Blocked by Hills of Garbage

One of our teams was finally able to reach a particular neighborhood in Pasig City last night which we have not been able to get to because of the water levels and also because the streets there are very narrow with deep open sewer drainage. For those of you familiar with Manila, it is a stones throw from the Pasig River. Our family knows the neighborhood well because we have close to 100 relatives who live there, mostly on the same street. Many of these relatives attend our TFI Pasig Church which is currently being cleaned up. All of the chairs are covered in oil, mud and well, poop. But most everything in the building is salvageable.

When the vehicles got near, they could not make it all the way through... not because of water, but because of hills and hills of garbage. We had to switch to using motorcycles with small side-cars which could make it through with all the goods. When the places which the water lingers get cleared out, that is where we find the waters deposited the most debris. The smell is enough to knock you off of your feet and it is wise to wear a mask mostly to keep the flies off of your lips.

Almost every child is sick, but that isn't keeping the kids and the teenagers from going through the trash looking for whatever useful they can find. We were the first to go there. No agency or government worker has been there yet. It has been a long time for them, wondering if anyone cares, not knowing even what has happened because they don't have access to news.

Thank you people of God, for sending the funds so that we could go there and to the dozens of other locations we are supplying.

We continue to reach into the neighborhoods where our Church members are, giving them the supplies which they distribute to their neighbors all in the name of Jesus Christ. God is doing amazing things!

The rains did not come as predicted yesterday. We believe that prayer is holding them back! It did just start to shower minutes ago, but it is nothing compared to what came down which caused these floods. Let us continue to enforce God's victory in prayer!

It is hard to believe that there are 3 tragedies going on in the world right now at the same time, 2 in countries Joy and I have lived and minister and 1 in a country we have spent much time. We cannot get hold of our friends in Samoa but we are praying for them! We know that many Churches are mobilized to assist the earthquake victims in Indonesia and we are also praying for them! Oddly enough, our former home Church in Washington State got flooded this past week and experienced tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage and even made the news! http://www.seattlepi.com/local/410654_flood30.html We're praying for Cedar Park Church as well!

On a personal note, would you pray for me as I prepare to deliver a message of healing and hope this week-end? And not only me but every Pastor of every Church who will stand in front of seas of faces asking the question, "why do bad things happen to good people?" Or the reverse, "why do good things happen to bad people?" I will stand at the front of a Cinema which was not flooded. Others of my colleagues will stand at the front of buildings which are damaged and in need of serious repairs.

May Jesus bless you greatly as you continue to stand in the gap for others!