| As you know from the news, the worst typhoon in history has struck the Philippines with over 4000 reported dead so far and at least 1200 missing. 20 foot tidal waves did an incredible amount of damage.
In the hardest hit areas the immediate needs were water, food, and communication. Ed Thomas, Director of World Mission Builders, and Paul Wilson, Director of Vision For Missions have already sent funds to help meet those needs. Both of these men have ministries and residences in the Philippines and know all the pastors and the churches. However, at this point funds are limited. Ed received information that one elder was killed in the typhoon.
Last week at ICOM (International Conference on Missions in Kansas City), Ed Thomas, Paul Wilson, and Joe Wilson met with Rick Jett, Director of I.D.E.S.(International Disaster Emergency Service) to develop a plan to best respond to the needs in the Philippines.
In addition to the humanitarian needs a number of our churches and the Leyte Bible College at Ormoc, Leyte received various degrees of damage.
THE PLAN:
1. Continue with the delivery of rice, water, and consumables. Ed and Paul have already sent funds to their native pastors to help in this area but funds are limited.
2. Clean up. This stage must be accomplished and the supply chain restored before Ed and Paul return to the Philippines to lead in the repair of the churches and the Bible College.
3. Repair. A number of churches and parsonages away from the hardest hit areas received minor to moderate damage. The local pastors are being sent to repair the damage.
4. Reclaim and restore. Ed Thomas, Paul Wilson, Ken Scott, Zach McCain and others plan on returning to the Philippines the last part of January to work on the Leyte Bible College and the churches that received the most damage. The church and the Leyte Bible College were extensively damaged.
Ed Thomas is going to focus on Leyte and Bohol. Ed says “We have made considerable investments over the years in these Church buildings and especially the Bible College at Ormoc, Leyte. We want to Reclaim these investments and Restore them even better than before.”
Paul Wilson will focus on Negros and Iloilo. He needs funds for humanitarian needs and for repairs on these islands.
Joe and Fae with Church Growth Ministries, Inc., which is a 501(c)3 have volunteered to receive funds and to forward on to Ed Thomas, World Mission Builders and Paul Wilson, Vision For Missions. Your gifts will be receipted and are tax deductible.
THE NEED:
$26,000 is needed immediately to do the minor repairs “what we know needs to be done today.”
$72,000 is the estimate to repair the damage to the Leyte Bible College and the church at Leyte.
HOW CAN YOU HELP:
Please send an immediate donation to:
Church Growth Ministries, Inc.
431 N Oakwood Rd
Enid, OK 73703-3711
Talk to your church and/or mission committee about sending a larger donation to meet the larger need.
Please keep the Philippines in your prayers
In His Service,
R Joe & Fae Wilson
P.S. By sending money directly to Ed and Paul 100% of the money gets to the point of need without overhead and administrative costs.
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