Long time no blogs. Oops

Our time in the Philippines has come to a close. However, today I am filled with happy memories and celebrations from our time there. Specifically, my heart is with the typhoon victims that we met during our time spent in Basey, a small town outside of Tacloban. 

Immediately following natural disasters, the media often highlights the tragic stories and the devastation of land and lives. They stay for a month or so, dependent on the severity of the storm, and then they pack up and go home. The victims and community there, however, cannot simply pack up and leave. The devastation and darkness is their home. 

While walking through the damaged area known as Barangy Manila, a neighborhood of Basey, my heart ached. I saw a beautiful painting of our Creator. I could see what the area looked like before the storm- warm sunshine, bright waters, and soft sand. Yet, this storm had caused both ruin and heartache. I cried often during the first two days. 

And yet the Light still won over the darkness....

The physical damage was disagreeable to the eye, yes. But the more time we spent talking to people as they built homes from nothing, the more stories of hope and redemption we heard and the more light of Jesus I saw in their eyes. The words they spoke were of gratitude and thanksgiving to The Lord. Some who did not know Him prior to the storm, know Him intimately now. 

Amidst the tragedy and the exploitation, the Light of the world, our Savior in heaven, outshone the most devastating natural disaster in history. Amen.