Dear Prayer Team,

Palo Church Rebuilding

When Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines 6 months ago, New Life Baptist Church of Palo was one of the few buildings in its area to keep its roof.  Nearby houses, the Catholic seminary and Cathedral, all had their roofs totally peeled off, and many people drowned in the storm surge.  Neighbors and church members who evacuated to New Life Palo were so grateful to be alive. Some continued to live there as they had nowhere else to go.

Christian relief teams began arriving in Palo a few days after the storm.  A number of these teams took shelter inside the mostly intact church building.  Hungry children were invited to eat at the church, where volunteers from many countries cooked nutritious meals for them.

Pastor Ging Aliposa and his wife, Agnes became involved very quickly in relieving the suffering of the people around them.  Pastor Ging coordinated relief teams.  Until today he coordinates a pedal-powered taxi project that helps provide regular income to more than 20 families.  Agnes, who serves as a doctor in a hospital across the street from the church, treated many patients that were wounded by Typhoon Haiyan, working together with Christian relief agency Samaritan’s Purse.  She was featured in a  video about medical work at her hospital.

One of the people who came Agnes’ hospital was Roneco Olarte.  As he tried to help his family during the typhoon, a wall fell upon him, injuring his leg.  The leg was so badly injured that the medical team had to amputate.  In a later conversation, he said, “I could have run away and saved myself, but what would have happened to my family?”  Through the help and witness of both the medical team and Pastor Ging, Roneco trusted Jesus as his savior. He attends church faithfully and a hosts a weekly Bible study in his small home.   Samaritan’s Purse staffers helped him to get a hand-pedaled cart.

We are amazed how God has grown His church in Palo, where we lived and served for 9 years.  Since the typhoon, Sunday morning attendance has grown from 90 to more 200. The auditorium is full of people praising God, in spite of circumstances.  When we attended last month, rain was pouring from the partially-finished roof onto the sides of the auditorium.  Believers patiently swept up the water, while the rest sang loudly enough to drown out the downpour.

Last Sunday, we were delighted to see a new, white roof covering the Palo church.  Thank you to those who purchased the new roof through your gifts to the Philippine Typhoon Relief fund.  Your gifts have helped New Life Baptist Church to continue as a refuge and a light to the town of Palo, Leyte.

 

Thailand:  Filipino Mission Board Anniversary

Last week we traveled to Thailand to attend the 50th anniversary of the Philippine Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, a Filipino mission board.  There were many exciting testimonies by Thai believers of how their lives had been changed through the ministry of Filipino missionaries.  They included a Thai pastor that was saved in prison, and many believers from the Akha tribe.  Allene knew a number of the first Filipino missionaries, who were students years ago when her parents taught at Bible Colleges in the Philippines.

US Travel:  Family Reinforcement and Missionary Training

On June 13, we plan to travel to the United States.  We will be able to escape some of the stress of living in a post-disaster zone, and reconnect with the family that we miss so much.  Since our family members are so far spread from one another, travel will take us from the Northeast to the Northwest to Florida.  We hope to see some of you as well.  Email us back to see if we can get together. In late July, I will assist in teaching new ABWE missionaries in a program entitled Essential Mission Components.   Allene and I will return to the Philippines in August.

Prayer Requests

• Electricity:  We are very thankful to have power again, restored 5 months after the typhoon.
• Pray for the continued growth of the more than 20 churches      in the New Life Baptist Family of churches.
• New leaders are needed for these churches.  Pastor Ging, myself, and others train new leaders at Baptist Ministerial Training Center. Pray that we will be able to restart classes, which were suspended after the typhoon.  Pray for previous students to return, and for new students to join in June.
• Pray for our safety as we travel to encourage and      distribute goods to believers from churches farther from Tacloban.  In April we took a 3 day trip to Biliran  Island, where 2 families serve with New Life Baptist Mission.

If God is moving you to join our personal support team,

• You can contact us via e-mail at: jlatzko@abwe.cc

You can give online through our mission:  :  Click Here – ABWE Giving

Carrying the Light,

Jim and Allene Latzko