Sendusout

Even during rainy season, the showers tend be short lived and sporadic and you usually have blue skies on the horizon.  But if the day is overcast and gray and it has been steadily raining for more than an hour, you can usually  bet there is a typhoon somewhere in the vicinity of the Philippines.  These were the conditions when we woke up Saturday morning.  I immediately checked the internet to confirm my suspicions and imagine my surprise when the forecast on PAGASA informed me that Typhoon Ondoy, as it is known locally, was directly on top of us.  This was the second time in the four years we have lived here that Manila was in the direct line of a typhoon.  For some reason, the heaviest typhoons seem to hit in September.   Typhoon Xangsane hit September 27, 2006.  That storm had very strong winds, but not as much water.  The highest the water reached that day was just over the edge our sidewalk.  By 10:00 am this past Saturday, the water had already passed this point and there was no sign of the rain slowing down anytime soon.

If you have spent any time on the internet or watching the news, you have probably seen the photos and footage of the damage and destruction Ondoy wreaked on Manila in less than 24 hours.  Our family remained fairly dry in spite of the fact that our street had turned into a raging river.  People walking down the middle of the street had water to their waist (image above).  While we watched water creep up our yard and to our front door, we were fortunate to have the river flowing down our street stop two inches short of flowing into our house.  Ian and Isaiah’s room did flood with a couple inches of water that seeped in through the floor, while water from our flooded yard filled our laundry room.  At one point a car passed down our street causing a wave of water to rush in our door and fill the kitchen and dining room, however, we were able to clean it immediately.

Not everyone around us were so fortunate.  We are on the high side of our neighborhood.  Those on the other side, just a few blocks away, lost almost everything. Those fortunate to have a second floor in their homes were able to move what they could to higher ground, but the waters came so fast that wasn’t even completely possible.  Across the city, families were separated.  People were stranded on rooftops, in malls, at soccer games and in buses.  Rivers and creeks overflowed, walls broke, and the low places became an ocean of water.  Many were left with no home at all and sought refuge where they could.  Our Nazarene Seminary offered shelter for nearly 300 such people Saturday and Sunday night until they could be relocated elsewhere.  Sunday morning the city looked like a war zone.

Three days after the storm hit, the clean-up is underway and the city is beginning to recover.  Our electricity was restored today, we are now connected to the world via the internet, and in most areas, the water has receded and left a muddy mess to scrape up and wash away.  There are 4 families from my staff at World Mission Communications Asia-Pacific who have had anywhere between two and six feet of water in their home.  One family, The Tias, had a similar flood just a few years ago.  We have been helping them wash mud from their possessions, ranging from microwaves down to hair pins belonging to their daughter Erin.

The past two days people have been lining up at the gas stations and ATMS.  The shelves at the grocery store are being emptied and people are preparing for the possibility of another storm later this week.  They are cautious and not wanting to be caught off guard once again.  But if you ask most Filipinos “how is your place?” they will smile and say, “ok na, such is life.”  The resilience of these people is amazing, however, the looks of shock and hopelessness tell  you what most are feeling beneath the surface. Please pray that God’s spirit of peace descends upon the city. Collections are also being made to help those who were hit the worst. If you feel led to give you, can do so on the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries website.

Thank you for all the personal messages and notes. We appreciate your prayers more than we can say. We love you all.