Typhoon Haiyan approaching the
Philippines on November 7, 2013.
(Image courtesy NASA via Wikimedia Commons)

Philippines (MNN) — We have another recovery update from the Philippines, this time from SEND International. You may be wondering why we’re sharing so many Typhoon Haiyan updates, but keep in mind the scope of last year’s storm.

Known locally as “Typhoon Yolanda,” this was one of the strongest storms to ever make landfall anywhere.

“Typhoon Yolanda changed the lives of thousands,” says James Aberin, the Area Director for SEND Philippines. “We thank the Lord that He has come and helped these people.”

Remembering Typhoon Haiyan

On Friday, November 8, 2013, Super Typhoon Haiyan made landfall for the first time in the Philippines on the coast of Eastern Samar. It arrived ahead of schedule, catching many people by surprise.

Over the next 48 hours, Haiyan swept through the Central Philippines like an atomic bomb, its 20-foot storm surges carrying people, animals, and buildings out to sea. Between 6,000 and 8,000 people were killed in the Philippines, and more than four million were displaced.

(Photo credit SEND Philippines via Facebook)

Many survivors were without food or water for days upon end. Haiyan destroyed most island infrastructure, and transportation was difficult, to say the least.

“We have at least five cities where 95% of the whole villagers were devastated,” Bishop Efraim Tendero shared with MNN last November. “[On] one island, the fear is that up to 80% of the people are gone–washed into the sea. So, that’s the very painful situation.”

The Philippines Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) coordinated and facilitated immediate relief efforts, while SEND International funneled immediate and long-term aid through its in-country partner.

Over the past 12 months, SEND has been ministering to spiritual and physical needs in two phases: immediate relief assistance and long-term assistance. Immediate relief included things like food, clothing, and medicine, while long-term help included rebuilding churches and pastors’ homes, and providing grief counseling for pastors.

Moving forward

Bodies were still being found in the Philippines
2 months after Haiyan made landfall.
(Photo credit SEND Philippines via Facebook)

One year after the Philippine archipelago experienced a hellish week wrought by Super Typhoon Haiyan, there are both blessings and room for more progress.

With the help of donors, SEND was able to help 40 pastors rebuild their homes. SEND also provided grief counseling for pastors so they could, in turn, help communities turn to Christ for hope.

“I would personally like to thank you for your prayers…for the gifts that you have sent in support of the work to rehabilitate, provide relief, for those who were victims of the typhoon,” Aberin says.

He then shares the story of Pastor Dante, who lost three of his four children to Typhoon Haiyan, as well as his home and church building. Through financial support from donors, SEND helped Pastor Dante and his wife rebuild their home.

“They have invited children of their relatives, who have lost their parents, into their house,” Aberin shares.

SEND also helped the couple purchase new property and construct a church building.

“They have 100 believers, and they have recently baptized new believers,” adds Aberin. “We thank the Lord for how He has given new hope to people who have been victims of the typhoon.”

A new day dawns in Tacloban.
(Photo credit SEND Philippines via Facebook)

There’s still more work to do, though. Click here for details.

“Mbuhay mrangepunsalamat sangyalahai — thank you very much, God bless you.”

Please keep praying for people in the Philippines, especially in light of the one-year anniversary. The amount of damage wrought by Haiyan will take years to recover from, especially on smaller, hard-to-reach islands. Pray that Filipino believers won’t lose faith in Yahweh, who promises to work all things for good for those who serve Him.

(Satellite imagery courtesy NASA)

Philippines (MNN) — It’s typhoon season and the first major storm has rolled through the Philippines. According to reports, Typhoon Rammasun, known locally as Glenda, has killed at least 10 people and caused hundreds of thousands to be evacuated.

Rammasun is technically the seventh typhoon to pass through the Pacific archipelago in 2014, but it is reportedly the strongest thus far. The storm carried winds upward of 93 mph and gusts nearing 115 mph. Though the storm sideswiped Manila, widespread power outages were observed, and over 370,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas.

“It was like a drill,” Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada told the Associated Press. “We hauled people away from dangerous seaside areas, whether they liked it or not.”

Remember the rebuilt widows’ homes and kids’ trauma counseling we told you about earlier this week? Those Christian Aid Mission and Operation Mobilization missionaries will be busy responding in Christ’s name, not only to the aftermath of this storm, but to dozens more that are sure to come.

The Philippines see an average of 20 typhoons and tropical storms each year, making it one of the world’s most disaster-prone nations.

Last year’s historic Typhoon Haiyan killed more than 6,000 people and left millions without a home. About 90% of Tacloban’s structures were flattened, and the super-storm created around $2.8 billion of overall damage.

Will you keep ministry workers and the Filipino people in your prayers? Pray for strength as believers share God’s love and hope. Ask the Lord to protect Haiyan survivors from more suffering. Pray that the never-changing Truth of Christ is made evident through physical disasters.

More stories from the Philippines here.

OM Philippines conducted Operation Safe camps in three areas of Northern Cebu and Tacloban that had been badly affected by Typhoon Haiyan, as well as in different areas of Cebu City and Bohol.
(Image, caption courtesy OM)

Philippines (OM) — It’s been months since Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines, but for some child survivors, recovery is starting now. Through Operation Safe, emotional scars are being healed one-by-one.

Four workers from Operation Mobilization (OM) Philippines received training in trauma counselling for individuals–especially children–in Calbayog, Samar, in March.

“This was a timely training, since Philippines recently experienced a series of disasters that have badly affected many areas and traumatized people, especially children, at different levels,” said Xenia Bodero, OM Philippines’ social worker.

Convinced of the benefits of this training, OM Philippines conducted Operation Safe camps in three areas of Northern Cebu and Tacloban that were badly affected by Typhoon Haiyan, as well as in different areas of Cebu City and Bohol that were hit by the earthquake.

Street children from Lorega Cemetery in Cebu City also underwent the program weeks after their community was destroyed by a fire in March that reportedly left 7,000 people homeless.

“These camps are basically aimed to cater for children ages seven years old and up,” said Bodero. “They facilitate psycho-emotional restoration through stress-debriefing [by means of] dance and songs, craft making, creative snacks, fun-filled Bible stories, adventure storytelling and team time. [These children] where able to ventilate their experiences and emotions caused during the disaster.”

One of the children in Northern Cebu who attended the Operation Safe camp was very quiet during the first few days of camp. He had seen his home fly away during Typhoon Haiyan.

“During the week, he slowly began to interact with other children and enjoyed the activities, especially song and dance,” noted Bodero. “By the end of the camp, he had become lively and active.”

Scholars who benefit from OM Philippines’ Scholarship Program also helped run various Operation Safe camps in Cebu City and Bohol. “Not only were they able to further develop their leadership skills, but they also had the opportunity to share God’s love with trauma survivors,” Bodero added.

OM Philippines provides training in trauma counseling for individuals, especially children, in areas that have been badly affected by recent disasters.
(Image, caption courtesy OM)

One of the scholars said that Operation Safe had helped her change her attitude “because I met people who are very kind to me…. Even though they experienced great loss and trials during Typhoon Yolanda [Haiyan], they still believed in God. Their smiles, even in pain, were very encouraging.”

Another scholar was amazed to see how “the tragedy brought people closer to God, especially in those places where we [hosted] Operation Safe. We were greatly blessed.”

Pray for more healing as Operation Safe camps continue through the summer. Learn more about OM’s work in the Philippines here.

More Haiyan recovery updates here.

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

Philippines (MNN) — While schools throughout North America are just ending the school year for the summer, for thousands of students in the Philippines, the school year just got started this week.

Yet, seven months after Super Typhoon Haiyan destroyed the region, many schools remain piles of rubble. Baptist Global Response Executive Director Jeff Palmer says, “In our initial surveys, we found 230+ schools that were either damaged or destroyed in the Typhoon impact areas.” Complicating matters, new regulations requiring higher building standards so schools withstand future typhoons led to delays.

Still, BGR teams got to work. “We partnered with eight different schools to rebuild about 16-17 buildings or repair those. It’s kind of nice to go to a few of those schools and see that they are ready to get back into session.”

The feeling of urgency stems from a basic need for recovery in order to heal the emotional scars. Palmer explains, “Part of that recovery is getting back into normalized life, like getting kids back into schools–getting that rhythm back into life. That’s an important process in the disaster response: moving to recovery, moving to rehabilitation, and on to development.”

Roofs were torn off. Some walls were down. Houses in the neighborhoods slowly were being rebuilt, but there was no money to repair the schools. The Department of Education needed help. Each day the schools were crippled, the future dimmed a bit more for the children. Palmer says, “We worked with about eight schools, about 15 to 18 buildings, like I said. We’ve helped with almost 800 homes now in a couple of different impact areas. In the midst of all of that, we’ve been able to proclaim Truth and give the hope that’s in the Gospel to the Filipinos that we’re working with.”

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

The six-month rebuilding project cycles new teams in every two weeks, says Don Hargis, who directs disaster relief efforts for the California Southern Baptist Convention, which coordinates with BGR. Baptist Global Response purchases supplies locally, which helps revive the local economy. On-site construction coordinators stay a month at a time. By the end of the project, 84 volunteers will have helped ten elementary schools back on their feet.

The challenge of rebuilding lives in the Philippines will stretch on for months, notes Palmer. “A lot of people are still living in barracks; a lot of people are still living in shanties, and little tents, and temporary shelters, so [we’re] trying to move them back into homes.”

Learn how you can help by visiting BGR’s Typhoon Haiyan project page.

(UNICEF Philippines photograph)

Philippines (MNN) — A glance at the most recent Situation Reports from the United Nations for the Philippines reads like this:

*About 1,400 tents (20% of the total) had to be repaired or replaced in Guiuan following the passing of Tropical Depression Agaton (Lingling) in late January.

*A 4.8-magnitude earthquake struck Leyte (Region VIII). There are no reports of damage or casualties.

*Internally Displaced Persons in Tacloban City moved from evacuation centers to bunkhouses two weeks ago. However, more work is required to prepare the sites.

*An assessment mission in Bantayan Island (Region VII) showed that there are still immediate shelter requirements and a need for better early recovery coordination.

This is a mere glimpse of the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan, which struck the Philippines squarely November 9, 2013. It revealed disaster upon disaster, and yet just 52% of the funding required in the Philippines has been met, despite a huge international effort to pool donations.

Why the disinterest? The international community is deluged with disaster reports all the time. That’s especially true of Syria, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. Now, with the Olympic Games underway, there’s very little attention paid to the crisis in the Philippines.

(Photo couresy of ANM)

That may be due, in part, to not having a face or a story to put to it. For Marlou Barredo, wife of Advancing Native Missions founder and President Bo Barredo, it got very personal. Marlou is a native of Tacloban, an area that took the brunt of Typhoon Haiyan’s wrath.

Shock upon seeing her hometown leveled turned to forward motion after Bo encouraged her to action. “’I think it’s about time for you to stop weeping and for you to acknowledge that you are the Esther of your people in such a time as this. You come from the island. You come from the Philippines, and those islands of Samar and Leyte. Those are Waray-Waray people, and you are one of them.’”

She told her story, and her heartfelt plea brought in a flood of supplies. Bo adds, “This is also in partnership with another ministry called ‘Gleaning for the World’ based in Lynchburg, Virginia. With this partnership, and with all of those donated food items and clothes, and blankets, and medicines, we were able to ship out 459 large boxes.”

They’ve also sent a couple of medical teams out to deal with the injuries that come in the wake of storms like this, and in the aftermath of clean-up. In fact, on Valentine’s Day, “There’s a big medical team doing their second or third medical operations in the city of Tacloban.”

Bo adds,  “Aside from the food distribution, there’s an ongoing repair of 53 homes and churches, and one of them is a Bible school.” Now, this story is starting to read like all the other disaster stories buried in a newscast.

Carlota Ursaig, 45-years-old, was thankful to be reunited with her 6 children after a tree landed on the house they had been taking shelter in. They gladly received food that an OM team had to spare. (Image, caption courtesy OM)

Let’s put another face on it. Bo talked about a couple he met while in Tacloban holding pastor conferences. Not only did the attendees get a good meal, some supplies, and care from God’s Word: they also got hope. But this couple, Pastor Dante Lingo, and his wife, DeLor, stood out in his mind because of what they said. “’Thank you for helping us start a second life.’” The ruin faced by this family was complete: they “lost three of their four children, all under the age of 11. Not only had they lost their three children, they also lost their home, and they also lost their church.” But they were determined to continue their ministry, and with the respite they received at the conference, they could go on. Their story is similar to thousands across Haiyan’s footprint.

There are real people behind the collapsed buildings and rubble scattered island wide. Bo observes that while the scope of damage remains overwhelming in light of the time that’s passed, there is still time to respond. “We admit this is just a drop in the bucket, but if there are many drops in the bucket, that makes a river.”

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

Philippines (MNN) — If you live in central or southern Philippines, the last six months have been brutal.

Battered by an earthquake, typhoons, and conflict, the region is now experiencing floods and mudslides in an area evacuated three months ago to escape Typhoon Haiyan’s fury.
There is no relief in sight for the southern Philippines, though. Baptist Global Response Executive Director Jeff Palmer says, “On top of that, now with the responses going on, we have the lesser typhoons and the storms that are hitting that are hampering relief efforts.”

A visit from Tropical Storm Lingling, (Agaton) added to the monsoon season, dropping nearly four feet of rain since January 1. The heavy flooding and mudslides have displaced 200,000, with the total affected hovering somewhere near 800,000.

Once more, the remote areas are the last to get help. Palmer explains, “We’re having trouble getting into some of the areas…and getting supplies in, having to delay schedules because of choppy seas.” Forecasters expect more rain to fall during the week, so conditions won’t be improving in the near future.

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

However, Southern Baptists and their partners are formulating a longer-term strategy for helping affected people rebuild their lives, says Palmer. “Many of the areas that we’re working in, we’re still coordinating with the government. We’re still doing a little bit of food distribution. I just looked at the list: we did a little bit over a thousand families this month. That’s tapering off because food is becoming more available.”

With so many global crises, response has been lackluster. However, Palmer says the need now is greater than ever before. “This is when the real work begins because we’re looking at several years of rebuilding and helping people get back, re-established to where they were before the storm. A majority of them aren’t: they’ve just lost everything.”

The community development team is visiting villages, interviewing survivors to find out where their help is most needed. “We are back into institution and home reconstruction. Schools are a big thing. In the five areas we’re working in, we’re looking at 200+ schools. Some of that’s getting a roof back on; some of that is actually rebuilding whole buildings.”

(Photo courtesy Baptist Global Response)

Resources are finite. The restoration fund is just over a million dollars. Over the last couple of months, BGR used roughly a third of that in the recovery efforts. In about six months, unless they get some help, the fund will be at extremely low levels. $15 feeds a family of 5 for a week.

A little prayer and hard work goes a long way in a developing nation, too, adds Palmer. While the Philippines is the top Christian nation in Asia, “there are a lot of people there who still have not heard the Gospel. We’re finding this over and over in the places where we’re responding. [We’re] helping to build a home, but also talking about the foundation we all need to build upon, which is our faith in Jesus Christ.”

Click here if you can come alongside to help in the Philippines.

“Many are suffering, and this will last for months and even years without God’s help and healing grace. So we pray that God will bring healing through the prayer relief team that we will deploy…where our network of churches are.”
(Image, caption courtesy World Mission)

Philippines (MNN) — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling the global community to step up their support for the Philippines.

After visiting areas ravished by Typhoon Haiyan last week, Ban outlined the U.N.’s four-year support plan. Totaling around $8 billion, the plan’s aim is to help revive the local economy and rebuild infrastructure destroyed by Haiyan’s wrath.

Greg Kelley, Executive Director of World Mission, says they have a plan of their own. In spring 2014, “We’re sending teams in from the U.S. that will be coming alongside our Filipino partners.

“They will be participating in rebuilding churches, pastors’ homes, and doing evangelism work, as well as distributing the Treasures,” Kelley explains. Those looking to join the trip should “have a heart for evangelism…along with the construction ability.”

Contact World Mission for more information or to sign up.

While rebuilding will be a primary focus of the trips, Treasure distributions will be equally important. World Mission’s Treasures are digital, solar-powered audio Bibles that hold over 60 hours of Scripture recorded in the heart language of remote people groups.

Kelley says stories of unimaginable tragedy pour out of the Philippines like a never-ending flood. But, “what we heard over and over was people’s desire for our Treasure, which is our audio Bible that’s in the Cebuano and Wari’ language.”

MNN’s sister station, WCSG, raised around $25,000 for World Mission’s relief efforts in the Philippines. As a result, the group sent 500 Treasures, along with relief aid like food and clothing, to communities affected by Haiyan.

It wasn’t easy, though. Kelley says looters are continually robbing convoys carrying relief aid to disaster-hit areas.

To protect their precious cargo, World Mission partners on-the-ground devised a clever scheme. They put signs on trucks carrying the Treasures and donated relief supplies that read “Good News Ministries” in the Arabic language.

“Anything in Arabic makes people pause and say, ‘You go ahead and pass through,'” Kelley explains.

“But [in reality], it was Christian relief coming through with these Arabic signs.”

(Image courtesy World Mission)

Praise God for His protection of these supplies and local workers. Thank Him also for openness to the Gospel that didn’t exist before the storm.

Kelley says Guiyan, an area hit particularly hard by Haiyan, previously wanted nothing to do with Jesus Christ. “But after the storm, the hearts [of many people] opened up, and many of them have given their hearts to Christ.

“It’s pretty amazing to think how the Lord just used that tragedy to really open up the hearts and minds of people to the Gospel,” he adds.

Pray that more people will turn to Christ for salvation as they learn of His power and love.

(Photo courtesy Food For the Hungry)

Philippines (MNN) — The Christmas season isn’t over in the Philippines. The country’s official observance is from December 16 to Epiphany, January 9. The deeply devout nation has also earned the distinction of celebrating the world’s longest Christmas season.

However, survivors of the Philippines’ deadliest typhoon are celebrating surrounded by mud as heavy rain drove many inside their flimsy shelters.

To get a scale of the destruction, over the course of less than 24 hours, super Typhoon Haiyan affected more than 14 million people in 44 provinces in the central Philippines, displaced more than 4 million residents, damaged about 1 million houses and left nearly 1,800 people missing, according to a report by the United Nations.

It is the largest typhoon to hit land in recorded history, and it will take years for the country to fully recover. Pete Howard with Food For the Hungry recently returned from some of their work sites. “I flew into the Tacloban area, which is devastated. It looked very much like the tsunami I remember working in, back in Indonesia: just complete devastation, people living in very difficult conditions even as they try to rebuild their lives.”

With buildings smashed to pieces and trees snapped in half, water continues to flood streets leaving most places unlivable. Yet, the story is no longer holding front-page attention. During his visit this week to some of the hardest-hit areas, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged, “We must not allow this to be another forgotten crisis.” He went on to announce the Government’s strategic plan, amounting to some $8.17 billion over four years.

(Photo courtesy Food For the Hungry)

The plan aims to restore the economic and social conditions of the affected areas at the very least to pre-typhoon levels and to create a higher level of disaster resilience. That’s not to say the people aren’t resilient, Howard notes. “I saw hundreds of homes already starting to be rebuilt from the rubble and talked with families who are rebuilding. These families didn’t even ask for help.” Yet, he says, this is what they face: “There are people that, every day, are going to be living out in the elements, trying to find protection from the rain, trying to ensure that they have meals for their children.”

The most vulnerable people, particularly in remote islands and areas, remain food-insecure and highly dependent on food assistance. Since November 8, survivors are searching through the rubble for food and water and a safe place to rest. Howard says, “Food For the Hungry purposely chose an area that was underserved, a very poor area of southern Samar. In fact, we were the first NGO (Non-Government Organization) to come alongside those people.”

(Photo courtesy Food For the Hungry)

FH staff was already in the region working when Haiyan hit. For that reason, they were able to get in immediately and were able “to distribute the most needed items: food, blankets, and hygiene kits, as well as beginning to help people with things like child protection–making sure children are safe in conflicts and emergencies.”

Electricity remains spotty, further complicating recovery. However, despite all the challenges facing the survivors, there is hope.

As believers come alongside their communities, they are bringing the warmth of Christ’s love by providing them with shelter and food. Howard says, “I am incredibly encouraged by the response of the Filipino Christian community, and even just the community leaders. They are a very resilient people.” As believers come alongside their communities, they are bringing the warmth of Christ’s love by providing them with shelter and food.

Please join Food for the Hungry (FH) in providing Filipinos with:
• Food
• Shelter
• Medicines for sick children and parents
• Safe areas for children to play
• Love and support in Jesus’ name

The most critical need in one Philippines village following Typhoon Haiyan is shelter.
(Image, caption courtesy BGR)

USA (MNN) — A month has passed in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, and some islands of the Philippines are still waiting to receive aid. The death toll continues to rise, yet U.S. interest is fading.

While the U.S. leads the disaster relief effort financially, most Americans have stopped following the events going on now. According to last month’s Pew Research study, less than 14% of U.S. adults reported contributing to the relief effort, and less than a third were still watching for updates.

Jeff Palmer of Baptist Global Response says they’re seeing something different on-the-ground, however. “Actually, we’re having some good response: good things are going on,” he states.

According to Palmer, the media has begun to pull out of the area. This will cause the awareness of conditions to decrease, but BGR is not worried. “The needs are huge, and they’re still ongoing. We at Baptist Global Response…are seeing a great response happening.”

Initial donations were substantial, though they will be spent quickly. However, BGR has many teams mobilized, and support is coming in from around the world. Partners from both the Philippines and America have joined BGR in aiding people whose homes have been demolished.

“One of the things that’s interesting is that this disaster, Typhoon Haiyan, was widespread; it was huge,” notes Palmer.

“The areas that you’ve seen on the news are just small areas compared to the overall area of the Philippines that has been hit. There are five major regions affected.”

BGR responders are settling into different areas, seeking to reach even the most remote areas affected by the storm.

“We’re still finding islands in areas that nobody has made it to. It’s just unbelievable, a month after the event. But you have to understand: this was a huge storm, a huge area.”

Palmer says the islands are often small and isolated, and transportation between them remains difficult. But where teams are stationed, immediate needs of Filipinos are being met.

“Actually the food situation in most of the places is pretty good,” Palmer says, “Water is an issue, but on those islands, water is always an issue. The health care issues are actually more preexisting conditions. The big issue right now is housing.”

Over 600,000 people have been displaced from their homes, and some houses having been wiped away completely.

Palmer is encouraged by the level of involvement on-the-ground. Progress is being made steadily. He recognizes that the rebuilding period could last around three years. But right now, involvement is sufficient. “What will concern me is: after five-six months to a year, what will it look like?”

Christ calls His followers to help the needy. The seemingly apathetic response to this disaster, as portrayed by the Pew Research findings, should concern Christians but also motivate them to pray and to reach out with the resources they have. One area of prayer involves the Great Commission.

Palmer says Haiyan’s wrath is opening doors to communities that were previously closed to the Gospel.

“It’s been a great way to show compassion and get an audience with people who are desperate to hear a word of hope,” he states.

If you feel led to contribute to the effort going on in the Philippines, or if you would like to be more involved, follow this link.

Philippines (MNN) — The number of dead: unknown. The number of missing: unknown. The amount of destruction? Indescribable.

The most powerful typhoon to ever hit land created a swath of destruction that few can fathom but thousands in the Central Philippines will remember forever.

Packing 190 mile per hour winds and a deluge of rain, Typhoon Haiyan hit the central part of the Philippines Friday. Tocloban seems to be one of the hardest-hit areas, but with communications cut, it’s impossible to know that for sure.

SEND International has been working in the Philippines since World War II. Trent Rollings with SEND Canada says, “I’ve been hearing reports, as well, that there are people who haven’t eaten for four days now and are getting desperate. So, there’s a lot of looting going on. People are just really desperate, even looking for food in places right beside dead bodies.”

Based in Manila, Rollings says, “I think this country has never seen any kind of devastation like this. The videos that are coming up on the news are comparable to tsunami damage, actually. That is because the storm surge that came with the typhoon ended up being 5 meters (over 16 feet), even higher in some places.”

That was preceded by winds of 300 km (186 mph), which destroyed thousands of buildings in its path.

While reports are suggesting 10,000 people have died in the storm, Rollings says it’s impossible to know because of the lack of communications. “There are a lot of very isolated islands that have thousands, if not tens of thousands of people on them. It’s hard to know what that damage is.”

Since the storm didn’t lose that much strength as it swept across the region, Rollings believes there could be thousands of other victims.

SEND is connected to more than 30,000 national churches in the Philippines. SEND’s Liz Givens says many of these churches will be the launching point of relief. The needs will be unfathomable. “Many people make their living fishing. Their boats are gone. They live near the shore. Their houses are gone. They harvest their coconut palms and their bananas. Those are gone. Yes, they will regrow, but it’s going to take some time, and right now there are people hungry, thirsty, and hurt.”

SEND International is collecting funds for relief. Your generous support will go directly to the relief efforts. Click here to give safely and securely.

Your support helps with physical needs of the victims, as well as spiritual. As Christians reach out, sharing the Gospel is essential in everything they do.

We’ll have more on SEND’s efforts in the days ahead. We hope to interview Bishop Efraim Tendero, the head of the Philippines Council of Evangelical Churches. Stay tuned.