Former Snellville resident Ryan McDonald debated fleeing his new home in Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami March 11. He thought about going to better ground in another country. But the South Gwinnett High School graduate decided to stay, volunteer and help his neighbors pick up whatever is left.

“We are not terribly worried at the moment. The fear is always there.”

That fear comes from the ground. It still moves and shakes. The historic earthquake’s aftershocks still have his friends trembling. They come 10 to 12 times a day.

“Last Friday we had a big one,” said McDonald, 39. “Everything started to shake. Things fell off the wall. We thought it was another 9.0 (magnitude quake), but it was just a 7.9. Up until Friday we were doing great. Since then we are pretty frazzled.

Not among Ryan’s big worries -- the radiation coming from the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power, 35 miles from his home in Moriyama.

“I’m not terrible concerned about (the radiation),” he told News/Talk WSB’s Scott Slade on Atlanta’s Morning News. “As far as I know the reactors are still stabilizing and there has been no recent deterioration.”

He says life is trying to get back to normal despite this Earth’s rumbling. There are a few inconveniences, like the 24-hour convenience stores closing up shop around 9 p.m. Food is limited, but gas lines have shortened.

He has been teaching English to middle school students in Moriyama for several years after leaving the United States in 2001. He and his kids returned to school April 11, a month after the quake.

The combined earthquake and tsunami have left more than 27,000 people dead or missing.

But McDonald says the collective Japanese spirit is helping him and his neighbors rebuild.

“There are signs all over the area that says ‘Ganbaro Fukushima, Ganbaro Japan,’” McDonald says. “Ganbaro means ‘hang in there.’ The signs are hanging up in a lot of stores. It feels good to see those.”

That spirit has also spread to those who are coming to Japan to help. McDonald told Slade that those signing up for an English-teacher program in Japan are not backing down from the crisis.

“People are contacting the embassy are saying please put me in Fukushima I want to help out. That is just something that has made us happy.”