Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Philippine Typhoon - Post 28


 Philippine Typhoon

Wednesday January 29, 2014

Dear Friends,

You have made it possible for the gospel through good works to work in the hearts of many.  Many have received Christ.  Dan Cadavos has gone back out from Mindanao again and is working in the areas of our last medical mission.   Dan for the last few days has worked with our great friends at the Wilds’ Camps Abroad.  I know he must be exhausted.  Please pray for him and read Edna’s report below..

“Dear Bro Jan,   This is just to inform you that we have received and transferred here the $7,000 for another mission in Northern Panay, basically the same area where Dr Waller was, and we were previously working with Pastor Shaun - specifically Estancia, Carles and surrounding islands.

Dan and the 8 men that were not able to go 2 weeks ago due to bad weather conditions are now there, they arrived yesterday late afternoon.  Dan will be there for 5 days, and the men will stay for 2 weeks.  Dan's brother Jacob, our camp manager, will be in charge after Dan sets everything up.  Dan will be conducting preaching and soul winning campaigns while the men work and will then turn things back over to the local pastors there for follow up.  They hope to accomplish much by the grace of God while there. They brought 4 chain saws and Dan had instructed the pastors to have trees purchased and ready for cutting on arrival so that they could assist as many churches as possible and members as time allows.  He will also follow up on the boat purchasing project to restore livelihood for members who are fishermen in that area.

We had a great camp with the Camps Abroad group from the Wilds, a good number saved among the 72 campers, as far as we know all went home knowing the Lord, maybe it was about 30% unsaved before camp.  With some of the ORH funds we were able to continue our pool repair from the flood damage, as well as beds for the cabins and sleeping platforms to accommodate over 100 who were at that camp.  You may see those pictures on our facebook page.  We also have a USB/flashdrive full of pictures from Panay and Leyte that our church clerk, John has given me, we hope to get those sent to you asap with full reports again of all the finances etc.

God bless you and it is a joy to partner with you, our pastor Matt Collier was here for a brief visit and he was excited to see what the Lord is doing in our ministry and the channel of blessing that has been extended via ORH through Dan and on to many other ministries as well.  Truly "LIttle is much when God is in it."

Will keep you posted on the work in Northern Panay.  God bless you all,  Edna, for Dan and the men in Northern Panay”

We asked Rick Martin to help us find a village to help where there was a good church to do follow-up.  We are hoping to help over 40 families in the village and at least 40 families in the church.  Rick Martin, wrote the following for us to see how this work is progressing. 

“Dear Brother Milton,  I want to thank you again for all that you have done for us and for many others around the world in times of great need.  You mentioned before that you wanted us to find the church and village with the most destruction and we have tried and prayed much about which place to help.  I believe the area up in the mountains of Tadi, Sara where Pastor Michael Balinas pastors would perhaps be that place.  It is hard to know for sure with so many villages affected.  Brother Balinas has been there for around 20 years and is a pastor I admire.  I had him preach in our church a few weeks after the typhoon because of the reports I heard about the damage there.  He said that 98% of the 300 homes were destroyed or had significant damage.  We have not contacted him yet but will do that if he is ok with you.  We can ask him to make a list of families in his church and a list of others in the village to help as you mentioned.  I know it will be a great blessing to the people there.  His church is a long way from the town of Sara, way up in the mountains near the border of Iloilo and Capiz province.  A church in California is rebuilding his church.

I had someone write me today who had raised some money to rebuild some of the churches buildings.  We have donors committed now I believe for all the churches destroyed.  I am wondering if it would be a good idea and ok with you if I had them use their funds to help some of the church buildings ORHUS is helping with here.  It would help the churches to be able to do some more like build benches or chairs and a pulpit or put up a wall at the side of the church or maybe buy songbooks or a guitar or keyboard.  Do you have any thoughts about that?  Of course I would let them know what you are doing there.

Thanks for being so good to these people here.  I had a couple of the pastors tell me that their churches had doubled in size since the typhoon as the people were more open to the gospel.  I believe that the way you are trying to help the village which suffered the most damage will open some doors in a wonderful way.  God bless,  Rick”

Dr. Greg Waller wrote the following testimony about the clinics he conducted for January 8-19, 2014. 

“’Where are we going?’ I wondered.  We seemed to be driving on a vacant beach on our way to the first day of clinic.  Then we saw the village we were to work in for the day.  Our “clinic” was held in the church – a 10’x20’ shack of old bamboo, driftwood, and used sheet metal.  It was the best building in what once had been a prosperous fishing village.  Posts, pillars, and cement steps half buried in the sand attested to the once peaceful village, now 100% wiped out by the tidal surge of Typhoon Yolanda.  Three months after the storm, villagers are still living under tarp shelters with what few personal items they managed to save.  All available resources must go into fixing boats and nets for income; homes must come later.  It rained every day we were there, and we wondered how these folks were surviving.  Many were sick.  In spite of it all we were invited to lunch in one of the tarp homes and enjoyed a feast of fish (cooked 4 different ways) and rice.  We later visited the Island of Binonganan , where they had fared no better.

The evening before we were to visit the island our host got a call saying the water was too rough for the long narrow banca boats to sail.  We hastily arranged an alternative in another village.  Nearly the first patient there was a 3 year old boy with sepsis and pneumonia from an infected knee joint.  He needed to be hospitalized at once, but there was no possible way to make that happen.  I removed 3 syringes full of pus from his knee and we began injections plus the strongest oral antibiotics we had.  While we were observing his progress throughout the day, both his parents, and 2 other family members joined the over 200 that trusted the Lord that day.  Three days later this child was greatly improved.  “I am going to remember your face!” he threatened Linda as she gave him his 3rd antibiotic injection.  Had the Lord not led us to that village, this precious 3 year old would no doubt  be dead and his family (along with many others) still lost and on their way to hell.  In all we treated 1295 patients and 588 made decisions for Christ.”

If you would like to read the full story of the efforts, please go to www.orhnews.blogspot.com.

Please, consider this “open door”, and let’s not hesitate to go to the harvest.

If you would like to give by debit or credit card, please go to www.operationrenewedhope.org and choose Network for Good.

If you would like to send a check, please send to Operation Renewed Hope, P. O. Box 43242, Fayetteville, NC 28309.  Please mark the check “International Relief.”

God bless all who try to help us with the suffering of others and the salvation of their souls.

Jan Milton
Operation Renewed Hope
9109875072
orhus@aol.com

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