“I think God was somewhere else when the typhoon hit. God must be somewhere else or he forgot that there’s a planet called Earth.” —Rodrigo Duterte, Mayor of Davao City, Philippines
A crisis like the one going on right now in the Philippines can cause anyone to despair. Days after Supertyphoon Haiyan barreled through the region, survivors roam through debris of their former homes, searching for lost loved ones, for food, for any sign of hope.
I came home from work yesterday to find a shopping bag in the lobby of my apartment building, along with a handwritten note. One of my neighbors is booked on a flight to the Philippines this weekend and is collecting donations of over-the-counter medicines, something in very short supply in the ravaged nation. Seeing that moved me. While it’s natural to despair, there’s an equal or perhaps even more powerful response to tragedy—the impulse to help.
Reporter Atom Araullo risked his life to keep Philippines citizens updated throughout the storm, standing barefoot in water knee-deep while the wind swirled around him. For many, he was the lone figure providing any reliable news as the coastline was pummeled, as well as a symbol of resilience in the face of the storm.
Jonathan Fitzpatrick of Walsall, England, was working as an electrical engineer in the city of Ormoc when the typhoon hit. As his hotel began to crumble around him, Jonathan and his colleagues helped people escape to the safety of the reinforced stairwell and supplied bottles of water until it was finally safe to emerge. On his way to evacuate, Jonathan gave the last of his money to a survivor whose home had been destroyed.
Emily Ortega had just watched her mother swept away by a massive wave, and she feared she’d be swept away too—along with the baby she carried inside of her. Nine months pregnant, she had to swim and cling to a post to survive. Somehow, her husband, Jobert, reached her. It was God’s will that he found her alive, Jobert told the Daily Mail. Emily went into labor Monday morning, and the couple walked several miles before they found a ride to the airport, which had been turned into a temporary medical facility. There she gave birth to a healthy girl, Bea Joy, named after Emily’s mother, Beatriz.
Even in a place as far away as central Kentucky, there were people moved to help the typhoon victims—long before Haiyan swept through. Twenty-seven years ago, Bobbie and Larry Womack felt called to start a mission, and they prayed to be led where they were needed. That place was Tacloban City in the Philippines, where they began food, Bible-study and back-to-school programs. When the typhoon hit, Tacloban bore the brunt of it. Back in Kentucky, their family desperately waited for any news of the couple’s survival. Larry and Bobbie hung on for dear life as floodwaters surged through for more than two hours. As soon as the waters subsided, however, they went back to work, helping other survivors, despite having lost everything themselves.
Was God somewhere else when the typhoon hit? Or was he working through those who rose up in the face of devastation?
I know I’ll be contributing to my neighbor’s shopping bag. Please consider your own donation to the victims of Supertyphoon Haiyan. Make a donation to the Red Cross. The money will help those who lost everything.
What moments have inspired you in times of tragedy and loss? Share your stories with us.
Photo credit: The AP, via Dailymail.co.uk
