On Ground in Chicago

Here we are in Chicago where we will say goodbye to most of our fellow travelers. There are five of us continuing on to Buffalo and three will return to Richmond, VA.  

Again, words seem inadequate to describe the trip so I will let the pictures tell the story. We are just feeling so fortunate to have shared this time with these great people of Faith. 

People Pictures

Last Stop Before Chicago

After a 1am wake up call and a short trip to the International Terminal in Manila, we are now back in Hong Kong. Shortly we will board our 14 hour flight to Chicago. Because we will pass through 13 time zones, only one hour will elapse on the clock. 

Here are a few more pictures:

From left: Srs. Minerva, Clarissa, Ethel and Aileen. 

Paula and Mary Jane in Tacloban. 

From the Wall of the Missing in the Tacloban Airport. There are many names including that of a young autistic child last seen with an orange life vest. He does not speak. 

Our ticket out. But our hearts are still with those we leave behind. 

Manila Airport

We are now checked in and waiting for our 5:10am flight to Hong Kong followed by our flight to Chicago.  

It was a wonderful trip.  But never have I felt quite like this. It seems that we were able to do so little. The same desperate conditions we saw on our way to Borongan were still evident on our way back to Tacloban. There are aid workers on the ground from all over the world. Many have been here for months. And yet the endless broken homes and hungry desperate people are everywhere you look.  Here are just a few pictures:  

We are looking forward to seeing all of you soon. 

Thursday Evening

Paula travelled to the town of Salcedo in the typhoon ravaged part of Eastern Samar. Their church was nearly destroyed.  Here is a picture of their parish church:

Funds from various government and foreign agencies are restricted and cannot be used for any religious purposes.  Therefore their churches are largely still in ruins. 

We stopped by the Oikos home today. Here is a picture of one of the Oikos children whose name is Angel. You may remember the story of Angel. She was abandoned by her mother who suffered from severe post-partum depression. 

We will have a five hour van ride to Tacloban tomorrow followed by a one hour flight to Manila. The airport in Tacloban is a shell of what we remember in years past. 

There are no longer any windows or doors in the terminal. 

A great trip is coming to an end. Thanks to all for your  thoughts and prayers.  

Thursday in Borongan

Many of you have met Sr. Clarissa on her visits to the States. Today is her 40th birthday. We were invited to a party given by her father and three siblings. Here is a picture of the Oikos Sisters with the bishop. 

Today I am thankful for so many things. 

I am thankful for big bugs that eat little bugs. 

I am thankful for an awesome team that worked so well together. 

I am thankful for 134 surgeries and countless clinic visits. I am thankful for the wonderful volunteers who helped us along the way. I am thankful for wonderful weather and safe travels. I am thankful to all those who have generously supported the Poor Household of God. 

And so much more. Off to the hospital now for Mass, packing and a couple of meetings. Our farewell dinner is tonight. 

Internet on Last Day

Greetings from Borongan!! Upon returning to the hotel after completing our 134th and last case, we saw a note that the hotel now has wifi. And indeed we are now all huddled around the main lobby catching up on two weeks of email and connecting with the folks back home. For us it has been two weeks but for the folks in Eastern Samar it has been four months that they have been cut off from the outside world. 

It will be hard to describe these last couple of weeks. The hospital has been busier than ever. The team has been extraordinary. The construction team has been hard at work. The community outreach folks have worked overtime delivering food and supplies. God has been so good to us. 

Tomorrow is a packing day. And then Friday marks the start of our trip home. 

Here is a picture of Maria Lyn, the sister of our Godson Emanuel. 

Pictures

 

Half Way Done

We have finished our first week in Borongan.  As I mentioned earlier the devastation that we have seen has been quite alarming. Fortunately the area where we are was largely undamaged. However just south of here there are entire communities that have been totally destroyed.

This morning we took some relief supplies to one of those villages. The people that we talk to say that they have lost their homes and lost all their possessions but they have not lost their faith.

In the morning Paula  will be going with the sisters to deliver building supplies to another community devastated by the typhoon. 

Our love to all of our friends and family in the states. Please continue to pray for us and all of the people of eastern Samar. 

Borongan at Last

We arrived in Borongan safely, and are settling in, preparing for the busy weeks ahead.

The devastation on the roads was unbelievable. People in all the villages along the way are living in UN camps because their homes have been completely destroyed.

Since arriving, we have found that there is no WiFi or internet connection anywhere in Borongan. We've heard that the internet cafes in town have connection, but it is very slow and the lines to use them are very long.

For this reason, I won't be able to give updates throughout our mission.

Thank you as always for your thoughts and prayers.

Talk to you all in a few weeks!

-Tom

Finally Manila

After a two hour flight to Manila we have arrived safely at the domestic terminal. The baggage is all checked to Tacloban. Our plane should be leaving in about an hour.

Kickoff for the Super Bowl will be 7:30 AM Monday morning in Borongan. 

A funny story about our delayed departure in Buffalo. The pilot announced that our flight was delayed because of a missing cap on an air intake valve. He said not to worry. They would just fly lower than normal. However he told us that necessitated taking some extra fuel because you burn more fuel at lower altitudes. All fell under the heading of too much information. But we obviously arrived safely.

One more short flight and a five hour car ride to Borongan. 

Happy eighth birthday to our grandson Mark. Best regards to all.

Greetings from Hong Kong

We have arrived safely in Hong Kong. We have a two hour layover here prior to our two hour trip to Manila. All is well. Best regards to all.

Two Days Before Departure

When I look out of my window, this is what I see.  The current temperature is 12 degrees (F) and the winds are pretty significant.  And you thought the reason I go to the Philippines in February was to give anesthesia!  

To get the current weather in Borongan, you can always check the following site:

http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/PH/Borongan.html

You will note that rain is a common commodity in Borongan - think Seattle.  Very, very wet.

Here is a summary of our travel to Borongan (all times Buffalo times):

Friday 1/31:  Depart Buffalo 6:25 am  Arrive Chicago 8:15 am (1hr50min)

                      Depart Chicago 3:00pm Arrive Sat. Hong Kong 6:50am (15hr50min)

Sat. 2/1: Depart Hong Kong 9:05am  Arrive Manila 11:05am (2hr)

              Depart Manila 6:00pm  Arrive Tacloban 7:20pm (1hr20min)

Since Tacloban is 13 hours ahead of Buffalo, it will be 8:20am Sunday morning their time when we arrive in Tacloban. We then have about a five hour road trip to Borongan, getting us to our final destination mid-afternoon on Sunday.

We are a team of some 35 people.  In addition to Buffalo, the missioners come from Virginia, Massachusetts, Madrid, British Columbia, and various cities in and around Chicago.  Please pray for safe travel for the Team.

Hopefully, my next post will be from Borongan if the Internet gods are in good humor!  

 

Super typhoon Haiyan: Tacloban City decimated by huge waves

Our Tenth Trip to Borongan

I am pleased to announce that we will be leaving on Friday, January 31 for our tenth mission trip to Borongam, E. Samar, Philippines.  These trips are sponsored by the Joliet Diocesan Missions in Joliet, IL.

I will send out my updates by means of this blog.  I hope this works for you.

So much has changed since we left Borongan last year. On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan made landfall on the islands of Leyte and Samar - the two islands where we travel each year.  With winds over 170 mph, there was extensive damage. As of today, there are 6,241 confirmed dead and another 1,785 persons still missing.  Here is a before and after picture of the Tacloban Airport where we will be arriving next Saturday.

Here is another picture of the airport.  Notice the overturned carts - these were used to transport our luggage from the plane to the terminal.

Reports from the Oikos Sisters indicate that they survived unharmed along with the children in their care.  Their new vehicle ("Herbie") has been a great help in getting aid to those who have lost so much.  The generosity of many has helped in providing food and shelter to thousands.  Members of our team will join the Sisters in this relief effort.

I will try to update my blog with more details of our preparations prior to next Friday.  As far as updates from Borongan, we will have to see what the internet situation is.  If you don't hear from us, it is most likely a lack of WiFi.

Thanks for your prayers and support.