Update on Disciples' Needs in Philippines

1.  All disciples (14) in Northern Cebu or Daang Bantayan are safe. Except for two disciples all lost their homes and are living in makeshift shelters. Some of them are staying in our rented church building in the area. Disciples from the Cebu church are regularly traveling to the site, which is four hours away, and are providing relief goods for them.

2.  39 disciples and their families have been safely evacuated to Cebu by teams from Manila and Cebu. They are now staying in temporary apartments provided by the churches in Cebu and Manila. The survivors have undergone debriefing and the church in Cebu is providing love and care for them. Despite what they have gone through, the disciples from Tacloban are ready to help and will in fact be enlisted by HOPE worldwide Philippines to assist in relief efforts.

This morning the disciples there immediately swung into action as they are awaiting the arrival of 23 Typhoon Haiyan survivors who came to Manila via C-130’s provided by the US Air Force. These survivors thought they were going to Cebu but somehow ended up in Manila. Volunteers from Manila assisted them and procured tickets for them to go on a ship to Cebu. Some of these survivors have been staying for three days in an airbase in Manila. Fortunately a disciple, Atty. Benn Sabidong works for a shipping company and short of a miracle was able to procure tickets, which the Manila Church paid for in just six hours! So now, these survivors are on the way to Cebu and will be met by disciples from Tacloban who prepared care packages for them to bring when they arrive!

3.  Please continue to pray for Gilbert Sisikan as we still have not located him nor his family. So at this time he is still listed as missing.

4.  Hundreds of disciples in Manila are signing up to serve! We have established a number of clusters, which include the following:

1. Psychosocial services – helping to debrief and encourage survivors (disciples are being trained to conduct this)
2. Soup kitchens – setting up and manning feeding programs in affected areas
3. Resource mobilization – fundraising, coordination, help desks, etc…
4. Relief goods processing and distribution – repacking and delivery of food stocks, water, hygiene kits, etc…
5. Rebuilding efforts – volunteers who can assist in procuring materials and construction of shelters.

Those who have signed up are willing to take leaves from work to serve not only in Manila but also in Tacloban, Bohol, Iloilo and Northern Cebu!

5.  Another batch of 77 survivors who have been stranded in Villamor Airbase in Manila were provided passage to Cebu by HOPE worldwide and the Metro Manila Christian Church. Because of the incredible gratitude of the survivors, this attracted media attention and the church as well as HOPE worldwide Philippines was acknowledged live on national TV yesterday. Disciples from the Tacloban church will be welcoming these batches of survivors when they arrive in Cebu and provide them with care packages!

6.  A sister of a disciple was so amazed by the way her brother and 15 other family members were rescued from Tacloban city by teams from Manila and Cebu of HOPE worldwide Philippines, that she decided to come to church in Cebu to find out what makes the disciples so different from others. She had been crying out for help for her family in Tacloban to be evacuated because of the dire conditions they were in. She approached many religious organizations and others and yet her pleas remained unanswered. She is so grateful and wants to know Jesus through the disciples in Cebu city!

Even through the horrible devastation wrought about by super typhoon Haiyan, the light is beginning to shine through as disciples volunteer and serve to bring much needed love and care to those who are grieving and suffering. Let’s rebuild lives together and show that God’s love is far greater than any storm.

With much love and respect,
Koko Enrile