Quote of the Day

“If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them.”

- Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
lawyer, philosopher,

Earthquake update from Nazarene Compassionate Ministries

An earthquake rocked the coast of southern Peru on Wednesday, August 15 at a magnitude of 8.0. Over 500 people are dead, and thousands are homeless.

The areas of Pisco and Ica (about 125 miles south of Lima along the Pacific coast) were the most severely affected. The quake destroyed almost half of these two cities leaving 80,000 people homeless.

To make matters worse, it is winter in Peru, and people are camping outside without tents or blankets. There is no electricity and insufficient drinking water. Some have even started looting stores and warehouses trying to survive.

The scene is desperate and the death toll increasing. Relief workers found 127 dead mourners who had been attending a funeral at a Catholic church in Pisco when the earthquake began. It is estimated that 200 were in the building when it collapsed. The government reports that over 1,500 are injured in the area, but the numbers will surely increase as relief officials are able to reach rural communities that are still inaccessible by road due to landslides. Pisco, a town of 160,000, has no morgue, so the dead are lying on the ground in the central park while caskets can be made and sent to the town for burials.

The Church of the Nazarene’s newest district in Peru, the South Central District, includes both Pisco and Ica. There are only three Nazarene church buildings there, and all three are severely damaged. Almost all of our church families on this new district suffered major losses.

“The churches and houses of the brothers and sisters are all seriously affected. In the Pisco Church of the Nazarene, two members of the church lost their lives,” Field Strategy Coordinator Segundo Rimarachin reported. “Yesterday (Friday), I went to the disaster area with the district superintendent, Pastor Jaime Garcia, taking a little help. We were able to better understand the difficult time that our brothers and sisters and the community in general are having. They have no water, no electricity, no food. They are sleeping in the parks and streets. They need blankets and clothing for the cold. The help they are receiving from the government and other institutions is insufficient.”

The Church of the Nazarene in Peru is collecting money and resources to help their brothers and sisters. Please join them through prayer and giving so that they may care for the needs around them during this time of emergency and also in the rebuilding in the days to come.

In response to the tragedy, World Mission Director Dr. Louie E. Bustle commented, “In the midst of tragedies such as these, it is comforting to know that God’s love and faithfulness are unchanging. Let’s all pray for our brothers and sisters in Peru and work together to share Christ’s love and compassion to those who have been affected by this tragedy.”

Persons and churches wishing to make a donation can mark their checks “Peru Earthquake Relief – ACM1596” and mail them to Global Treasury Services, 6401 The Paseo, Kansas City, MO 64131. In Canada, checks should be made payable and sent to the Church of the Nazarene Canada, 20 Regan Road, Unit 9, Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3. Immediate donations may also be made online at ncm.org.

Quote of the Day

“Nothing happens unless first a dream.”

- Carl Sandburg (1878-1967)
poet, historian, novelist

Tribute to my Uncle Terry

My Uncle Terry looked the same to me when I was 6 as when I last saw him when I was 33. I think of him as a kind-hearted, gentle soul. I remember walking to visit my grandma in her apartment in Columbiana as a child. I was very young and I couldn't figure out how to get in the door because there was a security buzz to let me in. He came down and found a very frightened little girl, let me in, comforted me and took me up to my grandma's apartment.

Several years later, I visited him at his home in California. He took me and my two girlfriends out to dinner and opened his home to us. He was a generous man. I wish I knew more of him. I will miss him.

Please pray for his wife, Betty (also a very generous person) and my mom and the rest of our family as they mourn his loss. Below you will find his obituary. Sadly, I learned more about him through the obit than knowing him personally.

"TERRY WILLIAM NASH age 81, died on Sunday, August 12, 2007, at home and surrounded by his loving family. Terry was born in Canton, Ohio on May 11, 1926. He has lived in Riverside for the past 27 years. He is survived by his devoted wife of 19 years, Betty Ewalt Nash; a brother, Robert Usborn Nash; a sister, Patricia Nash Couchenour; seven children; eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Terry grew up in Damascus, Ohio, the son of entrepreneur Leonard William Nash, and Elizabeth Watkins Nash. He attended classes at Mount Union College and Case Institute of Technology, before serving in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946. During his military service, Terry earned an Army of Occupation Medal (Japan), an Asiatic Theater Ribbon with one Bronze Battle Star, a Victory Medal, a Philippine Liberation Ribbon with One Bronze Battle Star and a Good Conduct Medal. After, he became a draftsman for his family's steel rolling mill company, the L.W. Nash Company of East Palestine, Ohio. He worked in most every facet of the company, including purchasing, operations, marketing and production, eventually being elected President in 1960. Terry negotiated the sale of L.W. Nash Company to The Aluminum Company of America in 1968 and served as President until 1978. During those years, in addition to running one of the most innovative rolling mill and special machinery shops in the country, with 250 employees and contracts all over the world, Terry also played an important leadership role in his local community, serving as a Scout Master, Director of the First National Bank in East Palestine, Member of the East Palestine School Board and President of the East Palestine Park and Recreation Board. Along with his brother, Terry established the Nash Foundation in honor of his father, to provide resources for community improvements in East Palestine. Terry relocated to Riverside in 1978 to serve as Senior Vice President of Hunter Engineering Company, a producer of rolling mills and other heavy machinery. In the mid 1980s, Terry earned a real estate broker's license, eventually founding his own realty company in 1989, Visual Choice Realtors, using video in home sales, a completely novel concept for the time. He maintained his commitment to service through dedicated work in the Riverside Exchange Club, a philanthropic organization that founded the Child Abuse Prevention Center. He served the Club for many years in various roles, including on the board of directors. Terry was a member of Canyon Crest Country Club and an avid golfer, along with his wife Betty. He also enjoyed scrabble, his serene backyard Koi pond and traveling. He was buried at Riverside National Cemetery on Thursday, August 16. Family and friends are invited to a Memorial Service on Friday, September 7, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. at the Calvary Presbyterian Church at 4495 Magnolia Avenue in Riverside. A Celebration of Life will follow at Canyon Crest Country Club in Riverside. In lieu of flowers, the family is suggesting memorial donations to the Riverside Exchange Club Charitable Foundation: P.O. Box 20074, Riverside, CA, 92516."

Hope

I just have to share that today I feel hopeful. I feel - looking at a rainbow with the storm off to the side - hopeful.

Please understand. I know the realities of this world. I know people are dying around us. I know people are abused. I know people are tormented by addiction. In fact, this week much of that has been right in my face. But I also believe Jesus words in John 16.33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

I believe God is calling us to help create the hope for others. We love. We listen. We share. We do what it takes to 'get over it,' so we can love freely with no strings attached. Dependence on the creator of the rainbow gives hope. It gives hope to you and I and it gives hope to all we come into contact with.

Small Group at Kellgrens'

This is just a little picture into the life of my small group. We meet in Poland on Sundays (or Fridays, whenever we can make it work). This week we mixed in some twizzlers, fried zucchini, cocktail sauce, chips, cheese, iced coffee, regular coffee (always regular coffee - thanks, Dan)...We throw it all together as we identify where God is moving in our lives & also what we're struggling with. Mix in some dreams and you have the makings of friendship.

We especially focused this past week on the sermon from Sunday. Did you find, as we did, that Paul words were extremely challenging and provided a lot of food for thought?

Do you ever wish you had a smaller group to connect with? I'd love to help you connect. Just say the word.

Quote of the Day

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
writer, poet, philosopher

I think ole' Ralphie is on to something...

(btw, quotes of the day can be found at forbetterlife.org)

Turtles and Friendship

This is the goofiest thing...

We've been moving some stuff around here at New Hope. Our preschoolers needed more space, so we've shifted stuff (Thank God for blessing us with preschoolers!).

Somehow in the transition, Sherry and I have wound up sharing our office with Samuel, the turtle (I hear it's temporary..).

I have been watching this stupid turtle today, thinking how sad and lonely he seems. I realize that he probably isn't actually lonely, but he sure appears to be. So I grabbed Sherry and Jeanne and we went to see if we could find a friend for him (we thought maybe the rain would have brought some turtles up from the pond). We were unsuccessful; however, Sherry did print a photo of a turtle that we taped to the side of the tank. I think he likes it. And, it will not surprise me one bit if Sherry brings a turtle in with her tomorrow.

Here's my point...I cannot stand the thought of loneliness. It breaks my heart to think of people (ok, and turtles, but mostly people) going through life feeling as if they don't have someone or a couple someones they can count on. I believe to my core that God created us for community - real community. If it were within my power, I would eradicate loneliness and fake friendships completely.

What is it that you believe to your core? What 'wrong' is God calling you to help make right? I'd love to hear your thoughts. And if you're like me and it's all about life-giving friendships, I'd love to know that too. Maybe we can work together to end turtle loneliness in our corner of the world.

Sit under the Stars

This coming Saturday night is an annual opportunity to see a great meteor shower. The Perseid Meteor Shower peaks between Aug 11 & 12th. The viewing is supposed to best in the hours after midnight.

Grab a friend and sit out under the stars!

For more info, check out:
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/040806_perseid_guide.html