Dear Fr. Carrón:

I am so touched by the outpouring of concern about our condition here in the Philippines from CL friends from around the world. We have been mercifully spared the devastation caused by the typhoon which was the strongest ever to hit us (200-miles-per-hour winds, causing storm surges–like tsunamis–as tall as buildings to strike houses and communities, washing everything away!) and has caused unspeakable horrors. The death toll is already at 10,000 and rising since we still don’t have any communication with other islands, which also got hit. Gabriel in Cebu (which was hit), is safe; we here in Manila and Sr. Giovanna’s group in GenSan are very far from harm’s way and are all okay. We, as a Filipino people, have known typhoons, earthquakes, flooding, and volcanic eruptions as a way of life, experiencing them regularly every year. We have learned to expect them and live with them. These things, although destructive–causing homelessness and shattering lives with the death toll–have been viewed as part of the natural way of our lives. We are neither cynical about it nor have we totally surrendered to it. We simply know that as soon as it is over, there is a time to rebuild and begin again. There is no escape of these things, so we have learned to face them squarely in the face and rise above them. It has not made us bitter or angry at God for sending down upon us such terrible things! No, in fact, it has given us more strength and hope that there will be another morning, another day when the sun will come out, and we can rebuild again. We have seen in the news the total loss to many of housing, livelihood, and even families and loved ones. It makes me think that when faced with such complete loss (everything taken away from you, leaving you with nothing but the clothes on your back, no food or water to drink, no shelter to stay in, with loved ones dead or missing), then you are at your strongest (instead of being at your weakest) because there is nothing left to lose! All you have is yourself and your faith in God, being the only One who hasn’t abandoned you, nor left you by yourself. I think the resilient spirit of the Filipinos comes from this inner strength that we draw from our faith in God, even in the darkest hours, even in the most impossible times. Please continue to pray for us and remember us in your Masses and rosaries. Knowing that people continue to pray for us will give us strength to stand up and begin all over again, with hope and trust in God who remains with us always. And to give you some added news: just today we had an earthquake (mild, at 4.5 magnitude) and spotted another typhoon that will enter the Philippine area in 24 hours and cross the same path (over the Visayas again) as the previous one. How much more can we take? By God’s divine providence, we will overcome.

Malou, Manila (Philippines)