Wednesday, November 7, 2013s Update from Ed & LouAnne Mariano: You haven’t heard from us in several days due to the phone line being down; thus, no internet connection! We apologize, but it’s out of our control. We have put in a service repair with our phone company, PLDT/SMART, but they keep promising to send a repairman, but it’s not happening. It’s been a frustrating situation not to have any contact through the internet with any of you. There’s another URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: We have been warned of a SUPER TYPOON, CATEGORY #4, which will have landfall in the Philippines on Thursday, November 8, 2013. This will also be a FIRST for Bohol Island, if this becomes a reality. This island had never experienced an earthquake before and never a major typhoon. As a rule, typhoons never reach us with this type of a category, being that we are protected from surrounding islands, but not this time! This typhoon has been named YOLANDA and is headed right towards Bohol Island. We are already in Signal #2. All classes are cancelled today and tomorrow, at least those schools that are back in session, which isn’t very many from the after effects of the many earthquakes. Everyone living next to the sea has been evacuated, including Juls and his family. They are now back with us to wait out the storm. Their home sits in a mangrove right next to the ocean. They are predicting the sea will have huge waves from the high winds which will accompany this typhoon. The rain has already started. To say the least, we are not in a good position from the aftermath of the earthquake and the 3,000 plus aftershocks for another major disaster. This afternoon, as I was writing this email, we had yet another earthquake. The heavy rains are causing more landslides and now there’s a problem of “sink” holes which present a major problem in for any residents living nearby. We actually have one of these sink holes in our barangay, but is not presenting a threat to us. This has been quite an interesting and challenging time for us and all the victims on our island, and surrounding islands affected by the initial earthquake on October 15th. We had an audience at the Governor’s Headquarters this week and also the Dept. of Health which is heading up the plans of reaching all the barangays with medicines, medical clinics and food distribution. Being that we are a registered NGO (non-government organization); we are to be ever ready if our assistance is required. November 10, 2013- Another Update: SUPER TYPHOON “YOLANDA” DID ARRIVE IN BOHOL! All communication has been shut down for several days; thus, we have unable to send the above newsletter before the typhoon hit us. Praise God we are all okay and weathered out the storm. Many prayed the typhoon would lose its intensity at landfall, and thanks to the Lord, it did! The winds were very strong and we did have some minor damages, but considering many lost their homes and others had major damages, we feel so blessed! Our water is still good, but most of our neighbors have no water as well as no power. Water trucks are coming at 3:00 am in the early morning hours to bring water in our neighborhood, so our nights are very sleepless. I would choose water over electricity any old day! We have been sleep-deprived for over three weeks, and the effects are starting to take its toll. We’re beginning to wonder if life here will ever be back to normal. We are still “camping” outside in our nippa houses with the evacuees, which brings about its own set of challenges. Two month old and one year old babies do wake up in the middle of the night, and then there are those who snore! God does have an interesting sense of humor! All in all, everyone has worked as a unit and tried to make “things” run smoothly. I believe the young mothers have had the biggest challenges with three of their children ages three and under. When we did have electrical power, at least the ladies could use our washing machine to keep the clothes clean, but now, since losing our electrical power, all the washing is being done by hand. It takes me right back to the days when my Dad would set up camp at Bass Lake, and we three kids and Mom would camp out all summer to get out of the high desert heat of Avenal, CA. Of course back then, I wasn’t the one responsible for doing the wash. But, years later, when my own four boys were still small, I did have that experience! Now, I am right back in that same mode, only at age seventy, it’s a bit more challenging! Just finished doing our own wash by hand, and I’m feeling exhausted. ANOTHER UPDATE! TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2013: We have another Typhoon “Sereida” SP? hitting Mindanao right now, and headed once again right to our front door later today or early Wed am! We will try and get this emailed to you today where there is a generator. We are now being told it will be two months before they can get the lines completely repaired between Leyte and Bohol. Leyte is where we get our electrical power! They will ration a little bit of power to certain areas when they start re-connecting the damaged lines. It makes for an interesting and very, very challenging life. The island of Leyte was hit very hard with this latest typhoon that made its landfall on Nov. 7. It’s now estimated that 10,000 may be the death toll. The surge from the ocean, after the landfall, caught many unaware. They are concerned about that happening here as well. But, thanks to the Lord, for all the prayers that kept Bohol from being hit so hard. We pray again, that will be the same story for this upcoming typhoon. So, looks like we are in it for the long-run! We continue to covet your prayers. Thank you for keeping us continually in your prayers. God is still on the throne! Amen! We put our complete hope and trust in Him alone! Amen! Lovingly in Christ, Ed & LouAnne
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 02:30:02 +0000