Saturday, October 31, 2009
I made to China
After a six hour delay due to the typhoon in the Philippines, I made it to Hong Kong first, and then with some excellent help from Orbitz.com, my ticket to China was re-issued for a later time. I am now in a hotel near Guangzhou airport. So, everything is back on schedule for the China trip. Thank you for your prayers.
Typhoon
Saturday morning here. We are in the midst of a typhoon. Many of our members have been evacuated from their homes. Please pray for them. Needless to say, all flights, including mine to China were cancelled.
Friday, October 30, 2009
LEAVING FOR CHINA TRIP - MAYBE!
I have been back in Navotas since 1 AM Tuesday (October 27). I am suppose to leave tomorrow morning (Saturday) at 5 AM to go to Guangzhou, China. However, we are facing a new TYPHOON (MIRINAE, local name SANTI) due to hit here tomorrow morning. So, my schedule is a little bit in doubt. Assuming I go on time, here is my basic itinerary:
Oct 31-Nov 2 GUANGZHOU, GUANDONG, CHINA
Nov 2-Nov 3 CHENGDU, SICHUAN, CHINA
Nov 3-Nov 4 ZIYANG and KANJIA, SICHUAN, CHINA
Nov 4-Nov 5 CHENGDU, SICHUAN, CHINA
Nov 5-Nov 9 JIANGMEN, GUANGDON, CHINA
Nov 9-Nov10 HONG KONG
Nov 10 RETURN TO MANILA
I will be posting details of my trip activities as they unfold.
TYPHOON (MIRINAE, local name SANTI) Friday morning
Oct 31-Nov 2 GUANGZHOU, GUANDONG, CHINA
Nov 2-Nov 3 CHENGDU, SICHUAN, CHINA
Nov 3-Nov 4 ZIYANG and KANJIA, SICHUAN, CHINA
Nov 4-Nov 5 CHENGDU, SICHUAN, CHINA
Nov 5-Nov 9 JIANGMEN, GUANGDON, CHINA
Nov 9-Nov10 HONG KONG
Nov 10 RETURN TO MANILA
I will be posting details of my trip activities as they unfold.
TYPHOON (MIRINAE, local name SANTI) Friday morning
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Mission Accomplished
We will depart Caramoan and I will begin an 18 hour journey back to Navotas, with a quick stopover at the San Jose church. There were so many praise reports in the worship service this morning in Tabgon, about what the Lord did in our mission to the very remote village of Antolan. To God be the glory. I am so exhausted and struggling with agrivated MS symptoms, but so full of joy to have seen the hand of God work among these remote people He loves so much. God's love really transcends all. After a couple days to recover in Navotas, I will be off for 2 weeks in China. More on that in coming days. God bless you all.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Back to Main Church in Tabgon
After abov 20 miles of mountain trails, we are back at our church in Tabgon, Caramoan. I had trouble posting from the remote locations. I will try to post some pictures after this post. Thank you for all your prayers. This trip really exceeded my physical capabilities, but by the grace of God I made it. The Lord really did a marvelous work among the people, especially in the village of Antolan.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Made it to Antolan
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Caramoan Mountain Village Update
Praise God. We finished our 1st of 3 days visiting mountain villages. After visiting members in Tabiguian and Pili-Tabiguian this morning, we went to Bacong, where we had service tonight. We are back in Pili to sleep. Tomorrow we will go to Antolan and stay there overnight. Friday we go to village of Tabuan, then back to our main church in Tabgon on Saturday. Thank you for the prayers. God is really opening up doors in these previously unreached areas.
Caramoan Update
We have good weather here this morning. Will be in mountains next few days. I will post from there if there is signal. Please pray for our strength and safety.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
BICOL and CHINA trips
My trip to Bicol was delayed by the death of one of our long-time members in Navotas. My plan now is to depart Sunday night, October 18, and return to Navotas by early morning October 27. After that, I will be leaving for China on October 31 and be there until November 11. I will keep you posted as much as possible while I travel. It is possible that plans will change again with a new typhoon approaching the Philippines today. We will see what path it takes.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
MORE FLOODS IN NORTHERN LUZON
Since the terrible floods hit Metro Manila, the rain continued in Northern Luzon with accumulations up to 2 meters of rain in some places. Needless to say there have been devastating floods and mudslides in a wide area. The following article from http://www.inquirer.net/ summarizes much of the current situation. For pictures and videos go to http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/ Here in Navotas, we are mostly back to normal except for many members working on repairs to their houses damaged in the storms.
Here is the article from inquirer.net :
Landslide deaths lift storm toll past 540
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 14:26:00 10/10/2009
Filed Under: Landslide, Flood, Pepeng, Ondoy, Disasters (general)
PANGASINAN, Philippines—The death toll from two weeks of unprecedented storms across the northern Philippines soared past 540 on Friday after landslides consumed homes and neck-deep floods inundated towns.
At least 181 people were killed in a series of rain-triggered landslides overnight Thursday and on Friday in the Cordillera region, local officials reported.
Meanwhile, the downstream farming plains of Central Luzon were inundated with waters that reached two storeys high after dams in the mountains could not hold the phenomenal amount of water that has fallen on the region.
"The rains in this area are unprecedented," the executive officer of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Glenn Rabonza, told Agence France-Presse.
"We are stretched, no doubt, but we are responding in the best way we can."
The crisis showed no signs of easing as tropical storm Pepeng (international codename: Parma), responsible for the past week of rains, continued to hover just off Luzon.
In Metro Manila, nearly 300,000 homeless survivors from Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) were packed into evacuation camps following record rains on September 26 that killed at least 337 people.
US troops helping out in the capital extended their relief work to the north on Friday, dispatching helicopters and other rescue equipment, the Filipino military said.
The US embassy announced an extra two million dollars in aid for the Parma victims on top of money and materials donated for the Ondoy operations, while UN humanitarian chief John Holmes is to begin a two-day visit to the country Monday to review relief efforts, the world body said.
The worst of the overnight landslides appeared to be in remote Benguet province, where 120 people were confirmed killed in five towns, said provincial governor Nestor Fongwan.
Another 38 people were confirmed killed in the neighboring mountain resort of Baguio, officials there said.
Across all of the north, the confirmed death toll from the landslides was 181, on top of the 25 people killed earlier by Pepeng.
In the farming region of Pangasinan province to the southwest of the provinces where the landslides occurred, thousands of people were stranded on rooftops in dangerously similar scenes to those in Manila a fortnight ago.
Days of rain from Parma forced authorities to open the gates on five dams, sending water cascading through dozens of towns in Pangasinan, which has a population of 2.5 million people.
"A lot of places cannot be reached by our rubber boats because the current is too strong due to the waters released by San Roque dam," Pangasinan governor Amado Espino said.
"The dam is supposed to be for flood control but now it is so filled it is like it is not there. The water just rushes right through from the mountains to Pangasinan."
The disaster council's Rabonza said about 60 percent of Pangasinan, including about 30 towns, were flooded with waters reaching as high as the second floor of buildings.
In the town of Rosales, neck-high waters swallowed up houses, vehicles, rice fields and even a large shopping mall.
Desperate local officials made urgent pleas for rubber boats and helicopters to rescue those stranded by the floods.
Parma has been hanging over the northern Philippines since initially hitting as a typhoon on October 3.
Parma hit the Philippines exactly one week after tropical storm Ketsana dumped the heaviest rains in more than four decades on Manila.
The government has been overwhelmed by the crisis, which has forced hundreds of thousands of people in Manila and other parts of Luzon into makeshift evacuation centres after losing their homes to the floods.
Here is the article from inquirer.net :
Landslide deaths lift storm toll past 540
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 14:26:00 10/10/2009
Filed Under: Landslide, Flood, Pepeng, Ondoy, Disasters (general)
PANGASINAN, Philippines—The death toll from two weeks of unprecedented storms across the northern Philippines soared past 540 on Friday after landslides consumed homes and neck-deep floods inundated towns.
At least 181 people were killed in a series of rain-triggered landslides overnight Thursday and on Friday in the Cordillera region, local officials reported.
Meanwhile, the downstream farming plains of Central Luzon were inundated with waters that reached two storeys high after dams in the mountains could not hold the phenomenal amount of water that has fallen on the region.
"The rains in this area are unprecedented," the executive officer of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Glenn Rabonza, told Agence France-Presse.
"We are stretched, no doubt, but we are responding in the best way we can."
The crisis showed no signs of easing as tropical storm Pepeng (international codename: Parma), responsible for the past week of rains, continued to hover just off Luzon.
In Metro Manila, nearly 300,000 homeless survivors from Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) were packed into evacuation camps following record rains on September 26 that killed at least 337 people.
US troops helping out in the capital extended their relief work to the north on Friday, dispatching helicopters and other rescue equipment, the Filipino military said.
The US embassy announced an extra two million dollars in aid for the Parma victims on top of money and materials donated for the Ondoy operations, while UN humanitarian chief John Holmes is to begin a two-day visit to the country Monday to review relief efforts, the world body said.
The worst of the overnight landslides appeared to be in remote Benguet province, where 120 people were confirmed killed in five towns, said provincial governor Nestor Fongwan.
Another 38 people were confirmed killed in the neighboring mountain resort of Baguio, officials there said.
Across all of the north, the confirmed death toll from the landslides was 181, on top of the 25 people killed earlier by Pepeng.
In the farming region of Pangasinan province to the southwest of the provinces where the landslides occurred, thousands of people were stranded on rooftops in dangerously similar scenes to those in Manila a fortnight ago.
Days of rain from Parma forced authorities to open the gates on five dams, sending water cascading through dozens of towns in Pangasinan, which has a population of 2.5 million people.
"A lot of places cannot be reached by our rubber boats because the current is too strong due to the waters released by San Roque dam," Pangasinan governor Amado Espino said.
"The dam is supposed to be for flood control but now it is so filled it is like it is not there. The water just rushes right through from the mountains to Pangasinan."
The disaster council's Rabonza said about 60 percent of Pangasinan, including about 30 towns, were flooded with waters reaching as high as the second floor of buildings.
In the town of Rosales, neck-high waters swallowed up houses, vehicles, rice fields and even a large shopping mall.
Desperate local officials made urgent pleas for rubber boats and helicopters to rescue those stranded by the floods.
Parma has been hanging over the northern Philippines since initially hitting as a typhoon on October 3.
Parma hit the Philippines exactly one week after tropical storm Ketsana dumped the heaviest rains in more than four decades on Manila.
The government has been overwhelmed by the crisis, which has forced hundreds of thousands of people in Manila and other parts of Luzon into makeshift evacuation centres after losing their homes to the floods.
Monday, October 5, 2009
25 BAPTIZED IN NAVOTAS ON OCTOBER 4
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dale_mueller
UPDATE ON FLOODS and TYPHOON PARMA (PEPING)
Some areas of Metro Manila and Rizal Province still remain flooded with thousands in Evacuations Centers, after the floods created by more than 16 inches of rain in 9 hours from Typhon Ketsana (Ondoy) last September 24. Classes resumed here in Navotas and most other parts of Metro Manila today, after 1 week of class cancellations. The total death count now from this storm is at least 288, with many still missing. After leaving the Philippines, Ketsana went on to kill 99 in Vietnam and 16 in Laos.
This last weekend (October 4-5) super typhoon Parma (Peping) hit the norther part of Luzon, where there were 16 deaths reported. We had rain and some wind here in Navotas, but not enough for any serious damage. Our churches in Caramoan, San Jose, Ragay and Malabon have all reported minor damage, especially to crops, but no major damage to houses or church buildings.
We have evaluated combined damage from Ketsana (Ondoy) and Parma (Peping) here in Navotas to members houses. Many that live next to and over Manila bay were damaged by wind and big waves. We will be submitting a request for funds to IDES this week.
Thank you for all your prayers.
This last weekend (October 4-5) super typhoon Parma (Peping) hit the norther part of Luzon, where there were 16 deaths reported. We had rain and some wind here in Navotas, but not enough for any serious damage. Our churches in Caramoan, San Jose, Ragay and Malabon have all reported minor damage, especially to crops, but no major damage to houses or church buildings.
We have evaluated combined damage from Ketsana (Ondoy) and Parma (Peping) here in Navotas to members houses. Many that live next to and over Manila bay were damaged by wind and big waves. We will be submitting a request for funds to IDES this week.
Thank you for all your prayers.
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