It has been 21 days since the one of the largest earthquakes in Japan’s history shook the northeastern corner of the country, causing tsunami waves to rip shore line communities and leaving the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on the brink of destruction.

Of the three Grand Valley State University students studying abroad in Japan, none of them want to return home.

Matt VanIwaarden, an international relations major from Hudsonville, and Keren-happuch Benavides, a film and video major from Grand Rapids, are about 300 and 450 miles away, respectively, from where the disasters hit. A third student, whose name has not been released, is traveling to safer areas of the country.

Benavides and the third student were unavailable for comment.

Mark Schaub, executive director of the Padnos International Center, said the students are safe and in contact with their respective host universities. Two of the students will continue their academic programs soon.

“Obviously, the families are very concerned,” Schaub said. “Still, they recognize that the best sources of information are not necessarily here in the U.S., but from a range of sources, mostly originating from information that is gathered and disseminated there in Japan. The students themselves, who’ve been in Japan for many months and who have developed support networks of Japanese friends, families and campus staff, have access to strong support networks, which help tremendously in cases like this.”

VanIwaarden, who had been studying at The Japan Center for Michigan Universities for three months, learned that his program had been suspended for the remainder of the term and he is making arraignments to arrive home on April 6. His parents, Mike and Kathy VanIwaarden, initially wanted their son home as soon as possible. Kathy VanIwaarden said she was very concerned for her son when the disasters happened.

“At first we were like, come home immediately, this is terrible,” she said. “We wanted him to come home when this happened. Then we found out he was okay and Grand Valley kept us informed about everything. That was really a secure feeling.”

When the earthquake struck, Matt VanIwaarden contacted his parents and informed them what was happening and he was safe. Kathy VanIwaarden was worried when they did not hear word from their son for a few days.

“He told us he would call in the morning when he would have contact with us,” she said. “Then we didn’t hear from him for two days, so that made us a little nervous. He was about 300 miles away from the earthquake when he called and he still felt the earth move. To see all the devastation on TV, it seems like japans a lot smaller.”

Kathy VanIwaarden said their son was devastated with the thought of coming home. The decision was eventually made to let their son stay in Japan until his visa expires on April 6.

“It was really tough, but Matt has a good Christian base,” Kathy VanIwaarden said. “You put all your faith into bringing your kids up the right way and maybe he’s there for a reason. I thought, how selfish to make him come home for our needs, when maybe he needed to be there for another need, for someone else.”

Matt VanIwaarden is taking potassium iodine pills and is drinking bottled water to remain healthy in the devastated country. He was unavailable for further comment and said he is without access to a strong internet connection at the present time.

Students, faculty and staff who want to contribute to the tsunami relief can do so through The Japan American Society of West Michigan which can be visited online at www.jaswm.org. [email protected]