Mangrove Trees. 4,000 Seedlings.

For the months of April and June 2022, about 4,000 mangrove seedlings were planted in 4 areas in the Philippines:  Bago City and Cadiz in Negros Occidental; Naic, Cavite in Southern Luzon and Samar.  These were done in partnership with churches, IVCF graduates and students from Philippine Normal University Visayas who are members of IVCF Philippines. The rationale behind MEANS mangrove planting, aside from averting climate change, is to emphasize God’s mandate in caring for His creation.   We believe that mangrove planting have benefits like stabilize the coastline, protect water quality, and help the environment and earth’s eco-system.

These are some of the reasons why we plant fruit trees:

1)  God is the Creator of the Universe and maintains its existence through an ongoing creative will.  He blessed and called “very good” all that is created.

2) God has commanded human kind to till the earth and to care for it.

3) Within Creation, the human person enjoys a consummate dignity.  Inherent to this dignity is that of exercising a wise and just stewardship over the rest of Creation.

4) Sin brought division into the entire world, but not only within and between human persons.  The consequences of sin also affect the Earth. 

5) In a mysterious way, Christ’s redemptive mission extends to all of Creation

 Two of the participants of mangrove planting wrote: “We joyfully planted each mangrove without minding about the time and the heat of the sun, only having the thought that mangroves will survive.  We finished planting all 500 seedlings at 9:30 a.m. with the help of fisher folks from the area.  What delighted me most is that we grasp the reasons why we need to care of creation.  We finished our activity through sharing delicious food and the joy of fellowship with the group, telling stories, laughter and savoring the moment.”

– Maria Rose Alon, Philippine Normal University, Negros Occ

“I am blessed that I joined this activity to show my love for God’s creation.  I realized that being a Christian also means to being a good steward of what God has made.  I believe that words matter most with actions. “-Angela Alontaga

“I saw three properties in the world:  the first is that God made it.  The second is that God loveth it.  The third is, that God keepeth it.  But what beheld I therein?  Verily the Maker, the Keeper, the Lover.”  – Julian of Norwich (1303-1373), Revelations of Divine Love

Photo Credits: Allan Cordero