Since Typhoon Ondoy hammered Metro Manila September 26 and flooded 80% of Metro Manila causing much death, damage and disruption of life for both the wealthy and poor ACTION has been busy handing out thousands of family relief packs in coordination with our partner churches and organizations in many devastated areas. As funds were donated from many countries, including the Philippines, we purchased and distributed as quickly as possible items such as rice, canned goods, drinking water, sleeping mats, cooking pots, kitchen ware, buckets and medicines which were gratefully received. Before distributing the items the Gospel message was given by a pastor or an ACTION team member and often I was asked to give a word of encouragement. I explained that the funds for purchasing the relief items came from God through His people around the world as an expression of their love for us who are suffering and along with their giving come many prayers so we are not alone.

Along with the many relief operations we held 9 medical clinics in which approximately 3,000 people were treated for a variety of ailments such as skin rashes, colds, coughs, leptospirosis, stomach problems and diarrhea, and infections. After living in and with muck, stagnant smelly water and garbage medical needs will continue so we'll carry on with medical clinics as we can. Pami Ellis, a nurse from Los Angeles, California and newly appointed ACTION missionary to the Philippines came to Manila for three weeks to coordinate these clinics and did a remarkable job.

As we talk with pastors, church workers and missionaries, including ACTION people, we're realizing the emotional toll Ondoy and our disaster response has taken on each of us. The stories we hear of death, destruction and lose while we trudge through the devastation is taxing so we're now including in our relief work trauma de-briefing and counseling. Many have expressed their heartfelt appreciation in being able to walk through their terrifying experiences with other Christians who truly care for them.

Many pastors lost their church buildings, ministry equipment and most importantly their precious libraries. ACTION is collecting good used books and Bibles to help them replace their "tools of the trade".

We'll continue to respond to the suffering caused by Ondoy by trusting the Lord for another $40,000 for recovery and another $12,000 for books and Bibles for 400 pastors.

Then on October 3 Typhoon Pepeng clobbered central and northern Luzon but thankfully spared Metro Manila. As we can we'll assist people suffering from the effects of Pepeng but through partner organizations who are better situated to do so because we're busy in Metro Manila.

There are a few truths that have emerged through all this and they are:

While God's people suffer like everyone else we know He is with us and He'll not forsake His people.
It's the nature of a follower of Christ is to help others even while suffering.

Even though there was great lose of material possessions they can be replaced but lives are irreplaceable and most valuable. God's people who suffered great lose are grateful for His protection.

God's people are quickly mobilized, ready to help and generous in giving of their time, treasure and talents when they know where, when and how to get involved.
God's "little armies of compassion" reach people quickly and effectively with aid and compassion while governments can put money in people's pockets God's people put hope in hearts and mend broken lives with love and kindness. (Mt 5:16) They are nimble, responsive and face-to-face in providing comfort and practical aid for the suffering.

Our little relief team is sick, tired and in need rest after three weeks of just about non-stop relief operations and medical clinics for flood victims. We ourselves are traumatized by what we experienced when Ondoy slammed Manila September 26, seeing the devastation and hearing difficult stories. But we're not sick and tired of serving the suffering in the name of Christ.

Before we distribute our relief items I'm regularly asked to give a word of encouragement so I tell people we're not alone in our suffering because Jesus Christ is with us in our suffering along with the prayers of countless believers around the world. I go on to say the funds for purchasing the very practical relief items come from our brothers and sisters in Christ from many places around the world which is an expression of their love for us. I also say as children of God, through faith in our sympathetic and victorious Savior, it's in our DNA as followers of Jesus to serve the suffering even while we're experiencing the same.

Galatians 6:2 (NASB) "Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ".

Since typhoon Ketsana (international code name) or Ondoy (Philippine name) slammed into Manila September 26 ACTION's Street Impact Team which primarily works with street children but handles the bulk of our team's disaster relief and development work has been delivering physical, emotional and spiritual aid to thousands of suffering people without a day off. It's starting to wear on us as we've been shock absorbers facing people's grief, shock and trauma which we do gladly in the name of Christ. Now it's time for the shock absorbers to retreat so we can continue to move forward in this difficult messy ministry. Next week we'll continue our relief operations as we trudge through the mud, stagnate filthy water and garbage compassionately delivering goods along with faith, hope and love. This weekend I'm going to the country with my family and Bible along with a few friends to not absorb filth and grief but God's restoration.

--another step toward establishing a church

Yesterday we had an evangelistic youth rally with perhaps 200 youth in attendance from "Ober da Bakod" and Calvary Hills two communities along the putrid San Juan River which were severely affected by Typhoon Ondoy. ACTION has Fish and Bread feeding programs along with Bible studies in both locations so we have a strong presence in each place. The rally was a lot of fun with singing, a couple special numbers using bag pipes, a 45 minute Gospel presentation using illusion tricks and a few relief items given to each person. It was great to see and hear the kids laughing after the trauma they've been through when Onday hammered Manila September 26.

I am uploading photos from yesterday’s distribution in are area called Marikina (click on link above). It was hard to take pictures inside the church because the power was out. But the pastor’s wife told us their story of escaping the floods. Then we walked down to the neighborhood where she lived. Her family won’t go back to their old place because it is still so wet, muddy and there is nothing left of their belongings. They were able to escape to someone’s home who has a 3 story building. The man who owns the house sells meat so she was one of his customers. He let her and her husband, 5 year old daughter and a couple of their nephews into his home. At first they just stayed on the terrace on the 2nd floor. When the water was reaching the 2nd floor, they had to crawl through a hole in the ceiling to get to the 3rd floor. The water came up that high but then stopped rising. They counted their blessings there because there was a little bit of food up there which they shared. They could see neighbors whose homes only had 2 stories and they had to stand on their roofs waiting for help. Those who were with the pastor's family were powerless to help them or to share some of the food they had where they were. Their story is repeated over and over.

What Jeff and I have noticed is how much the believers praise God for his protection. Over and over we are hearing that they lost everything but they still praise God for His goodness. We have seen how many, many pastors that we work with are working hard to meet the needs of their flocks. Even when they themselves lost everything, they are caring for others. They are the ones who got calls on their cellphones from their people who were stranded begging for food and rescue. They could not help then, but they are helping now. Those in our van were commenting that when things settle down, we want to have a large fellowship of pastors and their wives where they can come and share their stories, worship God together, encourage each other and pray. Psalm 50:15 seems to be a theme for many.

I am learning that at many relief distributions if they are announced publicly, people swarm the sight and they can become quite aggressive and even violent. Our pastors are having to quietly invite people to our distributions because once our goods are gone, they are gone. I have seen people come in while we are giving out goods and they have to be turned away because we only had a certain number of packs to give. At one location where Jeff was he said the people who were waiting started to press in on him and he had to try to keep order. They are so desperate. Another thing that happens is crime and theft becomes much worse.

Today my husband Jeff along with Doug Nichols, Dave Majam, Pami Ellis and others are going to go to Marikina to do more survey work. There is a river that runs through Marikina and it is probably the lowest point of Metro Manila. So it is probably the area where it is taking the longest for the water to go down. I won’t be able to go on that survey because our daughter is arriving at the airport this afternoon and I need to go pick her up. I’ll post Jeff’s photos later.

Yesterday we received and repacked in two locations a bulk order of rice, kitchen ware, sleeping mats and basic medicines which will be distributed in nine locations today through Wednesday in partnership with nine churches who work with us through-out the year in our ministries to children-in-crisis. Today we distribute in three locations to cemetery and river bank dwellers who are participating in our Fish and Bread feeding ministry. We had many volunteers from a few churches help us repack yesterday which was a big job but their volunteer spirit, backs and arms are strong. Two large army trucks along with several soldiers helped load their trucks and delivered items to two locations for us.

To date we've invested approximately $33,911 which has come from the States, Canada and the Philippines. Synergy is happening now with mobilized people, material resources becoming available and faith being put in action accompanied by God's blessing. We'll keep going as long as we have resources with our primary need being cash to buy supplies.

Doug Nichols arrives Monday noon and will be with us until the 14th because he wants to gather stories, get photos and help get the story out as what's happening especially how pastors and their churches are suffering.

Thanks for praying, giving and keeping people informed as requests for help from our partner churches are pouring in!