Hope in the Ruins

Hope in the Ruins

A month has passed since Typhoon Sendong ravaged Mindanao. God brought different groups of people together to work as one in rebuilding Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

One team of medical professionals, known as the Victory Health Professional Volunteers, visited six barangays in Iligan to administer much-needed medical aid. The team was led by Dr. Jojo Rivera and worked in partnership with Operation Blessing.

The volunteers extended different forms of support.  Medical missions were held in various places where tetanus vaccines, wound treatments, vitamins, and hospital assistance were administered as needed. A total of 1,037 patients received medical attention and more than a third of them accepted Jesus into their lives.

Part of the mission was to do Kids Church service-type activities and art therapy with the kids.

A support program called Holiday of Hope and Cheer was also organized, this time for the youth. By conducting art therapy classes, the volunteers were able to help young children overcome the shock and trauma that the typhoon has caused them. Several teenagers were also treated to a free lunch in nearby fast food chains and were given clothing allowance. 225 young people accepted Jesus into their lives through this outreach program.

Other forms of relief included the distribution of relief packs, sacks of rice, and carpentry kits. Clean-up efforts were also conducted in some of the affected areas.

Janelle Pacete, one of the volunteers, recounts, “This experience personally touched me and taught me how to be very grateful for the things I normally take for granted. To me, it could just be another one of the inexpensive (fast food) meals. To them, it meant an experience of a lifetime.

The kids enjoying their free lunch treat

Various forms of support are coming in, left and right, but the need still remains great. Let’s continue to include Iligan and Cagayan de Oro in our prayers.

  1. Pray for emotional and physical strength for the victims, that they will rise above their current situation and look into the future with renewed hope and joy.
  2. Pray for strength, wisdom, and fear of God for the local government officials in this time of recovery.
  3. Pray for more opportunities to share the Word of God during this season.
  4. Pray for strength for our leadership teams in Victory Iligan and Victory Cagayan de Oro as they continually minister to affected families and individuals.
  5. Pray for more volunteers to invest their skills and resources into rebuilding these cities.
There’s much hope for Iligan!

We are in faith that God will move mightily in spite of all that has happened to our brothers and sisters in Mindanao. Thank you for your support and for praying with us!

You can still participate in the ongoing relief efforts. For more information on how to give, click here.

Strength After the Storm

Strength After the Storm

A month after Typhoon Sendong (international name: Washi), Victory Cagayan de Oro is currently in the rebuilding stage, helping grief-stricken families in the area in various ways: visiting the sick in hospitals, offering financial aid, and coursing relief goods to accredited non-profit organizations, to name a few.
Empowering the victims through counselling

As for Victory Iligan, the church has implemented its rebuilding program. They started off by building relationships with affected families, inviting those who live in nearby villages to spend a day at the Victory Iligan center. After engaging and encouraging the victims, the church blesses each one with goods based on their need: medicine for the sick, shelter for the homeless, and financial support for failed businesses.

Aside from receiving emotional empowerment and support, some of the victims also came to know Christ as their Lord and Savior through these rehabilitation efforts. These individuals left with not just supplies and relief goods, but also a personal relationship with Jesus.

We are in faith that our brothers and sisters in the Mindanao region will pull through in this calamity! Please continue to pray for grace, strength, and wisdom for our leaders in the area. Let’s also seek God for His comfort for the victims at this period of their lives.
Happy to serve!

Typhoon Sendong Relief Efforts

We are all grieved by the tragedy that has befallen Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and other parts of Mindanao. From our congregation in Cagayan de Oro alone, more than fifty families have lost homes and possessions as a result of this calamity. We are all crying out for God’s comfort and mercy for all those who’ve lost their loved ones, and who need help to recover from this ordeal.

As a church, we immediately responded to help the city in practical ways. Victory Metro Manila has sent financial aid to help with their relief and rehabilitation efforts. We are also coordinating with Operation Blessing to assist in disaster response in the area.

Our churches in Mindanao have also taken part in this effort. Victory Cagayan de Oro has opened their center as a temporary shelter for those who lost their homes in the floods. Our leaders in Cagayan de Oro have also risen up to help their community by taking up a special offering to help their members with the relief efforts. Victory Pagadian, Victory Zamboanga, and Victory General Santos have sent financial aid as well.

How we can Help
Our senior pastor in Victory Cagayan de Oro, Pastor Janssen Torredes, is currently coordinating Victory’s relief efforts for Cagayan de Oro and Iligan. According to Pastor Janssen, the most practical way to help right now is to help fund the relief efforts. The immediate need is to provide food and water for the affected families. Our team in Cagayan de Oro will take care of purchasing, packaging, and deploying the goods to the affected families.

How to Give
Let’s do what we can to help our brothers and sisters in Mindanao. We are accepting cash donations for those afflicted by tropical storm Sendong.

Here are ways on how you can give to Sendong relief efforts:

NOTE: For more information on how to give online, please visit victory.org.ph/give.

  • Through your local congregation
    • Please indicate “Sendong Relief Efforts” on the “Others” field on the offering envelope

Thank you for your Christ-like compassion and service to our brothers and sisters in Mindanao. Let us continue praying for those who have lost loved ones, and for those who are participating in relief operations in the affected areas of Mindanao.

Note: By contributing to this project, ministry partners acknowledge that funds given to Every Nation will be directed to provide assistance to those affected by this disaster, and redirected, as necessary, should the funds contributed be in excess of the need. Every Nation partners as well with other non-government organizations who work in these areas.