Cyclone Ditwah hit Southeast Asia like a tidal wave, tearing apart mountain communities with flash floods. Mudslides left scars on the mountainsides that could have been mistaken for ski slopes if it weren’t for the piles of mud, debris, and empty foundations at the bottom where homes had once stood. The destruction was intense, even months after the storm. 

The twenty pastors who gathered to meet with our team were tired and hurting, it was written on their faces. Sixteen of them had been directly impacted, losing homes or churches in the flood. All of them had been pouring themselves out for weeks on end into family members and congregations that had lost loved ones, homes, livelihoods, everything. In a season when their congregations needed them most, they themselves were hurting deeply.

As they gathered to debrief, Katrina felt the Spirit prompting her to ask, “For the past month, you’ve been taking care of everyone else. When was the last time someone asked how you were doing?” One by one, they nodded. Their pain was visible. Yet, even in this, God was present. This was finally a time for these men to come together, grieve, share, and hold one another up. 

The Lord created a space for their grief to surface and gently began to minister to their hearts. Step by step, He helped them move forward. The weight of their loss had caused them to forget the gifts, talents, and resources still in their hands; God reminded them what they still had.  Together, the pastors and our team listed what remained in their hands: their calling, their compassion, their spiritual authority, their relationships. 

The physical needs around them were overwhelming, but the Lord showed these pastors the intense emotional and spiritual needs they were uniquely gifted to address. There are also unexpected opportunities God had opened up for them. Doors were opening in communities that had previously been closed. Our staff joined one pastor as he entered a community that had run him out just two weeks before the storm. Now, those same people welcomed him and wanted to hear what he had to say. The crisis had opened a door for relationship, for healing, and for sharing the gospel hope in Christ.

Please pray for the pastors ministering in Southeast Asia where communities are still recovering from Cyclone Ditwah almost a year later. Pray also for the ReachGlobal staff who are walking alongside them to encourage and equip the pastors. May God use these faithful men to share the love of Christ and transform lives and communities with the power of the gospel.