God Protected Missionaries in the Typhoon, and Answered Their Prayers: The mega typhoon Haiyan, which struck the central part of the Philippines on November 8, 2013, recorded the most serious damage in the Philippine’s history. The number of casualties reached 7,400. On November 30, the Philippines news media quoted the Department of National Defense as saying 5,632 died in the central part, which included Tacloban and Samar, and at least 1,759 were missing. However, the figure could rise further as the search operation is still in progress.
I left for the mission field to assure the safety of missionaries serving in the central part of the Philippines, and to survey the damaged area on November 24, 2013. On the bus to the village of Pataz, the mission field of missionary GaEun Cho, I saw the horrifying scene of the disaster through the window. When I arrived at the small village, I could not find the bamboo house where missionary Cho, and her Philippine partner stayed. First of all, I confirmed her safety, and then she shared the details with me.
On the day before the typhoon, she got a call from her partner that it is dangerous to stay at the bamboo house, so be at the church. While she meditated on the Bible at the church, around 10:00 a.m., the wind was rising. Typhoon Haiyan reached Pataz Village at 11:00 a.m., and it blew the roof off in an instant, and tore down the walls of her house. It completely devastated the village for six hours, and it became calm around 5:00 p.m.
“When the typhoon came, I was just afraid. But village people came to the church by ones and twos. Then, I found that we are in the church, and it is the safest place, because God is with us. I was so worried about other villagers who could not come to the church. So, I prayed and that was all I could do.”
As she had hoped, the villagers were all safe after the typhoon. At the moment that her life was threatened, she prayed not for herself, but for others. She said that she could understand God’s heart a little bit, so she wants to serve people with that eagerness.
Sixty-two missionaries are working in the central part damaged by the typhoon, and all of them are safe. They were not afraid of the dangerous situation, but they praised the Lord for His presence. As I return to the campus, I realize God’s protection as shown through their testimonies.
Article by Pr. EunSeop Lee, 1000MM Associate Director