Update: New photos of damaged church buildings added, plus additional contacts for relief donations.

Sandals, rubble and overturned pews are left behind after a 6.9-magnitude earthquake rocked the Jimalud Church of Christ in the Philippines' Negros Oriental province. Church members were conducting a funeral service when the quake hit. The falling debris killed an 11-year-old girl. (Photo by Junriel Silva)

In the midst of responding to one natural disaster, church members in the Philippines face a new one.

I received an e-mail from Salvador Cariaga, a longtime Filipino missionary, about a 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck his home country Feb. 6.  Cariaga oversees a ministry that provides goats, farming techniques and micro-loans to Filipinos in need.

The quake’s epicenter was in the central Negros Oriental province, where there is a large concentration of Churches of Christ. A mayor of a town in affected area is a church member, Cariaga said.

Here’s more information from Cariaga’s message:

The preacher of Tayasan Church of Christ, Warmild Daleos, was conducting a funeral service when the earthquake struck. A wall in the building fell on him and his daughter. He broke his back and his daughter broke her collarbone and right leg. They are both in a local hospital. I was told that he needs to move to the city hospital for surgery. Then (they) need funds to be accepted. The brother of the deceased was severely injured. His daughter was instantly killed.

Several church buildings in our fellowship were destroyed. More casualties and damages are expected since many roads are not passable, bridges destroyed, and communication limited. One of my staff members is from Negros. He is now on the ground assessing the situation and helping out. Another worker is on the way there with a water filter machine from Cagayan. He will assemble the equipment when he gets there. The mayor requested it because their pipes are busted. More volunteers are going there this weekend to help.

Filipino Christians already were assisting victims of a recent typhoon in the Mindanao region of the Philippines. More than 1,500 people died in that disaster and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. Churches of Christ there are “feeding the hungry and homeless, delivering water and helping rebuild the homes of the members of the church,” Cariaga said. (See the Philippines item in our Around the World section for more details.)

The following church-supported ministries are collecting funds for relief:

Shepherds Hill International, P.O. Box 3131, Abilene TX 79604.

Bread for a Hungry World, 6250 NE Loop 820, North Richland Hills, TX 76180-7842

Body and Soul Ministries, P.O. Box 1926, Colleyville, Texas  76034

Medical Action for Relief, Counseling and Healing (MARCH) for Christ, contact Chito Cusi at lpcusi@yahoo.com.

The meeting place of the Tayasan Church of Christ was destroyed by the Philippines quake. Sebio Catarinen is the church's minister. (Photo provided by Salvador Cariaga)