Over three weeks ago the horrible and tragic tsunami hit Japan, damaging homes and businesses all across the area. Search and rescue missions have been ongoing ever since that day and today a very unique rescue was completed.

A rescue team reportedly saw a large group of debris drifting along in the ocean and when they approached it found that there was a dog onboard the floating debris. As the boat got close enough the rescue workers quickly pulled the dog on board in order to bring it to the safety of mainland Japan.

Not long after arriving back on land the dog was reunited with its owner. The dog, named Ban, was reportedly very happy to be back on land and with his owner. The miraculous rescue was made even more amazing by the fact that the dog’s owner saw the rescue on TV. Had it not been for the television coverage the rescue got it would have been nearly impossible but everything seemed to work out great for the dog and his owner.

Shortly after seeing the news report the dog’s owner apparently went to a nearby shelter where she was immediately greeted by Ban. The owner reportedly said that after this miraculous rescue she would never let go of the dog again. Basically everyone involved has commented that it truly was a miraculous story and nearly no one can believe that despite everything going on the dog managed to survive for over 3 weeks before being rescued.

Amid all of the disaster that has Japan struggling back to its feet an elderly woman was found alive in her home 4 days after the tsunami struck.

The 70-year old woman was found still in her house, which had been washed away in the aftermath of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that rocked Japan 4 days ago. The house was swept away when the tsunami crashed into her home in Iwate Prefecture in Northeastern Japan knocking it off its foundation.

She is suffering from hypothermia but rescue workers report she is stable and hopes to make a full recovery. Rescue workers declined to reveal the woman’s name only saying she was conscious when they found her. Later it was determined that the woman who was rescued is Sai Abe. Her son shared his relief that she was found alive but was still disheartened because his father has still not been located.

With the death toll still unknown in Japan, this was a much needed and welcome bit of news to the devastated citizens and rescue workers working to find other survivors. Japan still struggles to find survivors in the aftermath of this heart-breaking disaster. While 100’s of thousands live without electricity, food or water rescue workers are doing all they can to help locate more survivors like Sai Abe.

Now citizens are dealing with the nuclear threat that the earthquake has caused. Stories like this about a 70-year-old woman who made it against all odds have heartened the people of this destroyed country.

Obviously the events in the past week in Japan have taken a major toll on the country. Governments and aid groups from all around the world are doing their part to help as much as they can in Japan. This week a group of MLB baseball players even decided to step in and start doing everything they can to help out.

Many of the Japanese players in the MLB have not only been helping out with monetary donations, they have also been returning home. Numerous big name players have returned to Japan to be with their family at this time or to physically help with the cleanup. The assistance given by many of the players is simply astonishing.

Besides just players helping with aid for Japan there have been numerous teams and clubs that have also decided to do their part. The Boston Red Sox and numerous other teams have already donated hundreds of thousands of dollars while also setting up donation funds which they are hoping will bring substantial donations from fans.

The support and aid offered by these MLB groups as well as the general public has simply been incredible since the recent earthquake and tsunami. Analysts say the response of the world’s population has been quick and precise in order to help the Japanese people begin to rebuild everything that has been destroyed.

Although some 30,000 people remain missing and uncounted for after Japan’s terrible earthquake and subsequent tsunami last Friday, according to Kyodo News, some 15,000 citizens have been rescued and about 550,000 evacuated to 2,600 shelters yesterday.

Amid the terrible devastation lies the hope of a resilient people that they can rebuild and recover from the ravages of what is without a doubt one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the world. Hope shines resplendent with the many rescues that are now in progress and in the fact that Japan is blessed with a disaster preparedness program and a solid infrastructure. It was inferior construction materials and techniques in Haiti that greatly exacerbated both the damage done and the overwhelming loss of life after the earthquake that struck Port au Prince last January.

Rescues are difficult. Despite the horror, there is good news for two survivors who were pulled out of the rubble alive four days after the 9.0 earthquake struck. One, a 70-year-old woman was found alive in her home in the town of Otsuchi. Suffering from hypothermia, she was hospitalized, but her condition is not considered life threatening.

A man, whose age is not known, was also rescued in the town of Ishimaki in Miyagi prefecture, an area badly hit by the quake where the tsunami swept away entire towns and villages. Emergency personnel reported that more than 2,000 bodies have been found in this section alone, mirroring this one rescue as not only singular but also miraculous.

The Japanese Red Cross and their 90 medical teams are doing their best to provide care for more than 430,000 citizens trapped in towns along the Japanese coast.

If you want to help Japan, contact:

http://www.salvationarmyusa.org.