Etsy's Handmade Blog
Our Thoughts Go out to Our Friends in Asia
Story by muka
Published on October 2, 2009 in Craftivism 		Photo by

SarkaTrager

As many of you have no doubt seen on the news, the Samoan Islands were hit hard by an earthquake-induced tsunami and then today another earthquake. Indonesia has been rocked by two huge earthquakes, and typhoon Ketsana has ripped through Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia.  More than 1000 people have died and countless others have had their lives literally turned upside down. 

Our thoughts, prayers and well-wishes go out to all the people of these countries and to their friends and family around the world who are anxiously awaiting news that their loved ones are safe.

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Tags Asia, Cambodia, charity, CRAFTIVISM, disasters, donations, Etsy International, indonesia, Laos, lifestyle, Philippines, prayers, Samoa, Southeast Asia, Vietnam
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111 comments     Login to add your own!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 8:53 a.m. cassidycay

My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 8:55 a.m. distinque

Just horrible what happened. And another one coming soon. My goodness. My prayers are with them too.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9 a.m. poppychicdesigns

My thoughts are with all of them...

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:01 a.m. JKphotography

It is horrible what has happened. My thoughts are with all the people in the region where nature has gone wild. It is so scary to see...

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:02 a.m. paisleybaby

Mother Nature has certainly unleashed her fury in this region. Good thoughts to all those affected.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:03 a.m. FlanneryCrane

My thoughts and prayers are with them, also.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:05 a.m. AlchemicMuse

Very sad news... my thoughts are with them

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:05 a.m. accessoryalamode

My heart goes out to them and will keep them in my thoughts and prayers.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. beautifulbridget

Our thoughts and prayers go out to them!!!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. ThePaperTray

Thoughts and Prayers are with them!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:07 a.m. jacarandadesigns

So incredibly sad. They're in our prayers.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:08 a.m. spacejam

My thoughts are with them!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:15 a.m. LittleWrenPottery

I wonder how many etsysans are out there, really hope that the count stops getting higher.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:15 a.m. colouryourhome

feel deeply sorry for them....:-(

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:16 a.m. lovelygifts

We will keep them in our prayers.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:17 a.m. mLindvall

My thoughts and prayers go out to them all and their families and loved ones.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:17 a.m. LittleWrenPottery

I wonder how many etsysans are out there, really hope that the count stops getting higher.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:18 a.m. craftaria

Thoughts and Prayers are with them!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:20 a.m. VixVintage

My thoughts and prayers are with them too!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:22 a.m. JDWolfePottery

My thoughts are with them

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:24 a.m. moonovermaize

My thoughts are with them. How devastating.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. PudgyBirdCo

does anyone know how one would go about donating money to some sort of relief fund?

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:35 a.m. MilkGlassVintage

PudgyBirdCo & anyone interested-- PayPal has set up an easy-to-use relief fund (just got to their site), and I'm sure any reliable organization (RedCross, Kiva.org, HeiferInternational) has set something up by now to help with the relief efforts.
You'd be amazed by what $5.00 can do.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:38 a.m. SimpleJoysPaperie

Praying for the families.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. DalkullanJewelry

My prayers and thoughts are with them.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. sherrytruitt

muka, thanks for writing this piece. My prayers for safety and the reuniting of families are with them today.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:43 a.m. jenniferladd

This is so devastating. This part of our world is, obviously, very dear to my heart. My thoughts are with them.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:44 a.m. blueskyclouds

Sending prayers of comfort.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:47 a.m. Morado

Thought and prayers to all those affected.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:48 a.m. aimeesarmoire

Thoughts and prayers are a wonderful gesture, but to get fresh water, non-perishable foods, and much-needed medications to these people got to these sites and donate. EVEN IF IT IS JUST A DOLLAR-- that can buy enough water to prevent a child from contracting dysentery for one more day -- go to one of these sites in order to make a difference:
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.ifrc.org/
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/
http://www.habitat.org/

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:51 a.m. Fairyfolk

Thank you for the info above... will go there now.
Thoughts and prayers are with them.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:53 a.m. CavemanPottery

They are in my thoughts and prayers. It would be wonderful, if etsy as a community could pull together and do something to make a difference, maybe donate a portion of our sales from a weekend to a relief fund? Just a thought...

Oct. 2, 2009 at 9:59 a.m. bugbitesplayfood

God Bless those who are suffering & DITTO!!

aimeesarmoire said:

Thoughts and prayers are a wonderful gesture, but to get fresh water, non-perishable foods, and much-needed medications to these people got to these sites and donate. EVEN IF IT IS JUST A DOLLAR-- that can buy enough water to prevent a child from contracting dysentery for one more day -- go to one of these sites in order to make a difference:
http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.ifrc.org/
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/
http://www.habitat.org/

Oct. 2, 2009 at 10:05 a.m. MyMoms

My thoughts and prayers are with them too.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 10:12 a.m. steinschmuckdesign

I pray for all of you and
send you all the light and essence that
is needed!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 10:23 a.m. sabahnur

:( very bad situations.. Thoughts and Prayers are with them!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 10:44 a.m. 1AEON

oh boy..moment of silece..

Oct. 2, 2009 at 10:53 a.m. loopyboopy

Thanks for the links Aimee!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 10:57 a.m. LaveMeSoapCo

juju to you!!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:01 a.m. mybirch

I cant even imagine :( Good Energies and prayers headed their way!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:02 a.m. pinkytoeclothing

So tragic and sad. The suggestions above to give your support are great, let's help all we can.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:02 a.m. JenniferAitchison

My thoughts and well wishes to those in Asia & their friends and family.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:04 a.m. BeadsBySam

Thoughts and prayers are with them!!!!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:05 a.m. ArtDecoDame

so sad,sending good thoughts their way

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:06 a.m. 3squares

sending good thoughts to those affected by this tragedy.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:09 a.m. machnlola

My thoughts go to those affected and their friends and family.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:15 a.m. photoatelier

What a tragedy. My heart and best wishes are with those affected. I couldn't even imagine...

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:21 a.m. wristielove

I am wishing the best to all of those who were affected.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. ShimmeringSky

As with all the Etsians above, my thoughts are with the strong, brave people of those regions.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:26 a.m. FrillyButts

It is so sad. They are in my thoughts.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:27 a.m. BululuStudio

God bless them.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:34 a.m. Krystyna81

stories like this always give me a little perspective...thank you for keeping our global family in our hearts and minds.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:37 a.m. SoothingCandleStore

What a sad, sad time. They are all in my thoughts and prayers.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:38 a.m. thebestvintage

It's a very sad time. Such a tragedy.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:43 a.m. thesparrowfist

What a horrible thing to go through. My thoughts go out to everyone effected by this tragety.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:53 a.m. meeabee

It's such a tragedy as these nations struggle at the best of times. My thoughts are with the people of these countries and those who have friends and relatives who have been affected.
Thanks Muka for bringing this to the Etsy community's attention.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:54 a.m. bylynnkrestel

many prayers!!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:54 a.m. girltuesdayjewelry

Tragic. I can't even imagine the turmoil they are going through right now. Sending a prayer...

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:57 a.m. SilverNutmegStudio

This is just horrible, I send out my thoughts and prayers for all involved.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 12:02 p.m. QuiltFinger

This is so tragic, watching the death toll rise and another storm on the way. I hope the relief agencies are doing all they can, not waiting for the carnage to be over before they step in.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 12:05 p.m. bobnstitch

blessings to all

Oct. 2, 2009 at 12:23 p.m. patspottery

SO horrifying:>(

Oct. 2, 2009 at 12:35 p.m. copperandglass

My prayers go out.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 1:31 p.m. magickalrealism

...
in the past two years, there have been a bunch of disasters worldwide. In my own city (Minneapolis) tornadoes really made a mess of the south half. Cedar Rapids, Iowa is still recovering from severe, Katrina-style flooding. And of course, there's still New Orleans and its lingering condition.

The world isn't ending, but this is one of those incidences that is also just awful.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 1:31 p.m. BlueRoseRetro

Life is so precious and indeed fragile. Prayers and positive thoughts to all those suffering.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 1:45 p.m. buygollymissmolly

Prayers.....

Oct. 2, 2009 at 2:08 p.m. MoniquesCreations

As so many of you have already expressed my prayers are with them all. Thank you to those who posted sites for donations. Prayers and money are both needed.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 2:36 p.m. recycledwares

for the friends in Asia, i pray for a fast rebuilding of their cities, that their spirits to be lifted, their prayers answered, and for lots of support and love.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. EJPcreations

So sad.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 2:51 p.m. clubviv

it is very sad..✝

Oct. 2, 2009 at 2:59 p.m. SepiaSmiles

My thoughts are with all of those affected and I wish I could do more to help xxxxxxxxx

Oct. 2, 2009 at 3:16 p.m. jnixjan

thoughts and prayers..thank you for the links to help.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 4:02 p.m. riorita

I pray that these people will suffer no more!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 4:03 p.m. RetroGlamorous

My thoughts and prayers are with them as well.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 4:49 p.m. KalliopeBeads

Tragic. My heart and thoughts are with the victims and their families.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 5:44 p.m. WoopiJanesThangs

not as just one community, not as a state, not even as a nation, but as the world we should join together to help one another during this tragic, tragic disaster.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 7:54 p.m. bhangtiez

Blessings 2 everyone!

Oct. 2, 2009 at 8:06 p.m. voleurdebijoux

my thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who have lost their love ones. may they find comfort and hope in this very difficult time.

Oct. 2, 2009 at 8:58 p.m. whitemetal

Our thought and prayers are with them all...

Oct. 2, 2009 at 11:18 p.m. riricreations

Praying for all our brothers and sisters there...

Oct. 3, 2009 at 12:37 a.m. babook

Prayer for well.........

Oct. 3, 2009 at 8:57 a.m. hakalah

We pray for the peace of Jerusalem and weep for the far East at this time...

Oct. 3, 2009 at 9:47 a.m. happygolicky

I lived on a tiny island for years and know what it is like when something devastating happens, how all encompassing it is, and how tragedies not only shape a community but an entire culture.

Oct. 3, 2009 at 9:56 a.m. PhotogenicGallery

all heartfelt thoughts & prayers from the etsy community are heard & will surely result in positive energy for those in need....keep them coming!

Oct. 3, 2009 at 10:20 a.m. whyte

Thank you for your thoughts about this tragedy, etsy, and giving us a chance to express our sympathies and concerns. Etsy has brought the world to my front door.

Oct. 3, 2009 at 10:45 a.m. That70sShoppe

Wishing God's blessings on all affected, whether directly or indirectly by these tragedies.

Oct. 3, 2009 at 1:02 p.m. Iammie

Yay Asia! I'm from Thailand. :D

Oct. 3, 2009 at 1:07 p.m. sojomaxsboutique

Humanity Healing prayers 0=)

http://www.humanityhealing.org/

we are all connected

Oct. 3, 2009 at 7:34 p.m. sharonclancydesigns

Sending lots of love and light to those who have been affected by the devastation.

Oct. 4, 2009 at 3:48 a.m. AlliesAdornments

Many all of those affected find comfort and relief.

Oct. 4, 2009 at 7:46 a.m. philosophi

Thanks for acknowledgement Etsy.

Oct. 4, 2009 at 8:09 a.m. lealerjcreates

Such tragedy. My prayers and thoughts go out to all affected.

Oct. 4, 2009 at 1:02 p.m. NichanCraftRoom

thank you for mentioning Indonesia, too.
I'm from indonesia. I felt the earthquake in my town on 2006. and our last one in tasikmalaya, yes, a whole town felt it, too (although we are far but seems the crack is at one line).
the one in padang is very-very terrible. one village was vanished under the soil that was usually a hill. So, when people step on the ground, it's actually houses, school and...oh, boy, people buried under. it's such a painful for me to see that in the news. The area is quite hard to get through because it's surrounded by hills.
God have mercy on us.

Oct. 4, 2009 at 6:51 p.m. gretchenmist

a nightmare situation.

Oct. 5, 2009 at 2:49 a.m. shopgoldmine

i donated $5 to the flood relief via paypal (look for banner on homepage) and i hope it helps those most in need. sending happy, healthy, safe thoughts. :)

Oct. 5, 2009 at 10:28 a.m. glass4him

The devastation there is pretty bad, and people need food desparately. A good friend of ours Pastor Rodrigo Limpot,of Cebu, Phillipines is looking for donations to feed the people in his area, he says that alot of food supplies were destroyed. We can vouch for his character. He also has churches in southern Phillipines. Anyone who would be interested in helping him, contact him at:
http://www.mtifoundation.com/

Oct. 5, 2009 at 2:40 p.m. ConservationClothing

Our hearts go out to Asia.
Yesterday I received this invite by email...
Event for anyone in New York City area:

Mass for the victims of Typhpoon Ondoy ~ Fellowship & Dinner Afterwards
Host: Catholic Fellowship of Young Filipino Professionals
Date: Sunday October 11th
Time: Registration at 4:30pm; Rosary at 4:45pm; Mass at
5pm; Fellowship at 6pm
Venue: Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz
378 Broome Street
New York, NY 10013

Oct. 5, 2009 at 3:11 p.m. taiteilijan666

oh... that is horrible what happened... Nature strikes hard when it does and no man power can stop it... I remember when Hurricane Nargis hit southeast asia and my country got hit real hard... i went on a relief trip for the Hurricane Nargis where a group of doctors and nurses took care of health care... i was just an observer, but i wish i could have done more...

Oct. 5, 2009 at 11:20 p.m. craftjunky

On behalf of all asian sellers here on Etsy who have been greatly devastated by these natural disaters almost happening one after the other, we would like to thank our Etsy family for all your thoughts and prayers. Ketsana (Ondoy) put 80% of Metro Manila where I am from under water. I just thank God that through prayers, Parma (Pepeng) decided to spare our city because there are still a lot of areas under water. Unfotunately, our brothers and sisters up north were not as lucky. Good thing they are less populated as compared to Manila. Now the rain has stopped and most floods have subsided please continue to remember us in your prayers.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 2:33 a.m. eatsbeadsandcards

We've just returned to Japan from Guam, after several uneasy days, watching the rain pile up outside the house, and listening to the wind pick up...

Our hearts go out to those who were not as lucky as we.

Oct. 6, 2009 at 1:53 p.m. simplyworn

heavy heart when these disasters occur....don't we have enough to worry about.....wishing these families safety and love.

Oct. 8, 2009 at 7:48 p.m. Janetstreasures

Words are not enough to heal the wounded and comfort the grieving but they will all be in my prayers. What can we as a community do to help? any ideas?

Oct. 9, 2009 at 6:17 p.m. DayDreamDesigns09

Sending my thoughts and prayers to all those affected. Good question raised by Janetstreasures- what can we as a community do to help? Have a Fund Raiser?

Oct. 13, 2009 at 2:17 a.m. Marleyjanedotcom

Thank you for highlighting this. Sometimes if the tragedy isn't enormous in the eye of the media it gets very little coverage.

Oct. 14, 2009 at 6:05 p.m. IHeartHandmadeGoods

As someone with family back in the Philippines I wanted to do something to help.

I decided to make some earrings specifically for this cause and to donate $5 of the purchase towards relief funds in the Philippines. I also have listed some links with information on how you can directly help or donate:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?...

Oct. 20, 2009 at 12:07 a.m. jewelboxballerina

Thank you so much for all your prayers and thank you for your relief efforts to the Philippines. I am very grateful for your generosity.

I live in San Mateo, one of the worst hit areas of typhoon Ketsana. My family and I were fortunate enough to be spared by the flood that struck Manila since we live on a higher place. However, we were stranded in our home for three days since all our access roads and bridges were all flooded. Two weeks after, I was able to see Manila again. A lot of people were still cleaning their homes and shops. Mud and piles and piles of debris and soiled livelihood goods were still there. I can vividly remember the stench of the rotting food and animal carcasses.

This was a very humbling experience for me. Before, I only see these in the news...but what happened was closer to home.

After Ketsana came Parma who basically wiped out the whole of Northern and Central Luzon Island and stayed there for more or less 10 days. Landslides burried a lot of people alive. Classes were suspended and access roads to Manila were blocked.

Then the possibility of a triple whammy awaits... almost category 4 typhoon Lupit is about to take a landfall in Northern Luzon this week and it is expected to have the same rainfall as Ketsana. I really hope the typhoon would change its mind. The past two typhoons already left an overwhelming damage to lives and hard earned possessions.

To those who would like to help the victims of Ketsana and Parma, here are the links to international and national groups:

1. Bayanihan Online
http://bayanihanonline.wordpress.com
-a blog who consolidated the organizations and agencies involved in relief and rehabilitation operations in Manila, Northern and Central Luzon.

2. ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya
http://www.sagipkapamilya.com
ABS-CBN is one of the largest Filipino news and entertainment channel in the Philippines. Their Sagip Kapamilya Foundation has tirelessly been packing donated relief goods since day one. The monetary pledges you give will be spent to their rehabilitation projects (rebuilding homes, water supply, schools, etc.)

3. Philippine National Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org.ph/
I admit, before I just mindlessly put my spare change to their tin cans in the Metro. But after Ketsana, The Red Cross was in the frontlines. They were the ones who had rubber boats to rescue the stranded people to safety and they braved the waters to send relief goods to isolated areas.

4. Gawad Kalinga
http://www.gk1world.com/give.html
Gawad Kalinga is an organization much like Habitat for Humanity. But more than building homes, they also built communities through livelihood, education, and values formation. This organization is very close to my heart. I was one of their assistant teachers of their "Sagip" Programs. My heart was crushed when the community I served was affected by the swelling of the river (the community was literally situated by the river side). I'm still worried about my former students...but I know they were evacuated early.

5. World Food Program
https://www.wfp.org/donate/ondoy

6. UNICEF USA
http://www.unicefusa.org/news/release...

7. Blog With Comprehensive List of Relief and Rehabilitaion Organizations

8. Black Pencil Project of National Book Store
http://www.blackpencilproject.org/how...
This project aims to help the children affected on going back to school with a new set of school supplies.

http://burymeinthisdress.com/blog/200...

Thank you so much, Etsy Community and Admins for your prayers and support. Please remember that no help is too small.

Oct. 26, 2009 at 1:10 p.m. fghdfgsd

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Nov. 5, 2009 at 5:41 p.m. pilpush

thank you!

Nov. 9, 2009 at 12:28 a.m. moviestarcouture

Can we do something to help? As etsyers?
Can we do a storque featured help day, or day of, in which all the listing fees and giftguides listings go to the victims of this devastating event, from the etsy community?

I think in situations like this, more than thoughts and prayers, fresh water, medicines, and the tangibles from an act of the thought are so much more appreciated.
Just a thought..

Nov. 14, 2009 at 10:15 p.m. INDOCHINEnatural

Hi,
We are in Asia, in Malaysia and Vietnam, and Central Vietnam has been heavily devastated by the recent cyclones and flooding.

The best thing the Etsy community can do is get behind and support craft people in these regions by purchasing their products. This produces sustainable income and will allow re-building of lives/

Jan. 18, 2010 at 2:40 a.m. lindever

It seems that the New Year has started out with a disaster
of huge proportions. I pray for the victims and hope we can
get the badly needed supplies to the people ASAP to prevent
further deaths. I am glad that Etsy is stepping up to help.
I understand that supplies are there but it is difficult to
distribute them due to damages.

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