Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Infanta, Philippines Makes Progress Praise God for his goodness to our Asian CB family. As many of you know we are intentionally building strong relationships between the CB family in the Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Indonesia. We are exchanging short term mission teams and working together to extend the kingdom of God. During the last week of December and the first week of January 2005, we sent a STM team to the Philippines. A flood had recently devastated some towns near the area where we were planning to go. When we heard this news, we wrote CBAP and asked if it would be more appropriate to come and help with disaster relief instead of doing what was originally planned. CBAP talked it over and decided to change our mission to disaster relief. We worked with CBAP as well as the Sariaya and Lucena City Baptist Churches to take relief into a hard hit town, Infanta. Before we left our Hong Kong Churches and brothers and sisters gave generously to aid the relief and rebuilding effort. When we left the Philippines we asked them to please keep us informed of the progress in bringing relief to these areas. Recently we have received some reports which we want to pass on to you, so that you can rejoice in what God is doing through our CB family. I’ve included photos from our Infanta trip (Jan 2005). Look at what God is doing through his family! Three CBAP pastors are leading the work in hard hit Quezon province: Pastor Veloso is overseeing a livelihood program in Nakar. Mastor Macolor is heading up the rebuilding project in Infanta and Pastor Joel is stirring up and leading the Quezon province CBAP churches to get involved in rebuilding the disaster hit areas. These men took a trip on May 9 to survey and make plans. Below are excerpts from their report (shared with permission) Here is what they saw: May 9, 2005 Survey Trip Nakar: We had a chance to see the area where livelihood project could be launched.  The farms that used to be rice paddies, looks like a dry river bed, with scattered logs and branches of trees. The farmers planted the seeds donated by different agencies, but most of the plants dried up due to the condition of the soil. Pastor Veloso and a couple from his church, gave a brief introduction of the livelihood project they are planning to introduce… It is about bringing back the fertility of the soil through the use of earthworms, and planting organic crops that are in high demand in the market. They welcomed the idea. Infanta: A town councilor gave us a tour of Barangay Ilog, where hundreds of families are still living inside a tent or with the roof of their houses partially covered. He said that this Barangay are overlooked when rehabilitation agencies came to help… There are 80 total number of houses that need roofing assistance. Pastor Macolor will launch a project called   Bubong ng Pag-ibig . (Roof of Love) Dates: May 24, 25, 26-2005. The goal of the project is to help at least 20 families to complete the roof of their houses, … by providing them with materials to be built by 20 carpenters from Quezon CBAP churches who will sacrifice their time to join the project. The Rehabilitation Project Roof of Love took place as planned on May 24, 25, 26. The team were composed of the following: From Sariaya: 7 male workers and 5 female. These include Pastor Macolor and his wife. From Lucena: 4 male workers Total of 16 personnel The team focused in one village named; Barangay Ilog, where they were able to install roof of nine houses and one church. Two families had the ability to install themselves the corrugated GI sheets they received. Five families received the roofing materials but the team were not able to install it because of the limited time. Total of 16 houses received assistance. While the team were fixing the roof, female members of Sariaya Baptist Church were witnessing to the mothers of the family. Five mothers, one father and four youths made their profession to receive Christ. During the last day of the project, May 26, Pastor Tony Veloso and his team from Lucban came to hold a seminar on livelihood program. The rehabilitation team invited the heads of the family who received roofing assistance to attend the seminar. The team provided the lunch for the whole group.  Before the start of the after-lunch-session, two carpenters from Sariaya gave their testimony. Pastor Anselmo Macolor extended the invitation to receive Jesus. Thirteen souls made profession to receive Christ. Pastor Tony Veloso and his team will be coming back two weeks after the seminar for follow up of the livelihood program. Please pray for the follow up of these rebuilding and livelihood programs. Ask God to help our Quezon CBAP churches lead the way in rebuilding these destroyed communities. Ask God to open many hearts to the gospel and to build up the church in each of these locales. Thank you for praying. 10:40:16 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2005 Allan Smith. Last update: 9/21/2005; 7:23:31 AM.