Visiting a flooded Church

The view from the roof of the church.











In a pre-school,waiting out the storm in a pre-school.














A car repair shop in the neighborhood. Someone is still living here.













The front yard with things from the pastor's family buried in the mud.













Pastor Ricky and I discussing how to use the funds that I brought to help the church, the community and the pastor's family. Thanks to the donors.














I was able to visit this church three weeks after it was flooded by a typhoon, high tide and the emergency release of water behind dams. The pastor and his family got on the roof of their simple, rented residence as the water rose to 7 feet deep within the house. They then fled to a neighbor and finally to a local daycare center. They have moved back into their residence and with the help of many, they have restored some semblance of normalcy to their lives.

Pray for them as they seek to minister to families all around them.

I want to thank the donors who gave so generously so this could happen.

Praying in a House

Yesterday, Sunday, May 6th, we had a visitor at church. A young lady from Mindanao. She seemed to really enjoy her time with us. At the close of the service Pastor told us that she had requested us, the whole church, to come and pray over their house. This is not an usual request. I have prayed over musical instruments, cars, motorcycles, jeepneys, and a house or two. This is a common way for people to acknowledge the Lord's provision in their lives and to ask God's blessing.

So, we all climbed into private or public vehicles and about twenty of us, adults and children, went to the house. We pulled up in front of one of the nicer houses in town and went inside. That is when I realized this was going to be different. People were nervous and quiet. Then Pastor explained why we were there.

Last week in the news I had read about a botched robbery that involved the killing of a young nursing co-ed. I knew that it happened in our town of 80,000 but what I did not know was that it had happened in this house. The young lady who had come to our church was asking us to pray for protection for the remaining tenants who were house sitting while the owner lived in the United States (this is a very common practice here). The other young lady who was in the house was very afraid. According to the current state of investigation, the murder happened five days ago, the robbers were known by the occupants and they came in the front gate and were allowed entrance through the front door. They discovered the young lady in the course of the robbery and killed her. They just took a few smaller items.

Pastor had all of us pray together on the first floor of the house and then we went throughout the house praying for the occupants and binding the work of Satan in that place. It was quite an experience. Please do pray for our small group of believers that they will continue to reach out to those around us and demonstrate the power of the Good News of Jesus Christ in our community.

How important are birthdays?

Last Sunday, April 22, we sang "Happy Birthday" to one of the ladies in our small church. This is something we do whenever someone in our small group has a birthday. This is not something that is difficult to do since we only have thirty-five to forty adults and maybe 15 children in the worship family.

That is where I had something to learn. Pastor Reuben told me yesterday that she cried while we sang. Something so simple touched her so deeply. How could we know this or even think that this would have such a profound impact on her? I am so glad that there are people like Pastor Reuben who remember to sing "Happy Birthday."

I cannot remember what was preached that Sunday, maybe I was the preacher, but I will remember the results of singing that simple act of grace extended to a lady who experienced it.

Please pray that we all will be faithful in extending grace to one another. Remember Jesus said something about a glass of water given in his name.

Two days ago I was driving in our city and saw someone riding "piggy back". On a school playground, this would not be unusual but these were young men. As I drove by I took a closer look, the one who was being carried had a serious problem with his legs and the other young man was carrying him. Suddenly any problems I had just seemed so trivial. Would I be willing to carry someone like that? Why didn't they have a wheel chair for him?

Driving around our city can be a very powerful experience. If you would like to read a lengthy account written by one of my co-workers in Manila, just look for Sean Ransom's blog on this same site. It is about the man under the bridge.