While residents in the Philippines struggle for normalcy in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), church congregations in the area are continuing to have regular worship.
With the current official death toll at 1,774 and climbing, and more than 650,000 people displaced, survivors of deadly Super Typhoon Haiyan are grappling with the daily horror of devastation.
Les Tilka, a pastor partnering with Samaritan’s Purse, is on the ground in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. He describes the situation around him as “utter devastation.”
Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms on record, slammed into the Philippines Friday. More than 1,200 people are feared dead. Thousands more are homeless as property damage and destruction of infrastructure are widespread.
Rebels from the Moro National Liberation Front opened fire in Zamboanga City, southern Philippines, at dawn Monday, killing six people, injuring numerous locals and holding 250 civilians hostage, including a pastor and a local church.