March 16, 2014
Hunger and Recovery
We all know that our bodies and health need food on a regular basis. Food for the hungry in the third world is a real problem since often what is available is low in nutrition and even lower in quality. We have been in several calamities and noted that the provision of food was often pieced together and random at best. Here in the Philippines of the Pacific Rim we have faced the challenge of providing food to relieve involuntary hunger and calamity relief. At the same time we are able to share the message and love of Jesus through preaching, teaching, personal witnessing and encouraging people that God is our provider, comforter, and hope in all seasons.
We are now through with our major calamity relief programs made possible by the extra financial gifts given to us by some of our very generous supporters and even some new people who were compassionate towards those who we are trying to help. These gifts to our calamity appeal of November 8, 2013 have enabled us to repair or rebuild over 52 houses. This meant that a great number of homes affected by the supper typhoon Yolanda were repaired and people were able to begin rebuilding their lives. We were able only to help one barangay or council area because of the sheer costs in providing a lot of needed help both in the way of rebuilding and emergency food and external feeding programs at two schools. These are in our outreach area and we are trying to follow up on the more than 42 souls that have accepted Christ. Noemi and her husband have been very helpful as they speak the local dialects and are strong Christians. To give you an idea of the scope of damage we would like to point out that the barangay we have helped is only one of 26 in the area around us. It sustained the most damage as we were in the main path of the typhoon. We were also able to conduct a feeding program at a school 10 kilometers away from us in the mountains. It has over 500 students and staff and was damaged by the typhoon. The school had many native indigenous Ate native people who make up a very large people group in the Philippines. The response was wonderful. The people in that town felt overlooked and received little help at all following the Typhoon. They found that hunger is a great problem and many of the children were listless from hunger and also the trauma of the typhoon. We have been told that this is the hidden danger of calamities like we have been through although involuntary hunger is always around. Noemi made extra food and we bought around 2,000 bread rolls. We also took some cups with us since many children did not have any to put the mixture in. The response was wonderful and Noemi’s younger brother Norman who was formally on our team was visiting and so gave the message from God’s Word. Over 500 attended and they received our efforts with warmth, thanks, and praise to God. We were not able to provide much in the way of extra food but had purchased a number of cardboard crates of powdered milk and so gave out over 500 box portions; each good enough for 8 or more milk drinks. We were only able to get these in chocolate form since most goods were selling out because of the typhoon needs. But the kids didn’t seem to mind at all. They took this milk home and perhaps their extended families.
Some Interesting things do happen in such a typhoon as this. On lady who lost her house was harvesting a small sugar cane field near her home recently. All of a sudden as she cut the cane by hand she found the few pots and pans and some plastic dishes she had lost in the typhoon along with parts of the roof of her kitchen. She was glad to receive these back as people have very little in the way of utensils and since we also had several mini-tornados that threw things some distances away from where they struck.
Although our major typhoon efforts have come to a close we still want to continue with the food relief and the “Feed My Lambs” programs in the schools and other outreach points. We have expended our funds for the calamity appeal and invite anyone who would like to help us with our Feeding and Food outreach to do so. Please send your gift to our forwarding agent. Our food grant has come to a close and so we are hoping for additional funds and grants as we share the love and concern that Jesus has for some of the lost billions of souls living in the Philippines of the Pacific Rim.
Thank you for your help, prayers, and encouragement. We pray that God will open many doors and windows for us and that He will also open many hearts to help us financially to “Feed His Lambs” both physically and most importantly “Spiritually.”
Serving Christ in the Philippines,
Darryl & Carol Krause
Pacific Rim Ministries
Forwarding Agent:
Pacific Rim Ministries
Mrs. Joanne McKenzie
P.O. Box 323
Weston, Ohio 43569
