Typhoon

In the early hours of Friday morning, Philippine time, I followed the super typhoon on the internet as it approached the Philippines. It looked big and scary. Rain had been falling for several hours, but after sunrise the wind picked up. By late morning, it was howling.

My rented house is in a secure subdivision and has an upstairs bedroom, so I was in no danger from flash floods. But I was worried for those along the coast, near rivers, or in native houses made of bamboo and nepa. Floods are the biggest destroyer from typhoons, then the wind. Fortunately, this typhoon was moving fast, unlike previous storms that linger over our area and dump huge amounts of rainfall.

By early afternoon, the center of the storm was about 50 miles north of us, passing through the middle of our island, Panay. The winds were severe and the rain was intense, but no flying debris or flash flooding. My electricity went out. By mid-afternoon, the rain slowed a bit, but then resumed as the typhoon’s back winds hit. By evening, the worst was over. Lights came back on at midnight.

Saturday morning, I led a funeral service for one of our pastors who had passed away last week. The streets were littered with fallen leaves and branches. The cemetery was partly flooded. In the afternoon, one of our church leaders and I made a trip toward the interior of our island, closer to where the center of the typhoon had passed. We could not travel far because major bridges had been washed out. Twice we had to find alternate routes because highways were flooded. Many people had lined the highways with their household belongings – furniture, stoves, beds, to escape rising waters.

When we finally arrived at our destination, we found 5 families crowded in our church building, whose houses had been destroyed by wind and floods. We bought bags of rice and fish for them. This part of the island was still without electricity. Many other displaced families were taking refuge in local school buildings. One lady reported that, during the worst of the storm, “We felt like torn clothes in a washing machine; the wind and rain kept pounding us from all different directions.”

We still haven’t heard from our folks further inland where we expect even more damage. Utility lines and cell towers have been blown over. Roads are still blocked. We have heard reports of near-total destruction of some villages near the coast where the center of the storm passed.

Typhoons and hurricanes weaken as they pass over land, so the eastern side of the Philippines experienced the worst damage, with hundreds, maybe thousands of deaths. Please be in prayer for our missionaries there, Carl and Suzie Miller. We are still waiting to hear from them. They will be extremely busy organizing relief efforts, as well as taking care of their own needs.

Please pray that, in the midst of their suffering, people here will be motivated to seek the security and peace that can only come through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. James Dobson said that, “Faith is like Kodak film; both are best developed in the dark.” Suffering can be our motivation to focus on what is eternal. It’s also a prime opportunity for God’s people to show Christ’s love. Pray both will happen.

Update-Sun. Nov.10 7a.m. EST: Just received word that the Millers are OK