The Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) members in the Local Congregation of Cairns, Ecclesiastical District of Australia East, lent a helping hand to those adversely affected by a cyclone that recently hit the city.

Thus, for the neighborhood the brethren conducted a clean-up drive, and gave financial assistance, as well as cleaning materials, on January 13, 2024. This was part of their INC Giving project, which was relaunched Church-wide a week prior to this devastating wake.

“A typhoon signal number 2 hit parts of Cairns … the highest level of flood encounter in many years,” attested Rhonda Coghlan, Cairns Regional Councillor Division 8. “Fortunately, there are no major effects from that but following that was the load that came after the cyclone.”

“When the Church Administration learned of the calamity in Cairns, they urged us to persist with this initiative, leading to this INC Giving,” said Brother Seth Gutierrez, district supervising minister. He led the brethren in Cairns, together with some in the Local Congregation of Townsville, Queensland, who traveled for four hours, just to be able to participate in this humanitarian activity.

“The Church Of Christ members come from outside our community and want to help and give. That’s a beautiful thing that just happened, bringing people together,” Coghlan observed.

Likewise thankful, Javier Suarez, leader of Centacare, a social services organization in the country, said, “What you’re doing is not only amazing … I know that you feel good when you give.”

“We express our heartfelt gratitude to our Lord God, and to the Church Administration, under the guidance of our Executive Minister Brother Eduardo Manalo, for leading us in this activity,” Brother Gutierrez said on behalf of the district. – With reports from Lorrie Kate Salomon of INC News Section