Peacemaking as Typhoon relief

My old college friend, Salvador Cariaga, sends this report after one month of helping people whose lives were devastated by two typhoons in 10 days in the Mayon district of the Philippines.

A typhoon or hurricane is the strongest storm on earth. The last two typhoons that hit the Bicol Region in less than a week showed how powerful and damaging this force can be. Over 700 villages, five provinces, half a dozen cities, and a million people were affected by this recent double destruction. This was multiplied by the lahar and mudslides coming down from the Mayon volcano just fresh from its recent eruptions.

Though the loss of lives was 'minimal' at over 1,000, the damage is extensive and widespread. What was once lush agricultural fields of cocunut trees have turned into a war zone-like scenario. From the airplane, the abundant coconut trees looked like tooth picks sticking up from the ground, if not bent or fallen in all directions. Miles and miles of houses were damaged or completely destroyed, many roads and bridges were almost impassable or closed, electric posts dangerously leaning everywhere.

Our one month of disaster relief involving over 100 volunteers from around the country did a lot for two small communities, but we barely scratched the surface. However, after one month of sleeping in tents, I am glad to be home and take a short break. We did just about everything, including medical mission, provide roofing for over 500 families, our volunteers cleaned up and helped fix a dozen houses, rebuilt a community basketball court, fed thousands, gave away hundreds of bags and school supplies to kids, conducted two VBS, gave away 131,000 shampoo packs donated by Proctor and Gamble, etc.

My partners and I have personally met mayors, a governor, congresman, and local community leaders and tried to work with them and through them. In the process, a new congregation is forming and another house church is expected to start. Last Sunday, 62 visitors attended our worship service. Yesterday in his brief visit around Mayon Volcano, Dr. John Bailey saw some of the places and people we have served.

We will be back there again with a new team and a new round of relief effort. We plan to do medical mission with half a dozen doctors and help provide roofing for 1000 more homes. We need to raise the following:

1. Medicine to treat 1000 or more people

2. 100 rolls of tarp to provide temporary roofing for 1000 more homes

3. 1000 Bibles. Most people's Bibles were water-damaged, if not swept away. 1000 Bibles is nothing compared to the need, but we plan to hand deliver them to the homes with personal prayer and encouragement.

4. Feed 10,000 people

5. Supply the food and needs of 60-80 volunteers for two weeks.

6. Generator

7. Chain saw

8. 20 more tents and beddings for the volunteer workers.

Note: Salvador had a ruptured apendix and was operated. He is currently recovering in the hospital.

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If you wish to help with material things like seeds, food and clothes, please send them to:

(Manila Area)
Makati Church of Christ
1598 Archimedes St
Brg Lapaz Makati, (near brgh hall)
Metro Manila,
Philippines

(Visayas Area)
Mactan Church of Christ
Tumulak Street,
Gun-ob
Lapu-Lapu City Cebu 6015
Philippines

(Mindanao Area)
Sunrise Christian College
Bon-Bon, Butuan City 8100
Philippines

For cash donations, please send it to the bank account of

Mactan Church of Christ

Metro Bank, Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City
00718550805-2
Swift number MBTCTHMM

Foreign donors can send their checks through their churches or mail it to:

BandS Ministries (Body and Soul)
P.O. Box 1926
Colleyville, Texas 76034

You may contact Dr. Bailey at jcb2of3@sbcglobal.net http://www.bandsministries.org/

If you have questions concerning Salvador's work, or the BandS organization of Dr. John Bailey, please feel free to email me.

Philippine typhoon relief work

I have just received the following message from Salvador Cariaga who has been in the disaster area near the Mayon Volcano in the Philippines for about the last month (since the 2 typhoons struck).

Relief Mission Update
I have witnessed the destruction caused by the tsunami in Sri Lanka and my brother, Dr. Sam have been there and to Indonesia as well. Although more people died in that aweful tragedy both of us think that the structural damage done by the two recent successive typhoons in Bicol region (around the active Mayon Volcano) is more wide spread and devastating. Sunday, I drove 100 miles towards Manila, and the damage reached all the way there. Another island province called Catanduanes is also hit as hard if not harder than where I am. I have been here in the disaster site for almost a month now, and I still can not get used to seeing the extensive damage of properties and crops.

Early this morning, I have personally visitied two homes owned by elderly widows (we are prioritizing our assistance on the elderly and widows). The first one is located just accross our new Disaster Camp in Bacacay, Albay. An electric post dangerously leans on their house while half of their roof is torn off and a couple of walls are missing. Their small "sari-sari (house store) was wiped out. Another widow lost everything in the typhoons. Not a single post was left standing. She rebuilt her house with twig-like materials and plastic trash for her roof.

Over 50 volunteers are now helping poor elderly folks like them. Some have already left and more are still coming. We are also getting local cash and kind donations from all over the country, including 31,000 packs of shampoo from proctor and gamble. Our volunteers are having fun distributing them around as freely as they do our WBS materials. Our main donors are members of the Churches of Christ, Bands (Body and Soul Ministry), and Caris Foundation.

Our first big batch of workers are getting tired and homesick. Most will go home this weekend. We have fresh new group on site now preparing to take over until after the new year. After that, I will take a break for a few weeks and be with my family. Unless new funds and workers take over, I might close the camp for good and just help the new church planting mission take over. We discovered three members of the Lord's church in Bacacay (who did not know each other). They committed to start a house church if we provide them a preacher until they can stand on their own.

Please continue to pray for this new ministry. I do not know what will happen and where this will lead to. I have gone as far as I could with this. Perhaps I too am a bit tired and homesick. I have been living in tents for weeks now. Maybe a break from here next month will help.

In His Service,

Salvador Cariaga

If you wish to help with material things like seeds, food and clothes, please send them to:


(Manila Area)
Makati Church of Christ
1598 Archimedes St
Brg Lapaz Makati, (near brgh hall)
Metro Manila,
Philippines

(Visayas Area)
Mactan Church of Christ
Tumulak Street, Gun-ob
Lapu-Lapu City Cebu 6015
Philippines
(Mindanao Area)

SunriseChristian College
Bon-Bon, Butuan City 8100
Philippines

For cash donations, please send it to the bank account of Mactan Church of Christ Metro Bank, Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City 00718550805-2

Foreign donors can send their check to through their churches or mail it to:

BandS Ministries (Body and Soul)
P.O. Box 1926
Colleyville, Texas 76034

You may contact Dr. Bailey at jcb2of3@sbcglobal.net, www.bandsministries.org <http://www.bandsministries.org>

_____

If you need further information, please email me at Cariaga@yahoo.com or call or text me at +63 917 624 3719

View recent pictures of the calamity by clicking below....
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/philippinemission/album?.dir=d820scd

Last weeks' report....
Forty one church volunteers have already arrived in our Disaster Base Camp overlooking the mighty Mayon Volcano spewing out ash and smoke. Ten more are expected tomorrow and ten more the next day and more after that. All will be staying in the school grounds (classroom or tent) without electricity or running water.

Today, our group will have conducted five different church services before the day is over. We hope that this will lead to at least one new congregation. Tomorrow, we will resume our planned schedule:

1. Repair the public school building. Classrooms, comfort rooms, cut broken tree branches, move felled trees, cut grass, fix rock walls,etc.
2. Cook for and serve 300 kids and youth.
3. Have Bible classes for most of the 300.
4. Visit homes most severely damaged or those owned by widows.
5. Bible studies and devotional.
6. Organizational meeting.

We will also distribute roofing materials, nails, cement and seeds. We have a partial delivery of 65 boxes of shampoo (31,00 sachet pieces or one truckload) to distribute also. We are negotiating with other companies to use us as a conduit for their donated products. Most of our volunteers are giving up their Christmas and New Year holidays with their families to serve in
the name of Christ.

In Him,

Salvador

Devastation in the Philippines

The area surrounding the Mayon volcano was the hardest hit area by the typhoons Durian and Utor over the last two weeks. Here are a few photos. See previous posts for more information.