First Bible Church

AN URGENT PRAYER REQUEST
FOR PASTOR RUBEN SULAPAS, THE FAMILIES OF RIVERSPRING BAPTIST BIBLE CHURCH AND THE PEOPLE OF ILIGAN CITY, MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES

In the early morning hours, Saturday, December 17th, a massive flash flood hit the coastal city of Iligan, washing away buildings and claiming more than 600 lives. More than 800 people are still missing! This is the home of Pastor Ruben Sulapas, his church (Riverspring Baptist Bible Church) and his publishing ministry (F.R.E.E.) which produced the KJV-Cebuano Bible now being printed by Bearing Precious Seed, Gleanings for Christ, B.E.A.M.S. and Victory Baptist Press.

Pastor Sulapas, his wife Marilyn and his daughter are safe but many of the families of his church have been devastated. The church buildings are all gone, completely washed away! In fact, the whole neighborhood is now just a sea of mud. (See pictures and video below) The 52,000 lb., 40 ft. steel container full of KJV-Cebuano Bibles and New Testaments that was shipped to the Philippines earlier this year and placed by a crane on a 7 ft. high concrete base, was lifted up by the force of the water and carried out to sea! (Fortunately, Brother Ruben had already distributed most of its contents, thousands of Bibles and New Testaments, to pastors all over Mindanao, Bohol and Cebu.)

But buildings and containers can be replaced! The worst part of this tragedy is that church members are missing or dead. Nineteen families have been affected. Pastor Aniano, the Bible translator who has been working side-by-side with Pastor Ruben for years and lived with his wife and children in the staff residence, lost three of his four children. They are still missing.The printer, Bro. Rynhart, who also lived in the staff residence, lost his wife, Rona, one of three mothers who were killed, leaving nine children in Ruben's church without mothers. Other church members are unaccounted for. Many have no homes to live in. Some of the families that are homeless are living with Ruben and Marilyn in the print shop. Nevertheless, Brother Ruben’s first e-mail to me on Saturday included this, “All things work together for good to them that love God. I don't know yet what is good, but I just believe it… It is painful. Please pray that we can rent a place for the meantime. The church property is now a desolation full of debris and mud.”

Here are some “before and after” photos and two videos sent from Brother Ruben:

The church and Sunday school rooms

Before

After

The staff residence

Before

After

The scripture container on its concrete bases

Before

After

More Photos of Iligan

To view more photos of Iligan click here.

A view of the area where Riverspring Bible Baptist Church once stood can be seen here:

The print shop, which is located in Bro. Nene Enerio’s home, was one of only two houses in the neighborhood undamaged by the flood, even though the waters came right up to the door. Praise the Lord that even in the midst of desolation there are blessings!

A view of the water outside the print shop can be seen here:

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

More than anything else your fervent prayers are needed for Brother Ruben, his family and the members of his church, especially brother Rynhart and Pastor Aniano. Also, they need finances, first of all for emergency needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Other Baptist churches in Iligan that were not affected by the flood are helping with relief supplies but it is not enough. First Bible Church is sending $5,000 immediately for Brother Ruben to use as needs arise. I would ask you to consider doing something as well. Secondly, this ministry needs to be rebuilt. Brother Ruben has been a faithful soldier of Jesus Christ and has been the leader of a team of pastors who worked for twenty years to translate and print a Cebuano Bible that is true to the King James Bible. We know this man very well and have come to love and respect him highly. Pastor Ruben is the real deal. And his translating and printing ministry is urgently needed by the churches of Mindanao. Please consider helping us find property for the church and printing ministry and relocating them to higher ground. If God moves in your heart to help, send your gift to either of the addresses listed below.

Missionaries Gerald and Robin Sutek are also greatly in need of your prayers! The Suteks are scheduled to arrive in Iligan in just two weeks, on January 2nd, to begin working in and through Bro. Sulapas’ church to establish a Bible Institute in the Philippines! Those plans are now immensely more difficult with the city in disarray and services nearly non-existent at this time. Another complication is the fact that Bro. Sutek’s 40’ container, with all his family’s belongings and the materials for his Bible Institute, which was supposed to have been shipped four weeks ago from his last mission post in Romania, is still in Romania and may not arrive in Iligan for another month or more. They will need God’s help and grace to get settled under these circumstances. But God is able and His grace is still sufficient! “For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.” (2Corinthians 4:15) Please pray and give!

Thank you for reading. God bless you.
Pastor Mike Veach – 2Cor. 9:8

Please make your check out to First Bible Church designated “Flood Disaster Aid” and send it to:

First Bible Church
6200 Amboy Road
Staten Island, New York 10309

Or, make your check out to WFTW Baptist Missions, designated to IBMP (Flood Disaster Aid) or the ministry of Gerald Sutek and send to:

WFTW Baptist Missions
PO Box 849
Rossville, GA. 30741

If you need more info you may call me at 718-614-1096 or Bro. Sutek at 512-660-2320.
You can e-mail Bro. Sulapas at: rpsulapas@yahoo.com.

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December 27th Update from Pastor Sulapas

Dear Pastor Mike,

Sorry for the delayed update. I am so busy tied up with the activities surrounding the flood victims and the survivors.

We have 84 survivors in 22 families plus some individuals. Eleven are dead including the still missing 3 kids of Pastor Aniano. We gave them kitchen utensils, soap, detergent, rice, sardines, noodles, plus some cash. Rona, the wife of Rynhart, one of our pressmen, was buried last Saturday in her hometown. Others were buried, and we were not able to attend the funeral.

With the money we received, we give almost daily their food supply specially the church members. Also we give to the families of the children attending our Sunday School classes and Good News classes every Saturday and annual summer DSBS for the children. Also we give to the neighbors in the church premises. I promised also to give cash assistance to the members when they find relocation sites for their homes.

Regarding the scripture container, we retrieved the contents including some complete Cebuano Bibles And the NT signatures. We found out that thieves took advantage of it by sawing the padlocks. They took away all the boards and some steel racks. We used motorboats to haul away to the nearest pier and from the pier to the shop. I don’t how to recover the container for it will need a special operation using a small ship with a crane.

Regarding church services, we held them in the print shop last Sunday and Wednesday. Yesterday, we held it in the house of Bro Sutek for it is spacious.

Today, I am so weak because of over fatigue, feeling like having a fever. I don’t have good sleep for one week. Nevertheless, I am striving to keep myself going so that I can attend to the needs. Some brethren are away, so the available volunteers are thinly spread helping the survivors. It took a few days to clear the roads for it was so muddy in most places. Mud accompanied the violent flash flood.

This week, when I have time, I will look for a place to rent for the church services. We want to resume the fetching of the children so that they will grow, overcoming the trauma through the sound teaching in the SS.

Thanks again for the prayers and financial help. You cannot imagine how we appreciate it. God bless you all. Please pray for a long term solution, that we can find a place safe from the floods for the church and print shop, etc and that God will supply the funds miraculously soon.

Bro Ruben Sulapas