October 28, 2016

Dearest Beloved Brethren in Christ,

It is our earnest prayers to God that may ye all in the list are in the best of health! This brief-short report-message will be sent because some of you are asking if what is going on now here!

First, we thank you all, brethren, for your prayers. After 8 days when the Typhoon Lawin devastated our area, we still do not have Electric power! Reports said that so many transmissions, transformers, posts, and other equipment of the electric company that were destroyed but they are now doing their best to restore their services soon! Hope they can make it in few more days/weeks!

Last Tuesday, we have more than 80 brethren who came and attended our Preacher’s Bible Study (PBS) and 54 of them are faithful Gospel Preachers representing 72 Congregations! A younger Preacher (Efren Respicio) spoke first about (The SABBATH) and then me. As schedule, I discussed the continuation of our studies on the book of Lamentation and then started the book of Ezekiel! But we held only the class study in the morning because after Tessie fed us all at lunch we immediately started to discuss about the so many appeals of help for the losses due to the said Super Typhoon! Each one submitted and I have in my position copies of long lists as we categorized the kind of damages.  We counted and then listed and the result is the following;

Brethren, the above report were submitted & verified by fellow Preachers who came to our Bible study last Tuesday. There are also those who were not here but they keep on calling and or texting me saying their terrible situations and hard conditions thus they are also prayerfully appealing for assistance! This includes brethren from the isolated place of Maconacon where there are three faithful Congregations and most houses of the brethren were reportedly washed out by the strong winds!
Brethren, to answer the questions of some of you; If HOW MUCH is the damage and what is the Total cost? My answer is; I do not know exactly, brethren! We made an estimation to help build a cost of a house and the outcome is the following;

As of this moment, I learned that many fellow Preachers here in the area have already received helps from their US Contacts and that is great! But personally, as of today I received now also a total of $13,858.00 from six sources (One Philippine Congregation, the Gundaway Church in Quirino Province, 2 US Churches and 3 US Individuals (Including funds sent through our Bro. Ron Halbrook). But as instructed, I already delivered the $6,200.00 to the folks that the donors wanted to get those funds/amounts! The remaining ($7,658.00) is that we are presently distributing but we are making it wisely as we can see those who are most in need! The Brethren need cash but we are not giving full cash to one  recipient because of the deceptive way of Satan, so, we are helping in personally buying rice, lumber materials, G.I. Sheets, cements, gravel & sand, etc. etc. as depends on what they need! This is for all of us to make sure that the assistance has been served as its purpose and the money was misused! Besides, at present, two houses of brethren are being going on rebuilding by the remaining funds on my hand! We maybe cannot finish them with the funds now left but at least we started and the brethren are very grateful! I can provide pictures later.  Likewise, still from the funds left to me we can maybe buy few Sacks of rice to be distributed!

Brethren, again, so many of our brethren are deeply crying for help so that they can rebuild their homes, replace their house damaged, replant their fields, or can restore some of what they loss, and we appreciate if ye know any other brethren there who are willing and can also be able to help, please! Any amount that of one can afford to give will be deeply appreciated! Further on this, we are so thankful to some more US brethren who contacted and told me that they can also maybe help (We are waiting for you, brethren)! In addition to this, our Bro. Harry Osborne whom I spoke in the Phone has said that he has some funds also that he is bringing with him next week intended for this purpose! That surely will also be a big help!

Brethren, we are prayerfully counting on you so we are rising up also our voices to God that we all can do something to help more our brethren here who are victims of the Typhoon, please! Just let me know if what ye are thinking on how your help for and we will strictly abide and do what ye want. Thank you so much for your trust & confidence on me! We will see to it that every cent that we get for this purpose will be used properly and will bless much our recipient brethren and for God’s glory & honour! All of us are very busy but we are just trying to do what we can (Gal. 6:10), because Judgment is Coming (Acts 17:30-31) and we do not like to be displaced on the Marching Roll (Matt. 25:41-46)! Report said that another Typhoon is coming and maybe it will enter to the PAR again on Monday! They called the coming Typhoon again of “Maya”! Brethren, may we hear soon from you if ye have time, please! Any short message will really be an encouragement to us at this time and we appreciate very much! May God bless more all of you!

P.S.1- Tessie is very grateful to all of you (Brethren) who greeted for her 62^nd birthday last week! She got a long smile and may God bless her more!
P.S.2- Western Union is now available here! They just opened today!

BECAUSE OF CALVARY,
Rody & Tessie Gumpad