“Rescue workers struggled to reach ravaged towns and villages in the central Philippines on Monday as they tried to deliver aid to survivors of a powerful typhoon that killed an estimated 10,000 people and displaced more than 600,000.” (Reuters)
A word from VVM-CMI Field Director, Darwin, who lives in Baguio City, Luzon, Philppines:
Thank you for you faithfulness in prayer.My family and I and our Northern Luzon ministry (CMI Partners) by God’s grace and mercy, are OK AND WELL when typhoon Haiyan entered Philippines and created unimaginable devastation and losses–that words are not quite sufficient to described it.The wind was very strong even here in the mountains. It was first time for us to hear howling wind that strong. Sounds like turbo jet passing overhead, and I was telling Nenette the wind seems to be creating “music” like that sound the movie Encounter of the third Kind (to some of you that perhaps saw this movie decades ago.) We are grateful to have move to a new house and place. In our old place, I would imagine it must have been stronger.It’s central Visayas that had really suffered terrible loses of lives, livelihood, properties… ocean water surge (becoming like tsunami) because of the super typhoon, that has really created devastation and lost of lives.Local news (tv and print) continue to show very sad footages and stories.I got in touch with our Palawan and Calamianes Group of Island CMI Partners (Coron and Busuanga):Pstr Angel S., Area Coordinator, texted telling losing his house, livelihood, and their church building. Pastor Renz shared the same thing, and so were some of the Pastors. They are grateful, though they lost whatever little they have, no lives were lost or even injury. Let us continue praying for them and find ways to provide assistance in tangible ways. Ministry equipment are okay. Palawan Team did not suffer much damages or loses.Difficult days awaits our Palawan and Calamianes Group of Islands partners. Coron still isolated and needing relief goods, etc. Check out link below for some video/photo and story.
Praise God for the many good meetings in Illinois and Wisconsin that VVM Director Darwin Bayani and VVMI Director Colin Edwards have been blessed to experience in visiting VVMI prayer partners and supporters the past two weeks. This has been a time of mutual encouragement for both directors and for those hearing about the exciting things God is doing through vernacular video mission and ministry. Colin says: “We are so grateful for the outpouring of God’s love towards us through His saints! We’ve often been asked if we’re tired from all the travels in the past month. The answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ since any physical weariness is more than compensated for by our joy in being able to share about the exciting things God is 