Hope Amid Crisis: Earthquake in The Philippines
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Southern Philippines on Monday, June 8, 2026 at 07:37 a.m. local time, affecting communities across the region. Local news outlets initially reported that at least 45 people had died, over 630 were injured, and some 43,000 families have been displaced. Those numbers have only climbed since the initial quake.
Our team in the region leapt into action, providing medical care, relief support, and trauma counseling. It has been a difficult few weeks for the communities affected by this calamity. Our teams have been walking alongside families in the hardest-hit communities, and we’d like to share these stories with you.
Healing and Rebuilding
On the ground, our medical, relief, and rehabilitation efforts continue through a newly formed Earthquake Response committee, coordinating real-time needs across three regions. Our medical teams are treating patients who lost medications for chronic conditions along with their homes, and a local pharmacy owner recently donated medications to help. We're also looking past the immediate crisis: repairing damaged chicken incubators so families can rebuild their livelihoods and exploring art therapy to help children and adults process trauma. Our team lives with these people, and we're committed to walking with them toward long-term recovery.
Packages of Hope
One young mother-to-be, a university student who paused her studies this year to marry, now stands in the rubble of the home. Her family of twelve built this house with their own hands three years ago. They've spent night after night in a soaked temporary shelter as afternoon storms keep coming, and she wonders what kind of future she can give her child. Stories like hers are why every relief package we hand out carries hope and comfort.
God at Work Amidst Devastation
Local believers who've lost their own homes are still walking through their villages with Bibles in hand, and neighbors are asking them to read aloud, drawn by the joy they carry despite everything. Two fishermen have started new Bible studies in their devastated village this week, and when well technicians sent to repair broken water lines turned out to be believers too, the evening turned into a study of five stories from Matthew. One of our team members spent a recent Wednesday delivering relief packs to the women in her Bible studies, and as she handed out solar lights and shared Jesus' words on God's care from Matthew 6, one group refused to leave, saying, "We aren't ready to go home. We want to hear more."
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In these dark times, the light of Jesus is shining the brightest. In moments of desperation, the joy of believers' salvation brings comfort. And in the midst of destruction, restoration is happening both physically and spiritually.
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