Flourish Mindanao
MBI wants to have the capacity to answer the call for emergency assistance in housing, temporary shelter, and church building. Below are some examples:
Built a nipa house costing $500 for a family of three whose 9 year old boy is a student supported by MBI. The family was previously living beside the seashore under somebody's home without flooring and walls to protect them from strong winds and sea water during high tide.
Through MBI's partnership with International Cooperating Ministries (who provides the funding), we have built 2 churches in Mindanao, one in Surigao City, Surigao and one in Bocator, a barrio in Tangub City.
Not only that we helped local families, but we have welcomed refugees from Kolambugan, Lanao del Norte during a recent Muslim insurgents attack killing men, women and children and burning houses, churches and schools. MBI was there to provide emergency shelter, food and clothing.
We have sent an MBI team in a truck bringing 6 jumbo boxes of clothing and canned goods distributed to the flooded residents in Iligan and Cagayan in 2007.
We have blessed a family whose house was caught on fire with temporary shelter, food and clothing in Ozamiz.
Our goal is to be able to have the funding for this program so that when emergency or disaster strikes we are equipped and ready to answer the call to bless the residents in Mindanao and allow them to flourish in the midst of a devastating situation.
How the Program Works
Mindanao is the 8th most populous island in the world. It has 21 million residents. There are several factors why joblessness and extreme poverty is high in the region. Corruption, political upheaval, poor transportation infrastructure, being politically and socially marginalized, and an ongoing war between Muslim groups and government forces are the major causes. Local churches do the best they can with severely limited funds. There is a constant need for shelter, a place of worship, disaster relief response and HOPE.