Updates from Souther Eastern California re fire...

[Stan]

Firestorms in California Affect Members of Seventh-day Adventist Church

October 23, 2007

The following information was supplied by the Office of the Executive

Secretary, Sandy Roberts

Southeastern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

1. Crestline Church - Some of the members have been evacuated from

their homes, although the church is safe at the present time.

2. Dulzura - One family home has been burned. The church is safe at

the present time.

3. Escondido Spanish - At least 5 church family homes are lost, 3

mobile homes, and about 50% of the buildings at old San Pasqual Academy

have been burned.

4. Fallbrook - Several members of the church have been evacuated from

their homes. The church was saved from flames at 3:00 am this morning.

Two church families' homes have been burned.

5. Ramona - 2 church families' homes have burned. The church is safe

at this time.

6. Some evacuated members of the San Marcos church are camping out at

the facilities.

7. Paradise Valley church is working on a program to assist evacuees.

8. Most of the North San Diego County Pastors and church families have

been evacuated from their homes.

9. Mabel Camp has called to inform us that Escondido Academy, La Mesa

SDA, San Diego Broadway Spanish, San Diego Maranatha, San Diego South

Bay, and San Diego Spanish (Eta Street) are open to members and are

being used as an evacuation centers.

10. Escondido Academy, Hemet Adventist Christian School, La Sierra

Academy, Murrieta Springs Adventist Christian School, and San Diego

Academy have been closed for the day, due to smoke or flames.

11. Benjamin Anderson (Big Bear Valley), John Anderson (Valley

Center), Basil Bell (San Marcos), Carlos & Elina Camarena (Paradise

Valley Spanish), Jason Decena (Escondido), José Garcia (Escondido

Spanish), Haroldo Guizar (San Ysidro Spanish), Ricardo Huerta (Fallbrook

Spanish/Oceanside Spanish Co.), Andrea and Kurt King (San Diego

Maranatha), Raúl Maldonado (San Diego Spanish), Richard Moore

(Poway/Clairemont), Daniel Skoretz (Crestline), and Felipe Vielmann

(Chula Vista) have been evacuated from their homes.

12. Samuel Nunez (San Diego Spanish/San Diego Broadway Spanish) and

Yohalmo Saravia (Conference Evangelist) have been put on alert to be

evacuated.

13. Richard Booth's (Pine Springs Ranch Board member) home may be in

danger, as fire is coming down the canyon from both directions.

14. We have discussed offering Pine Springs Ranch as temporary housing

for members.

Note: There is nothing to report from the Southern California

Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at this time.

[Dr. Shane]

I heard Dr. Frank Gonzalez (Spanish VOP speaker) share about how his home was saved from wild fires by a golf course a few years ago. These natural disasters always strike close to home when we consider ourselves part of the world-wide church family.

[Stan]

Dear Pastors:

We just completed a teleconference with 26 of our pastors from the fire affected areas of our conference and have several updates for you and your members.

1. We appreciate the compassionate care our pastors and members are giving to displaced members and those who have lost their homes even as they “wander” themselves as evacuees.

2. Our pastors shared both short and longer term needs with us. We will continue to communicate those needs to you.

3. Pine Springs Ranch and La Sierra University both have rooms available on a temporary one week basis for members/pastors who need a place to stay. Please call Brian Schwab at 951-659-4131 to access the rooms at PSR and call Sandy Roberts at 951-236-7877 if you need information on La Sierra University guest rooms.

4. Many pastors and members are volunteering at Red Cross Shelters and we encourage that volunteerism as an immediate tangible way to assist in this disaster. El Cajon Church reported they have taken blankets and toys to the shelters and we know other churches have been equally generous in their support of the community.

5. Caleb Jara, pastor of the Garden Grove Spanish Church, has organized a drive for donations this Sabbath at Orangewood Academy. SECC Community Services will be e-mailing you the information on items the pastors have told us they need at this time. Most of the pastors indicated the government is doing an excellent job of providing for evacuees in shelters.

6. We heard many stories today of members who lost their homes and have no insurance. The pastors emphasized the greatest need they have is financial as they assist displaced community members and help those who have lost homes get settled into temporary housing.

7. We encourage a special offering that can be used to help our SDA churches in the midst of the fire zones to provide resources both short and long term to members and the community at large. We will be talking to you Monday about the need but feel free to go ahead and collect an offering this Sabbath if you wish. Your treasurer can send it designated as “SECC Fire Victim Relief” offering.

8. We had pastors tell us today they could use assistance with needs such as clean up, grief counseling, etc. but until they could regain access into the burned areas it would be difficult to coordinate this assistance. We will continue to monitor how we can assist them in a timely way.

9. ADRA has given SECC a generous donation to assist with this disaster. Doug Havens, teacher at Escondido Academy and ADRA employee, has agreed to help us with the distribution of these funds. If you are a pastor in the burn area and have not had contact yet with Doug, please call my office and we will connect you. Doug will be talking to you at our meeting on Monday at Mt. Rubidoux. (Sandy’s office – 951-509-2290)

10. We continue to pray for all of you affected by these fires. Please e-mail or call us if there are other ways we can provide support

[Amelia]

Is ADRA on site and helping?

[Amelia]

Photos taken from space and released by NASA, shows the smoke from the California wildfires.

[Amelia]

Evacuees

(does anyone recogize this stadium?)

[Amelia]

The Humane Society of The United States is on site working to save and reunite abandoned animals.

[carole1012]

Here is another update that I got about the San Pasqual Academy

campus:

Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:01 PM

Subject: RE: "Witch Fire" hits SPA

Mark,

The church is fine. The fire burned 13 houses, all the mobile homes and Spackers. The houses that were burned as far as I am concern: The Principal’s house; Mark Umeck’s; Mrs. Tupper’s;, Barnharts; Oneil’s, Peterson’s, Murcia’s; Willis’; Lewis’; ( the houses that were just by Spakers), Umecks’ was the between 78 and the church. I’ll keep you posted if I get more information.

It is really bad. No schools open, at least the Escondido H.S. and Elementary Districts. This means my two teenagers and I are out of school the rest of the week. We were under voluntary evacuation, but decided to stay because where we were going, was also evacuated. The fire was about 6 miles away from where we live (EL Norte & Ash).

Thank God, so far we are still in our home, we have food to eat, and if everything goes well, I will have to do a lot of laundry because some of the clothes that were left in the garage, are really smelly (smoke).

Last Sunday my husband, two teens and I were to the Escondido High School to volunteer there at the gym, ‘cause it was set up as a shelter. The Escondido HS has a farm, and our kids helped to get horses into their new temporary home, that were brought there from people from the Ramona area.

Enough of us! How are you doing? Are you in the danger zone?

Elizabeth Ibarra-Haller

Received from Curtis Perkins @ 1:30 PM 10-23-07

Glenn Lewis, who was Supt. of Agriculture and Farm Manager. He and his wife, Rose, had three children: son - Gary, daughter - Karyn, and younger daughter whose name I'll have to share later. For most of the time they lived in a house that was either the second or third house "south" of the new church building. (their house was just "north" of the laundry/Spacker building).

Rose also served as school nurse for a year or more. The Lewis family arrived in 1966 and remained there up until 1991 or later.

Received as a forward from Curtis Perkins @ 1:10 PM 10-23-07

Here is the latest news about San Pasqual. The houses around the perimeter are all gone. still smoldering including ours also the grade school, dairy house, trailer area, The Judson dairy complex The big Judson house where we lived a few years, I think this was the oldest one in the valley. I understand the church and the main adm area are still ok. What a terrible tragedy has come to our school. . Seems remember reading that in the last days there will be un quenchable fires. . Surely with all the other world problems it cant be long be fore Jesus comes hope to see you all then for a great home coming.. Love Glenn Lewis

Received a Call @ 11:09 this morning from Charlotte O'Neil that her daughter was able to get through all the road closures and onto campus using her military ID as a pass. She reported live that the Church was still standing but that there were losses on the homes and outbuilding.

Received from Curtis Perkins @ 8:56 PM 10-22-07

Earlier today I received an unofficial report that many of the homes on the former San Pasqual Academy campus were burned, including the church. The bindery, the dorms, and the ad buildings were saved. The school is owned by San Diego County and even though they have kept and use the San Pasqual Academy name there is no Adventist "connection."

[Kingroyal]

Are these fires and the tragic losses incurred just a natural event or are they direct results of ignoring the Lord's messages and living lifestyles by many that are not according to Scripture and God's commands?

[carole1012]

I know that the San Diego and Orange County fires are a result

of arson. The last count was that they have 5 people in custody

for arson. THe Malibu fire (the first one) was a result of a

downed power line. Another fire was started from sparks from

a machine that was being used. There have been 18 fires, and

we are not sure of the causes of all of them.

[Neil D]

Are these fires and the tragic losses incurred just a natural event or are they direct results of ignoring the Lord's messages and living lifestyles by many that are not according to Scripture and God's commands?

Hmmmmm......and who would be qualified to make that Judgement? No one living, I am sure......at least, not before stones at thier glass house would be thrown....

No, tis better to look at this as a tradgic result of arson and some downed lines and accidents....Nevertheless, let the Lord speak to the hearts of all, and let each one guard his own heart before s/he speaks otherwise.

[melvin mccarty]

Why do people in California not maintain good fireguards?

howdy

[Stan]

Carole do you have any more update to this?

[CyberGuy]

Why do people in California not maintain good fireguards?

howdy

We do but there is only so much we can do. Wood roofing is outlawed because of the fire hazard. Hillsides brush are bulldozed ever spring to create a fire break between housing districts and the hillside. But when a Strong Santa Ana wind blows at 70 MPH and 105MPH in the passes as it did two weeks ago Nothing can stop the fires. Fires burn so hot that water and fire retardant evaporate before it hits the fire. Fire is blowen half a mile ahead of the fire.

I heard one eye witness account on NPR how he was just walking out to work on monday morning and the neighbors where frantically waking up everyone to get out as the fire was coming. He look up the hill and saw the fire coming at him like a wave of flame 100 feet high and rolling with the wind like a sumami. He rushed into the house got his wife and kid still in his pajamas and rushed them into the car and drove out just as his neighbors house burst into flames. No time to gather pictures or any clothes. They saved nothing. Their house burned to the ground. But they got out unharmed with their car.

One SDA family just moved into their dream house the day before and had not even unpacked. They were told to evacuate and get out now as the fire was coming fast.

They saved nothing and their house burned as well.

Southern California is very hilly even within the major cities. With the population doubling every 50 years over 50 percent of the housing is in fire prone areas accoring to Time Magazine. Even my house in considered in a fire prone area. Fortunately we have to contend with only grass fires in our hills as we have little shaparel in the area around our housing district. And our hill behind our house burned off just three years ago and there has not been enough rain to put much vegetation back on in the mean time. So for now the threat to our neighborhood is low.

Not so woth many neighborhoods.

The houses that burned will be rebuilt and will cause a housing boom for the eoonomy for 2008. Most of the houses were insured most were fairly new built within the last 10 years.

When the Santa Ana winds blow and fires burn there is not much fire safeguards we can put in place.

[CyberGuy]

Here is another update that I got about the San Pasqual Academy

campus:

Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 2:01 PM

Subject: RE: "Witch Fire" hits SPA

Mark,

The church is fine. The fire burned 13 houses, all the mobile homes and Spackers. The houses that were burned as far as I am concern: The Principal’s house; Mark Umeck’s; Mrs. Tupper’s;, Barnharts; Oneil’s, Peterson’s, Murcia’s; Willis’; Lewis’; ( the houses that were just by Spakers), Umecks’ was the between 78 and the church. I’ll keep you posted if I get more information.

It is really bad. No schools open, at least the Escondido H.S. and Elementary Districts. This means my two teenagers and I are out of school the rest of the week. We were under voluntary evacuation, but decided to stay because where we were going, was also evacuated. The fire was about 6 miles away from where we live (EL Norte & Ash).

Thank God, so far we are still in our home, we have food to eat, and if everything goes well, I will have to do a lot of laundry because some of the clothes that were left in the garage, are really smelly (smoke).

Last Sunday my husband, two teens and I were to the Escondido High School to volunteer there at the gym, ‘cause it was set up as a shelter. The Escondido HS has a farm, and our kids helped to get horses into their new temporary home, that were brought there from people from the Ramona area.

Enough of us! How are you doing? Are you in the danger zone?

Elizabeth Ibarra-Haller

Received from Curtis Perkins @ 1:30 PM 10-23-07

Glenn Lewis, who was Supt. of Agriculture and Farm Manager. He and his wife, Rose, had three children: son - Gary, daughter - Karyn, and younger daughter whose name I'll have to share later. For most of the time they lived in a house that was either the second or third house "south" of the new church building. (their house was just "north" of the laundry/Spacker building).

Rose also served as school nurse for a year or more. The Lewis family arrived in 1966 and remained there up until 1991 or later.

Received as a forward from Curtis Perkins @ 1:10 PM 10-23-07

Here is the latest news about San Pasqual. The houses around the perimeter are all gone. still smoldering including ours also the grade school, dairy house, trailer area, The Judson dairy complex The big Judson house where we lived a few years, I think this was the oldest one in the valley. I understand the church and the main adm area are still ok. What a terrible tragedy has come to our school. . Seems remember reading that in the last days there will be un quenchable fires. . Surely with all the other world problems it cant be long be fore Jesus comes hope to see you all then for a great home coming.. Love Glenn Lewis

Received a Call @ 11:09 this morning from Charlotte O'Neil that her daughter was able to get through all the road closures and onto campus using her military ID as a pass. She reported live that the Church was still standing but that there were losses on the homes and outbuilding.

Received from Curtis Perkins @ 8:56 PM 10-22-07

Earlier today I received an unofficial report that many of the homes on the former San Pasqual Academy campus were burned, including the church. The bindery, the dorms, and the ad buildings were saved. The school is owned by San Diego County and even though they have kept and use the San Pasqual Academy name there is no Adventist "connection."

I know San Pasqual well as that is the Second place I worked at once I gradauated from College. I can visualize the houses and the spackers plant well. All were up against the hill with brush very close tothe buildings. Very country but a disaster waiting to happen. Fortunately the current owner the city of San Diego has deep pockets to rebuild.

[olger]

I have heard from several sources that the heavy underbrush that sustained the fire was the result of Enviromentalism's not allowing proper maintenance of the forests.

What is your response to those reports?

Regards,

gcw

[Clio]

Are these fires and the tragic losses incurred just a natural event or are they direct results of ignoring the Lord's messages and living lifestyles by many that are not according to Scripture and God's commands?

Believe it or not, when a small boy plays with matches and 70 mph winds whip up in an already drought stricken area, a huge conflagration will result.

It is a result of cause and effect.

What you are suggesting smacks seriously of making a judgement that no one on earth can answer.

Only Abba knows His purpose and timeing. Our part is to be reaching out to those affected with love, meeting as many of their needs as we can, and hopefully, allowing Jesus to shine through each of us by humble example.

We do that through meeting them where they are at, meeting first their physical, and then as opportunities present themselves, ministering to their physical needs. We do not speculate that Abba is "punishing" them through this tragedy.

Free will and the physical results of physical actions still operate in this world, which does not belong to Abba but to the Adversary.

(15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17 (emphasis mine).

This world is not God's world! Perhaps we have such a difficult time grasping the practical ramifications of this concept, because we think of God as Creator, Owner, and Ruler and marvel at the staggering beauty of what He has made. In that sense it is His world.

Nonetheless, the systems that operate our cultures are not His. The Greek word translated "world" in I John 2:16 is kosmos, which has a moral connotation and means "the world apart from God." William Barclay in his commentary on this verse writes, "To John the world was nothing other than pagan society with its false values and its false gods" (p. 56).

Clio

[melvin mccarty]

I see. Thank you for the explanation.