This prayer update is from GCI Philippines director Eugene Guzon.
Prayer is requested concerning the situation in Zamboanga City, on the Southwest tip of the Philippine island of Mindanao, about a one and a half hour flight south of Manila. There is an ongoing armed struggle there between government forces and a faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). It has resulted in about 100 casualties including 12 government soldiers, 3 policemen and about 86 MNLF rebels. Many, including civilians, were wounded. As of this report, the conflict continues.
So far, GCI members living in the area are safe, although our pastor Ted Natividad and his family had to relocate. Another church leader lives four kilometers from the fighting. They told me that once the situation stabilizes, they plan to move to a safer place—they can hear sounds of mortar and machine-gun fire. Other members in the area are in the same predicament. About 100,000 people have moved to relocation centers because MNLF rebels have burned about 500 homes in the area.
Sadly, there are other areas in the world where this sort of violence is common. Mother Teresa said that the world does not have peace “because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” We know that it is God who brings real, lasting peace. As it says in Psalm 46:9-10, [God] makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'”
We request prayer for the people of Zamboanga City. Please pray for a rapid end to the conflict and that we as a church are able to assist those needing help.
The GCI national office reports that the armed conflict in Zamboanga has displaced close to 100,000 people including about 10 GCI families. The national office is coordinating the work of GCI’s Philippine churches in gathering toiletries, used clothing, food items and medical kits to be distributed to the evacuees.