Typhoon Koppu Lashes the Philippines
Typhoon Koppu (Lando) made landfall in the Philippines over the weekend, slowly crossing the main island of Luzon, dumping as much as three feet of rain on some portions of the island. Now a tropical storm, the system is still affecting the northern portion of the island, where rain continues to fall. The rain has already triggered massive flooding and mudslides in localities across the island. As of Tuesday morning, more than 65,000 people have been displaced by the storm.
Don and Caroline Armstrong, Global Strategy regional coordinators for Asia and the Pacific, have been in communication with Eddie Viray, the national leader of the Church of God in the Philippines. Viray reports that believers and pastors in the northern region of the island are experiencing terrible conditions. There has been tremendous damage to agricultural crops, affecting the livelihood of entire provinces. However, there are many pastors and congregations who have not yet been reached due to flooding, fallen trees, and electrical outages. Your gift to Disaster Relief will help our brothers and sisters rebuild their lives.
Viray writes, “We are calling for your benevolent support in prayers and compassion to alleviate the condition of our suffering brethren in the Northern part of Manila, the Philippines.”
The Disaster Relief Committee at Church of God Ministries will continue to monitor the situation and be in conversation with Armstrongs and Eddie Viray about how we might best support the Church of God in the Philippines and provide aid as the church reaches out in response, both to its congregations and to affected communities. As updates and needs assessments become available, we’ll provide updates via CHOGnews.org.
The best way you can help is by supporting our Disaster Relief fund. Please consider donating today. You can also send your donation to Attn: Disaster Relief, Church of God Ministries, PO Box 2420, Anderson, IN 46018. Be certain to clearly designate your gift to Project #45.04502.
For questions regarding this and other disaster relief efforts in the United States and internationally, contact Stephen Lewis at 800-848-2464.
