God Loves Rice!

The churches in the Tumpagon, Cauyunan, Ricodo and Lapoc areas have been going through severe trials because of a drought which started last Oct-Nov. Water sources have dried up in many places, making it difficult to get even drinking water. Washing clothes or bathing in many of the villages, involves a long trek to find water. 

Crops have failed and many of the fields stand dry and parched having produced only a few scrawny stalks of corn that grew to knee-height and produced no fruit.

The Lord laid on our hearts and on the hearts of others as well, to provide relief for our brethren who are in such great need. So beginning last Saturday, we have been extremely busy: the church deacons and elders have been busy compiling lists of all the families in the churches and overseeing the distribution of rice; we have been poring over the lists as well, counting and calculating as well as busy over skype and phone organizing truckloads of rice to be delivered to churches in 47 villages and to 740 families!

 Wing-wing, Rodil, Doydoy, Roel, James, Jerome, Udi and many others have literally been working day and night for several days to distribute the rice and it has been a long haul for them but one that has brought great joy.

We spoke with Rodil and Wing-wing on the phone this morning and they told us that they arrived in Bisigan last night about 8:30 or 9:00 pm and the brethren there could not believe their eyes. They couldn’t stop rejoicing and praising God – some were crying and others were laughing and jumping up and down in joy at God’s provision for them. In all the places they told us God’s name is being praised and glorified and His children are feeling His love and care for them in a very special way.

God has sent help from so many places to provide for this relief project – brothers and sisters here in Australia have helped with funds, a church in Cagayan gave 100 sacks of rice, another brother and sister has given rock bottom prices from their warehouse, a brother has been overseeing the loading of the rice and gave from his own pocket as well….to GOD BE THE GLORY!!

We were translating a verse in 1 John yesterday and I asked one of our translation team, “What are some of the signs of a person in need?” She said, “You can tell if someone is in need of food because there is no smoke coming from their house.” (No food to cook = no cooking fire.) Well praise God today that there are cooking fires going in every house of our brothers and sisters in the Dulangan, Ricodo, Man-ay and Talakag areas!!! 

Today, the last two truck-loads are making their way up to the last villages needing to be supplied and by tonight the distribution of this should be complete. Our brothers and sisters should have enough rice to give them time now to focus on re-planting. A couple of rains have just recently fallen so the drought is starting to break.

Until our Lord comes again, He will continue to care for us, walk with us through the many trials still ahead and be with us always!!! 

 Pictures are slowly coming through to us and I’m sure that in a few days there would be a lot more better ones, but this shows the stockpile of rice in the Tumpagon church as the first load came in.

Aybi, married to Jerome in Tumpagon who is one of the church elders, helping her hubby compile the lists of people in their churches.  They stayed up half the night working on these, trying to make sure no one was forgotten or left out.

 Unloading the sacks of rice in Cauyunan! How we wish we could have actually been ‘on the ground’ helping to distribute the rice and seeing the joy firsthand.

Our brothers and sisters from the church in Cauyunan had a praise time in the church first before they went next door to the distribution area to collect their rice!