October Updates

This has been a very busy few weeks since the historic flooding of Olongapo and Subic. Flashfloods and landslides contributed to 34 deaths. Our old neighborhood was underwater and three children were trapped in a home and drowned. The bamboo and scrap wood shanties of Matain were wiped out along the beach. It has been three weeks and still the cleanup continues. Now the main hospital is overflowing with hundreds of leptospirosis patients who contracted the disease when exposed to rat urine infected flood water. Eight  Leptospirosis deaths have been reported. Red Cross has mobilized, bringing much needed meds, cots and volunteers to help triage and treat.
 We are all doing what we can to help. As we reported in the previous blog, we were able to provide food and tarps because of your donations.  We also distributed rice to 150 families in four locations and listened to their heart wrenching stories of survival. One of our friends who raises pigs broke down and cried as she shared the story of her livelihood being washed away in the current, and she couldn't save her two precious dogs either as they were trapped in the house. on 12th St, some of our friends stood on a high wall and saw furniture, appliances, animals and parts of homes wash down the raging river. Another friend shared his story of a fellow trike driver and family who were killed in a landslide. An elderly friend and her husband stood on a dresser in their bedroom with water to their neck and the ceiling just above their heads, frantically texting for help. The windows had iron bars and the doors wouldn't open due to water pressure so they were trapped. When the water subsided six hours later, they were rescued.
Our dear missionary friends who have a charity birth center here were flooded and lost almost everything they owned. We can empathize, having been in that position ourselves. It is a horrible, scary feeling of powerlessness when you realize the force of nature can not be stopped and there is little you can do.  Please continue to pray for the victims of the flood here!

Sonny helping deliver the rice!

Melinda will distribute to Sta Monica flood victims

On a happy note, the Upper Room has opened and our youth are holding a Core leaders bible study there as well as weekly youth group and bible study. Our English classes start tonight! Hopefully the music class will begin next month. Here's a picture of the youth cleaning and preparing the classroom.

Other exciting news: The "LightStrike" project was funded by a Rotary International grant and two clubs in Leslie's hometown. We will hold a planning meeting next week to begin implementation. We hope to install solar soda bottle lights in approximately 450 homes in the squatter areas of Olongapo and Subic over a period of 18 months! More on this big project soon.

Last, but not least, the Sewing Center had another graduation! Big "THANKS" to trainers Emy, Cindy, Cathy, Angie and Glenda, our 'fantastic five"!

Project Life Subic has been busy in Jail

Leslie has been teaching a series of pregnancy and birth classes in the women's jail every Monday afternoon. A group of inmates and jail personnel are attending. The Philippines has one of the worst outcomes for mothers and babies in Asia and education about  healthy pregnancy can save lives! The women are learning about nutrition, proper care of newborn,  postpartum care of mom, and breastfeeding. Our hope is this information will be shared to the other inmates and their families. Leslie has also connected the jail to our friends' Charity Birth Center (Mercy in Action) and the pregnant inmates are now delivering there. They receive respectful, loving, world class care at the center and are so blessed by the midwives.

Leslie and some of the students.

The Sewing Training is also taking place on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. We are about to have our first graduation of eight trainees soon and will update you. The inmates are coming up with ideas of things to make and sell so they can earn a little money for toiletries, meds, food and other needs. The warden is so happy that many of the women will have a trade and be able to get a job when released.