On January 12, 2020, the eruption of the Taal Volcano displaced over 270,000 families in South Luzon. In fact, Batangas and Cavite were placed under a state of calamity. Many communities were forced to stay in evacuation centers or homes of relatives.
As a church, we responded to help not just to meet immediate needs, but also to address the greatest need of every person—the good news found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. By God’s grace and through the generosity of many, we gave relief goods to over 13,785 families in Batangas and Cavite. The relief goods were distributed not just in evacuation centers, but also in homes. We also conducted medical missions for more than 1,700 people in nine evacuation centers in Batangas. Beyond just giving checkups and medicines, our volunteer medical teams prayed for people and gave Bibles to them. Many people found hope in Jesus and received Him as their Lord and Savior.
In the midst of the tragedy, we also heard many inspiring stories from our church. One of them is the story of Morris, a volunteer from Victory Lemery who continued to help affected families despite losing his wife days before the eruption. We also heard about the testimony of Luis from Victory Alabang who brought hope through the gospel for the communities in San Luis, Batangas. God is truly at work even in seemingly dark and hopeless times.
For those who gave to these efforts, thank you for your generosity, and may God bless and reward you abundantly! Let’s continue to pray for our nation and for those who were affected by the eruption.
