Sunday, February 28, 2010

all we have left is words

Give your children to God.  Yesterday when the phone rang and we learned about Chile, my wife said,  “They are in God’s hands.”  Every since they were born we have been learning that lesson.  But today again, we have learned it anew.  You can’t control how the circumstances of life will affect your children, all you can do is trust them into the hands of God.  It doesn’t come easy, in fact, as time goes on it becomes harder and harder, so my advice to parents is give your children to God early and often.  So that, when their apartment is destroyed by an 8.8 earthquake, you can say, “They are in the hands of God”. 

You should know that my wife says it better and more calmly than I do and is my source of strength and reminder that if God loved Anna enough to send His son to die for her, He is not going to play fast and loose with her life.

Below is Anna’s communication for the day.

Subject: all we have left is words

Hello family.
Jeff snapped this picture of us as we finished taking stuff out yesterday  evening.  These were the last items we took in our hands, and he thought the scrabble was hilarious. 
Today we went back with guys and trucks and we got to take everything out.  all the appliances, the furniture.  We are grateful.  A family is storing it for us now.  Tomorrow we will begin to ask around for housing and see what our options are.

We are still very tired.  We didn´t sleep so well last night.  There was a morning wakeup aftershock around 8:45, which made me nervous, but it was a bit sad seeing our other neighbors for the last time.  Many had trucks too.  Some nearby house neighbors helped out by loading the trucks, while we brought the items out.  As I saw the building again, I am reminded how impossible it would have been to get out any later (on the other tower).  I haven`t watched much news today yet, but have heard the death toll is rising.  substantially. The southern cities are so damaged and destroyed.  We pray for those who are riskign their lives and working endlessly to repair and restore life to these communities.

I´`ll call you later.
Anna


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jeff Phillips <iamjeffphillips@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Feb 28, 2010 at 2:10 PM
Subject: DSCN0347
To: Anna Bigelow <anna.bigelow@gmail.com>

DSCN0347

 

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Saturday, February 27, 2010

About Anna

All,

About Jeff and Kathy and family... they are without electricity and are running a generator, but they are ok, too. They can´t use their phones.  He went by our building around noon , our concierge told us that he had been there. 

Jonathan is coming back from there now, we will eat a late lunch here, and then with a group of guys and trucks, we will try to get as much out as possible.  it seems our tower is a bit more possible to enter but only to get a few things out.  We will go before dark.  we still haven´t slept yet, have been trying to reach other families in the south, that are related to some our of workers on the field. We still haven´t showered, but we will wait.  We are glad there is water at this house--very grateful.  I´ve never been so grateful to be able to wash my hands.

We grabbed the important paperwork.  We hope that the builder will be able to take responsibility.

Further south, there is much destruction, damage, the death toll is rising.  Around here, some buses running now, that’s how Jonathan went to the apartment.  There is a cloud of gray above the city, and it is not cloudy today.  there don’t seem to be too many fires, so perhaps some of it is dirt and dust from buildings.

Keep praying with us, there are many who have lost much more than us, and there are SO many without hope.  Jonathan and I are in good spirits, very thankful for how God provides.

We are a bit sad we won’t be going on the outing with the congregation tomorrow, to an all day picnic, where at least two from our groups were going to be baptized.  I think it will still happen, maybe just not tomorrow.

We love you all.  I will try to send an email soon, but my computer is stuck in the office, and I heard that building is closed, it appears to have sunk.  Just the day I chose to leave it there.  So, I don´t have my mailing lists here.

Thanks,

Anna

Marcus Bigelow

President

Stadia: New Church Strategies

Office:  916-626-3090

Cell:  707-718-3730

Email:  mbigelow@stadia.cc

Facebook: Facebook | Marcus Bigelow

Blog: http://bruisedreedsandsmoulderingwicks.blogspot.com/

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Update from Jeff Phillips

Dear Extended Family,

Thank you for all of your concern.

Just got a generator going so we can communicate.

Phillips family all OK.

Back dividing property walls on our home and several of the church properties  collapsed..

Lots of things broke.

The apartment we were purchasing as our wonderful retirement plan partially collapsed (Oh Well). Anna Bigelow and her husband were renting it. All people got out.

Thank you for your prayers.

Jeff

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Thank goodness for Skype

We just finished talking with Anna and Jonathan.  They are safe, as far as they can tell the mission’s families are safe.  They still have not made contact with Jeff and Kathy Phillips, but they suspect that they are okay as well.

They were giving thanks for their hand crank flashlight because power was out.  As far as they know they didn’t lose anything in the earthquake, but, they don’t know if they will be able to go back in and get their stuff out.  They grabbed clothes, important papers and a bag of muffins when they ran outside. 

It is summer, so it was not cold.  Everyone in their buildings escaped without injury.

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Anna

Anna and Jonathan’s apartment building was hugely damaged in the quake but they are staying with another family from the mission.  Preliminarily it looks like they will have to find another place to live.  Jonathan’s family is also okay.

Marcus Bigelow

President

Stadia: New Church Strategies

Office:  916-626-3090

Cell:  707-718-3730

Email:  mbigelow@stadia.cc

Facebook: Facebook | Marcus Bigelow

Blog: http://bruisedreedsandsmoulderingwicks.blogspot.com/

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Anna is okay

Just received a Skype from Anna that she and Jonathan are okay in Chile.

Marcus Bigelow

President

Stadia: New Church Strategies

Office:  916-626-3090

Cell:  707-718-3730

Email:  mbigelow@stadia.cc

Facebook: Facebook | Marcus Bigelow

Blog: http://bruisedreedsandsmoulderingwicks.blogspot.com/

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Friday, February 26, 2010

Website

Albert Einstein

I’ve been reading a bunch of Albert Einstein quotes this morning.  My favorite so far is “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”  I love this because it rings so true.  It hurts to make mistakes but it also is an inevitable consequence of moving forward. 

Don’t know where this came from but, “Hail to the snail.  He only makes progress when he sticks his head out.”

Marcus Bigelow

President

Stadia: New Church Strategies

Office:  916-626-3090

Cell:  707-718-3730

Email:  mbigelow@stadia.cc

Facebook: Facebook | Marcus Bigelow

Blog: http://bruisedreedsandsmoulderingwicks.blogspot.com/

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous

Monday, February 22, 2010

Denver is beautiful

I’m looking out a window at beautiful snow glistening in the bright sunshine.  Looking forward to being home tomorrow night.

Posted via email from marcusbigelow's posterous