Philippines Disaster Recovery and Empowerment ProjectFarm on mountain of Cebu, an island in Philippines Philippines Disaster Recovery and Empowerment ProjectPhilippine Disasters from Typhoons: "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matt.25:40)To:My Brethren of Light and Love, Manifestors and Miracle Makers of Gods Love.From: Hal Schroeder, founder, Ethiopian Empowerment ProjectRe: Philippines Disaster Recovery and Empowerment ProjectBy way of introduction, I am Hal Schroeder, a retired superintendent of schools in the United States (Nebraska, Texas) and abroad (Ethiopia.) I am also a former Peace Corps volunteer and an author of fve spiritual books on forgiveness.A little over a year ago, Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Philippines, causing over 6,000 deaths. As of November 2014, 14 million people are still affected; many are still living in tents. In some cases, the impact approached that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The country is at a standstill in terms of any viable economic activity.On Nov. 8, 2014, USA Todayreported onjust how stark many Philippinos' lives are one year from Typhoon Haiyan:"Although there are signs of recovery, just 100 of 14,500 promised permanent, inland homes have been built in Tacloban, the worst-hit city located less than a mile from the village of Anibong. Hundreds of people still live in shabby tents and thousands in crowded, temporary bunkhouses, mostly built by foreign non-profts."This month,Typhoon Hagupit also swept the islands in a tragic repeat of many of last year's disasters.The plight of this country a year later triggered a fervent desire in me to establish a mission beachhead in the Philippines to help bring relief to those whose entire lives are still uproot-ed. I can do this only with your assistance.In return, we will receive more from this service than we can ever give.Three years ago, I personally led a project in the Philippines, funding 5 businesses at 1000 dollars each for fve individuals with large families. A dozen years ago, I established a similar project in Ethiopia, and started a number of busi-nesses. This project also stressed education; the funds were directly allocated to people through individual Coptic priests. by starting small businesses and erecting homes to help them be self-suffcient by starting small businesses and erecting homes to help them be self-suffcient.1What I propose is a continuation of these earlier missions, along with the building of homes. As a private citizen, I would be your mission representative: I will collect funds from people of good will in the United States. Then I will come to the Philippines to help those in need by starting small busi-nesses and erecting homes to help them be self-suffcient.This modest project is guided by the biblical verse: Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matt. 25:40.)Let us begin today, as I, myself, have de-layed too long in acting on this tragedy. I would begin by identifying the least of these. The details of this proposal are on the next page.I can be reached at hal.schroeder@aol.com. References from those who have partici-pated in my Ethiopian project are readily available.A biography and excerpts from my books are on the Ascensionist Press Blog.(http:/ascensionistpress.blogspot.com)Support can be given by writing a check, payable to Hal Schroeder, and sent to:P.Libutti, Editor, Ascensionist Press, Box 246, The UPS Store, 492-C Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ 07666.In conclusion, I do know, from my spiritual training of 27 years, that we must love our neighbors as ourselves, and that we must decide who the least of these in our lives are to support from our abundance.All blessings, grace, and miracles to you,Hal Schroeder2 --Establish small businesses from funds collect-ed to jump-start a normalexistence for as many people as possible. The amount of available funds will determine both the width and scope of the begin-nings of the project. --Use the Bangladesh model, (loans are given to the most affected people to start businesses, and only when self-suffciency is attained, would they be required to pay back the loans.) The monies would then be used to fund additional business-es.-Establish triage procedures to determine who is most in need, starting with women raising chil-dren.--Maintain rigorous accountability on the part of all so the funding can be expanded exponentially.---Encourage business formations that support more than one person, partnerships and prof-it-sharing so as to develop ownership and giving to one another.---Promote ownership as a dual commitment of project and citizen so that, when able, the funding can be repaid to expand the business project.Project Methods--As a private citizen, I would collect funds from people, organizations, and religious institutions of good will in the United States and then come to the Philippines to help those in need from these funds. Let your town or organization sing out the praises of a God of Love through us to the people of the Philippines. Goals: The Philippines Recovery and Empowerment ProjectHal SchroederEarlier Ethiopian Empowerment Project3Tis is a shot of me, family, and friends on the steps of Negistai's little 3 room house right afer she died. I was the only foreigner present at her funeral, at which there were about 1,000 mourners.Tis is Aden, as we called her, our most successful story of our projects. She is now in medical school, and will help the health care system in Ethiopia upon graduation. I am tutoring her for what is called the leaving exam. If one does not pass it afer 10th grade, it means ones educational career is over. I am with my friend, Charlie Sutton, teaching at Haile Selassie First University in 1967. It was a Friday, so we would sing American folk songs to practice English on Fridays.1967-Ethiopia, Lake Langano, about two hours out of the capital, Addis Ababa, where I was liv-ing. Of course, I look younger now.In 2003, my extended family, my friends, and four of the Coptic priests that we were supporting had a farewell celebration. Ethiopians love pictures; they are a treasure to them. I always printed at least 2 copies so I could give them to those in the pictures.In 1999, I carried about 500 lbs. of used clothing with me to Ethiopia. It was Christmas time for those who received clothes. Te young lady in the picture refects this joy. Included in the picture is a new pair of sneak-ers. I carried 35 pairs of them, having noticed that the shoes worn by everyone were most uncomfortable.Tis is a picture of Negistai, my de-ceased wife, Tedros, a university student, and me in 1967. I am so glad that I look exactly the same.Tis is a picture of me in Father Negussies little house, with virtu-ally no furniture, and a mud foor. Te anecdote that is memora-ble here is that when I accepted Father Negussies ofer for honey in my tea. He graciously put an entire honeycomb in the cup.Tis is Aster, who received the mattress afer my three month stay in 2003.when I arrived, I discovered that there was not a mattress anywhere in the village that I could tolerate. it appeared they were flled with rocks and stones. When I started to plan to leave, I asked Spirit within on what In 2003, as part of my humani-tarian project, I would walk the countryside looking for people to help with a small infusion of funds. Tis young lady had virtually nothing, so we were able to help her, hopefully, on a path to prosperity.Tis is a picture of me with two students on an annual Peace Corps project tour for teachers. Tis is taken in the Ethiopian provisional city of Dessie. Te mud foor we are sleeping on is quite common.Tis is me, and the priest of Negistai, my wife, while she was dying of cancer. He would visit her daily at her house, as house calls were routine for the priests.Starting small businesses for self-sufciency is one of the major objectives of the program. Tis picture depicts a young Ethiopian man, living in a three-room house who desired a store built in front of his house, depicted in the picture. You can see the actual construction of it is out of stone, so strong it will probably last forever we are able to build it, including all materials and labor. for $600. Amors Family in Tents inManilla Here are the pictures of the living quarters of Amorsfamily in a tent near Manilla.There are four children andtheir mom.They sleep on the foor.The pictures indicate what chaos a life of poverty looks like. From sleeping on the foor, to fnding a place to put ones few possessions so one can spread out on the foor, from lack of washing and toilet facilities, to lack of places to cook, ones life is an endless struggle for survival.These are all people who are desirous of making aliving and getting a good education, but when ones neck isconstantly on the noose of basic survival,the odds are stackedagainst you.This is why the emphasis in this project is getting businesses stated so that a modicum amount of self-suffciency can be achieved, families cared for, and the very little things wetake for granted like going to a clean bathroom, can be achieved.The pervading issues are mud and water. There is no place for the mud and water to go. Even the tents are fimsy andeas-ily blown over. The few remaining possessions are subject to the hostile elements.As you can see, meals are taken outside; the tents are not big enough.4The Philippines Recovery and Empowerment ProjectYou can see stunned people just sitting, looking for relief that is not coming.There are relief and aid organizations, but they are only serving about 10 % of those affected,because of the overwhelming amount of people. There was alsono place on higher ground to move the tents, which would only provide minimal escape from the elements.15Marilyns Family Living in Tents in Cagayan De OroThe one pervading issue is mud and water. There is no place for the mud and water to go Even the tents are fimsy, easily blown over, with the few remaining possessions are subject to the hostile elements.As you can see, meals are taken outside, as the tents are big enoughThis is part of Marilyns extended family; she tries to support them with her vats of cooking Philippine foods. Marilyn is pictured above, standing in front of her new store inven-tory, thanks to donations from individuals like you.The faces reveal a family suffering from the vagaries of poverty, but with strong spirits, buoyed by a strong belief in an Almighty that will take care of them.The few buildings in the background are wrecks ready to fall down with the next strong breeze, indicating that the infrastructure needs to be totally remedied.This is one of the projects of the Catholic Relief Services , but again, with all the aid com-bined, only about 10 % of the people are being helped, so massive is the impact of the ty-phoons.All we can do is to take care of one family at a time, one by one, loving our neighbor as ourselves, until there are none left suffering, until our example spreads nationwide.5These pictures illustrate the importance of families in the Philippines. Families and chil-dren are everything. If you look at the picture carefully, these children are clean, reason-ably dressed, obviously loved, obviously attached to one another, and are the objects of deep familial devotion.Those on the right are Marilyns children; she not only dotes on them, but has added to her responsibilities by being the head of the larg-er family unit, seen in the picture above.Large numbers of mothers, many highly educated, leave their children in the capable hands of aunts, or aunties" here, and jour-ney abroad to work as domestics in places like Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Canada,but not the U.S., because of visa prohibitions. They work for the low wages of a maid,which are low to us, but dramatically much higher than in the Philippines. There is aways the barrier of If, indeed, they can fnd work at all.7Holidays like Christmas are most joyous, even without our penchant for gifts.Can we modify their lives so, at the least, the mothers ofsuch children can stay home and make enough money from our contributions helping to establish a small self-sustaining business?Lets do the minimum and get some money fowing in these families lives by allowing them to work for a living wage.Marilyns ChildrenMarilyns Extended Family: Nephews and Nieces

You can see thefood she cooks in theopen air and sells to others.Marilyn not only takes care of her children, she cares for many in the area. She cooks outside, as she has no kitchen facilities, and sells for a pit-tance.Thisyoung woman is in charge of her little clan of 20-some people, including many little children. When I asked Marilyn to prioritize a list of what she needed, the frst item she asked for was not rent for a small store, but a bag of rice, so she could better serve her clientele in the primitive way in which her family has become accustomed.She would love to have a small store, called a Sari Sari store, where she can cook inside, and sell other basic necessities so that they might live a more normal existence. These are pictures of what our contributions can do for the poorest of the poor. from tents and cooking in large vats outside, our aid has enabled Marilyn and her family to set out on the road to self-suffciency by selling basic commodities to her small world while being able to provide for her family, and gain our number one goal, empowerment of self and family.8Marilyn knows that once she has made it, she will begin sharing her new-found riches provided by us to one by one outside herfamily, hence an economy and society is built by us, and our generosity. Thank you for being your brothers keeper. Thank you for answering the universal concept of giving what a brother asks for. With your donations, she has the start of her store in April 2015.9Jera's Family Recovering from Devastation to Their LivelihoodThese pictures are of the Cariaga family and their farm. The farm is located in the high-lands of the island of Cebu, about three hours from Cebu City.The farm has been destroyedby typhoons.They have had the livestock wiped outandfelds ofcrops destroyed. This family, in trying to resurrect a life of very simple means, only asked for a piglet with enough money for feed, so they couldbegin to replenish their livestock to make life more bearable. I would love to be able to helpthem also get chickens and a milk cow for a start, even before we attack their basic living situation.Above, Jeras piglets, fnanced by your donations.9In a large family, there are few of the basicnecessities that we enjoy as aright of passage.They sent pictures that show that they sleep on the foor, have a kitchen with a wood-burning stove, and a toilet facility in an unsanitary condition.1011Jeras farmhouse is aram-shackle house that is easily blown away.Until our contributions can expand to other farms, one by one, this will be the farm of the Philippine Empower-ment Project.We can follow it closely, and learn how to best cope with the problems of the natural and economic disasters in the Philippines.This farm, as virtually all were in the typhoon zones, was decimated by the strength, power, and feroci-ty of the typhoons.Livestock was obliterated, making survival quite tenuous.These are subsistence farms, which allow, as you can see from the other photos of the farm, no amenities at all.Jeras Farm FieldsOur project, hopefully, will allow the restocking of the farm with livestock, and make the lushness of the felds that you can see somewhat proftable, so the things we all take for grant-ed, such as beds, running water, and sanitary toilets, become a reality.Help us, starting here, to establish at least a minimal standard of existence.Allow us to look a typhoon in the face, and say: we will survive and thrive due to the humanitarian, spiritual, and Christian efforts of our brethren who have adopted the truth that we are all our brotherskeeper.12The Ascension Seriesthrough Amazon.com & Ascensionist Press

Support for the Philippines Recovery & Empowerment Project can be given by purchasing these books from Hals Ascensionist Series ($12 each, 80% of proceeds goes to Philippines Recovery & Empowerment Project).Write a check, payable to Hal Schroeder, and send itto: Patricia Libutti,Editor,Ascensionist Press, Box 246, The UPS Store, 492-C Cedar Lane,Teaneck, NJ 07666Look at and download chapters on the Ascensionist Press blog:http://ascensionistpress.blogspot.comEmail: hal.schroeder@aol.comAwakenings to AscensionThe purpose ofyour life is to ascend to be with Father Mother Source. Awakening is the way.to Ascension, described in this book.Love Letters from an Angel is a collection of essays from Angel Hal to women every-where. His concern is their spiritual welfare---but he is an angel who can laugh!. Ascension Is All That There Is continues Awakenings to Ascension, with essential meditations on all aspects of ascending. Grace to Ascension leads you to recognize that grace is all around you; each and every instant grace is in your life, propelling you towards Ascension.Ascension and Nothing-ness takes you through experiencing nothingness andits role in all we believe and all we can believe.