GLORY TO THE KING MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL Inc

By Bishop Stephen Villaester

Indeed, for more than thousand families with dead and still missing loved ones, even just to smile during the season of Christmas, would be so difficult for them to do. As the city of Iligan, together with neighbouring city, Cagayan de Oro was disastrously hit by a tropical storm Sendong (Washi) in the late evening of the 16th of December 2011. It is worse than the dreadful “Typhoon Ondoy” that hit Metro Manila” in 2010 in terms of casualty and property damage. More than 10,000 families and 45,000 individuals are affected in 27 Villages of Iligan city.

Even to this date- February 2, rescue and retrieval operations are still on-going, tallies of dead accounting is sorrowfully increasing as the day unfolds. Relief goods poured in from government and various sources from local, national and international entities spread in 14 Evacuation Centers (EC).

Aggravating to this painful scenario, numbers of families coming from the Higaonon tribes and the Maranao Muslim were left out in relief goods and necessary assistance, because culturally they are not comfortable staying in Evacuation Centers and biases and prejudices amongst the Muslim, being Christians and being Lumads are unconsciously and unwittingly factors.

This painful scenario moved us in 3J2 ALL NATIONS CHRISTIAN CHURCH, INTL., INC. to conduct relief assistance action dubbed as the “OPERATION GIVING-FOR TYPHOON SENDONG VICTIMS” that would focus on relatively culturally deprived family-victims specially the Higaonons in hinterlands villages namely; Mandulog and Rogongon and the Maranao Muslims in urban villages of Cabao, Upper Hinaplanon and Proper Hinaplanon. This aims to provide a non-biased and culturally-sensitive disaster response in a multi-cultural setting disaster victim. Initially we aimed to serve 400 families from the said four focused villages.

THE STORY

December 18- Sunday:

Early morning that day Sonia and myself went to Kauswagan, Lanao Del Norte, for I was invited as the Guest Speaker of a Church Anniversary Pastored by Pastor Elbert.

Then, right after the Worship Service we went back to Iligan City, we have decided to visit Evacuation Centers to see on what we could do to help them, we took a glance on the most affected areas of the flash flood where a lot of people died, then, we also went to funeral parlors to check if there are people whom we could recognized, as I was told that one of my friends who died as victim of the typhoon was already found, and his body was placed in one of the funeral homes, I came there to see, but I was not able to recognize him for there were about 31 cadavers who were just spread at the floor, and so, actually my friend is still missing even until today together with 40 people who are still missing, they came from one Church.

We wanted to go to the Dumpsite that day but we were not allowed for the road going there was also destroyed by the flood, but we received an information that the people from the Dumpsites are in one Evacuation Center- at MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY-IIT, we went there and we were able to talk to them, and thank GOD not even one of the Children became casualties. But we were told that the building we were renting as the Feeding Center was damaged.

Sonia and myself, were able to arrived home at late night already. We also visited the Families who are members of the Church, who are affected much by the Typhoon Sendong. There were 7 Families in our Family/Church who are very much affected for their houses were washed out by the flood.

December 19-Monday:

Seeing and knowing the situations of the people at the Evacuation Centers, we have decided to do a Feeding Program at the Evacuation Center, most especially at the MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY-IIT GYM, for this reason, we bought the needed food stuff, and then, Sonia my dear wife started to cook the food, and after the cooking was done, my whole family together with the girl friends of Adrian and Sonnyboy, we went to the MSU-IIT GYM, then we called those people from the Dumpsites, and when the other people noticed that we were giving food they started to rush in gathering around the jeepney, hundreds of them, we started to distribute the food, and that, we were able to fed 400 people that night.

Almost all of them, shouted and requested us to come back the next night.

December 20 – 30, 2011

And so, every time we could receive blessings from friends, even how big and small would that be, we would buy Food Stuff, in order that every night we could serve people dinner at the Evacuation Centers even in our small way. Sonia with our Assistance would always cooked food, then, when everything was already prepared we had to go to and distribute food where people from the Dumpsite gathered themselves together at a specific Evacuation Center.

We also went to other Evacuation Centers, for there are about 18 Evacuation Centers in Iligan City during that time, but we have only a very small and a little resources, and that, we could only do less, and for that, most of the time we were at the MST-IIT GYM the evacuation Center provided for the people at the Dumpsite.

January 1, 2012- Sunday:

In the morning, We bought all the needed Items:
a. hygiene Kit ( toothpaste, toothbrush, laundry soap, bath soap)
b. Sets of Kitchen wares ( Cooking pots, Plate, Glass, pork & spoon; pale & dipper)
c. packs of Food Items ( 15 Sacks of Rice, Dried fish, Noodles, Canned Goods, salt, sugar & milk)

We see to it, that we would be able to hit our target to be able to distribute the Re-Packed Items to 100 people.

In the afternoon until evening, the young people and few members of the Church, even those who were affected much, in spite of the fact, that there houses were washed out by the flood the came to help re-packing the goods.

Then, we had a Prayer Time together, asking GOD for guidance on what we are going to do, for GOD’S comfort for what happened, and for GOD’S blessings and that in spite of what happened everybody can still move on.

January 4- Wednesday:

In the morning, we went to a remote area where most of those are culturally deprived Maranao Muslims upper Hinaplanon, we have distributed for about 100 packed Items. Military went with us, for our Protection, and that, they could also help us in the distribution of the goods.

Then, in the afternoon, we have decided to distribute Rice, Canned Goods, and Noodles to the people at the Evacuation Center at MSU-IIT GYM for we heard that many of them were not able to get food.

We also went to the people who built their shelters beside the roads, we also distributed to them goods, we also able to give 100 packed items.

We were also able to gather some clothing, and we included them on what we have distributed to the Victims.

January 5- Thursday:

In the morning, we brought the Goods (Sacks of Rice and other Items) to the Office of the INTERFAITH COUNCIL, we re-packed them, together what the INTERFAITH COUNCIL have solicited, it was somewhat like a joint effort, then, together with the Members of the Council, Military Men, and Volunteers, we went to Mandulog, when we arrived there, we could sense, that no NGO’S or Help from the Government arrived there yet, this place is one of those places that no one would dare to come, for almost all the people living in this area are Maranao Muslims.

We went back to Iligan City after lunch time, then, Sonia decided to cook food again, and that, we would have another Feeding Program at MSU-IIT Gym where people at the Dumpsite gathered together..

Then, when everything was prepared, we went to the Evacuation Center, and we distributed the food to the people there, and that, we were able to fed 200 people that night as their Dinner.

Janaury 6-Friday:

In the morning, we decided to go back to Upper Hinaplanon, since we still have some Re-Packed Goods, we decided to distribute them to the Evacuees at the Evacuation Center. There were a lot of people there who gathered themsleves mostly Maranao Muslims, we were only able to gave and distributed for about 100 Packs. Anyway, the Barangay Captain was so thankful of what we did and what we have given them.

We rested, when we arrived home, for we were preparing ourselves, for tomorrow’s activities, because our next Schedule trip the next day was Cagayan de Oro City.

Janaury 7, 2012-Saturday:

In the morning, we have decided to do some re-packing, because we would like to distribute the goods when we would arrive Cagayan de Oro City. While some of us were doing the re-packing, Sonia, Adrian and myself went to a Sound System Store, and we bought one to be given to Rev. Luther L. Villaester for the Church, because they lost everything that was inside the Church Buiding during the Flood, including their Sound System, as a gesture of love we brought them one.

Then, after lunch, we departed Iligan City bound to Cagayan de Oro City. When we arrived Cagayan de Oro City, we were not able to reached the location of the Church, because on that small road from the main road going to the location of the Church, has a lot of tents, they occupied the whole road, and that, we have decided to just distribute the Relief Goods where we were, we asked the help of Marily the wife of Rev. Luther, and then, people just came rushing and we gave each of them the packed items, but we were not able to give each of them for they were really many, even our hearts were crying to give each of them, but we could not do that, we were only limited.

Then, we had a very short ceremony before we have given the Sound System to Rev. Luther L. Villaester, He and his wife, and the members of the Church were so glad to receive it.

We went back to Iligan, and we were able to reached Iligan City at 11:00 pm.

Janaury 8,2012- Sunday:

During our Worship Service, and that, since many of our Church members were victims of the flood, their houses and all their belongings were washed out by the flood, I would think that it was just proper for us tat this time to listen to their testimonies concerning their plights during the Typhoon, and that, we could listen to them more personally as they share their testimonies on how the LORD GOD saved and rescued them from that killer flood. Everybody has a story to tell, one day I would like to write their Testimonies, each testimony. Everybody agreed that GOD’S Protection was experienced by everybody in the Church.

Then, we gave each Family their share of Goods, and we had a Lunch Fellowship.

January 9, 2012- Monday:

Early in the morning that day, Sonia, Adrian, Aileah and myself went to the INTERFAITH Office because since we still have some goods left, we decided to go back to Mandulog, and to Upper Hinaplanon for the distribution of Relief Goods again. We were already somewhat like tired already, but when we saw the people seems to be needing us even without saying a word, we offered to them our time, we have distributed the Relief Goods, and we did some counseling. These places were Muslim dominated places, but when we started to talk to them they listened.

Janaury 10, 2012-Tuesday:

THE FEEDING CENTER

On this day Sonia and myself went to Barangay Hinaplanon to reflect ourselves on what GOD would tell us to do more and what HE is teaching us on what happened, we saw the Church near the bridge that was totally damaged, and the Church building too , then we went to the Dumpsite, we tried to get there using another road, but we were almost stuck in the mud going to the area, but anyway, we were able to get in there, and there we were able to see the building of the Feeding Center, the chairs for mature people were gone, the chairs for the children were gone, the Sound System were gone, and everything that we had in that building were gone, the building is also somewhat like destroyed, it would already be dangerous for us and the children, if insist to still use it, as I look at it, anytime from now the building would collapsed.

If we are going to repair it, I know that the owner of the building would not get even a single cents out from his pocket to spend to repair the building. Sonia and myself just decided to give it up, even if we spent a lot just to build the bathroom for the Children, than, to put the lives of the Children in danger.

Then, the next day.

January 11, 2012-Wednesday:

On that day, I had to Officiate a Wedding Ceremony of the members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, as I was requested by their Pastor to do.

We still want to give more, we still want to help more people, we still want to do the Feeding Program, but we already run out of resources, we will just wait for GOD’S blessings, as the LORD continue to provide, we will continue doing what GOD would like us to do.

Anyway, those are the important activities that we did to help the victims of the Typhoon Sendong.