German, Stuart and Jeanie

TYPHOONS AND TROPICAL STORMS PROVIDE WORK AND MINISTRY IN ABUNDANCE FOR CONVOY OF HOPE: PHILIPPINES...Over about a three week period, from mid-November to early December, powerful typhoons and tropical storms pounded the Philippines. Yoyong (international name Namandol) was categorized a super-typhoon. Several regions of the country incurred major damage, but the eastern coast of Luzon, about 100 miles due East of Manila was hit hardest. The towns of Real, Infanta, and General Nakar cling to the mountains along the Pacific coast. Illegal logging has stripped the mountains bare, and they collapsed under the torrential rains. Landslides and torrents sent boulders crushing into the town's buildings and trees sliding down the mountains like battering rams. Walls of mud knocked homes from their foundations and filled them with mud. Most estimates place the dead-and-missing toll at around fifteen hundred. On our first visit to Infanta we distributed several days worth of rice and groceries to about 300 heavily effected families. We have no A/G churches in the area, so our relief work is channeled through the evangelical association. On our most recent visit, Jan. 8, we found many houses still filled with substantial amounts of mud. The power company is saying it will likely be eight months before electricity is restored. We have just received two food shipments from Convoy of hope U.S. and will soon be hosting more distributions in this area as well as on Mindoro Island, which also suffered extensive damage. Most of the destruction on Mindoro was to agriculture. We traveled across the island on Jan. 9 to distribute food to 475 families who had lost their means of livelihood. Everywhere we saw mango, banana, and coconut tree groves demolished and rice fields washed out. Two A/G churches were also heavily damaged, requiring about $1,000 in repairs, and more than 100 houses belonging to A/G constituents were destroyed or badly damaged. The houses are mainly bamboo huts with nipa palm roofs and will cost on average around $150 to repair. We prayerfully urge any volunteers to help us minister to these people by ministering to their physical and spiritual needs as their lives are being restored. Your financial gifts to help pay for Convoy of Hope food shipments, local rice purchases, or building reconstruction can be made through your local church on Mission Sunday. Thank you for helping us to minister our Lord's love and grace in abundance!