Tears for Japan

All week, I have been looking around me and seeing the abundance we have in our everyday lives and trying to imagine it all swept away. The reality is that I can only imagine. I have a home and heat and can cook anything I want when I want. My family is safe and I have a job I love to help keep us that way.

I have been shaken by the unbelievable devastation in Japan and I was wondering if I could share something with you.

There is an organization I learned about from Diana at A Certain Simplicity called Shelter Box which is one of the most amazing projects I have ever seen. If you have been looking for a way to help the people in Japan without homes and now under a nuclear threat, please take a minute to check this out.

So far this year, they have sent out almost 104,000 Shelter Boxes and shipments are on their way to Japan as we speak. Each box can shelter 10 people and provide the basics to survive which is so important to the families who have lost absolutely everything.

Each box contains a tent for up to 10 people, insulating ground pads, blankets, tools - shovel, hammer, saw, ax, and wire cutters; a small stove which can provide heat as well as be used for food preparation, mugs, dishes, pots and pans, water storage containers, even a children’s pack with crayons and coloring books. The box itself can serve as a table and a dry storage area or a bed for a small child.

If you can help, please visit their website and take a look around.  You will be encouraged to find that, as we are all finding in many areas of our lives, people step up when the going gets tough.  I am glad I had this opportunity to do so and hope you will consider it as well.

Thanks for listening.