Right now 70 former missionaries, who are all in their 50s,
have come at their own expense to build houses and to teach basic carpentry
skills to the people of Leyte. The houses were funded by LDS Charities
and Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez. Good things happening in spite of
the tragedy.
26 Missionaries went down last week to begin
work. They are not in Tacloban except to do service.
Thought I'd let you know what we're still doing.
Check out Mormon Pinoy Newsroom on Facebook
Love to All,
Sister Morello
MIRACLES IN SIX CHAPELS DURING YOLANDA (November 8, 2013)
Bogo, Cebu Chapel
Interview with Brother Chiquito Nazon ,Second Counselor of
the Bogo District Presidency , Bro. Bernard Parohinog Second Counselor of the
Bogo Branch Presidency and Jenny Rose Ortega Single Adult, Young Women
Counselor on December 15, 2013
They learned about the typhoon Yolanda from their leaders
and from the newscasters on the radio who described it as the strongest typhoon
in the world. The two priesthood leaders were given the responsibility to
tell the members and take them to the chapel. Despite the repetitive
warnings from the radio and the leaders, they did not realize that the task
given to them was not that easy. Some went to the chapel, because
their houses were not sturdy enough to withstand the storm. Since the
weather was hot, the sky was cloudy, the night was starry and it was not
raining, nor was it windy, most members did not believe them and chose to stay
at home. They, themselves were not convinced, that there was going
to be a strong typhoon but they still followed what was told of them and went
from house to house to do their task. When it started to become
windy on Thursday midnight, members started texting them requesting to be
picked up. These leaders said that although they were already safe
at the chapel their thoughts were still with those outside knowing that their
lives were at stake. So even if the wind was very strong, they together with
their Branch President braved the storm and picked up the members until 2 am
Friday morning. This time roads were not as clear as they were
hours earlier. The wind was very strong, posts and trunks of trees had
fallen on the roads blocking the way. They needed to get out of the vehicle
every now and then and struggled to clear the way. Although dangerous, they
were no longer thinking of themselves but they were thinking of the lives of
the members.
About 250 members and non-members evacuated to the chapel,
members and non-members. While they were inside the chapel, through its
glass windows, they saw how strong the wind was and how it totally damaged some
of the houses beside the chapel. All the air-conditioning units had
fallen on the floors of the rooms. The biggest (estimated to be more than
40 kilos) fell on the ankle of a 20 year old single adult named Jenny Rose
Ortega. She was wiping the wet floor when it suddenly fell on her.
The air-conditioning unit was so heavy that it took 6 men to carry it to the
side. She fainted because of the terrible pain. She said she
could hear members calling her name. She could hardly breathe, and felt
so weak, but every time her name was called, she would grasp for air.
Everyone thought she had broken her ankle. They carried her to the
sacrament hall, where she was surrounded by priesthood leaders who gave her a
blessing. The members cried and prayed for her. After sometime, she was
revived. Hours later, she has able to walk again without cast or
medication. The members continued to pray and sing hymns while the wind
was still howling in rage. As they looked outside the window they cried
and feared for those other family members and friends who refused to go with
them to the chapel. They were comforted after they prayed. They
were also strengthened when they witnessed how the power of the priesthood
helped through the healing of Jenny's ankle.
The storm damaged many homes including theirs.
President Nazon, Bro. Parohinog and Sis Jenny Ortega together with the other
members, still managed to seek out ways to help others, who were affected by
the storm, by volunteering in different organizations. They also
witnessed how the church promptly sent help the afternoon after the typhoon.
People from other countries also came to help. There were volunteers from
Israel and Utah and returned missionaries from the States, who once served in
the Philippines. A group of four members from Utah, assisted by the
district president and the other members, built ten to fifteen houses for
Bogo members. There was also a Filipino from Cebu volunteer who
helped build 3 homes. With little resources, he helped recycle the lumber
which was not damaged and straighten out some of the nails.
Fatima, Tacloban Stake Center
Interview with Bro Rolando and Sister Pachuchina
Around 300 to 400 evacuated to the chapel. Bro.
Rolando described the strong wind as if there were two tornadoes whirling
crazily ripping off the roofs of the houses. The current of the water
outside was so strong that people were separated from each other. The
brethren were watching the rising water from the ocean outside. Sister
Pachuchina said at first they heard a loud bang then they saw dark water
gushing to the chapel doors. They told all of those who were there to climb up
to the ceiling of the chapel. All of the men, women and children stepped
on the chairs that were piled up for them to reach the high ceiling of the
chapel. There, they sat on the beams waiting and praying for the
water to subside. Bro Rolando at first was still trying to close the door so
that the water would not get in the chapel, but the force of the water was so
strong that the doors couldn't be closed. Then they observed that the
water stopped rising and didn't even reach the floor of the stage of the
cultural hall. They were surprised that in less than an hour the water receded
and most of it flowed out of the chapel. Looking outside they could see
that the chapel was still surrounded with flood water.
Sister Pachuchina realized how bad the situation was when
her son Nelson relayed to her what he saw. He was stayed at home to look
after the house despite his mother's disapproval, but she warned him to go to
their neighbor, who had a two story house, for refuge if he needed to. When the
typhoon was getting strong, he went to the second story of the neighbor
and from the window witnessed a terrible sight. At first he heard people
shouting then followed with complete silence. Then he saw a lot of bodies
floating. Still there were a few were struggling, with bruises on their
heads and looking at him, shouting for help, but they too were gone after
a while. He wanted to help but just couldn't do anything. He went
to the chapel, was asked about what happened outside the chapel. At first
he was so shocked. He couldn't speak until later. He wasn't able to
sleep that night because he said he could still hear the screams of the people
asking for help.
All those who evacuated to the chapel, including Sister
Pachuchina's relatives were thankful that they were saved ,but felt bad
when they learned that many people died and experienced a great deal of
trauma. Sister Pachuchina said she has a testimony that her prayers
were answered. It was a miracle that they survived. They were
protected because they had listened to the warning of their leaders.
Palo Chapel, Tacloban
Interviewed Pres. Belarmino, counselor of the Tacloban Stake
Presidency.
Two hundred fifty people {80 members and the rest were
non-members) evacuated to the chapel. Although they all got wet
because the chapel's roof was destroyed by the typhoon, surprisingly, there was
no flood in the chapel. He said that about two kilometers around the
chapel was flooded.
He also said that days earlier, they had pleaded for members
to go to the chapel for refuge. Before the storm, President Belarmino had
seen one of their members in the grocery buying food in preparation for the
typhoon. When asked if he was going to the chapel, he said he did not need to
because he had made all the necessary preparations and had most things
secured. He said their house was concrete and thought that they did not
need to go to the chapel anymore. Despite all the pleadings of the
leaders the family did not go to the chapel except their sons who were ward
clerk and mission leader. These two were the only ones who survived while
all those who stayed at home died.
Many investigators were thankful that they were safe and
said they welcome the missionaries in their home.
Per ABS CBN news, Death toll issued by National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council, the bulk of deaths are from Palo and
Tanauan, with Palo having 1067 deaths as of November 19, 2013.
TOLOSA Chapel, Tacloban
Per interview with Bro. Edilberto
He said that there were around 100 who evacuated to the
chapel. This chapel is not very big, so because of fear that they will be hit
by broken glass from the windows they all stayed along the corridor.
There was no flood in the chapel mainly because a few meters on the chapel's
right was a small mountain which somehow blocked the wind and the floods from
going in the chapel's direction.
Per ABS CBN news on November. 19, 2013, death toll
issued by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the
bulks of death were in Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa and Dulag. Tolosa and Dulag
combined had 675 reported deaths.
TANAUAN Chapel, Tacloban
Per Interview with Bro and Sis. Colibao
Bro. Colibao said there were more than 685 members and non-members
evacuated to the chapel. At first Bro. and Sister Colibao refused to go to the
chapel. The rest of their family of 14 of them, were already in the
chapel crying and pleading for them to come join them. Their family
even requested some military men to pick them up. At midnight, they
decided to go to the chapel when Bro. Colibao went near the sea and felt
something different. Their family was so happy to see their parents join
the rest of them in the chapel. They realized they would have died had they
chosen to stay.
At the chapel, when the floods began to rise, all
around 700 of them went up to the trusses of the ceiling. They recalled
that they couldn't imagine how quickly all of them were able to go up the
trusses. One child even slipped and was about to fall when luckily he was
able to hold on to some wires and he was pulled up. There they waited and
prayed but to their surprise they saw through the glass window that there was
deep water outside the premises of the chapel. When some went up on the
roof they were all amazed at seeing both sides of the chapel full of water
above the houses but the water inside the chapel was only up to their ankles.
The water inside the chapel also receded in less than an hour but the water
outside lasted for hours until in the afternoon. They could not
explain how this happened but everyone believed it to be a miracle.
Per ABS CBN news November 19, 2013, NDRRCM reported that the
bulks of death are in Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa and Dulag with Tanauan having 597 deaths.
SAN JUANICO CHAPEL, Tacloban
Interviewed Sisters Alban Relief Society Presidency, Sis.
Calidayan from the Relief Society Presidency, Sis. Baculio, Laurel Teacher, Sis
Operio, Relief Society Presidency' Mahana Shane 14 years old Mia Maid
Sister Operio and Mahana together with her whole family came
to the chapel on Thursday. They were informed by their Bishop Abellanosa. They
brought their clothes, beddings and 72 hour kits. Even if it wasn't
raining, they just followed what their leader had said. She said many
people died even those living near the chapel. The flood was
only up to the gate of the chapel but was surrounded with water. Outside
it was as high as above a man's average height. The people around the area
thought that the ones inside the chapel were all dead because from they viewed
the chapel as surrounded by water and all they could see was the chapel's
spire.
Sis Baculio is pregnant and she and her husband chose not go
to the chapel and shared the things they have experienced to
survive. They saw galvanized iron flown to their terrace, a water
tank had fallen on their window. They tried hard to secure their
door and when it was secured, they realized they may be trapped if the water
continued to rise. Then they took out the air-con so that they could use
the hole in case they needed to get out. They prepared water jugs and
tied them with computer cable wires to be used for their children as
floaters. The sister recalled to be shaking while she was finding ways
for her children to be safe in case they needed to swim out of their room
because the water was already up to their ankles in the second story of their
home. They unceasingly prayed and sought inspiration to know what to
do. Through their faith and prayers they were given strength and
protection. They were able to house around five families and rescue an old lady
in the neighborhood. She said "I realized we can never be exempted
from calamities but the Lord provides ways to protect His children." Their
family was protected.
Sister Alban said she did not experience trauma but they
asked President Aban if they needed to evacuate to the chapel and he said
"I think you should." Even if they thought they would still be safe
at home, they followed their stake president and went to the chapel. They
became a blessing to the members because their vehicle which was the only one
running at that time was the one used to bring other evacuees to the chapel.
She said they were also blessed because after the storm they saw a lot of
galvanized iron and debris on the spot where they usually park their
vehicle. They realized that had they parked their car there, it could
have been hit by the debris.
Sister Calidayan and her family were one of the first of the
two families who evacuated to the chapel. At first she did not want to go
because she thought their house could withstand the storm but her husband was
very firm that they should go to the chapel. While inside the chapel, she
said the evacuees were all crying of fear because the wind was very
strong. She said that it sounded like two jet engines landing. The
windows blew wild and parts of the ceiling were ripped off. Their
Tacloban Stake President Aban led the group of more than 100 evacuees in
kneeling down in fervent prayer. She recalled how President Aban pleaded
for comfort and protection. She bore her testimony how Heavenly Father
answered them. Right after the wind and the rain had ceased they
saw several people carrying their dead walking up and the down the
street in front of the chapel. Only then did they realize the magnitude of
the destruciton and that the trauma they experienced inside the chapel was
nothing compared to what had happened right outside the chapel gates. Their
prayers were indeed answered. Although they were saddened for those they
visited before the storm, to come to the chapel and seek refuge but failed to
do so and lost their lives.
MY OWN TESTIMONY
I was given an assignment to document the experiences of the
members but instead of feeling pity, I felt tremendous admiration for the
strength of their testimonies and faith. Beyond the destruction of their
homes and belongings what they saw were blessings of protection for their loved
ones and love from our Heavenly Father and still consider themselves richly
blessed for witnessing the miracles in their lives
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