The Flood and a chance to help

Wow what a week. Saturday morning it started to rain and there was talk of tornado warnings and then our beloved city was flooding. What? No one had any idea so much rain would fall in such a short period of time. So families lost homes and earthly possessions and cars and buildings floated down the interstate. Crazy! If you haven't seen photos and video, just go online and search for the Nashville Flood 2010.

So...what is next? Giving. The people here need help. One family is the Birckheads.


I met Hollie at an adoption fundraiser yard sale when I was pregnant with the boys. She had this fancy triple stroller (which we later bought from her) and sold me on the fact that I needed one. Hollie and Nathan's house flooded on Saturday. They have 2 year old triplets and a sweet 5 month old baby. God has provided a dwelling place for them as they pick up the pieces and clean up their home. And you can help by sending gift cards. Go here

Login ID 39149
Code: 5983
Click on "live out of town" for info on gift cards and mailing address.

Please pray for the people of Nashville. God is present and hears the cries of his children.

Thanks, friends!
so blessed
d

June 23 Ellie's Run for Africa

I want to share something really cool that Jeff and I are doing to help Africa, and we want you to check it out too. We are doing that whole run-a-race thing to raise money. It is with Ellie's Run for Africa, a 5K run that will be held in Nashville on June 23. Here's the deal: The largest slum in East Africa is called Kibera, where 800,000 people live in an area just over a square mile. Not surprisingly, education is a huge problem. Children there have to have a uniform and their own schoolbooks in order to go to school. Since a lot of them can't afford that, Ellie's Run is putting those children in the Calvary Christian School by helping to pay for those necessary materials.

Here is where you come in – we are asking our friends and family to take on one child each. That's it. Put a child in school for $25. It will buy them the needed 8 school books, 2 uniforms, and pair of shoes they need. That gets it done for a year. Cool, huh?

These donations are made through a non-profit organization based in Franklin, TN, African Leadership (www.africanleadership.org). They train local African pastors and church leaders, and fund relief and development projects in their communities, like the Calvary Christian School. Ellie's Run, in its short two-year history, has helped raise the awareness of and funding for these children - and it has raised approximately $40,000 total. To date, at the Calvary school, funds from Ellie's Run have been used to build four classrooms, clothe children with needed uniforms and shoes and provide school supplies for 400 children. This annual race keeps that work going.

My trip to Africa 8 years ago changed my life. I saw what the children had to do in order to be educated because education is a privilege, not free, as in the US. Our dear friends, Barrett Ward and Rachel Duckworth, have been to Kibera, to the Calvary school, and met these children. They have given us a more personal responsibility to do something to help keep them in school. Please join us! Our goal is to raise enough money to sponsor 40 kids for next school year.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child (or more), do the following:
Make your $25 (per child) check payable to “African Leadership – ERFA”
Put “Debra and Jeff Myrick” in the memo line
Mail to: Run for Africa PO Box 150915 Nashville, TN 37215-0915

All donations are completely tax-deductible. We really appreciate your support! Also, if you'd like to run alongside us in Ellie's Run for Africa, you can sign up on the website at www.elliesrun.org.

Peace, love and Africa!

Barrett and Rachel in Kiberia