New Ministry in ‘Who cares’

Last week we started a new ministry in Bahala which as near as I can tell literally means ‘Who Cares’. I’ve blogged several times about Kalubian a small village that I lead Bible studies in, take services on Sundays and run some small social action projects in. A couple of weeks ago Jenny one of leaders there asked if I would visit another village nearby which was also without a church, and wanted some input. Of course I agreed, and together we visitied Sitio Bahala.

It’s a vey small community of about 30 dwellings on the banks of the river. The reason it is called Bahala is twofold. Firstly it is to do with the right of people to squat on the land. The people there live under the highway bridge and along the river bank on public land. No-one cares if they live there because the land is useless for anything because it is basically a flood plain, and floods about once a month. Which leads to the second reason. Who cares if it floods? The folk who live there are really poor, they are at the bottom of the ladder. Most live in a one room shack built out of bits of wood and corrugated iron they have scavenged. They could probably fit most of their belongings into a single sack. Who cares if it floods? They just rebuild their homes. Wait for everything to dry out and start again.

Our first vist went really well. Myself and 3 others from Kalubian visited together. We were warmly welcomed, and they were keen for me to begin some ministry there. The most encouraging part for me was seeing our church members from Kalubian chatting away and sharing their faith with the Bahalans. One began handing out tracts. It was completely spontaneous, and not something I had planned or expected. After I asked her why she did that. ‘We all have to do our part’ she said.

Amen to that.

Thankyou Typhoon Lando

A couple of weeks ago it was an earthquake I didn’t notice.

This week it was a Typhoon I certainly did. Typhoon Lando. The only Lando I know of is Lando Calrisian the good guy then bad guy then good guy again from the Star Wars saga. The guy used to be a friend of Han Solo and then runs a gas mine planet moon thingy and sells him out. Anyway, Lando was somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind until Monday when typhoon Lando hit Cebu.

We get lots of warnings about typhoons at this time of year, and to be honest few people pay much attention. On Monday there was a warning that Lando was coming. I was out with the kids across town when it struck taking Ethan to his English lesson. Over about half an hour the rain got steadily heavier until it was impossible to drive so I pulled over at a local mall. Suddenly trees were coming down and the raod was flooded. Myself and the children took shelter in ‘Gonuts Donuts’ to ride it out. The kids thought it was great. A storm, lightninh and donuoghts – result. Then we had a powr cut and so decamped to Yellow Cab Pizza who still had power. This just kept getting better for the kids. Finally we decided to head home. A 20 minute journey took 2 hours. No traffic lights, flooded roads, trees down, loose electric cables – nightmare.

Finally we made it home to be greated by the sight on the left. Our mango trees had been brought down, as had our palm trees. Luckily the trees had missed the house and we had been out, otherwise they almost certainly would have landed on the car. Kids even more excited!

Finally we made it inside and the weather started to die down a bit. The next few days have been spent cleaning up and chopping wood. It has poured down for the last 4 out of 5 days, which starts to get a tad annoying after a while. Ironically Rentokil turned up the day after the storm (a month after they were expected) to ‘Defog’ our trees for mosquito’s. Mr Rentokil was completely unfazed by the situation and defogged our fallen trees as myself and a church member chopped them up. Any Mozzy that survived Lando and Mr Rentokil must be bionic.

Now from the obscurity of a bit part in Star Wars ‘Lando’ is heard frequently around Cebu. ‘Where were you when Lando hit?’ is the common question. Most people seem to have been dodging trees or fording rivers. Few own up to stuffing their faces in Gonuts Donuts. Thankfully there were few injuries, though sadly a couple of people did drown. A number of trees came down on cars and houses, as did some advertising hoardings, which has sparked a minor scandal as it comes to light that they weren’t properly registered/constructed/located/permitted etc. Cue various officals feigning surprise and credulity that such a thing could have happened in Cebu. Honestly, who would have thought that those dodgy looking huge boardings hanging over poor peoples homes were not authorised? How did that happen? Who is responsible for public safety in these situations? Oh I see, he didn’t know about them…

Apparently we just had an earthquake

Just had a text from my friend to say we just had an earthquake. I didn’t feel anything, and neither did anyone else but, the local news outlets are reporting a quake of 4.8 on the Richter scale centred on Bohol about 2 hours away by boat. I’ll keep you posted. Local Newspaper story is posted below. Weather is atrocious though, monsoon is hitting Northern Philippines which means we are getting a lot of rain.

CEBU CITY–Mild tremors haunt the city of Cebu on Wednesday noon.

Reports from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Main Office said that the earthquake has a magnitude of 4.8 with its epicenter spotted somewhere in Anda, Bohol.

The earthquake started at exactly 12:12 noon (Phivolcs time).

Meanwhile, Jagna Bohol, Hibok-hibok and Camiguin are affected under Intensity V; Tagbilaran City, barangay Banilad and Mandaue City (Intensity IV); Lapu-lapu City, Cagayan de Oro and Southern Leyte (Intensity III); and Butuan City, Dipolog City, Surigao City, and Zamboanga del Norte (Intensity II); Dumaguete City and Masbate under Intensity I.

Phivolcs is not expecting damages and aftershocks after the said earthquake.

Also, radio reports confirmed that the earthquake did not cause damage in infrastructures in the city.

Update for Prayer on Bishop Yamoyam

I spoke yesterday with Fr Balangui one of Bishop Yamoyam’s co-workers in the National Office and asked him for an update regarding Bp Miguel, that I might post on the Web, he agreed.

‘Bishop Yamoyam is still seriously ill in the Intensive Care Unit in the United States. The Presiding Bishop returned yesterday and gave us all the news that at the moment Bp Miguel seems to be paralysed down one side of his body. I met with Bp Miguels wife yesterday, and she now has her passport and will be flying out to the US on the next available flight along with their daughter who is a nurse. They are grateful for the prayers of everyone concerned. We are organising special prayer meetings here in the National Office and I know that others are being organised in churches across the Philippines’

Father of compassion and mercy, who never failest to help and comfort those who cry to thee for succour: give strength and courage to this thy son in his hour of need. Hold thou him up and he shall be safe; enable him to feel that thou art near, and to know that underneath are the everlasting arms; and grant that, resting on thy protection, he may fear no evil, since thou art with him; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Church of Ireland. Book of Common Prayer

If anyone has more upto date news please post it below, also use the comments to add your own prayers.

Great Anglican Joke

“What’s the difference between Jurassic Park and the Church of England? Well, one’s a fantasy land populated by dinosaurs . . . and the other’s a blockbuster film.”

I got it from here. Apparently the author is the Assistant Bishop of Pittsburgh.

Bp Yamoyam seriously ill in the US

I had a number of text messages this week while we were away having a break for a few days. They concerned Bishop Yamoyam – our Bishop here. Who had a stroke about a week ago. Getting news has been hard, but I found the following on a US blog (the bishop was in the States at a meeting).

Bishop Yamoyam of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines suffered a stroke on Sunday afternoon while attending Executive Council in Dearborn, Michigan. On Monday the Living Church reported the following:

“The Rt. Rev. Miguel Paredes Yamoyam, provincial secretary of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and was expected to undergo surgery Sunday night or today, according to the Most Rev. Ignacio Capuyan Soliba, Prime Bishop and Moderator, who said that Bishop Yamoyam was conscious but unable to speak.”

By eight AM on Monday he had returned from surgery and was in intensive care. Members of his family in the Philippines and in the US were called and several were on their way. I visited Bishop Yamoyam with the Prime Bishop on Monday morning. The intensive care team was constant in care and the Prime Bishop was able to call on several Filipino nurses to especially look in on him as well. I have not heard since Wednesday morning, but my sense is his condition is grave.

Bishop Yamoyam has served the ECP with great joy and dignity. He is always welcoming and always quietly perceptive. Sunday before his stroke he spoke to Executive Council, mixing good humor with the remarkable story of the movement from dependence to autonomy in the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. He and the Prime Bishop are justly proud of the way in which the ECP has become fully autonomous and therefore more easily a full partner with the Episcopal Church and other partner churches in the Anglican Communion. He was glad to be at Executive Council telling the story again. In the Philippines he was talked of as a possible candidate for Prime Bishop.

Bishop Soliba remarked that he was told Bishop Yamoyam’s chances were only 50/50. Reflecting on that I later said to Bishop Soliba that I thought our chances were only 50/50 to be able to keep him with us. Bishop Yamoyam’s chances were 100% sure. If he lived or died, there would be joy in being with God.

Pray for him and his family.

Bishop Mike (as everyone in the Episcopal Church knows him) wears many ‘hats’ in the Episcopal church, and one of them is the responsibility for overseeing Evangelism and Church planting for the National office. As such he is my ‘line manager’, and has always was key to us coming to Cebu. He has alway been unfailingly supportive, and his first question whenever I meet him is how are Sally and the children. In fact whenever I see him this is is first question, and is then repeated several times throughout the conversation – prefaced with a ‘No really, how are… ‘ Do join us in prayer for this gracious servant of Christ.