Typhoon Urduja

Facebook Posts from Sister Argana

December 17, 2017

Dear Missionary Families,

If you do not receive emails today, it is because power in your missionary’s area is not yet restored.

Tomorrow, Dec 19, we will be in Ormoc for the Biliran/Carigara/Ormoc/Sogod Zone Christmas Conference and on the 21st in Tacloban for the Borongan/Catbalogan/Catarman/Tacloban/Tolosa Zones Christmas Conference. It is in this meeting where we will hand them their Christmas packages and gifts from generous members (thank you so much!) sent through Sis. Julie Hess(the one person we cannot do without and who we owe so much from).
I will be posting the activity and pictures of your missionary here as soon as we are done with the conference.

Please continue praying for us as there is another typhoon approaching and it might hit the mission on the 24th ☹️. I know, Christmas might be bleak but the Spirit is mighty felt when in humble circumstances as was the Savior’s condition when He was born. Do not feel too bad for us. Our missionaries are resilient and look on the positive side of this calamity. We went around and were with them. They were unfazed and were still upbeat. What would really help to make them fully happy are your emails, letters, and of course, packages.

December 16, 2017

Storm update #2 and missionary safety report

Typhoon Urduja (Urduha) had landed, (after 4 days of whistling winds and battering rains), this afternoon, (Dec 16 Manila time) north of Borongan City . It intensified and raged over the province including neighboring Catarman. It is projected to leave Eastern Visayas tonight and the country Wednesday, the 20th. (See photo)
Reports on the missionaries
in the 9 zones:
Biliran Zone - all missionaries in respective apartment except for the STLs who evacuated to the chapel. Biliran town submerged in water and sister’s apartment flooded. All missionaries contacted and declared themselves safe. Zone’s power is out.

Borongan Zone - all missionaries safe in respective apartment. No mention of power outage in the report but I think that is a given.

Carigara Zone - zone leaders in the apartment with Capoocan elders. Electricity restored @ 6pm in Carigara and Capoocan. Jaro elders in the apartment with San Miguel elders (apartment flooded) San Isidro, Leyte and Calubian elders in their respective apartments. No electricity yet. All missionaries safe.

Catbalogan Zone - Calbayog elders and the rest of the missionaries in respective apartments. Calbayog town is okay; Catbalogan flooded including missionaries apartment but not enough to evacuate. All safe and accounted for. No electricity

Catarman Zone - Bobon ZL’s in the apartment with Mondragon elders. Catarman 1, San Isidro, Lavasares/Allen 1&2 elders in respective apartments. Catarman 2 STLs in the apartment with UEP sisters. Catarman 1 sisters in their apartment. Experienced strong winds and heavy rainfall from 2-7pm. All is safe. No electricity

Ormoc Zone - ZLs in the apartment with Albuera elders. Ormoc 1 STLs in the apartment with Kananga sisters( apartment near river, water rising up) Ormoc/Ipil, Merida, Isabel, Palompon, Baybay/Kilim, Inopacan, and Mahaplag elders in their respective apartment. All safe and accounted for. Zone no electricity

Sogod Zone - ZLs in the apartment with Hinunangan and St Bernard elders. Libagon, Bontoc, Hilongos, and Macrohon elders in respective apartment. Bato/Matalom and Maasin STLs also in respective apartments. All safe and accounted for. Sogod, Libagon and Bontoc areas no electricity

Tacloban Zone - ZLs, San Jose B and Alang alang in their respective apartment. Tacloban A1, Tacloban 2 AP and San Jose A elders in the office, Tacloban 1 B sisters in their apartment with Tanuan 2 sisters, while San Juanico A and B and Basey STLs in their respective apartment. All safe and accounted for. Area flooded and no electricity. Heavy rain and gusty winds. All stores/malls closed,living on their 72 hr kit

Tolosa Zone - Mayorga ZLs, Dulag, Anibong, Burauen, Abuyog, Tolosa/Canmugsay, and San Roque elders in their respective apartment. Dagami A, Dagami B sisters in their respective apartments also. Flooding was reported but up to the streets only. No electricity.
#typhoonseason #safetyisapriority

December 15, 2017
Update on Storm Urduja

At this moment, most of the areas in Phils Tacloban Mission are under a state of calamity due to flooding. It had been raining nonstop for three days and the storm is yet to make a land fall. It is still 200 km east of Borongan City, Eastern Samar. This has a sustained winds of 75km/hr near the center and with gusty winds up to 90km/hr. The problem is that it travels at 5km/hr and it’s not getting off the whole region. Storm landfall is expected tomorrow morning or afternoon. We are bracing ourselves as it intensifies. All missionaries are accounted for and were strictly advised to stay indoors. Missionaries assigned in low lying areas were transferred to safe apartments of other missionaries within their zone. 

We have no power right now but all missionaries were supplied with DC/Solar powered lamps since July. Their 72 hr kit is also on stand by. 

Please know that our lines are open and that we continue to monitor our missionaries every hour. But we need all the prayers and support we can get. Thank you very much. More updates to come. #typhoonseason #safetyisapriority

December 14, 2017

Dear Missionary Families,

A tropical storm, locally called Urduja (Kai-tak, internationally), is currently on the coast of Eastern Visayas. It is located 85km ESE of Guiuan, Eastern Samar and is barely moving @ just 7 km/hr but it has a max winds of 65 km/hr and gustiness up to 90 km/h. It is expected to land @ 5pm Dec. 15, 2017.

Right now, there is moderate to heavy gustiness of winds. Please be assured that we constantly monitor the typhoon and its path and always ready to communicate with our missionaries to know of their condition. Please continue to include us in your prayers. Thank you for all your support to your missionary kids. #typhoonseason #safetyisapriority

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