Week of October 19 (Pentecost 19)
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the
Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ: Grace to you and peace.
We always give thanks to God for all of you and
mention you in our prayers,
constantly remembering before our God and Father
your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. For we know,
brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, because our message of the gospel came
to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you
know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with
joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in
Achaia. For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in
every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. For the
people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned
to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised
from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
Editor’s Note: On November 8, 2013, the strongest typhoon ever recorded struck the Philippines.
Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Visayas region of the country, and people around the world, including
Canadian Anglicans, responded generously to the need for relief and reconstruction work.
PWRDF’s communications coordinator, Simon Chambers, visited the Philippines this month to visit the
relief and reconstruction projects undertaken by PWRDF and the ACT Alliance. The blog entry below is
from that trip.
PWRDF Story: Finding her Smile
Everywhere I’ve gone in the Philippines there has been laughter and joking. Inside jokes have rapidly
developed with the staff of all the PWRDF partner agencies I’ve travelled with, whether about papayas
or iced tea or backbiting. And there has been much joking in community meetings as well.
One of the first places I visited following up on our Typhoon Haiyan response was Kampingganon
barangay on Bantayan Island. I spent about an hour seeing people at their work, and getting
photographs of people planting corn, preparing seed, and plowing their field. I was laughed at for
including the carabao (water buffalo) so prominently in some of the photos. But that’s ok, laughter had
been part of the experience so far. And I can laugh at myself. And at a carabao.
The time arrived for the community meeting when I would be talking to two dozen or so people about
their experience during Yolanda (as Haiyan is known locally). I was expecting things to get serious at this
point.
I asked “Can you please tell me about your experience on the day of Yolanda?”
Everyone in the group turned to look at one older lady. They smiled and giggled a bit as she got up to
tell me her story. I thought it was nerves.
She told me about the first time the storm hit the island, how they evacuated to another house to
escape their own house which had lost its roof. She told me about how, when the wind died down, she
went back home to see what could be salvaged.
Then the storm hit again. A flash flood from the nearby hills had her grabbed by a metre of fast-moving
water.
And she lost her pants.
At this, the whole gathering broke out in laughter, including the lady telling her story.
Even as she was fearing for her life during the storm, she was aware of the humour of her situation. And
she loves to tell the story.
As we continued to talk, she continued to joke. She even invited me to her birthday party on December
1. Apparently, I must make sure to bring a gift.
“We still smile,” I have been told many times on this trip. And it’s true.
Toward the end of my time, I met Evelinda. Her story was much harder to hear. She told me about
clinging to her daughter for dear life as the storm surge smashed through the community she was in
near Tacloban. She told me of losing her grandmother in-law, both her in-laws, and her two-year old
son in the storm. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she talked about her daughter’s trauma since the
storm.
And then she said, “It took me three months to find my smile again.” And her smile is a beautiful one,
and we saw it a lot as she kept talking about “cold ice” during the day, only to be asked where she kept
the “hot ice”.
The smiling faces cover a deep pain for the survivors of Yolanda. But it is not a false front. It is a
genuine humour and love of life that has impressed me and will stay with me as I prepare to head home
to Canada. It has inspired me. And I hope you will remember both the tragedy of Typhoon Haiyan, but
also the humour and spirit of the survivors as they continue to rebuild their home.
For Reflection: In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul gives thanks that the Christians in Thessalonica
received the word of God with joy despite persecution. The people of the Philippines have found
laughter again in the midst of devastation. Do you draw strength from joy and laughter? How can you
share that strength with those around you, particularly those in need?
Concluding Prayer
A Prayer for The Philippines
Compassionate Lord,
we pray for those who have been devastated by recent natural disasters.
We remember those who have lost their lives so suddenly.
We hold in our hearts the families forever changed by grief and loss.
Bring them consolation and comfort.
Surround them with our prayers for strength.
Bless those who have survived and heal their memories of trauma and devastation.
May they have the courage to face the long road of rebuilding ahead.
We ask your blessing on all those who have lost their homes,
their livelihoods, their security and their hope.
Bless the work of relief agencies and those providing emergency assistance.
May their work be guided by the grace and strength that comes from You alone.
Help us to respond with generosity
in prayer, in assistance, in aid to the best of our abilities.
Keep our hearts focused on the needs of those affected,
even after the crisis is over.
We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
written by Sr. Katherine Freely SND. Posted on Education for Justice. www.educationforjustice.org.