Mosquitoes and other disease carriers are proliferating in the stagnant water, Dwight says. Click here to see additional photos of Pasig City Covenant Church members assisting in relief efforts.
Ketsana dropped a month’s worth of rain in just six hours on September 26, killing 246 people. Most of Manila was under water and nearly two million people were affected. The storm later strengthened into a typhoon that slammed Vietnam.
Water finally receded from the home of Jesus Covenant Church Pastor Jhun Peji during the past week.
“They have gone in to start cleaning up, but it is a huge job and will take several days,” Dwight says. “The flood waters were stagnant, so it became quite dirty and foul smelling. This smell has stayed with the house after the water has gone.”
Jesus Covenant Church and other mission groups are conducting cleanup efforts and offering medical assistance around the city. “One of the members of the Pasig City church, Sister Ming, has just become a doctor and she is actively working with the church in doing medical outreach,” Dwight says.
“There is a big need for medicines to help with these outreaches,” Dwight says.
“Morrison Academy, our missionary school, sent 16 students and teachers down to the Philippines a week ago and they spent several days helping one of the mission organizations run feeding and medical stations,” says Dwight, who teaches at the school.
The school also has a shipping container on the campus and local families are filling it with rice, water and other emergency supplies. They will send the supplies next week.
Members of the Taiwan Covenant Church have been providing physical and financial assistance. The Taiwanese already have had to deal with severe storm damage in August.
“The needs are great and will continue for some time,” Dwight says. “On top of that, more typhoons keep hitting the Philippines and make relief work harder.”
The third typhoon in four weeks is predicted to hit the nation this weekend.
Covenant World Mission is assisting the Filipino Covenant churches and their members as they clean and rebuild after the typhoons. Anyone who wants to assist these churches can contribute by sending a check to 5101 N. Francisco, Chicago IL 60625. They should note on the memo line, “Filipino Covenant Church Disaster Relief Fund.”
