Manila, Philippines, experienced one of its most severe floods in 40 years from Typhoon Ketsana on September 26. This disaster displaced over 189,000 people and resulted in a death toll of 420. Then, Typhoon Parma hit the northern part of Luzon on October 3 destroying 55,000 homes and killing 438 people. These typhoons and the subsequent flooding have caused hardship and heartache for many people and extensive damage to land and property.

ACTION missionaries in the Philippines have been working tirelessly to provide relief to devastated people, even while caring for their own families. Over $70,000 in donations has come in to fund these relief efforts. The following reports were compiled from updates ACTION missionaries sent about their ministries and experiences during this time.

 Jeff & Mary Ann Anderson are long-time ACTION missionaries in the Philippines and have been involved in many aspects of relief work. They shared how Filipino youth have worked to show God’s love.

“Our pastor at Greenhills Christian Fellowship, Luis Pantoja, pointed out that the youth of the church rallied together during the flooding. They rescued stranded people in rubber boats and also collected, sorted, and distributed relief goods.

“We learned about another courageous youth at one of our ministry sites, Calvary Hills. As the flood waters rose and formed a whirlpool, a 16-year-old boy named Allen worked frantically to save many lives. Allen transported trapped people across the flood to safety. After he helped the last person across the water, a wall fell on him. He never surfaced. Likely, he was too fatigued to swim to the top of the water. As we met Allen’s mother and brother yesterday, our hearts ached for them. The community sees Allen as a hero because of the many lives he saved. We pray that God will bring these people to know Him after this experience.”

Paul & Ruth Ortizhave been ACTION missionaries for just two months, serving as coordinators of the Shalom Christian Birthing Home construction project. In their recent communication, they shared how they have been able to minister to a family in the Philippines.

“Shortly after the typhoon hit Manila, we discovered that a friend from our neighborhood in Denver had family members that were severely affected by the flooding. We determined to find this family so we could help, encourage and serve its members. When we located them, we quickly discovered that they had lost almost everything in the typhoon. Their crowded house still had water on the floor. We took them out for lunch and then bought them food, soap and cleaning supplies. When we returned to their home, Paul shared the Gospel and we spent time praying for them. We also left them with a Tagalog Gospel booklet. As we drove away, we were grieved that we could not do more for this family, but were also filled with joy that God allowed us to serve them on both practical and spiritual levels.”

 Paul & Pat Ellis are ACTION missionaries who train pastors and church leaders to effectively disciple the members of their own congregations. They also shared how they are seeing God work in this difficult time: 

“We have had two meetings with our pastors. In the first meeting, we selected 12 area coordinators. These 12 people have been busy contacting other pastors in the area to determine their personal needs. We believe if we meet the pastors’ personal needs, then they will be able to more effectively minister to others in their respective areas. The second meeting was held to gather specific needs presented by these pastors so we could figure out how to help them.

“In partnership with these pastors, we have distributed canned fish, powdered milk, bottled water, rice, and shoes to people in the surrounding areas. Churches in the United States have sent used study Bibles, which we have handed out to pastors and others. We have ordered sleeping mats, tarps, stoves, cooking pots, cups, and plates for 50 families.

“As this relief work continues, we will also be resuming our discipleship classes. Please continue to pray for stamina for us and our students. God has been reminding us of the following verses: ‘When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God’ (Isaiah 43:2-3a, NASB).”

Mike & Cindy Gingerich also shared some of their experiences during this disaster. Mike works with the ministry of Village Handcrafters and Cindy ministers at the Shalom Christian Birthing Home.

“Now that the initial fear of the storm has passed, the 22 families who have been staying at Village Handcrafters will begin to clean up their homes which were devastated by flooding. We pray especially for those who lost their homes in the landslide. Other houses are now precariously close to the landslide area and so the families will have to relocate. Very few people in the Philippines have insurance to cover a disaster such as this, so it is an extremely difficult situation. We have purchased food and other necessary items for these 22 families, but their needs are immense. Still, it brought us joy to see the thankfulness on their faces. We are grateful that God has allowed us to help these people and look forward to more opportunities as this relief work will continue for quite some time.”

Pami Ellis is a newly appointed ACTION missionary trained as a registered nurse. She is currently raising support in the USA to work full time at the Shalom Christian Birthing Home. After the disaster struck in the Philippines, ACTION leadership asked her to travel to assist with relief work. She is now taking medical teams to poverty-stricken areas where the floods caused the most damage.She wrote the following after the first day of clinic work:

“My eyes are heavy, my back aches, and my feet are nearly numb, but my heart is light and my spirit is filled with joy. Today was the first of many clinic days to come. This day’s faithful ACTION workers were Dave & Becky Majam, Frank Egalla, and Jeff Anderson. We were joined by another nurse and five doctors. Our first clinic was in the middle of a small road surrounded by a flooded area. We treated about 200 people with skin diseases, gastrointestinal issues, bronchitis, and other illnesses. The afternoon clinic was held at a covered basketball court serving as an evacuation area. At this clinic we served about 160 patients. After each person was examined, treated, and given medication, he or she received a Gospel tract. We thank God for providing us with the medication and pray that these people will see Christ through our compassion.”

Doug Nichols, ACTION Founder & International Director Emeritus, flew to the Philippines to minister to missionaries and pastors during this time of crisis. While there, Doug held a conference for local pastors to provide them with an opportunity to hear encouragement from the Bible and to have a time of praise and sharing for what they had gone through in the aftermath of the typhoon.

Doug writes, “It was a great day for these men! These pastors are the real heroes. Many were personally devastated in the flood, but have worked tirelessly and selflessly to help their congregations through these difficult circumstances. The ACTION team spoke over and over of the sacrificial giving of the Filipino people to those suffering around them. Many churches have given food, clothing, and medicine for distribution. We praise God for the funding He has provided to allow ACTION to reach many needy people with compassionate care and the Gospel during this time.”