‘I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen.’ —Rev 1.18a
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Christian News and Views
April, May, June 2014 • Vol. 1, No. 1
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God Is Real Team
God is Real By Pastor Chuck Kennedy
Destruction in Eastern Samar, Philippines after Supertyphoon Yolanda
The Church Hurricane Yolanda Could Not Destroy Visayas Region, Philippines — Typhoon Yolanda entered the Philippines as a massive signal five category on Nov 9, 2013, leaving great devastation behind. Prompted by the numerous news reports, mercy challenged us for the task at hand…missions to the affected Visayas area. Our team departed on Nov. 24, at 7:00 in the evening traveling by land. The whole place was devastated. The once happy cities, towns, barangays and sitios were now a no-man’s-land. No sign of how these remnants could recover. No houses, no food, no clothes, no electric power, no water supply, no means to earn money. The schools were down and most all establishments destroyed. Everywhere I looked I saw destruction, trailer trucks, lamp post, trees, everything was destroyed. The smell is awful! Buried under mud everywhere were remnants of wood, walls, ceiling, floors, roof, windows, and doors. People are begging for help with makeshift signs reading “WE NEED HELP” or “WE NEED FOOD”. Children stand along the streets with hands
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stretched begging for any donation. You can feel the wretchedness and hopelessness. Some are trying to scavenge what was left of their houses to rebuild even just a small room for the family. It rains often with heavy outpourings. Where will these people go to protect themselves? Their clothes are still wet and they have no place to do their laundry. There is no retreat for shelter anywhere. We were able to begin our first mission on Wednesday Nov 27 at 3:00 that afternoon. Lodging was difficult to find so we ended up staying in a daycare school. Our team consisted of 5 vehicles and 22 persons total. We brought with us 55 containers of clean water, sacks of rice, clothes, cooking utensils, mosquito nets and a variety of medicine along with medical doctors and nurses to work the affected areas. Harrowing eye witness reports came from the survivors telling us the sea water receded outward a distance and the land was dry for about 30 minutes. Then there was a loud sound like that of thunder and trumpets sounding. Then looking towards the shoreline the huge waves began coming and there was no time to run or hide. The gigantic size and speed of the sudden flood with the forceful current brought devastation which covered all barangays at once. Exempting no place and no one, the moving mountain of water with its force and power destroyed every house, tree, crop, vehicle, and untold numbers of innocent lives. They gave their full strength to hold on to each other as they cried out to God. However, many were sucked into a water grave right out of their slippery grip. Others who did survive lost family members, houses and everything they have worked all their life for. There was a traumatized young girl I saw in line waiting to be medically examined. When I asked her to get her parents, she just stared back at me with a blank stare and no answer. Come to find out, she had just lost both her parents, they were dead. Another 21 year old girl sought counsel needing somebody to talk to as she had just lost both her children, her grandmother, and her house. Continued on page 3
Bradenton, FL — With a vision to reach the Philippines, the God is Real team landed safely in Manila during the early morning hours on Nov 6th, 2013. Little did we realize the destruction and danger that was rapidly approaching. Typhoon Yolanda, the biggest storm to invade the Philippines in decades, if not the biggest ever, was about to make landfall. We were at breakfast on the second morning when Mama Jan told us of numerous text messages she had received from concerned family members during the night. Each had the same message, “Get out of the Philippines, a huge storm is coming!”
From all the news reports, it appeared the wrath of Yolanda was heading right for us. We began to pray and took our authority rebuking it from our path. We decreed it would not stop our mission nor hinder our outreach. God is Real, as we experienced only a small amount of rain. Every meeting was executed with the Lord’s grace and full demonstration of His power. Hallelujah, we thank Him. However, there were areas of the Philippines that were badly damaged. Our hearts go out to them. We have since left the Philippines but some of the people who ministered with us are carrying on the ministry to the affected areas. Thank you for praying.
Storm-Stopping Prayers Show God’s Mercy From Mission Network News, mnnonline. org/news—News reports last week told of Cyclone Lehar threatening to hit Andhra Pradesh, India, on Thanksgiving Day. Predicted conditions included high winds and rough seas overwhelming low-lying areas. India Partners asked for your prayers. And by the grace of God, thos prayers were answered. They received news from their ministry partners that the cyclone changed overnight, and the winds dissipated. Lehar was expected to cause severe damage upon landfall, further incurring devastation on the land that got hit by Cyclone Helen the week before. Their partners are reporting heavy rains, but the damage is much less severe FICC PO Box 14931, Bradenton, FL 34209 USA
than predicted. India Partners thanks you for your prayers for mercy and protection. Please continue to pray for them as they help the villagers recover from Cyclone Helen. Also pray for India Partners as they enter into a vital time of year when many people will be making contributions to their ministry. Their work provides the means to share the Gospel with some people who would otherwise never know the love of Jesus. We need you! We are looking for testimonies. It can be your life story, or individual events in your life God has done for you. Be a blessing to many, submit yours today to: hesalivenews@yahoo.com