NCM Philippines Brings Hope To St. Bernard

The world was shaken last year when news broke out that a killer mudslide hit and completely buried the town of St. Bernard in Southern Leyte.  As the months have passed, most people have forgotten about the tragedy.

To the survivors, however, it was a nightmare that will not be easily forgotten.  Most of them are still trying to make themselves accept what happened to their loved ones.  Others are still struggling with how to cope with daily survival.  And it is the children of St. Bernard who have been most severely affected, and who still need major attention.

The Eastern Visayas District Church of the Nazarene saw the urgent need to continue with the ministry that they started, particularly with children. Having used all the resources made available for them, the district started to look for other options and submitted a proposal to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries for a Child Development project in St. Bernard.

And that proposal has recently become a reality with the launching of the St. Bernard Child Development Project.  The program will focus on the holistic education of children with the ultimate goal of true community development.  The inaugural event last month was held at the St. Bernard Community Gymnasium that was made available to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries by the Municipal Mayor.  The opening was a day of celebrating hope and a better future for the children in St. Bernard.  Parents were excited as they brought their children to the gymnasium and the government officials who came were appreciative of what the Church of the Nazarene is doing to help make the education of  children possible.

Pray for the children and their parents as we minister to them. Pray for the government officials who attended the launching as well, as we share Jesus with them.  May this project be an avenue of pointing these needy children and their parents and the whole community to the lasting, transformational hope found in Christ.

by: Ilde Detalo - NCM Philippines

this post was filed under Around The Region on Oct 24, 2007