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MUSLIM MINISTRY TORNADO HITS MUSLIM PROJECT Reported by Rahim Rasid* (pseudonym) It was a Sabbath morning when it happened. My wife and I were having our Sabbath School. After reading the Spirit of Prophecy and closing it with prayer, the climate became humid and there was no wind. We decided to go to the terrace. As we were going out, we heard some commotions. There were many people outside. "Boto-boto Kuya Rahim*, niya boto-boto." (A tornado, Brother Rahim*, there is a tornado!) When we saw it, I exclaimed "Amen!" It looked like a ladder coming from heaven. It was like a huge bright light from the sky going down to the sea. But as it was going nearer to the island, the wind was going stronger, I thought it was the Second Coming but it was a tornado! It was very frightening. We bent our knees as the people all ran and cried. We asked God's mercy to save us all. We heard it come closer and closer. When we opened our eyes, it was bigger. We ran downstairs. People cried out for help. We told them to go to the school because it is the only concrete building and safe place to hide. All were very scared. All were running for their lives barefoot. They did not noticed that their feet were bleeding because of sharp stones. When we arrived in the school, we saw in the sky some GI sheets flying in the air. There was one house that lost its roof because the tornado stayed there for 3 minutes. It was in the middle of our place. Luckily, it was the only house that was damaged. When we were hiding, we told them not to be afraid but to pray to God to save us all. After the silence of prayers, the cloud gave its heavy rain. All became very happy because the tornado was gone. We went home praising God of His goodness and mercy exclaiming "La Illaha Ila-la" (No other God except him.) For my wife and I, it was a memorable Sabbath Day. The tornado left a message to us to always be ready because the coming of the Lord is like a thief in the night. It also reminded us that our Muslim brothers need the salvation of God. EDITOR'S NOTE: RAHIM & SANDRA RASID* are PFM missionaries working among the Muslim Obani* tribe since 2001. Sandra (a registered nurse) and Rahim (a nurse's aide) are providing health care and literacy programs to the unreached Obani* Muslims in one of the islands in the Philippines. They are currently learning the language and looking for ways to share the gospel to our Muslim brothers. Please keep them in your prayers! Related links : To subscribe to our email weekly news Submit Comment or Response FRONTIER MISSION CENTER TRAGIC NEWS: PFM WORKER LOSES A FINGER It all started as a rather uneventful Wednesday. Everyone in our office was busy with each department's tasks. Ricky Sencida, a former field missionary (Aeta Project), serving now as a PFM donor relations officer (D.R.O.), had just returned from his usual D.R. trips. He had been advised by Roger Galicia, our field supervisor, that the chain of his D.R. motorcycle is loose and needs adjusting. That afternoon, Ricky brought the motorcycle to a mechanic. When he returned late in the afternoon, he cheerful reported that the motorcycle's chain has been adjusted and that he will be using it soon to go to Batangas (1 hour drive by motorcycle). He planned to leave very early the following morning to visit the donor coordinators in Batangas. At around 6 pm, as the sun began to set, most office staff were still in our office. I, myself, was busy cleaning up my room. People can hear the sound of the donor relations motorcycle's engine in front of the office. All of a sudden, Ricky rushed into my office, grasping his right hand, and, still in his cheerful voice, exclaimed: "Sir, Naputol ang daliri ko!" (My finger is severed!) It did not register in my mind at first. The cheerful voice and the terrible words did not match! Until I looked at his bloody hands. "What happened?" I asked. Following Ricky as he rushed out again towards where the motorcycle was parked with its engine running on first gear. My mind groped for things taught us in first aid books but I froze when I saw how serious it was. It was dim outside the office, but as he put pressure on his right hand, I could see a bloody stub of what used to be a regular sized middle finger! It was bleeding profusely, the tip of his severed finger looking like a piece of chopped meat. Needless to say, It was a gory sight. I wanted to put torniquet or something but Ricky's main concern was to look for the piece of his finger. I looked down at the ground filled with debris and gravel. Every stone looked like his finger to me! I dared not walk around for fear of stepping on Ricky finger! (As if it can feel anything!) Cindy Brooks' quick thinking saved Ricky from suffering more blood loss as chunks of ice were placed around his severed finger. However the severed tip which was recovered still hanging between the chain and the wheel could not be reattached to his finger because it would take a micro surgery to do it successfully. The doctor at the Adventist University of the Phils., decided not to chance reattaching the severed finger for fear of infection. As I write this email, Ricky is "confined" in PFM's lodging room-turned-lying-in-clinic. His antibiotic through IV has to continue for 2-3 days. Cindy is the now the "doctor on duty" seeing to it that his I.V. doesn't get dried up or go bad, etc, as well as that he takes his medicines. It's wonderful to have people who care enough to go the second mile to help. Clifton and Cindy Brooks (Adventist World Aviation missionaries to the Philippines) are our "Good Samaritans!" They are in the Philippines to provide communication and transportation for missionaries' medical emergencies. That is exactly what they did last Wednesday!) They were all out in their being there to take care of Ricky. Cindy, with her nurse's background and knowledge, is a VERY big help and made us feel confident in dealing with the doctor and nurse at the Clinic to make sure that Ricky gets relatively the best treatment. As I stood there in the emergency room looking at Ricky's trembling bloody stub of a finger, flashes of Lavern Arguelles (our missionary who was electricuted and died of 3rd degree burn wounds and infection), flashed to my mind. I thanked the Lord that RIcky's accident, tragic as it was, wasn't worse. I also thanked the Lord that when it happened, we had some cash on hand to meet the emergency expense. (As the Executive Director of a ministry dependent on voluntary contributions, this is one of those scenarios that I dread being in. A missionary down, in need of medical attention and care, and PFM not having the funds to give them the best care possible!) I think of the missionaries. Here we were able to help Ricky because there were people who know how to help and who have the means to do it. But what if the missionaries were the ones with such an accident? I am glad this happened when Ricky is no longer up there in Zambales mountains among the Aetas. Otherwise, he would wait 8 hours at least, to get to a medical facility, and even then, will there be enough money for them to get the best medical care? I am closing this email with an appeal to you for two things: First, please pray that all our missionaries and homebase staff will have a special protection against accidents, grave illnesses and sudden death so that we can continue doing the task entrusted to us. Second, please help us raise money for an emergency medical assistance fund so that when things like these do happen, PFM can give the missionaries and homebase staff the best medical help available. You may send in your contribution to this fund by sending a check or credit card donation to: Adventist Frontier Missions, P.O. Box 346, Berrien Springs, MI 49103. Kindly indicate that it is for PFM's LAVERN MEMORIAL EMERGENCY FUND (LaME Fund). ...................... NOTE on PFM'S RELATIONSHIP WITH AFM: Philippine Frontier Missions is not a branch of, and is not receiving financial support from Adventist Frontier Missions. AFM acts only as a conduit of tax deductible donations in U.S. and Canada. AFM forwards these donations (after taking out costs) on a regular basis. Please make checks payable to ADVENTIST FRONTIER MISSIONS. Kindly put a note that it is for PFM. Thanks! ...................... Those who would like to donate directly may send in their checks or postal money orders to the address below or send a bank transfer to the following accounts: US Dollar donations: Philippine National Bank, Balibago (Sta Rosa) Branch Acct. # 673-700534-6. Peso & other currency: Metrobank, Sta Rosa Branch Acct. # 300-3-30032756-8 Phil. National Bank Balibago, Sta Rosa Br. Acct. # 673-506460-4 Abner Dizon Executive Director Philippine Frontier Missions (PFM) PFM Contact Information P.O. Box 3687, Manila, Philippines. Phone No. 63-49-541-2587. Fax: 63 (49) 541-2586 Text (Smart): 0919-8174381 Text (Globe): 0917-9100-668 www.phil-frontier.org Related links : Subscribe to our email news For U.S. & Canada Tax Deductible Donations: Please Indicate "PFM support"