The Marikina Relief

Report from Director Steve Wheeler

Before we left to visit the area of Marikina I had the opportunity to meet with Pastor Reynoldo Boringot and WF alumni Pastor Gil Armas. Both pastors are in areas devastated by the floods. Just in case you think these pastors are discouraged and defeated, here is their expression of "God is in control" with smiles and thumbs up. These men are the life flow of encouragement to their congregations and the community they will lead to recovery.

We teamed up with the faculty of Grace Christian Community School, the school located at the church of Pastor Leo, our field director in the Philippines. Together, they loaded three Jeep buses with food bags of rice and supplies.

When we arrived at the community where Pastor July David's church is located, we saw the sum total of the community's earthly possessions piled in the roads awaiting removal. The houses in this community were covered above the second floor with flood waters. When the waters receded the result was mud-filled houses.

Pastor Leo and his wife Elma gave direction and the teachers provided a quick and organized work crew to unload the supplies into the entry of Pastor David's residence.

Pastor July David, led his community in prayer before the orderly distribution of the supplies began. The leadership and stability provided by a pastor in a community at a time of disaster is very important.

Pastor July shared with each member of his community as he delivered the supplies that had been provided for their relief.

After the supplies were all delivered to Pastor David's community, Leo and I traveled to visit Pastor Daniel Casuga. His home was engulfed in water up to the second floor as well. The government workers had made more progress on removing the debris from the roads.

Daniel showed us where the water level had reached. They are still without power and we shared together by candlelight as we heard their events of the night of the typhoon.

They still have a ways to go with the cleanup. Unfortunately much of the mud has settled in their homes. There is a way that you can help these pastors. We have a source to purchase a simple water pressurized sprayer right here in the Philippines. In our discussions with a relief agent here in the Philippines they shared that one of the best ways to secure a safe dwelling after a flood is to use a pressure sprayer to clean the mud and other debris out of the houses and then spray with a disinfectant.

These units cost about $200 USD and we have a method to train the youth in each church how to use the units to clean the houses of their church members, then use them throughout the whole community. What a special way to draw the church and their community together as they minister together.

- Director Steve Wheeler
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You can help provide families with a healthy place to live, safe from the diseases that floods carry. You can provide Christian youth groups and churches with opportunities to share their hope and salvation. Visualize teenagers who have lost all of their earthly possessions showing up at your house with smiles on their faces to clean your house of mud for you. What a powerful testimony of Christ's love in their caring actions!

You can help by giving online or mailing your donation to White Fields address.

Even if you're in high school, a poor college student, or still saving in your piggy bank your donation of even $5 or $25 can make a difference. By getting together with your friends you may even raise enough support to purchase a pressure washer for a whole community! If you'd like to share about White Fields with your church, youth group or bible study please contact White Fields for resources. Thank you!