The Death of Nothing

Especially as a teenager I tend to use the word nothing alot. "I have nothing to wear" or "There is nothing to do". I didn't understand what nothing meant until I went to the devastation site.

The American Heritage Dictionary sates the meaning of nothing is something that has no existence and no quantitative value; zero: no substance or importance. It means obliteration, or having been wiped out.

That is exactly what people saw there...NOTHING




People go or see pictures of nothing...no homes, no happiness, and no growth. They see no life and no beauty. They see no hope.

That is not what we see!

We see something! Although nothing means no value or importance, nothing, by its definition, is something. Regardless of what words people tie to this situation, you can have a mindset above that and help others.

Instead of NOthing... do SOMEthing

Instead of NO homes...make SOME homes
Instead of NO life... give SOME life
Instead of NO hope... be SOME hope

We have began raising funds for the refugee campamento (27 de febrero "La Esperanza")where a member form the our Chilean church partner (Iglesia Cuidad Satelite)has a relative staying there as well as 40 other families.
Thanks to your generosity we raised $9653 in March, and were able to deliver help totaling $10,520, delivered by a team of 14 people from the US and from the Chilean church, as follows:

*12 cookstoves; 12 kerosene heating stoves; 12 single beds; blankets and comforters; tables and chairs; assorted flashlights, tents, etc.; good quality clothing, shoes; and much more.
*Travel expenses from Santiago to Constitución for the contingent of 14, along with a truck to deliver the goods;
*$2,000 to a sister mission to help rebuild a pastor's house which was totally destroyed in El Monte, just west of our school property; and
*$400 to help Lilian Monsalves, another member of our church, who led a group of psychologists and social workers for physically handicapped people in the town of Quirihue.

We would still welcome designated contributions to cover the $900 shortfall.

The campamento is located on a hill overlooking the Rio Maule, the same river where the people lived who lost their homes and belongings. The river acted like a funnel, magnifying the series of tsunami waves to a height of 45 ft(!). You can see the bark ripped off trees which survived, marking the destructive maximum height. The 40 families of the campamento are living in wooden shacks, provided by a private charity called "A Roof for Chile" (The government has provided very little help, only last week finally passing a bill to authorized spending in the area, now 7 weeks after the earthquake). The shacks, called 'mediaguas' are 9ft x 18ft, with no electricity or water. Non-potable water is shipped in by the army and must be boiled before use. There are only chemical toilets. Obviously, dishwashing and many other chores must be done outside.

I get all this information from my teacher and partner Dr. Jim Green who is the founder of CCM, Conosur Christian Ministries. The Emely Movement along side CCM will need your help to make this happen.

So, how will we provide this help? Governing all our efforts, we realize that we cannot be in all places at once, so we will concentrate our efforts in the campamento "La Esperanza" in Constitución.

First, the church in Chile will make monthly runs for the next year, carrying food, clothing, and shelter as needed. While the church can handle the cost of goods, it needs a good-quality pickup to transport them. We are seeking donations totaling $10,000 for that purchase.

Second, we will send down workers June 14-28 to do building work to help the families of the campamento have better protection from the elements.We have already had one event raising funds for the continuing help for Constitución. The construction of real bathrooms will total approximately $15,000. We need your help now to make this a reality. June is very close.

Over the long run, Conosur Christian Ministries and Emely Movement working together will provide ongoing aid and if all works well, to buy property large enough to subdivide and offer to the residents of the campamento at low cost. Then, with subsidies from the government, these families will be able to build homes with dignity. With a church and community center, the property becomes a complete "planned community." We intend to keep God's will in the plan!


Remember...

You have the power to do SOMEthing, but it's up to you to choose what that thing is...

Your actions allow hope to make the difference.

Day 1-4

First couple of days in Chile have been interesting. Meeting new people and helping them with an event that raised funds and goods for Consitusion. Due to ``La Semana Sanata``, the Holy Week of Easter, the weekend was dedicated to helping in the event and spending time with the families that we are staying with. Today we sorted throught houndreds of bags of clothing. From children, to women, to men, and of course thousands of baby clothes.

We will be heading down South to the epicenter Wednesday to Friday hoping that everything works out for our favor.

We had a small quake last night. It didn`t shake much and it was only for a few moments, but the reality of the situation finally hit us. The sound was like nothing we have heard before. Our host ran into our rooms to check if we were okay and her teenage daughter fell into our arms crying. These people have been through so much, they live in fear everyday.

That is what we are here for. We are here to give HOPE and dispell fear in situations where courage is needed. The epicenter will be very different than the city we are living in. We won`t have luxuries like running water or electricity, but we have things to give others, not only material necessities, but hope for something more than their present circumstance.

Off to Chile!

Here we go, off to Chile! With thousands of dollars raised and over 8 containers of supplies from clothing to medical to tents. We're excited and ready to go. The need will be evident and our help is much needed.

Intoducing the Team:
Maria- the team Mother, medic, and evangelist
Karla- the film director and camoflauge lover
Liz- the beautiful face with the passionate heart
Madi- the photographer and Chile veteran

We'll try to be posting pictures and updates every day.

Remember,
Hope makes the difference

The Start of the Movement

In April last year I went on a mission’s trip to Santiago, Chile with a group of twenty-five teenagers just like me. We went for a simple reason: to share love through music, the universal language. We went with no expectations, just excited to share what we have with others in our world. While we were there we got to experience life in a reviving manner. It is a society that family and friendship are a great priority and selflessness is a given. We were each staying in a home with our own Chilean family who opened our eyes to how life could be lived. It is not material gain. Not selfish ambition. It is a live of love and freedom to serve others.

Unfortunately these people whom I have grown to love as my own family have been immediately affected by the earthquake registered at an 8.8, with homes right on the epicenter. Hundreds of people have died, there is no electricity, and extreme damages and loss of homes. One of our Chilean church members went down to find her family in Constitución and came back devastated emotionally. The only remaining evidence of the family homes were the water meters. They lost everything. Though Chile has been prepared since their 9.5 earthquake in 1960, there is still much aid needed.

I ask you to imagine being wakened from deep sleep at 3:45 am by shaking which becomes so great you are unable to stand or even crawl around in the dark. Imagine the noise as your house is being twisted like a rag doll for almost four eternal minutes. Perhaps you feel relieved as the shaking stops and you can once again stand in the street in your bedclothes. But 15 minutes later you hear the roar as a massive wave comes ashore in the dark. You run through the rubble in the dark for higher ground and escape drowning by the skin of your teeth. But as the sun rises, you see what remains of your town - practically nothing. You can find only a debris-covered spot where your house used to be.

This was the experience for the residents of Constitución, a town on the coast of Chile, 354 km (220 mi) south of Santiago. Except that at least 350 never would see their homes again, having been killed in the dark by the debris-filled wave.

This is the Emely Movement. In its simplest form, Emely means hope in Arabic. This is about how we, together, can bring hope. This is about what the power of hope can accomplish.

Chile needs hope. By its own definition hope is not merely a feeling, but something that requires action. My family and I are going to Chile in three weeks to aid in a relief program. Many people may not have an opportunity to go there personally and help hands on, but you can still be apart of the movement.

One hundred percent of the funds that is received goes directly to the Chilean people to provide for their necessities. Please, whatever the amount, donate and give hope to those in need.

Chile earthquake: Photographer's report from Constitucion - latimes.com