Easter should have been a happy day in Timor-Leste, whose population is predominantly Catholic.

But last Sunday, on April 4, the island-nation was hit by Cyclone Seroja, which triggered a series of deadly flash floods and landslides in the country and parts of Indonesia.

Located between Indonesia and Australia, Timor-Leste is the youngest country in South-east Asia and also one of the poorest.

Home to 1.3 million residents, preliminary figures showed that approximately 10,325 people across Timor-Leste were displaced from their homes, most of them from the capital city of Dili. 

At least 42 people have lost their lives, and many remain missing.

Despite experiencing the worst flood in recent years, it’s encouraging to see that the spirit of the people remains unbroken.

On Monday, a day after the cyclone struck, a video started making its rounds on Facebook. 

Featuring a group of Timorese cheerfully singing popular worship song “Still” in their local language, it was posted by Pastor Acy Lodja Noronha from New Community Church in Dili.

Telling me about the situation they were in when the video was made, she explained that some of the youths from her church had gathered in her home to offer help to the community since their own homes were not flooded.

She said: “It was early morning, and there was rain and storm. We didn’t know what to do, so we thought we could just praise God in the midst of this situation.”

As residents waded through waist-high muddy water and diggers cleared mountains of debris left in the wake of the cyclone, Pastor Acy and her church members chose to trust in God despite the circumstances.

The cyclone has wreaked havoc on critical infrastructure, destroying roads and bridges. Health facilities such as hospitals have also suffered damage. 

With homes submerged and small communities turning into wastelands of mud, those displaced have taken shelter in temporary set-ups like schools and churches, even as concerns about a fresh wave of COVID-19 infections and waterborne diseases rest on the hearts of many.

Power cuts, blocked roads, bad weather and the remote location of affected areas continue to hamper rescue efforts.

Yet Timor-Leste stands strong, and its people are now focused on rebuilding.

“The water has receded. Now, people are focusing on clearing up the mud,” said Pastor Acy.

As the locals come together to help one another out, she couldn’t help but notice how amazing it was that “the people came together, offering what they have”. 

This was a similar point made by David Chan, a Singaporean missionary who runs a school in Timor-Leste. 

When asked what he observed in these challenging times, he said: “I saw the unity in the body of Christ, for there is neither Catholic or Protestant, neither Timorese nor foreigner, neither one ruling party nor another ruling party.

“Neither Timor nor Singapore, nor nations beyond. Love unites all.”

He added that this felt like “a litmus test from God to reveal the extent of our faith in Him, our hope in Him and our love for Him and our neighbours”, referencing 1 Corinthians 13:13.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Over the last one week, David himself has been swamped with endless tasks from morning to night.

Besides cleaning up his own home and surveying the damage on his school, he has also been busy delivering relief packages to students’ families who are in need, which include mattresses and basic household items.

He has also been in discussions with a contractor to build a shelter for his teachers who have lost their homes.

Moving on after an enormous setback can be difficult.

Pastor Acy mentioned that some of the responses from locals have ranged from asking whether the flood was a punishment for sin, to believing that the disaster resulted from a failure to pray to their ancestor’s spirits.

Despite the fact that the population is predominantly Catholic, Pastor Acy explained that many still held onto other beliefs. 

Nonetheless, Pastor Acy believes that a revival can come.

“We have not lost hope; we are still believing,” she told me.

“I believe that God is doing something amazing. Please pray that the church can continue to be united.

“We need wisdom to know how to continue showing love in ways that God wants us. We need wisdom to know what to do and what not to do because sometimes help can be harmful to others – maybe they don’t need help in that way.”

My first call with Pastor Acy ended abruptly as she had to rush off to bring a canoe to those who were stranded, but it turned out to be much needed help for those who had felt abandoned.

“Before that, they felt that no one cared for them – all the help was directed to other parts of the town. But when the boat was sent, they saw how God cared about them, that He is good.”

People have also begun to see God’s hand in the little things, even within communities who were once closed off to the faith.

“There was a bridge that was badly affected, and we used to have a children’s club close by that ran a children’s programme. But some of them didn’t accept us well,” recounted Pastor Acy.

“After (the cyclone), because we didn’t just care for the church members but all of them, they said, ‘The church is the one that came first.’”