Further miracles and information

The story continues today as more has been learned about the 60 missionaries from Tacloban who were at our building in Cebu last night.
     Typhoon Yolanda cut a 60 mile swath through the middle of Tacloban. The rest of the island was hit about the same as in our mission: high winds and torrential rain, with some damage, but not overwhelming damage.
     The missionaries in the severely damaged area had no contact with their mission president because all communications were down. A couple of inspired Zone Leaders organized a search for the missionaries, gathering them up as quickly as they could, and had them meet in a central area. They were somehow able to contact Manilla and the Area Presidency and were able to arrange evacuation to Cebu. We first thought they would arrive at 9:30 - then 10:30 - then almost 11:30.

Today is Friday, and I heard at the office that it was really a matter of obedience for the missionaries who were transported out of Tacloban: their mission president had counseled his missionaries to buy new batteries for their cell phones and to have the phones fully charged. He also asked that the missionaries stay together in groups. Both of those guidelines were followed by this group of missionaries - and so they were blessed!

     Thus, the missionaries being at our building last night.

     When the missionaries were asked by our president, "How many of you have NO luggage? Only the clothes on your backs?" About half of the missionaries raised their hands. The church also had garments and limited clothing items for them to take. The temple missionaries stayed up doing laundry for anyone who needed that service.
     Lots of hugs were also given out!

     Sister French in Manilla is meeting with these missionaries to assess and counsel these young men and women. Even though all the missionaries are physically safe, they have seen and heard way too many disturbing things in the last week that can't help but impact their lives.

I know this is entirely random, but Elder Belleza, the Elder returning home after their honorable mission, and the one that had the roasted pig at the party the other night, brought some budbod into the office today. Budbod is a mixture of coconut milk, sticky rice, and casava cake, wrapped in a banana leaf. The Filipino missionaries were very excited. Elder Belleza offered it to any who wanted to try it. It was . . . different . . . but okay.

The green stripped part is the banana leaf that wraps the budbod. 

The miracles continue!

Great news! A miracle really. All the missionaries in Tacloban and on the island of Cebu are safe. 60 missionaries from Tacloban are arriving at our mission office tonight at 11:30. They are flying in from Tacloban and staying overnight at the temple patron house. When they arrive this evening, we are meeting them at the office with our computers (magic jack and Skype) so they can contact their families and tell them they are safe. 

President Schmutz is by the window with the microphone.

Missionaries provided food and a bed for the night.

Tomorrow at 5:30 a.m. they will fly to Manilla for some counseling about their experience. Then, they will be reassigned to other missions throughout the Philippines. There is a good likelihood that we will get up to 50 of them back in Cebu because they speak Cebuano. 

We are also receiving 28 new missionaries from the Provo MTC in another week at the next transfer. Our mission president, President Schmudt, is trying not to be overwhelmed, but is handling everything very well. He is wonderful about keeping us in the loop so we know what is happening. 

Yolanda's punch much more devastating than first thought

This morning President Schmutz called us together in the office, including the assistants, and talked to us about the typhoon, Yolanda.

He spoke of total devastation in Tacloban City on the island of Leyte. Here are some of the things he shared with us:
     There are more than 200 missionaries serving in the Tacloban Mission.
     Approximately 65 missionaries are still unaccounted for in that mission. That does not necessarily mean they are dead or injured, it just means that communications are nonexistent in many areas, and they have not been heard from yet.
     One huge miracle and tender mercy - a 29 year-old Bishop there asked the members of the stake to go to the LDS chapel during the typhoon. He organized the building into sleeping area, dressing area, and food preparation, and gave out assignments to all the leaders, to assure for proper accounting of the members following the storm. That church was one of the very few buildings left standing, with virtually no damage other than on some aluminum fascia.
     We will likely have 20-50 missionaries from the Tacloban Mission transferred to our mission for their own safety. We have been asked to survey our mission apartments and estimate how many missionaries we can absorb comfortably, and then in an emergency setting. They will return to their own mission when they can to help there.
     The Tacloban Mission home is under 10 feet of water.
     Some Tacloban missionaries will come to us, and some to Manilla. Most of these missionaries speak Cebuano, so it is a natural fit for them to come here.
     The members of the area presidency flew to Cebu this morning, and arranged for a helicopter to take them to Leyte to arrange for support, and determine the needs.

 

Tonight we helped put together food bags to be taken to Tacloban. 3000 humanitarian food kits will be finished tonight for delivery. Rice, sugar, canned milk, sardines, chocolate milk packets, cans of corn, cans of meat are some of the items that we saw. Hygiene kits have already been sent. 

On Sunday we had been invited to a FHE with the temple missionaries to say goodbye to the directors of the temple patron housing. We had responded that we would love to join them for that get-together. The Elder and Sister going home are Filipino, and they brought a roast pig for the meal. 

The little woven packages hold onion rice.

This is the Elder going home. He is cutting up the pig. They love to eat the crispy skin too.

We almost felt guilty going to the dinner, knowing that so many are in such distress. Elder Sommerfeldt actually stood up and passed on what our president had shared with us. They invited us to help with the putting together of the Humanitarian packages - which of course we did after the dinner.