Prayer Request for the Philippines
Typhoon Goni struck the Philippines on November 1, 2020.
A member of the Plura Hills congregation asks for prayers for her home land:
“Sometimes I feel like a broken record asking for prayers for my people. But please do. I beg you. In the midst of a raging pandemic, the Philippines was hit by 4 typhoons in the last 2 weeks – the last one was catastrophic.
Sometimes I can only cry in the warmth of my bed and comforts of my first world life for my people who has to endure this every so often. Too often.
My family is safe in my parents house. My brother has to move his family for most part of their city is under water. But they’re all safe and together. I cannot be anymore grateful to God for always keeping my family safe.
As I say that, I cannot help but bleed for the rest of them – as the rest of the country is facing immense hardship after the storm – children and elderly who slept on the roof of their houses waiting to be rescued, leaving everything behind and might have nothing to come back to, life and livelihood washed away.
Can you actually exhale gratitude and grief in the same breath?
My ex-roommate’s family shared these pictures from their neighbourhood.
I asked for your prayers. I asked that we make better choices in our privilege lives (the most vulnerable contributed the least in carbon emission and yet they pay the highest price). I asked for your solidarity.
I ask for your help – through Red Cross, through UCC’s calamity response to the Philippines (https://www.united-church.ca/social-action/act-now/philippines-typhoons-earthquakes-and-volcanic-eruption), through reaching out to
Filipinos in the community that you may know and ask if their families are okay, through my friend.
I ask for your prayers.
Thank you,
Joy”
