Thanks to the response from CMS supporters to Jigsaw's needs in flood-hit Manila, CMS was able to send a grant of =A33,000 to help with their emergency work, adding to the "amazing response" from supporters and churches up and down the country that Jigsaw reports.
Tim Lee, CMS mission partner who founded Jigsaw Kids Ministries, is in regular touch and gives us this update:
"The situation in so much of the Philippines, especially urban poor areas of Manila, is terrible and almost every day more problems arise from the aftermath of the typhoon.
"One of Jigsaw's great strengths is that its centres are set in such central locations - at the heart of the squatter and slum areas, this means that response to such crises can be almost immediate.
"Alongside this, the fact that Jigsaw is being run and led by local people in these areas means Jigsaw's response cannot only be fast but completely relevant to needs.
"Jigsaw distributed over 150 emergency family packages to those most devastated. Our social worker wrote that the reaction of the families was incredible. The families couldn't believe that the packages contained EXACTLY what they really needed at this desperate time - a bed mat, two blankets, a small charcoal cooker, cooking pots, spoons and knives."
Many had been given rice and lentils but had no cooker to cook with or pots to cook in.
"The packages were so focussed in their content in relationship to the needs of the people because the plans for the contents of the packages were developed by slum and squatter peoples themselves who work in Jigsaw.
"Jigsaw is developing as a wonderful work of God but it is still only small help in relationship to the magnitude and devastation of the problems being faced.
"All at Jigsaw Philippines and all those being helped by Jigsaw and myself want to say a huge thank you to all at CMS; it will be wonderful to see how this goes. It's amazing how God provides so faithfully for his work."
A portion of the funds given to Jigsaw will be passed on to the Philippine Children's Network. "Jigsaw is an active member of this network and they are coordinating along with us and other members to give emergency aid and support to children in the worst affected areas. This enables Jigsaw to help children outside of the areas in which we normally work," says Tim.