Mercy Moment

Grant Assists Filipino Lutherans Impacted by Typhoons

Six typhoons made landfall in the Philippines during a three-week period in late 2024, damaging many homes and churches.

Story by Megan K. Mertz | Cover photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, other photography provided by the Lutheran Church in the Philippines | Spring 2025

Every year as Americans keep an eye on developing hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, people in Asia are watching the Pacific for similar dangers.

Late 2024 was a particularly active period for the Pacific, as six typhoons — Trami (Kristine), Kong-rey (Leon), Yinxing (Marce), Toraji (Nika), Usagi (Ofel) and Man-yi (Pepito) — made landfall in the Philippines during a three-week period from late October to mid-November. Most of these came ashore along the northeastern side of Luzon, the largest and most heavily populated island in the Philippines.

“These storms caused widespread flooding, landslides, and destruction across many provinces, especially in Regions 5 (Bicol), 4A (Calabarzon), and 2 (Cagayan Valley). Entire communities were submerged, crops were destroyed, and thousands of families lost their homes. Our members who live in [the] Calabarzon area and Cagayan Valley were greatly affected,” wrote the Rev. Antonio Reyes, president of the Lutheran Church in the Philippines (LCP), in a Nov. 17 letter to The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS). The LCP is a partner church of the LCMS.

To assist these Lutheran brothers and sisters, the LCMS gave a $12,000 grant to the LCP. With this, the LCP was able to provide emergency funds to 348 families — 276 families in Cagayan Province and Ilocos Norte and 72 families in Batangas and Malabon — to help cover the cost of immediate needs. Twenty-one of these recipients were students and graduates of the LCP’s Biblical-Vocational Lay Institute.

Eight LCP churches also were damaged by the storms, and congregation members quickly came together to raise the funds or resources needed to repair the church buildings. One congregation organized a ukay-ukay, or secondhand shop, to raise funds to help neighboring Epiphany Lutheran Church, Tagaytay City, rebuild.

A follow-up report from the LCP noted that the families that received this emergency assistance were encouraged to know that there were Lutherans around the world who cared about them.

“On behalf of the LCP, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the help extended by the LCMS,” Reyes later said. “It was indeed a blessing — an expression of deep concern and love for those who suffered the aftermath of the strong typhoons that came to our country. Your kindness will always be treasured in our hearts. Thank you for bearing with us. May God bless you and the LCMS for your thoughtfulness and generosity.”

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Megan K. Mertz

Managing editor of Lutherans Engage the World and chief copy editor for LCMS Communications.