Last Saturday, October 17, 2009, a team from the CENTRAL A District linked-up with the Jesus Hope of the Nation Community represented by Pastor Neil Varias to distribute relief goods to their members who were affected by typhoon Pepeng in Urdaneta, Pangasinan & Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija.

This undertaking was prompted by a request from Pastor Neil on Wednesday, October 14, addressed to our sister Beth Melchor for a donation of relief goods for their members. Beth in turn endorsed the request to our Sector Coordinator Melmarx Marcojos, who in turn emailed the District Coordinators asking for their availability and readiness to undertake the project.  Our District Coordinator Ces Pilapil, after consultation with the District Leadership Team, agreed to take on the assignment.

After prayerfully seeking the Lord’s guidance, the Holy Spirit touched the members of the District who were able to mobilize themselves and prepare by Friday evening some 440 packs of goods for distribution the following day.

Having fun packing relief goods for Cabanatuan and Urdaneta

Lizet Rivas making sure there's enough for all

Our humble offering

On the morning of Saturday, our team joined the team of Pastor Neil for the distribution of the goods in the aforementioned areas.  Both teams arrived inUrdaneta at around 10:30 in the morning and proceeded to the first drop-off point.  The distribution was not done in the flooded/damaged areas.  Instead, the beneficiaries were told to assemble in their local church where the distribution was to be held.

As a backgrounder, Pastor Neil’s community has been actively conducting evangelization work in these remote areas.  They did not just visit the place to give talks, they literally planted themselves in these areas.  They built churches where their congregation is situated and appoint a local pastor to care for the congregation.  This is the embodiment of our own Community’s call to be fruitful, multiply and occupy.  They indeed occupied the territory.

We were able to visit six (6) of such churches.  In each, our team was introduced and each member of the team took turns in addressing the group and leading the prayer.  It was indeed a very fruitful and spiritually rewarding experience for us from the LNP.  We were warmly received in every place visited- and we can say not just for the goods we were bringing, but for being brothers and sisters in Christ.  In the true spirit of ecumenism.

Noel Lugue putting good order in the relief center

Ces Pilapil and family lend a hand

The Urdaneta phase of the project ended at about 12:30 pm and the teams then took a much needed lunch break before proceeding to Cabanatuan.  The trip to Cabanatuan took around three (3) hours, arriving at the drop-off point, their main church in the area, around 5 pm.  Again the usual , introductions, address and prayers took place with our district Coordinator leading the prayer.  As it was getting late the team leaders decided to just entrust the remaining goods for the Nueva Ecija beneficiaries with the local pastor for him to take charge of the actual distribution

Thereafter, we made our way back home with thankful hearts for the wonderful experience of having been able to do God’s work in such remote areas with brothers and sisters of a different denomination in the true spirit of ecumenism.