The word of God reminds us to always watch and be ready because we do not know what is ahead of us. Here in Manila, the Philippine Government warned everybody to stay at home due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. As of May 15, 2020, the total number of cases was 12,019, with 2,460 recoveries, and 806 deaths. That is the reason our government imposed the Enhance Community Quarantine. This required social/physical distancing in offices, establishments, malls, and other gatherings. It is sad to say that even the churches, where people gather together to worship and pray, were closed. Some preachers like me, here in Caloocan, share God’s Word through Facebook live for the member’s spiritual health, and to maintain our Worship Service in our Lord Jesus Christ.
People had no work and only hospitals, grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks/ATM machines were open. In the grocery stores all items were limited. Stocks were quickly exhausted. No public vehicles were allowed to travel, so most of the people walked to buy their necessities. We stood in line for many hours buying groceries, at the ATM, and pharmacies. Everyone was strictly recquired to stay at home except one in every household who had a Barangay Quarantine Pass, allowing them to go outside to buy food, medicine, and other needs. Checkpoints everywhere because some places imposed force lockdown for a different reason. People had no choice but to obey and stay at home, pray, and wait until God heals our land, believing that God has a meaningful purpose in spite of this hardship and trials. Watching television we heard and saw the news of what was happening around our country. We have not choice but to stay home and wait for the relief goods that come from the government, but this was not sufficient or enough to sustain the needs of every family, most especially our church members.
On April 4, 2020, FFWBC Caloocan, Manila created a Bayanihan ( Helping Others) Challenge with some of our brethren who have a heart to share their blessings. Praise God, there were some brother’s and sister’s in Christ who accepted the challenge. We helped each other, by God’s grace, to put this challenge into action. They gave any amount; we combined it and bought groceries. Some bought sacks of rice and packaged it to give out from house to house to every member of the church. We had a second wave of relief goods given out last May 6-9, 2020, with the help of Non-Government Organization through Sister Emma and some members who gave food packs and we distributed it to the members of the church with the families who attended Bible studies/cell groups, and some unbelievers.
The government gave Social Assistant Program ( SAP) to the poorest of the poor families, but not all were given due to the limited budget. Let us pray for the situation here in the Philippines. Metro Manila is still under the Enhance Community Quarantine. This means that they need more help financially, because some of our brethren have no work and no pay. We pray that all of us can adjust to the new normal situation. Only God can give us strength, peach and healing according to His will, and we must pray and trust Him. To all our brethren who have a good and loving heart to be a part to share God’s blessing to others, we are so very grateful. We are praying that God will bless you more than what you’ve shared, as the Lord promise. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless. God credits all our good deeds to be a channel of blessings to others to glorify His name, as His Word says in 2 Corinthians 9:11″ Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God” Let’s pray that God will help us to stop this scary pandemic. God Bless us all!
