News from the Philippines

Thankfully, Clody and family are well. He emailed me today. But here is some sad news from the internet (various places):

"Sadly, 32 of our brothers & sisters from Tacloban City (the worst-hit place) are confirmed dead from super typhoon Haiyan, many are still missing and 1 Kingdom Hall destroyed".

" Communication is very difficult as power lines and cell sites are down. The circuit overseers are visiting the brothers and local elders are caring for their sheep. Tomorrow a brother from the Branch Committee will go and visit the Taclooban area to see what needs to be done."

"An as if the disaster last month was not enough, then came the super typhoon badly hitting Central Visayas that brought untold deaths and destruction especially in the Samar and Leyte provinces facing the Pacific Ocean. The people were warned and they were ready for the strong wind but were unprepared for the storm surge creating waves 10 to 15 feet high, This is first time that people here in the Philippines experienced that problem and those living by the seashore suffered the worst tragedy.... Sad to say that 26 brothers and sisters died in Leyte not to speak about their houses destroyed. Some escaped to higher grounds 3 days before the super typhoon had first land touchdown in Eastern Samar and Tacloban City in Leyte.
Now the branch organized 5 truckloads of relief** goods to the distributed in Samar and Leyte but we do not how long it will take to reach the affected areas. Some of the roads have yet to be cleared due to debris like fallen trees blocking the highways

We all hope and pray that our brothers and sisters there (and all who have died) are held safe in "the everlasting arms" until the time comes for them to wake from the dreamless sleep of death. And we must pray that the relief gets through.  There seems little infrastructure left in the places hit by the storm.  

And when they do wake, the world will be coming back into a perfect balance once again, as the Kingdom of God - the heavenly government for whose coming Jesus taught us to pray - will be in charge. And we will be ruled by the law of loving kindness - and awed by the power of nature, but no longer afraid of it.

Today - as this is supposed to be my diary- what did I do?  Three loads of washing - some tidying and dusting - and my studies, out on the balcony in the Autumn sun.   Captain Butterfly and I plan to watch the last episode of Poirot tonight - the very last as (spoiler alert), he dies.

Audrey rang about the calendars and to ask me if I had seen the sunset last night.  I hadn't as I had retired to a darkened bedroom with the worst headache of my life.  Don't often get them these days either.   However, the Captain just told me he photographed it, so I might ask for a photo for this blog.

Its an interesting, and lovely, sunset over the Channel tonight.  Bands and bands of clouds being edged with pink, and a calm blue Channel underneath.