a blender.

15 roma tomatoes (40 oz processed)
1 large! yellow onion
3 habanero peppers (red, yellow, and green)
4 serrano peppers
cilantro (you know about a handful)
several cloves of garlic
a palm of salt (about a tbs.?)
blend
chill (best to let it steep in the fridge for a day or so to get those flavors right)
eat

And then the slightly more complicated Chai from scratch (also known as Masala Chai, or even milk tea. (beats the coffee shop.))

For 4 people:

maybe 6 cups of water
add 6-10 green cardamon pods (mortared and pestaled)
1-2 sticks o cinnamon (m&p'ed)
10 pepper corns (m&p... you get the picture)
6-8 cloves (..."")
simmer for a long while, maybe 20-25 minutes

Black Tea- 2 bags (any black tea, sometimes I even use black chai tea (it has more spices))

you can boil it at this point black tea is not as sensitive as green tea (THANKS Melody!)

After the concoction becomes a dark (amber reddish) color you can pull the tea bags and add your white liquid (I like whole milk but usually use soy milk (silk) for my lady,) until the whole things blends to a brownish dirty white color.

Bring to a boil but catch it right before it boils over.
turn on low, add brown sugar (you be the judge, I usually add more than I think is needed,) and ginger (about a half inch thinly sliced, ginger does not do well in a boil, it blanches out the flavor.) More ginger is better if you are feeling sick (same with peppercorn.) Sometimes I leave the ginger out.

Taste, if it doesn't taste right, add white liquid (milk/silk) and sugar.

This will taste mild right out of the pan but turns out great in a small cup.

Serve to friends, put in a thermos or save some in the fridge for later. You probably want to take the spices out or they will steep and change the flavor.

I have a saucepan with a strainer in the lid to help with the spice extraction, my friend Melody just eats the spices in the bottom of the cup. Do it big.


Peace and Love


Mike

The ARI Update

An update on my home in Japan. ARI is located about 130 km from the broken nuclear plant in Fukushima, and the earthquake itself happened off the coast of Sendai which is where I caught the ferry to Hokkaido oh so long ago. When I first heard about the tsunami I did not think it had hit so close to home. My friend Steven Cutting just sent out an email update on the farm and the ARI program. I am including the email in full in this post, and have posted a pdf version here. Everyone is ok but very shaken up, let me know if you would like to help in some way and I can get you in contact with the right folks.

Peace and Love,

Mike

Enter Steven:

Dear Friends,

March 16

Greetings from ARI. As I sit down to write this message I am feeling yet another aftershock rock the room, though this one is very small. I know you are all worried and I’m not sure how much news has gotten to you about the situation of ARI. I’m sorry this report isn’t coming sooner, but as you can imagine, we have had quite a few things on our hands. This letter is going out only to people on the Take My Hand Email list, so please feel free to pass it on to others.

It has been 5 days since the earthquake but we are still in the middle of the prolonged and incredibly nerve-racking disaster of the nuclear power plant failure. Every day we wait for the news and when one problem seems to get solved at the plant another one starts and the situation remains critical. Of course the big question is about whether we are safe from the radiation. We are situated about 130km from the plant and the radiation levels you here on the news consist mostly of those at the plant itself and in the immediate vicinity. From yesterday we started getting regular reports about the radiation levels here in the area of ARI. Presently it stands at 1.4 microsieverts per hour. Last night it went as high as 1.7 microsieverts/hour. So what the heck does that mean? Well in this area the normal radiation levels are 0.027 microsieverts per hour. A standard chest x-ray exposes you to 100-300 microsieverts in one shot. A flight from New York to Tokyo exposes you to 200 microsieverts.

So the conclusion is that at the moment we are not any danger and we should just stay inside. Nuclear power plant workers are exposed to 5.7 microsieverts per hour and this is considered within standard safety limits for the industry. That being said, I have to tell you that whenever I am outside I don’t feel much like breathing! We are all wearing masks and when we do have to go out to feed the animals or take care of other necessary things, like repairing burst water pipes, we wear raincoats. We also shower often.

The volunteers evacuated early on and went home or are staying with friends. Children and spouses of staff have also relocated. My own two kids went with their mother to Kyushu to stay with their grandmother much to my relief. Gussan’s wife, who is pregnant, also left for southern Japan at the very beginning of this incident. Some staff left to assist families and volunteers (including myself), but they are slowly coming back to take care of ARI and people who are evacuating from Fukushima to this region. I was gone Sunday and Monday and returned Tuesday.

We are all praying for the workers at the Nuclear Plant and hope that this disaster will find a conclusion that is less than the worst case scenario. Your prayers are very welcome.

March 17

There is little change in the situation at the nuclear power plant. They are continuing to try to find ways to

get and keep enough water on the reactors to prevent them from melting down. There is real threat of a meltdown, but even if that happens ARI is said to be at a distance that is safe enough. Nevertheless we are taking precautions. We have made the seminar house our refuge as it was not at all damaged in the quake. Today we restocked ourselves with food and water – vegetables from the gardens, several bags of rice. Nearly all the foodstuffs we need we have in plenty. Our whole self-sufficiency life style is paying off big time. We are even in a situation to help others and have taken in 3 boys who evacuated from the town of Iwaki (40 km form the plant). We are also distributing eggs and milk to neighbors and to evacuation centers that were recently set up in town. We are also sealing all the windows and have cleared out the basement of this building in case we really do have to hunker down for a few days.

For the moment the nuclear threat has overshadowed the earthquake damage. We have started to do some cleanup but it is going slowly as we try to refrain from going outside too much. The buildings of ARI sustained damage, but we are still not sure

of the extent. A building inspector did an initial inspection and it looks like the biggest problem is the ceiling inside Koinonia was dislodged. A few parts actually fell, but most of the ceiling is still up, and in a dangerous state. The first floor of Koinonia also subsided a little, but we don’t yet know the extent of the damage. Two rooms in the women’s dorm sustained structural damage. The men’s dorm, fortress that it is, was mostly unhurt. The main building also seems to have survived, but needs more careful checking. The souvenir shop slid off the foundation and the stage seating and stage itself broke apart. The pig pen beside the biogas is also damaged, but at least the pig can’t escape. There are a lot of broken windows including the big windows in the chapel. ALL items inside ALL buildings were thrown to the floor and smashed. This includes computers, dishes, rice containers for long term storage, and much more. It is such a mess you can’t see the floor. The buildings do carry insurance, but it is unlikely they are covered for earthquake. We are checking into this.

All of this, of course, has interrupted the operations of the school. The biggest decision we had to take was whether or not we could carry on with our 2011 training program. The staff decided that we would do everything we could to carry out the program since this is our mission and purpose. However, we have tentatively decided to postpone the start by one month. This is not yet a fixed decision since we must first have assurance that the nuclear power plant is stable and this area is completely safe before we can even think of brining participants here. Also we will have to complete crucial repairs to the facilities.

We are scared but we are coming together. This is what community is all about. I am so thankful that I am going through this with a community of people who trust each other, love each other and care for each other. We still hold morning gathering every day and we pray together often, doing our best to trust in God and be led by God. There are people suffering much more than we are and I truly can’t keep my eyes dry when I think about them, because what we have been through is already awful. People in the tsunami stricken areas have to wait 5 hours in a line for water and many sleeping on the cold ground (and it snowed yesterday). Relief is coming, but slow and hampered by fear of radiation. There is a UCC missionary (Jeffery Mensendeik) working in Sendai and things look really tough there. We are trying to figure out how we can get them some of our food. Yet, the people in Japan are also rallying. They are stoic and orderly, even in the face of danger. There is confusion but not panic. I heard things are being sold out in stores in safe western Japan , not because people are scared and stocking up, but because they are sending supplies to the north.

There is so much to write about and so many stories, but I will stop now so I can get this sent off.

Please continue to pray for us at ARI and also for all the people of Japan .

In Peace,

Steven

Update: This late afternoon the city of Nasushiobara took in 80 people from Fukushima . They provided them shelter and two blankets, but nothing else. We just took over a supply of food and will see what we can do for them in the morning.

Sending Money:

I have received some inquiries about where people can send money to help us out. At the moment I would welcome peace of mind more than money, but when the nuclear crisis is over we will have to start rebuilding and this will bear costs. We appreciate your thinking of us. Below is the information that you need to make tax deductable contributions to ARI.

American Citizens can send a check to:

American Friends of ARI (AFARI)

c/o Steve Gerdes - Treasurer

11920 Burt St., Suite 145

Omaha , NE 68154-1598

Designate “ARI relief” on the check

or donate online through AFARI at http://friends-ari.org/

Steven Cutting

Hike WITH mike

Among other things in life I am an outdoor educator. I have been teaching outdoor skills in a variety of settings for going on 6 years now. Currently I am a guide for Outpost Wilderness Adventures in Austin and will be guiding for them this summer in the beautiful Terryall Valley in Colorado. I am in collaboration with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) to get myself onto, and then pay for an instructor course so I will be able to lead multi-week technical leadership courses all over the world.

At this point I have thrown myself wholeheartedly with OWA and I am helping run programs, market for the company, and figure out logistics for our trips as well as my guiding opportunities. A few months ago I worked with my boss on organizing a private outdoor tutoring program that takes kids out for a few hours once a week to work on outdoor skill like climbing, mountain biking, and kayaking.

I will be updating this more as I go along but I wanted to get some information out for those people who happen upon my blog over the next few weeks.


Peace and Love

Mike

Slow Life

I hear a lot about slow movements, slow food, slow money, intentional walking, slow life... there is a feeling in the air, a need to get more out of life, get a better feel for it, get into the meat of life, slide out of ethereal academic perception into the dirty hands, elbow deep in the guts of a deer kind of life. Over the last generation my experience has been so far removed from that of my ancestors that I feel this urge to chase it down and bite it in the neck.

When I drive across the state in Lola my '72 Baja Bug I get a good feeling. When I crawl under Lola to change the oil, fix the breaks, or pack the bearings, I get a good feeling. When I sit under a tarp in my back yard and take apart Mo-, my '79 Puch moped, I get a good feeling. When I cook breakfast for myself, I get a good feeling. When I invite 20 people to my house and cook them dinner I get a good feeling. In the middle of a trail ride on my ‘03 Gary Fisher, I get a good feeling. While cars are passing me with unlimited power and I can't go any faster, I am content and I get a good feeling. When I sit and talk with friends new and old, I get a good feeling. When I read Shop Class as Soulcraft, by Mathew B. Crawford, I get a good feeling.

I own a VW because it is paid off. I own a VW because I love it. I own a VW for the romance. I own a VW because I understand it. I own a VW because I always have. I own a VW because I can work on it. I own a VW so I don't drive too fast. I own a VW because I can customize it. I own a VW because it is pretty. I own a VW because it needs me. I own a VW because we are bonded. I own a VW because it is opportunity. I own a VW because I love the smell.

For whatever reason, owning a VW has an effect on me. It slows me down, it makes me flexible, it teaches me patience and it gives me something to look forward to. The poor souls that have to buy new cars, I pity. The poor souls that can buy speed, I pity. The poor souls that are speed limited by law, I pity. The poor souls that can never get there fast enough, I pity.

Economics is, at its base, an exchange of money for time. I could work less and have time to spend on my loves, or I could work more and have money to spend on my hobbies. I put more worth on time. As a part time worker I pay a high price in lost wages for my free time and have to remind myself of that regularly, but I find great value in that.

The other day I spoke with a guy about working on bikes. He talked about the new parts market and the constant need to buy new stuff. As he talked, I reflected on my bike and all of the things I could buy for it, all the things I want to buy for it, and then I think about all the riding I do without any of it. We have great tools at our disposal that are built to work for a long time, built to be repairable and upgradeable and I love that. I look forward to building up and maintaining my tools/toys for years and value the lessons I learn from that repair process. I am limited in my budget, but freed through my limits to go out and ride, or drive, or fix. The limits let me breathe.

Go cook some food, fix a bike, and take a slow drive. However, be careful you might fall in love with people passing you by on their way to more urgent endeavors.


Peace and Love
Mike