Pumpkin Pies and Christmas Ornaments

We just came through the Thanksgiving season.  My goal this fall was to eat as much pumpkin pie as possible, to eat enough that the sight of pumpkins actually made me have a little throw up in my mouth.  Mission accomplished.  From the beginning of October till just after Thanksgiving I searched every sale on pumpkin pie.  I have had pre made from Bob Evans, Kroger, Sam’s Club, and Walmart.  I have purchased and consumed four other additional frozen pies that have been consumed.  Even my family is sick of pumpkin pie.  I served it for breakfast to the kids for an entire week.  Although, childish it was my secret goal to burn everyone out on pumpkin pie.  I did this with tremendous success.  I must say I am way proud!

I believe that I have the same dedication and ability to do this for the Christmas season with selling ornaments.  I have purchased five hundred Christmas ornaments to sell to raise money for building homes in Haiti.  I figured I needed give direction and purpose to my compulsive behavior.  So there you have it will you join me in consuming yourself with Christmas ornaments.  We will be selling them for $5.00 and all proceeds go to help build homes in Haiti.  If you knew me you would know that just thinking about selling anything already makes me feel ill!  However, if you would like to participate in this crazy effort then just let me know.  Or if you would just like to purchase one send me an email.  Rob.ramey@everyone-safe.com

Hurricane Tomas

The passage below is from a friend of mine and his intern.  You probably didn't even realize that the hurricane (Tomas) that was so feared by Haiti actually had a devastating effect on Costa Rica.  For some reason it hasn't hit the news.  But the people there are suffering.   Here's the intern's report: Over a thousand people in the capital and along the Pacific coast were evacuated to shelters to escape the flooding last week. Officials would have declared a national state of emergency if the heavy rain storms that had been forecast would have continued any longer. At one point, President Laura Chinchilla solicited help from neighboring countries for emergency relief aid. Emergency workers were sent in to search for approximately 30 people who were declared missing in the shanty dwellings of the suburb of San Antonio de Escazu. Twenty ended up being found dead. The mudslide followed two days of heavy rains that also flooded a local river in the area, namely the one where the community we work with lives. According to Costa Rica's Meteorological Institute, the region received 6.3 inches (161 millimeters) of rain in only two hours Wednesday. Reports stated that rains also damaged a dam in Parrita, near the country's western coast. Engineers had trouble reaching the area because of road damage and bad weather. Because of the danger of continued flooding in the area, as well as the already shaky nature of the hill where many houses were tacked together, the municipality decided to evacuate the majority of the houses in the Quebrada. There are approximately 3500 people in Anonos, which is divided into several smaller regions/neighborhoods. The Quebrada is the neighborhood along the river on the city of Escazu side of the river. The municipality moved some where between 300-500 people out of the Quebrada. But the people were not only evacuated, they were told they had a day to move all of their belongings out of their houses because they would be torn down. The area is no longer safe to live in. After the original decision to move people from the Quebrada, officials came in and marked houses which were to be torn down. Additional inspections showed further danger of mudslides in the neighborhood higher up the hill called the Mangoes. Houses were also marked up there to be torn down.   And here's my friend's report summarizing the aftermath.  The houses that were marked to be torn down are being ripped apart to salvage anything they can to rebuild somewhere else, but many were vandalized to sell the scrap metal.   How do you put into words the exodus of about 300 people from Los Anonos? After hearing the sounds of metal all morning. I took a walk down to the Quebrada today to see our ladies, who a part of our church. Their homes were half torn down. This is the noise that we hear all day. We stood and watched the metal walls folding as they were being dismantled. We witnessed others walking down the road with refrigerators, toilets and all of their household belongings. We saw drug addicts scavenging for metal, as well. They are getting all that they can, so that they can buy crack. The metal recyclers are having a heyday. There is a lot of greed that is coming out. Trucks are taking advantage of people, because they have only one day to leave before the bulldozers come in to raze the houses. The people who lost their homes are being housed in “albergues” or shelters. I went into the sleeping area of the shelter where our ladies and their families are staying. There were about 50 mattresses spread out in one big room. There were people in other rooms. It really is a good place, an evangelical church, and the people are being fed good meals and being taken care of medically, as well. The sadness can be seen in the faces of the people, many of whom have lived here all of their lives. A man jumped off of the Anonos Bridge this morning. That sort of sums up the desperation of some of the people today, as they watch their houses being taken apart, piece by piece, per order of the government. They have no idea as to where they are going to live. The municipality has given them the equivalent of one month’s rent to pay for a house or an apartment that they will probably find in another barrio like Los Anonos. This part of the letter is being written a few days later. More of Los Anonos is coming down. We have heard rumors that the rest of the people on the hill will have to move. That will leave the main road going up the hill from the kindergarten and the top road in Los Mangos. Many of you understand where these are. We also heard that the footbridge is going to be removed, because of safety reasons. About 25-30 people from our new Vina Anonos have moved. These people do not know where they are going, nor do they know when. They are being moved from the shelter that they are in to another, most likely today. The ones who are Nicaraguans, who have no papers, will be moved back to Nicaragua. What happens now?? This is where we need your prayers. Pray that: The people of Los Anonos will find new homes quickly. Justice will reign. That these people will get financial help from the government. God will strengthen them during this hard time, emotionally, physically and spiritually. That they will find peace in the midst of the storm. God will protect those people who are working at tearing down their homes. God will unify the people during this time. Right now it is “every man for himself.” God will show us the best way to help those people who are a part of our church here. God will show us the best way to help others. God will show us the next steps to building our new church. I know that all of this seems very negative, but there is a “flip side of the tortilla”, however. Most important and first and foremost is that God is in control. He has plans for these people. They will live in a safer place. They will grow to know him more if they keep their eyes fixed on Him.   Please keep these people in your prayers!

Bed Brigade

We were recently able to finish up another batch of beds and got them delivered to Pickaway County's Child Protective Services.  It is amazing how many people were involved in the process to make this possible... from the individual donations, the church donations, and the materials donated from local companies... to the volunteer time of the people who organized the supplies, worked on securing a place for us to put them together, and for the amazing space we can now store them in.  A group of kids have even dedicated themselves to building a website and to getting the word out.  We are very grateful for each and every person and organization that assisted in the process.

 

We still need your help as we continue this effort.  Please check out our web site to get more information on how you can be involved.  www.everyone-safe.org  If you or someone you know would like to be a part of this effort please contact us.

 

One of the volunteers said during the process of packaging the beds up to be delivered,  "Once you know that the need exists, you have to do something."  I couldn't agree more.  Whether it's beds in Central Ohio or homes in Haiti, once you know of the great need, it really is hard to not do something.

AccuWeather.com - Weather Video - Tomas Could Be Yet Another Disaster for Haiti

AccuWeather.com - Weather Video - Tomas Could Be Yet Another Disaster for Haiti

Continue to pray for Haiti and those displaced and living in tents. As the Hurricane fast approaches.

A Missions Heart

Albert Benjamin, A pioneer with a missional heart for God  started a ministry in 1881,  to the many new immigrants and the neglected masses of New York City. Simpson began informal training classes in 1882 in order to reach "the neglected peoples of the world with the neglected resources of the church." By 1883 a formal program was in place and ministers and missionaries were being trained in a multi-cultural context.

Later in 1890 he wrote this in a book he authored , A Larger Christian Life,
Simpson discussed his vision for the church: "He is showing us the plan for a Christian church that is much more than an association of congenial friends to listen once a week to an intellectual discourse and musical entertainment and carry on by proxy a mechanism of Christian work; but rather a church that can be at once the mother and home of every form of help and blessing which Jesus came to give to lost and suffering men, the birthplace and the home of souls, the fountain of healing and cleansing, the sheltering home for the orphan and distressed, the school for the culture and training of God's children, the armory where they are equipped for the battle of the Lord and the army which fights those battles in His name. Such a center of population in this sad and sinful world!" (A.B. Simpson, A Larger Christian Life. p. 153)

May God grant us boldness to match our imagination like he did with Albert Simpson.  

Making a difference

“The psychological effects of fear and terror, together  with disruption of infrastructure components such as electricity, water, and safe housing, may create more casualties than any terrorist biological or chemical assault.  Such conditions can foster toxicity an infectious disease threats,” ( Bernard J. Turnock , Public Health What it is and How it Works )

Whether it be in Indonesia or Haiti safe housing plays a crucial role and in the rebuilding of peoples lives.  S.A.F.E. is committed to finding ways to engage these opportunities and using its resources to make a difference.  

Cholera Outbreak

This is why we are working hard to provide shelter, Tent cities leave people vulnerable to these conditions. 

In Haiti, cholera could heighten quake misery
Health authorities in Haiti say a deadly cholera outbreak is beginning to stabilize.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39823732/from/toolbar

Kids can do anything!

With my blonde moment behind me, I press on to share more.  (I promise I am a very shy person.)  I've been so excited about the beds project that I got my kids involved -- and a few other kids, too!  I coach a robotics team, and this year my team has chosen to extend a hand to SAFE to help them out.  I've had kids volunteer to build a website (which I'm sure would be better than if we let Rob do it -- ask him yourself), I've had them volunteer to make a funny YouTube video (funny -- of course -- why would it be any other way when you're in middle school???), they've volunteered to make brochures and fliers (our schools have created PowerPoint experts, you know), and then of course they are very jazzed about actually raising money -- like its some sort of personal mission to save all the children of the world.  It's so precious to see the compassion and urgency these kids have, and I look forward to updating you on their progress.  Michelle Taylor, not-so-newbie-anymore SAFE volunteer

Working Hard For...

This is what we are working so hard for.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/centralamericaandthecaribbean/haiti/7889161/Heavy-rains-destroy-UN-Haitian-tent-city.html


I can not help but placing myself in this story. Or even a personal friend. What I wouldn't do to help if that was a family member or close friend. The reality is the people you see in this video are just that our brothers, sister, our sons and our daughters. If you would have the chance to get to know anyone of the people caught in this horrible and frightening situation they would become much like people you care for in your life right now. We have a tendency to disconnect for many reasons. The biggest reason is I believe we feel like what could we possible do? " I know what I am doing is a drop in the ocean but its one more drop." Mother Teresa We have resolved at S.A.F.E. that we will make it our goal to build 100 homes a year.

People need to experience the gospel and feel its impact personally and socially before they want to hear a spiritual viewpoint. Our soul purpose is to be a bridge through building that introduces people to the heart of God. offering sustainable long term solution, not just another temporary fix to a long term problem. We are offering more than another pup tent rather building a bridge of love providing Shelter that is Safe.

Simply Live

I recently had an experience to which I felt like my own child was at risk. I immediately went in to protection mode with the resources I have to do everything possible to protect my child. God in is wisdom allows me to have experiences like this to remember those that do not have the proper resources to protect their children. "God help us all to live simple so other can simply live."

The Longest Two Minutes....

***Graphic Video***

Just another reminder of the importance of what we do to bring Safe housing to everyone.  This is not just a desire it is an issue of justice. Shelter not only restores dignity. It is essential to protection of human life. 

There are still millions of people living in tent cities with minimal protection and unsanitary conditions.  My heart goes out to Haiti and others across the globe to our brothers and sisters that are living without shelter. 

We saw this video on The Livesay Haiti Blogspot and thought it worth reposting.

A Blonde with a Message

Okay, so I know nothing about blogs and somehow just this week I've come to realize that the posts really are just peoples' expressions from their hearts, put to "paper" if you will. (Yes, I'm blonde!) I'm not usually the kind to open up to people very easily, let alone to complete strangers on the world wide web -- That is, until I became so passionate and compelled to share with you what's on my heart. It's like I'm ready to shout it from the rooftops. Many people don't know that Rob Ramey and his team from SAFE not only raise money for homes in Haiti, but they have been building beds for impoverished children in their own communities, too. It seems like such a simple thing to them, but it will have a huge impact on the children in their own backyards... the very kids who will someday reach out to those who are even less fortunate than them in places like Haiti. If you're wondering how even a small donation would make a difference, let me tell they've been building these beds for only $50 -- complete with a mattress and a set of sheets! If you would consider "sponsoring" a child right here in the U.S., SAFE could put even $5 to use buying sheets for a child's bed. Now, that's something to shout about!
Michelle Taylor, newbie SAFE volunteer

Haiti after the Earthquake

"Haiti After the Earthquake"

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Photos provided by the Yonkers. Check out their blog:
http://journeyforhannah.blogspot.com/

Homes for Haiti 5K Run / 1 Mile Kids Fun Run

We are working toward organizing a 5K Race / 1 Mile Kids Fun Run. Tentatively scheduled for April 16, 2011, at Glacier Ridge Park, in Dublin, OH. More details will be posted as planning continues!


100% of the proceeds will go toward building homes for Haitians. With hopes to raise as much money as possible to build as many relief homes as our donations and entry fees allow. The homes are 13x17 with one door and two windows. The cost is about $2200.

The Hope. The Effort.

This video is not our group, it is made by Ebenezer.  It will give you an idea of the devastation, the hope, and the recovery.  An idea of what our efforts will be.

Ebenezer's goal, and ours, is to bring relief to the people of Haiti while giving as many Haitians as possible jobs in the process. This not only helps those who receive houses, but enables the construction crews to earn an income at the same time.

The Goal

SAFE offering sustainable long term solution, not just another temporary fix to a long term problem.

We are offering more than another pup tent and a water filter. 

We are offering, The love of Christ through building structures that support community life and and value to peoples lives. Existing is not living nor do we live just to exist.  We were designed for relationships.  By building structures whether it be homes or churches we are building relationships.  Our aim here is to love those we serve by Loving our neighbor as our self. By offering safe sustainable housing we are saying we believe that you and your need matters to God.  People need to experience the gospel and feel its impact personally and socially before they want to hear a spiritual viewpoint.  Our soul purpose is to be a bridge through building that introduces people to the heart of God.