Cross Country Ministries

Purpose

Providing assistance to those in need through financial support, goods and services, and spiritual uplifting.

Urgent Update - Typhoon Rai Aftermath

Near midnight on December 16, 2021, Typhoon Rai (locally known as Typhoon Odette) slammed into Benny's Philippine home town of Libo-o, Ronda, Cebu. Thankfully, Benny and his friends & neighbors are okay. Unfortunately, their homes sustained serious damage. Infrastructure such as power and water have been wiped out, and communications are extremely spotty. This is consistent with the widespread damage to the rest of the country. Efforts to restore essential services are expected to take months.

There’s some disaster aid trickling in to communities, but it’s not enough to meet demand and rural villages were already suffering from poverty and food scarcity. We are raising funds to rebuild and meet immediate needs, and also gathering emergency supplies to ship via LBC. Please pray for Benny, his community, and the nation of the Philippines during this time of crisis. Any help is greatly appreciated and all donations are tax-deductible. Donate

Track of Typhoon "Odette" Rai in the Philippines
Benny's home was severely damaged

Benny's home was severely damaged

The upstairs was sheared off along with significant portions of the roof. Thankfully the main body is still intact and we can rebuild.

The Nipa Hut was destroyed

Nipa Hut Gone

The Nipa Hut was a place of fellowship and bonding.

Infrastructure received significant damage

Significant damage

The beloved banana tree in the back yard was snapped and the stairway to the upstairs now leads to nowhere.

Much of the roof blew away

Much of the roof blew away

The upstairs was sheared off along with significant portions of the roof. Thankfully the main body is still intact and we can rebuild.

History & what we've done

Cross Country Ministries has provided food, medicine and basic necessities to numerous needy families in and around Libo-o since 2019. Now, more than ever, we need your help! Benny was able to travel to Cebu City on Christmas Eve to gather supplies and connect with family back home in Oregon. This was the first contact since the storm! We are grateful that he is well; however, communications may be down for months. We have a scheduled check in on January 12, when Benny plans to return to Cebu City for additional supplies.

Benny Tibbets delivering food to needy families.
Benny preparing to deliver a load of food to those in need.
Benny & Shilah delivering food to needy children.
Benny & Shilah delivered food to the families on "the mountain", a rural, impoverished area near Libo-o in 2019.

Special Thanks

We wish to extend our most sincere and heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their donations of funds, time, equipment, services and support of our programs, especially during this time of need!

Denice Tibbets, Benny Tibbets, Shilah Olson, and Janeth Garol in the Nipa Hut in 2019.
Denice Tibbets, Benny Tibbets, Shilah Olson, and Janeth Garol in the Philippines in 2019. Benny divides his time between Dufur, Oregon and the rural area of Libo-o, Ronda, Cebu, Philippines, where he provides ministry and assistance to needy families in the region.