Japan: Begin helping by praying

It is hard to believe that more than three days have now passed since Japan's earthquake. In some ways it seemed like the longest couple of days in our lives.

The government has upgraded the earthquake from 8.9 to 9.0. Thousands are still trying to contact family, friends and loved ones caught in the sweep of the tsunami wave. They say that the "not knowing" is the hardest.

We hear that there will be rolling blackouts several hours at a time here in Tokyo to conserve power nationwide. Given that bottled water, toilet paper and batteries are scarce to nonexistent in most places here, one can only imagine what things are like in the harder-hit areas in the northeast.

Many gasoline stations are closed. If you are fortunate enough to get gas, it is a limited amount, with lines stretching for blocks.
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Watching news reports on television is overwhelming. It is not just one event … one place … one story. It is a vast collage of human suffering. Yet, even the pain you see on television is understated because the Japanese are stoic in nature.