4 International The Universal Church throughout the world Get to know the work of the Universal Church in the Philippines W poor health. Rain, typhoon and flood are also common natural phenomena that punish the population, leaving entire cities underwater, depending on the intensity. One example was the typhoon that devastated the country in 2009, making it rain in a few hours the expected volume for a whole month. Thousands of people died and millions more were left homeless. Today, the Universal Church has been present in the country since 1995 and has 17 churches, some in expansion work, and several other special works spread from the North to the South of the territory. ith a population of over 105 million, the Philippines is the seventh most so we began to see the growth of the work in the Philippines,” he says. populous country in Asia and the 12th most populous in the world. Formed by a group of islands, it was already at the peak of the Asian economy, but currently faces economic and social problems such as lack of basic sanitation and Restored love life Philippines “For many years, the work was concentrated only in the capital, but in the last year we have been able to expand to 9 different provinces, including the aid to the afflicted,” says the pastor resposible for the work in the country. But the beginning of the work was difficult, especially in the financial sense. Carpenter Rodelo Salazar Sajul, 56, has been a member of the Universal for 20 years and followed the early stages of the church. “It created in us a revolt that brought results.” He also accompanied the expansion of church temples throughout the country. “Before, we only had one place to take all those who needed help. But, little by little, God was opening doors in neighboring cities and too. “It was when I was invited by a friend to go to the Universal Church and seek God’s help to solve my problems. As soon as I arrived, I surrendered myself; I left the women and I found peace through the Holy Spirit,” he says. His sentimental life has also been restored and today he is married It was the problems in the love life that led Rodelo to know the faith. His marriage was destroyed and his relationship with his ex-wife were filled with fights. “The situation was so unbearable that I preferred to live alone, than to live with her because of the constant fights,” he recalls. To escape the situation, he left with several women, but nothing completely satisfied him. In the meantime the marriage is over and happy. Social support Social work spearheaded by Universal made a real difference, with donations, hospital visits, prisons and even professional courses for detainees. In the typhoon episode of 2009, for example, the group organized a large donation of clothing, drinking water, food and hygiene products to those most affected. “We called all the people to bring their donations and we prepared the kits to be distributed,” Rodelo recalls. In the area of communication, they have invested in a weekly edition of the newspaper in the country and recently a radio program that airs Monday through Friday. “We know that this step is very important to expand our reach to souls and, therefore, the church has invested heavily in communication through these mediums.”
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