Typhoon Haiyan Relief Effort: Day's End

When we walked out the gates with our feet leading home I let out a sigh of relief. My shoulders shrugged forward, I inhaled, then looked up to see another relief team heading our direction. UNICEF had arrived to assist with evaluating the cleanliness of the water and to set up some wells...or something like that. My brain was pretty fried by this point. My mind was still buzzing from what I had just witnessed. We hadn't eaten since early that morning and it was getting late. I felt dehydrated and I just wanted to get back to the chapel. We took some obligatory photos with their team that didn't end up developing well enough to see anyone. As you can tell by Olsen's face he was pretty much done with talking to people. Chantel's smile looked like it was being held up by fishing line and scotch tape -- at least she was being polite. I obviously wanted nothing to do with this conversation as I'm smirking at what looks like a green bench sticking in the rubble. The UNICEF people were very nice though, and surprisingly perky.

The three of us chuckled as we walked away from them as we expressed our concurred willingness to exchange pleasantries which could really only have been expressed as zero. Another stop was made shortly after as we found more survivors in need of treatment. This was different though. I sat in an abandoned cabby next to some kids with a smile and began chatting with them. I could never be tired of talking with my people. Is that biased? Meh, I love them, and the Filipino children are hilarious and adorable. Goodness... Just look at them! Don't you want to hug them forever? I can't count how many times Chantel found new friends she wanted to hide in her luggage to bring back to America. Could you blame her?

Despite the dehydration, exhaustion, hunger, and ultimately the apocalyptic atmosphere-- a definite attitude of cheeriness and light-heartedness prevailed. As I became aware again of my surroundings I noticed the children laughing, the adults smiling, and you never would have known that they had just lost everything. I smiled as I realized this. How resilient of a people... 

I began to think of Trebas' question he asked me before I left. We both had just finished a teaching shift at the MTC and as we were walking away he asked "Mace, why would God allow the largest storm in this world's history hit the most humble and loving people? Why them?" I began to realize... they are the only people that could bear through it, the only people humble and selfless enough to survive it, the only people that could smile through the heartbreak. Could America survive such a tragedy? A calamity of this proportion? I am sad to say I don't believe so. As night began to fall on the city I was reminded that power would likely not be restored to the island for 3-6 months. Could our people survive that?

I also admired the fact that not once did I feel like our safety was compromised, rather, the people were receptive, inviting, and grateful. While we interacted with our new friends I was hard pressed to find a grim solemn face. I wondered if this was the true representation of humanity. I wonder if the world is more like this and less like us. Our obese homes, our lavish cars, our status promoting clothing... I reveled in the utter acceptance of anyone and everyone without inhibition and without reservation. There were no judgements, no assumptions here.

Night fell on the town and we returned to our chapel. We quickly satisfied the grumbles and cries of our stomachs with chocolate crackers and granola. Olsen asked for assistance setting up a tent outside
to sleep in. It sounded really good to sleep outside in the semi-cooler air with high hopes of a mild breeze. Walter, Olsen, and I got it ready and we moved in our gear. Willie and a few of the others found a place to lie down on displaced church pews and patches of grass. 

As we laid down, Chantel asked for a story. I smiled and began telling some story from my past (probably about the Philippines). It obviously wasn't too memorable seeing as Chantel had completely passed out within a few sentences. At least I know I have a super power strong as melatonin. I didn't last much longer as my mind began to wind down from trying to comprehend everything the last 18 hours had showed me. I don't remember falling asleep, but I sure do remember waking up! A storm had passed overhead and was pouring rain into our tent through our screen windows. I startled awake and grabbed the screen to zip up as a stream of water splashed on Chantel's face. She barely flinched. Olsen was on the other side reacting just as quickly. Walter was on his elbows unsure of what to do. As my eyes adjusted I saw the entire tent being bent over us. The wind was pounding our tent and in that half-dream half-awake state I legitimately thought our tent was going to get picked up with us in it and thrown through the air Wizard of Oz style. All of us were so exhausted though that with the water leak stopped, the threat of being carried away in the wind seemed unimportant compared to our bodies' desire to stop moving...or existing. I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.