Mercy forever.

As congregations prepared to gather for Advent services on Wednesday, Dec. 5, the Rev. John A. Fale, associate executive director of LCMS Mercy Operations, asked for prayers for people in the Philippines who are mourning loved ones and suffering in the wake of Typhoon Bopha.

The country’s strongest typhoon this year has killed more than 300 as of this writing, according to news reports, prompting Fale to contact the Rev. James D. Cerdeñola, president of The Lutheran Church in the Philippines. Fale expressed concern for the battered country and the church, one of the Synod’s oldest partner churches, offering “our support through prayer and our willingness to assist as we are able.”

LCMS Disaster Response staff are monitoring needs from the storm, which has left hundreds missing and rescuers still working to reach areas hit hard by floods and mudslides.

Fale confirmed that Sean Harlow, who serves as an LCMS missionary in the Philippines, currently is in the United States on furlough and that no LCMS short-term missionary teams are now serving in the country.

To support those in need from this typhoon:

• make an online gift at https://www.lcms.org/givenow/disaster.
• mail checks payable to “The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod” (with a memo line or note designating “LCMS Disaster Relief”) to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO 63166-6861.
• call toll-free 888-930-4438 (8:10 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday).

To learn more about LCMS Disaster Response, visit www.lcms.org/disaster.