This week Melanie is in Duran, which is a small community outside of Roxas City in Capiz Province, Panay Island.  Melanie traveled to Duran with our CBM colleagues, Emo & Kathy Yango, to assist in leading a CISD with the family and community of Pastors Nestor and Gilene Franco, who died tragically a few weeks ago.  A Critical Incident Stress Debrief is a framework that leads a group of people through a process to help them dealing with grief and loss related to death and/or other critical incidents/disasters.

Pastors Nestor and Gilene served as missionary pastors with our partners, Kabuganaan Philippines Ministries (KPM), to the mountainous and indigenous community known as Aglongon (also in Capiz Province).  In the early evening, just a few weeks ago, they were traveling down the mountain by foot to spend the night at Gilene’s mothers house (who is ill and needed to be taken to the hospital for tests).  It had been raining very hard for a few hours.  At the bottom of the mountain there is a river that can normally be crossed on a concrete bridge.  However, on this particular night, due to the heavy rains, the water level had risen above the concrete bridge and when they attempted to cross the bridge they were swept away by the strong current of the rushing water.

As you can imagine, the family (4 adult children as well as siblings and mothers), church family, and community are grieving the loss of this amazing couple.  Melanie, along with the rest of the team, are offering counselling support through the CISD as well as private counselling sessions for those in greatest need.  This is a heavy week for everyone involved and they need your prayer!

We ask for your prayers for Melanie, Emo & Kathy Yango, and the KPM staff who are involved in leading the CISD and counselling support.  Please pray for their safety as they travel to Aglongon (up the mountain), and as they support the family and community through prayer and counselling.  Pray also for the family and community, that they will experience God’s peace and presence during this very difficult time.  Thank-you!

 

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In closing, we want to express our sincere thanks and appreciation for everyone who continues to pray for us and financially support us as we serve with CBM in the Philippines. Your faithful love and support means so much to us and serves as a reminder of God’s love, faithfulness and provision. Thanks for joining us on this journey…TOGETHER we are impacting families and communities through word and deed!

If you are interested in becoming a Partner-in-Mission please contact Barb Keys (bkeys@cbmin.org or call 1-905-821-3533) at Canadian Baptist Ministries.   You can also visit their website at www.cbmin.org to give online or for more information.  We are only able to follow God’s leading in our lives thanks to the monthly support of generous individuals and churches.

All donations of $10.00 or more will receive a charitable tax receipt at year end. 

Thank-you!

Michael & Melanie

Kyla, Sean, Carter & Allie