Pastor Ronald and Marlyn’s Story
Marlyn:
“The night before the typhoon hit, there was an eerie feeling in the air. It was an intense feeling, like death was coming. It was also very dark outside but there was a calm. Pastor was outside rebuking the storm that was coming. I was praying inside the house and my kids slept upstairs in the room. Then finally the winds started picking up, the rain started to come. We asked the kids to come downstairs so we can gather together. We were praying but when the winds and rain kept getting stronger, we could no longer pray. All we prayed was that if God takes one of us, we asked Him to take all of us at the same time instead of just one. The water started to rise…the roof was blown off and the church was washed away. We kept thinking, we just started to work on our church building by adding on and that has been ruined by the storm…I began to feel hopeless…I felt like God must not love us because this has happened…we have lost everything…
A few days after the storm, I took a walk around the area, I just walked the streets in shock, I saw dead bodies all over the streets along with all the debris from the storm. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I just walked, looking at the devastation.”
While Marlyn was telling me this story, I felt like I was being told a scene out of the movie of Twister…listening to her story and finally being able to see it all was just so surreal. Pastor Ronald would also add in a little bit more of details of what she was saying. They also shared about how discouraged they were because of what happened to the point of wanting to leave Tacloban because they said,
“God must not have a plan for them in Tacloban anymore.”
But God did something during their time of hopelessness, with no power, their cell phone rang—and it was Bo Barredo, one of the Founders of Advancing Native Missions checking up on Pastor and family. Uncle Bo shared some encouraging words that helped convince the Impang’s to stay, also he told them that Advancing Native Missions will be helping them. So much work was ahead of them. And the work continues…
The Impang’s, told their story with a smile…I was shocked and in disbelief at how at peace they were as they told their story. They shared that through all this, God was showing them that there is a continued plan for them, for their ministry, Tacloban and for the Philippines. My heart was moved and even though I just met them, I loved them right away…I wanted and still want to somehow fix what was/is broken…but all I could do and can do right now is to continue to pray for them! They shared that even though in the beginning they felt like God didn’t love them and that He abandoned them during the time of the storm, they learned that God never left them and that He still loves them, NO MATTER WHAT, HE STILL LOVES THEM!
