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.