Devastating Typhoons Hit Baguio City, Philippines

This news update is written by the President of the Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary (PBTS).  The typhoon hit Baguio City right after typhoon Ondoy put Metro Manila under flood water.

Pepeng, a devastating typhoon, hit Baguio City and Northern Luzon last, October 3-9, creating havoc to lives and property as it made a three-time landfall to the area. Accompanying the typhoon was a week-long heavy rain that resulted in heavy landslides throughout the region.

Many of you have sent emails expressing concern, prayers, and encouragement for us in a time of crisis. Thank you so much for keeping in touch even if we were not able to have internet access for several days.

PBTS incurred no major damage to people and property on campus. We are grateful for the Lord’s goodness and protection even as we grieve with those who have lost families, homes, livelihood, and most of the basic things in life.

The following is a report that will help you know some of the events before, during, and after the storm. The experience we went through last weekend reminded us of the time when a 7.7 earthquake hit our city last July 1990.

RAIN DURING THE WHOLE WEEK

Heavy rains started Friday night (Oct. 2) and went on until Oct. 9. Dr. Lizette Knight (another faculty) and I flew to Taipei, Taiwan on Oct. 1 for the memorial service of Mrs. Grace Chow (wife of ABGTS President Dr. Chow Lien Hwa). As we flew back to Manila, the typhoon has entered the Philippines that noon of Oct. 3. The plane landed amidst delay as it was zero visibility when we were approaching the airport. Then we headed to Baguio before the heaviest downpour could begin. With us were two pastors (PBTS graduates) who helped bring our PBTS family donations for typhoon victims in Manila last Sept. 26. The four of us made it safely to Baguio City before midnight on Oct. 3, amidst the strong rain, wind, and heavy fog of Marcos Highway (two hours before Baguio). Oh, driving was so difficult and only few vehicles were on the highway to and from Baguio that evening.

SIMULTANEOUS LANDSLIDES ON THURSDAY AND FRIDA

Non-stop rain went on for the whole week. It made the soil so soft. On Thursday night (Oct. 8), we had brown out in various parts of the city as many electric posts and lines fell. Then landslides in many areas started simultaneously and went on until Friday night. Everything was dark, cold, and scary at times as we monitored on battery operated radios the reports and calls for emergency assistance.

In many areas, it was like a whole block of mountain fell on homes and people. Hills collapsed one after the other. Rivers surged and carried away buildings, animals, and people. Many were trapped and buried alive. Rescue workers could not answer to all the cries for help. People came out of their homes to help neighbors in need. In the midst of heavy rain, people went to safer ground and buildings. Many who escaped to what were supposedly sturdy buildings also died as further landslides buried some homes and evacuation centers. So many people were left helpless as they watched their loved ones suffer from the devastation. Many roads were closed as floodwaters made their way through whatever path was open. Baguio City was isolated for several days as all roads to and from the city were closed due to mud and landslides.

The media reported that the volume of rain for a week was equivalent to one month of rainfall. Likewise, the amount of the six-hour rain that flooded many parts of Metro Manila last Sept. 26 was equivalent to a one-week rainfall. It was even higher than the recorded volume of water that flooded New Orleans, Louisiana some years ago.

SOME PBTS RELATED FAMILIES WHO WERE AFFECTED

Mrs. Fhey Kindipan Coyoy, PBTS alumna, lost her mother, only brother, two sisters, an aunt and her three young children, and an uncle (the headless body was found in the rubbles). The bodies are now lying in state at the La Trinidad Assembly of God Church.

Danny Semilla was buried in the landslide. His wife and youngest daughter (6 yrs. old) are still missing until now. Danny is the oldest brother of PBTS graduates Pastor Rey Semilla (First Baptist Church of San Fernando, La Union) and Joy Semilla Cabrera (now in Houston). Danny’s two girls (10 and 8 yrs. old) were rescued and are safe. The body is now at West Baguio Baptist Church. Retrieval operation has stopped. So the rest of the relatives have decided to do the funeral for Danny this Saturday, Oct. 17. I saw the two girls today at the church. Please pray for them as the relatives meet tonight to discuss how to help them cope with the tragedy, and decide who will have custody of the beautiful girls who have become orphans.

Letty Ngoslab (Finance Office staff) lost a cousin in the landslide. Letty and her three-week old baby were accommodated temporarily at PBTS last weekend.

The next door neighbor of Pastor and Mrs. George Cao also died when a big tree fell on the house during a landslide. The parents and their two young children died together.

Mrs. Celia Munson, another alumna, was stranded in Pangasinan last weekend, together with a medical team. The group went to Central Luzon to do medical mission among some families who were affected by the typhoon two weekends ago. They are back to Baguio now.

Other current students who went home to the Mountain Province for the term break last Oct. 3-10 could not travel back to Baguio because of the landslides. Some of them have lost family and church members also. Another student reported that four relatives also died in the Mountain Province during the storm.

Last Sunday night, sixteen bodies were lying in state at the Nazarene Church in La Trinidad. I met a church member today and she reported that these sixteen people came from four families whose homes were covered by mud during the landslide last Friday. Other local church buildings also accommodate the wake of people who perished in the tragedy.

Pastor Paul Tabon and his family had to relocate to a safer place because of the landslide in their area. They may have to move to another house temporarily as they try to repair the damage on their own home.

Other church members in La Trinidad are accommodated temporarily in homes of relatives and friends as they wait for a safer time to rebuild their lives and property.

CONDITIONS IN BAGUIO

The three major highways to and from Baguio were closed on Thursday until yesterday. Many gasoline stations were closed on Sunday morning because fuel was no longer available.

Kennon Road was opened Monday morning. We traveled through it yesterday and saw the heavy toll on homes, bridges, highway, and the area. One-way traffic scheme is in place. Half day is allowed for vehicles to go out of Baguio and half day to travel to Baguio. It was a scary experience driving on the soft soil, with water oozing from the mountainside, punctuated by heavy landslides in various parts. Thank the Lord for safety. Travel time is three times more. Today, Marcos Highway and Naguilian Road are open to light vehicles. Priority is begin given to small vehicles carrying gas and food items.

Funeral homes had a shortage of coffins last weekend so many bodies were wrapped with blankets and placed in black bags temporarily. A team of volunteer embalmers came by chopper yesterday to help, also. With the roads open to light vehicles, we hope that major needs for food and basic commodities will be answered beginning today.

We are enjoying a sunny weather now. It has been warm since Saturday. The city mayor has declared a three-day holiday (Monday to Wednesday) to allow people to rest, clean up the mess in homes who were soaked in the rain and mud, and be refreshed. Many funerals are being held, too.

RELIEF AND REHABILITATION

Last Friday, some of our faculty went to Puguis, La Trinidad where a major landslide took place. They saw dead bodies lined up in a school building. What a heartbreaking sight. The donated clothes from PBTS were used to give “decent” clothing to the embalmed bodies. Blankets were given to shivering people who lost their homes and property. Many of them fled from their homes empty handed in order to save their lives.

As we went around some parts of the city last weekend until today we saw the heavy damage. Many community centers and church buildings had coffins lining up as funeral homes were too full to accommodate additional ones.

Government and private agencies are giving help to many victims of the landslide, but there is just too much need. PBTS is collecting whatever donations in cash and in kind to help people temporarily so they will have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a roof over their head. It will take a while for many of them to return to normal life. Farmers have lost their crops and will have to wait until the rainy season is over to plant again. Those with stable jobs but lost a lot will need assistance to rebuild.

It is so heartwarming to receive emails and phone messages from friends in Manila who will be sending their help to Baguio. Only two weeks ago, many of them were also victims of the flood and PBTS extended assistance to them, too.

Thank you to those who have already informed us about forthcoming help. Some have come personally to bring cash gifts, clothes, and other things.

Donations in kind are welcome, too. Please bring or send them to PBTS, 19 Tacay Road, Guisad, Baguio City, Philippines.

Kindly let me know when you make a cash or check deposit so that your gift can be acknowledged and given an official receipt from the school. The PBTS family will make sure that whatever is intended for typhoon victims will be given to the recipients.

Please continue to pray for us as we minister to people in need. The PBTS family will lead in the memorial service for the Kindipan family tomorrow morning and afternoon, Oct 14. This will take place at the La Trinidad Assembly of God Church. Some of the relatives were already buried. Funeral for Fhey’s mother, brother, and two sisters will be on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Classes at PBTS will resume on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The Photo is from a friend’s Facebook.

Rain and Floods

While we are hoping for more rain here. It seems that the Philippines is having too much of rain. Almost all of the our friends’ status update on Facebook are all about the flood.  This kind of news makes us worry too much knowing that our family is very near the major river in east of Manila. At the same time it makes us sad to know that this kind of flood could have been prevented.

We had floods here in our part of town two years ago, it was not in anyway near the flood that Manila is experiencing every year. However, the government had done something that the town had not been flooded again so far.

Our prayers are with the victims of this typhoon.  Here is the news from Inquirer.net

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared a state of calamity in Metro Manila and at least 23 provinces severely battered by tropical storm Ondoy, Defense Secretary and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) chairman Gilbert Teodoro said.

Presiding over a briefing of the NDCC aired live over ANC network, Teodoro said the President has authorized him to make the announcement of the areas under state of calamity to allow their respective local governments to mobilize resources needed in relief and evacuation operations and other assistance.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) had said that Saturday’s flooding was the worst in 20 years.

Teodoro also said that focus of rescue operations are in Cainta, Marikina and Pasig, which are inundated by floodwaters since Saturday morning.

He said rescue and relief efforts by air would be done by the Philippine Air Force when possible.

Interviewed separately on radio, Teodoro also said that the United States has offered assistance but that the NDCC would still evaluate the help needed from the Americans.

The areas under the state of calamity are Aurora, Quirino, Nueva Vizacaya, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon, Isabela, Mt. Province, Benguet, Ifugao, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Cavite, Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro Occidental, Batangas, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, and Metro Manila.

Photo from Saigon International.

Visa Extended for Another Year

I have been pre-occupied lately doing a lot of teaching. This week a visiting teacher came to take over all the classes. I am using the time to write something in my paper which I haven’t really been doing for some time.

Nonetheless, here are our prayer update for his month.

Our non-immigrant (non-”O”) volunteer visa has been extended for another year. We thank the LORD for blessing us with one more year of opportunities to minister both to the Northern Thais and migrants from Myanmar.

When you come to think of it, the missionary’s stay in his country of service is as good only as his visa. In like manner, the visa determines the kind of work and ministry that he is allowed to do.

Hence, we are rejoicing in the LORD for allowing us to stay in Thailand with a proper visa a non-immigrant volunteer visa with work permit.

We thank the people who contributed financially for the visa expenses. We honor you in the LORD that in spite of economic crisis you had sacrificed in sending us some money for our visa.

Thanks for keeping in touch with us. Your encouragement through emails means so much to us.

Moreover, we believe that your prayers make a big difference in our ministries. We feel God’s empowerment and provision in our daily life and activities. Thank you!

God is challenging us to stretch our faith farther when he provided us the opportunity to expand the work of the Foundation. The Chairman of our Foundation gave us full authority to start a branch in Chiang Rai and Mae Sai.

Advisably, we should have done it long time ago but is a huge challenge for us financially and physically. Part of the responsibility is to do volunteer works in government offices in Chiang Rai.

Likewise branching out is neither free nor cheap. We need 28,000 THB (U$ 820) to pay legal fees to the Foundation and the Thai government and4,000 THB annual fees.

As expeceted we could not do it on our own, we are doing this with our new Filipino missionary friends ministering among the students in Chiang Rai.

Please pray for God’s direction and provision for this endeavor.

Faithful Service is a Strong Recommendation

When we are accepting students in the Bible school we require them to submit a church recommendation. Just the same, yesterday we had accepted a lady applying for a work in the nursery  and  she came with his uncle who is a pastor as her “recommendation.”

The church in Thessalonica, however, does not need a letter of recommendation from anybody or commendation from someone. The Apostle Paul told them that their faith is their strong recommendation known everywhere.

Before we can fully appreciate the faith of the Thessalonian Christians we need to know how the church there started.

In Paul’s day Thessalonica, the capital city was the most important commercial center in the region. It was a thriving metropolitan area full of vice, full of greed, and full of false religion. The home of the gods, Mt. Olympus was located at Thessalonica.

On his second missionary journey Paul had left Philippi and gone to Thessalonica to preach the gospel. His evangelistic effort there was very successful. Many people were responding to the gospel and many were being saved. Great things were happening. However, this revival had met an opposition from the Jew and the Pagan community.

We learn from Acts 17 that a mob went to Jason’s house where Paul and his friends were staying. When they couldn’t find Paul they dragged Jason out of his home and brought him before the city leaders and accused him of being involved with the movement “that causing trouble all over the world.”

The brothers asked Paul to flee from Berea to Athens. There in Athens he sent Timothy to check on the Thessalonians and then went to Corinth. At Corinth Timothy brought Paul news of how the church at Thessalonica was doing. This epistle is Paul’s response to that report. It was written in about 50 AD which makes it one of the first letters Paul wrote.

Paul was very thankful to hear that these young converts were remaining faithful in the midst of all their trials and tribulation. In this first chapter he commends them their continued efforts in the work of the Lord, the example they have become to others, and the expectation they have maintained toward the coming of the Lord. The commendation they receive is quite remarkable.

First they are commended for their faithful service to the Lord.

1 Thess. 1:2 “We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.”

Now the reason for his thanksgiving—verse 3 “We continually remember before our God and Father…”. And now he mentions three hallmarks of their walk with God.

First your work produced by faith. These Christians had the kind of faith that produced good works in their lives. It was not just a lot of talk. It was a lot of positive action. We are not saved by work but nonetheless true faith always produces good works.

In Hebrews it says “… without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Why does faith produces good works. It is because we diligently seek to please God. We will also seek to do those things that would give joy to Him. For Paul the obvious evidence that a person has faith is his actions. For a person who has no faith, find no reason to work for the Lord because they believe that their works account for nothing. However, a person who has faith knows that the LORD honors and will eventually reward all the good works that we do.

Just like the Christians in Thessalonica if our faith is producing a lot of unselfish good works… this is our strong recommendation.

Second your labor prompted by love.

So we asked what is the difference between work and labor? The word for labor here is koros. It is different from the word for work in the previous phrase. Ergon emphasizes the result of the effort while koros emphasizes the pain and weariness involved in the effort.

Love motivated them to work hard and serve even when they were weary. It begins with a love for the Lord which then overflows in a love to what he loves—people. “Do you love me? Feed my sheep.” Love suffers long. Love endures the pain. Love continues even when the work is difficult and discouraging as it was for the Thessalonians. Without love we are reduced to basic animal instincts to survive. Without love we will always try to get the most for ourselves with the least amount of effort.

How do you nurture that kind of love? You reflect, you meditate, you consider the love God has shown toward you. When the reality of that grips your heart then you will want to respond in love. Take time to think about God’s mercy toward you. Linger long in your meditation of your sin and the sufferings of Christ. See how much suffering Jesus had experienced because of his love for us. The Lord’s labor is indeed prompted by love.

Now that there is an impending trouble in Myanmar. We can share to them our labor of love. At this stage, we helped these people by caring for their children. One way or another, most of us are involved in this ministry. People back home are asking us why are we taking so many children in our home. Yes, we are providing them safe refuge from impending fighting but most of all it is because we are prompted by God’s love in spite of hardships with out thinking of monetary compensation. This is a strong commendation, when our labor is prompted by love.

Third your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul will speak much about hope in this letter. Hope is a powerful factor in our lives. It’s amazing what we can endure if we know that tomorrow will be better—and the next even better—and the future is bright. Take hope away for a person and his strength is gone.

In Lamentations 3 Jeremiah talked about hope. Lam 3:21-26 “This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. 22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning;Great is Your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.”

How did Jeremiah nurture hope? “This I recall to mind”! He disciplined his thought life to ponder the Lord’s mercies and goodness. If God is good and is ultimately in control—if the Lord is my portion then I have every reason to hope.

Hope gives us the will to carry on when we would otherwise give up. Peter wrote these words to a group of Christians who needed to be reminded of their future in God.

1 Peter 1:3-4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you”

In the light of the events going on in Myanmar–the catastrophe, the military oppressions, the impending fighting the pervasive response of the people including the Christians are helplessness and to some extent hopelessness

Many people including many Christians are starting to look for hope from people who can provide help. I read in a newspaper that the visit of an American Senator gave hope to the people. But as Christians our hope is larger than this. Our hope is not dependent on people but in our Lord Jesus Christ– who died and rose again from the dead to reconcile us to God and with one another. Our hope depends on him who empowers us through his Holy Spirit to help others, to encourage one another and to impart to them our blessed hope that Jesus Christ will ultimately defeat the evil and finally God’s goodness will triumph here on earth. The challenge for us as Christians is to endure all sufferings inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

These Christians at Thessalonica put forth a valiant effort in the face of great opposition because these three elements were at work in their hearts—faith that produced works, love that produced labor, and hope that inspired endurance.

Aren’t these strong recommendations? I pray that we could be the same.

Nasty Bug

It had been more than a week since I post anything here. I intend to post more regularly but events in the past had kept me away from thinking clearly. Ten of the twelve children caught a virus one after another. Perhaps it was Reuven who hosted the bug and brought it into our house. We had been to Chiang Mai to visit the immigration office.

While we were on it, we had a joyful reunion with our friends who are doing mission work in Indonesia. They are our family friends and we spent two years living in the seminary campus. Our children are closed friends and they were excited to see each other.

However their son was diagnosed to have the H1N1 bug and we were a bit apprehensive that our children would catch it too. We were extremely careful and took all the precautions to stay away from the bugs. But yet when we came home, the children started to have high temperature one after the other. In our town H1N1 scare coincided in the season when most people are suffering from flu. The clinics are always full of worried people trying to find out if they have the nasty bug. So we decided to treat the children by ourselves.

Narlin and I had some experience with children’s sickness because we had treated lot of children when we undergone medical training with Assist International before we left for missions. Till last Friday we still had one girl running a fever.  Tow of them we brought  to the doctor because the fever seemed to last longer for them. We think that they are still suffering from malnutrition, so we thought that they need more medication.

Today the children are all well and healthy although some of them are still coughing and having runny nose. They are up again and kicking each other’s butt (their favorite game). We praise the LORD for his provisions and for his power to heal.

Praying The Psalms: The Life of Equilibrium

In Praying The Psalms, Brueggemann described the life of equilibrium as a life that of being securely oriented. We all yearn for it. Our life as missionary is full of uncertainty. Our children could not get a regular schooling not even regular home schooling just because we could not afford it. Speaking of career, I am not sure what I will do when God call us back to work in our own country. Will there be a church to call us to minister to them? Will I be able to teach at a Bible School or Seminary? Will my children be able to live a normal life then? When I think of it, our life is far from secure.

When I look around, however, I realized somehow that our life are more secure compare to the people we are in touch with everyday. Migrant workers from Myanmar here in Thailand simply do not have anything to hold on to. Their children don’t go to school at all. They work as helper, construction worker and any of the dirty and demeaning work that most people in the town would not do.

In another part of the globe, most people are living a life in equilibrium. According to Brueggemann, it is a life that is not very interesting and it does not produce great prayer or powerful song. It consists in being well-settled, knowing that life makes sense and God is well-placed in heaven, presiding but not bothering.

In terms of the Bible, this attitude of equilibrium and safe orientation is best reflected in the teaching of the ancient book of Proverbs which affirms that life is equitable, symmetrical and well-proportioned. This mood of humanness is minimal in the Psalms… such Psalms reflect confident well-being. In order to pray them we must locate in our lives or in the lives of others situations of such confident buoyant, “successful” living.

He continues that these are not the common theme in the Psalms. The prayers in Psalms do not emerge from a life that is secure, from a life that are assured of God’s control over everything. Rather, most of the Psalms are prayers and songs of people who experience dislocation and relocation. It is experiences of being overwhelmed, nearly destroyed and given life. These experiences empower us to pray and sing. Perhaps this is the reason, that when these people pray and read the Scripture they do it with intense feeling of despair and sincerity.

Some drivers have no brain

In our part of town, a pick-up truck with a load as high as 20 feet is not an uncommon sight. The load varies from plastic products, mattresses, textiles and in these photos the load is fruits. So when the road is uneven or the truck ran over on something this what happens.

Visa Extended

Last week we did go to the immigration office for our visa extension. For those of you who wished us the best and prayed for this concern, we want to thank you. We are allowed to stay another  year in the Kingdom of Thailand.

The Psalms: The Voice of Humanity

We always think that the Bible as God’s voice addressing us. However, in Praying the Psalms, Walter Brueggemann believes that The Psalms with few exceptions are not the voice of God speaking to us but rather it is the voice of humanity addressing God… many of them complaints toward God.

The Psalms with a few exceptions, are not the voice of our own God Addressing us. They are rather the voice of our own humanity–gathered over a long period of time, but a voice that continues to have amazing authenticity and contemporaneity. It speaks about life the way it really is, for in those deeply human dimensions the same issues and possibilities persist. And so when we turn to the Psalms it means we enter into the midst of that voice. We are prepared to speak among them and with them and for them, to express our solidarity in this anguished, joyous human pilgrimage. We add a voice to the common elation, shared grief, and communal rage that besets us all.

Reading The Psalms without relating it to our own experience will not avail for so much. This is one of the reasons, I believe that people who have been suffering a lot find solace and comfort, to some extent encouragement when they read it.  The relative ease and comfort of life that most of us are enjoying makes us uncomfortable reading much more praying The Psalms.

In order to pray the Psalms, our work is to let our voices and minds and hearts run back and forth in regular and speedy interplay between the stylized and sometimes too familiar words f the Scripture and our own experience which we sense with poignancy. And when we do, we shall find the word of Scripture bring power, shape, and authority to what we know about ourselves. Conversely, our experience will bring to the words of Scripture a vitality and immediacy that must always be reasserted within the Psalter.

U2 and Aung San Suu Kyi

I was a bit surprised when  I read about U2’s Bono supports for the detained Myanmar’s opposition leader.  Here is the excerpt from the news:

Bono, the lead singer of acclaimed Irish rock band U2 and a prominent social activist, added a political edge to his recent “360 Degree” European tour—with a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for South African statesman Nelson Mandela and a song dedicated to detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Bono

At U2’s opening concert in Barcelona, Bono paid tribute to Suu Kyi when he introduced the single “Walk on,” which he wrote for her in 2000.

“This next song is dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma,” Bono told the crowd. “Let’s send her a message of love and support! Let us stand with her … put on your masks!” The crowd clapped and put on Suu Kyi masks.

The band asked fans to wear the masks to highlight the fact that Suu Kyi has spent most of the past two decades under house arrest.

The mask can be downloaded here.