The first stateside response team has been in eastern Samar for over three days.  They have inspected affected villages and discovered the following:

• In Hernani, 90% of homes and business have been destroyed.  There are over 100 dead just in this small town.  Calvary Chapel U-Turn for Christ Hernani was completely destroyed.
• In Balangkayan: 500 dead, 500 homes lost (this is a small town just north of Hernani).
• Calvary Chapel Lalawigan in Borongan church roof was destroyed.
• School of Ministry Locoson kitchen building destroyed.

Immediate needs include the following:

• Families have little food, little relief. Some have lost all, with only clothes on their back.
• Rebuilding CC Lalawigan church to host teams
• Rebuild Locoson to host teams
• Rebuild Calvary Chapel Hernani church and Pastor Jerome's house (in Hernani) to use as a center to reach the community.

Most of the dead are buried in temporary mounds of sand until they receive proper burial.  The team in eastern Samar will continue to distribute relief goods prepared by Calvary Chapel Dumaguete. Much of the destruction occurred in certain barangay (communities) while others are left untouched.

Typhoon Yolanda brought the sea in about 4-5 kilometers inland from the beach, with 20 ft waves sweeping entire villages out to sea.

Please pray for the relief effort and comfort and gospel to go out. Survivors are open to prayer and receiving Jesus.


There will be a group from Calvary Chapel Dumageute and tha Calvary Chapel Training Center transporting relief supplies on Monday night (Nov 18, local time). 

There is also a team from Calvary Chapel Creekside in Washington state bringing much needed water filtration equipment and chain saws as well as other equipment and skilled construction workers. 
Calvary Chapel Spring Valley has a team mobilizing for a December 3 departure from Las Vegas.

Please keep all these team in prayer for safety, health and effectiveness.  Continue to pray that the Lord's gospel would be preached in both word and deed.  Especially, prayer for the people of Samar: Borongan, Locoson, Hernani, Balangkayan, and the hundreds of barangay we don't know the names of yet who have lost sons, daughters, mothers and fathers.  May the Lord comfort them, and bring them peace, safety and sustenance.