One of the things that missionaries think about on a regular basis is writing a newsletter.  We are always looking for something that would be of interest to those who are following and supporting our ministries.  So, as a missionary, I began to ask God for something spectacular that we could write home about.

So what came, but a hurricane (typhoon) that swept through the area that some of our works are located.  Guess we should be careful for what we pray for.  This time around, the entire National Capital Region (Metro Manila and surrounding areas) bore the full brunt of the storm, which, besides causing floods, felled trees that caused instant “blockades” in busy cities, peeled off entire marble blocks from some buildings while tossing scaffoldings in others, twisted metal structures in airport warehouses, and hurled billboards down the main highway.  Besides the debris from countless felled trees, cut power cables dangerously dangled like spaghetti in the streets.  43 million people were affected by the power outage from the typhoon.  More than 200 people lost their lives in this Typhoon.

The worst of all, at least for us, was the water damage in our Bible School buildings and our apartment.  It just seems that no matter what we do, the water can find a way into the buildings.  We had major leaks in the roof and water even coming through the walls and floors.  Don’t ask how that happens, because I am not sure I can explain it.  Carpets, furniture, and equipment were damaged.  After about three days of considerable work to clean up and assess the damage, we are still trying to repair all the damage that the water caused.  This will be a storm that will be remembered for a very long time.

Dennis Ebert, Philippines