The devastation in the wake of Super Typhoon Yolanda was massive.

Central Philippines: November 7th, 2013 will always remain in the memory of those who saw Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) make landfall in the Central Philippines.  This storm, which holds the record as being the most powerful ever to make landfall in the history of world record keeping, ravaged Asia and left at least 10,000 dead in the Philippines.

Despite the magnitude of this tragedy, the Lord has been at work through the Church

Launching the TEACH Ormoc program – November 27, 2016.

On November 27th, 2016, just three years later, the Ormoc City Church of the Nazarene launched their “Training, Equipping A Child Holistically” (TEACH Ormoc) program.  An Holistic Child Development Program that reaches out to children and their families in the community surrounding the church.  The goal of the program is that through cooperative participation between the community and the church, the basic needs and protection of the children would be met, as well as opportunities provided for the children to have meaningful participation in building their lives, families, and community.

The Ormoc City Church of the Nazarene has been very active in touching the lives of children in the neighborhood since the church was established there in 1990.  But in the wake of Super Typhoon Yolanda, many people living in the shorelines were greatly affected.  The government relocated these families near the Church, and eventually the population in the area began to swell.  The church now ministers to nearly 250 children every week through kids club, feeding programs, tutorials for young children and youth discipleship.

Rev. Susan Balasbas, who pastors the Ormoc church, envisions the church as a channel of God’s grace for people to find hope, experience the love of God and to share that love of Christ to others.  Together, the church hopes to build this community one child at a time.

TEACH Ormoc is a partnership between the local church, the Philippine Field Children’s Ministries Office, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, leaders of the Eastern Visayas District and local community leaders.

Anyone who would like to participate in this ongoing outreach ministry can help by sponsoring a child at TEACH Ormoc.  For more information, call the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Child Sponsorship Donor Relations Team at 1-800-310-6362, indicate your preference for sponsoring a child in the Ormoc Program.

—- Submitted:  Dan Balayo (Holistic Child Development Coordinator NCM -AP)