CCI Ministry Impacted by Typhoon Odette

Greetings!

Just a few days after the tornado destruction in Kentucky, on December 16, Super Typhoon Rai, locally known as Typhoon Odette, slammed 160 mph winds and rain into the central Philippines, leaving a path of destruction along its way. Camp Karis, a ministry of CCI Philippines, was severely hit with much damage. We are in the process of working with the Board of Trustees of CCI Philippines to determine the damage and the course of action for repairs. More than 100 mango trees were destroyed that provided annual income to help support the camp operations.

More than 100 mango trees were destroyed.

Not only was Camp Karis damaged, but many churches and homes were damaged as well. A pastor sent me pictures of the damage to his home and church.

Photos from a pastor in Bohol whose home and church was damaged

Ten of thousands of coconut trees have been knocked down. When Typhoon Nitang hit Bohol in 1984, we started a chainsaw ministry. We purchased several STIHL chainsaws and had a team of five guys who would go town to town and stay for several days.

During the day, the team would cut trees into 2x4s, 2x6s, and then donate the lumber to the community to rebuild homes. During the evening, the team would share the Gospel with the families of the community. This ministry opened doors to start several Bible studies that resulted in new local churches. We plan to organize a new chainsaw ministry team to help with the current reconstruction needs.

Currently, there is no electricity on Bohol. The government said it would take several months before power is restored in a limited capacity to the whole island. This means that over a million people are without power.

The daughter of CCI VP, Glenn Kurka, lives on Bohol and operates a school with her family. Their campus has the only generator in the immediate area of about 4,000 people. They run the generator daily for a few hours during the day and the evening hours. They set up a “charging station” for the neighborhood to charge their cell phone and other electrical devices.

This has opened a ministry of spending time talking with the neighbors about the Gospel. It is amazing how God, through tragedy, opens the door to share the Gospel of Hope through acts of love and compassion. Pray for many to come to know Christ as their Savior THIS CHRISTMAS.

Not only are they without electricity, but also without water. Most homes receive water from pumps that require electricity. There are only a few water-purifying stores, but they cannot keep up with the demand of thousands of 5-gallon water bottles being filled 24/7.

Water trucks are making deliveries to whoever can pay the bill.

These are challenging times. To help meet some of these needs, we are accepting donations for relief efforts and the rebuilding of Camp Karis to continue this excellent ministry that has touched countless lives of young people, families, and churches. We expect it will take $100,000 to rebuild the camp and help rebuild homes for pastors, churches, and others who have lost their homes.

If you would like to give toward the rebuilding of Camp Karis or relief efforts for churches and pastors affected by the typhoon, please send your donation to Crossing Cultures International to the address below, or you may also give online. You can give online through the Relief Fund by clicking here or the Camp Karis fund by clicking here. (This will show you what Camp Karis looked like before the devastation.)