Needles and Yarn

It started with what we had—needles and yarn

Probably not many people would hit upon the idea of using yarn and knitting needles to help tsunami victims, but Teddy Sawka, the founder of our mission and a missionary in Japan for over 40 years, had always enjoyed knitting. The tsunami from the Great East Japan Earthquake wiped areas of the little town of Shichigahama (Miyagi prefecture) below the hill on which her house is located. Her heart went out to the people who had lost their homes and were forced to live in the temporary housing, especially the older ladies. What could they do so they could have their minds on something other than the destruction that surrounded them? Teddy took what she had: some knitting needles and yarn.

Soon Teddy had gathered a small group of ladies to knit and crochet together in one of the temporary-housing meeting rooms. These ladies started sharing their lives and forming friendships. So in July 2011 Yarn Alive was born. The news about the knitting circle spread, and boxes of yarn started arriving from all over the world.

Freely we have received, freely we give

Paul said, “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35, ESV). Teddy knew the ladies needed to realise that they had something to give to others. In 2013 and 2014, through a connection with another missionary who had come to Tohoku to help with the relief work and was now working in the Middle East, they sent hats and scarves to Syrian refugees in Jordan. “It feels so good to be able to help other people, even if we’re in a tough situation ourselves,” said Mayumi Hoshi, one of our members. Yarn Alive creations have been sent to the Philippines (2014), Mozambique (2015), Nepal (2015), as well as other disaster-affected areas in Tohoku (the first donation was to Kesennuma in 2011). Our current project is to send hats as part of Operation Christmas Child run by Samaritan’s Purse.

Yarn Alive House

From the beginning, Teddy envisioned having their own building—a friendly and welcoming place to meet after people had moved out of the temporary housing units. Four years later, to everyone’s surprise, the town gave Yarn Alive exclusive use of a piece of land with permission to build on it. The bright red Yarn Alive House, in the middle of the tsunami-affected area, was completed in August 2015. It was miraculously paid for by donations from all over the world, including some significant contributions from Taiwan.

Looking to the future

Donated yarn continues to come in, and the flow of giving and blessing others keeps spreading from this little town. Yarn Alive has many plans to use this wonderful facility to serve the people of Shichigahama, both young and old. Even the simple presence of this bright red building brings smiles to people around. One comment from an elderly gentleman in the neighbourhood says it best, “It makes me so happy to see it there.”

What are our plans for Yarn Alive? We will continue to be a place where people can come and gather, feel welcomed and accepted—a place where they can find their place.