Sunday, February 16, 2014

November 14, 2013: MTC Week 3 - Right after Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines

Soooo, another week down!  The weeks honestly fly by here.  I felt like I emailed two days ago.


So as you all have heard that typhoon wiped out everything.  You all have probably seen more than i have on TV.  Wednesday night they had the army bring the 26 missionaries that were in the eye of the storm up to the MTC, and then the rest of the 200 of them were able to get here on Thursday.  So there are a ton of missionaries here right now.  Those missionaries that were in the storm lost everything, and what they were wearing they had been wearing for the last 5 days.  So they brought everyone at the MTC together and had us donate all that we could to help them.  It was an awesome experience to be able to give and help them.  As we came up from donating, those 26 missionaries walked out of they gym, and we all stood respectfully to the side of them as they were going to pass through us.  As the first person came out a Filipino missionary who had arrived the Friday before ran up to the first Elder that came out.  He told him that he was from Tacloban and asked him if everything was alright.  The missionary look at him, and couldn't say anything.  He pulled him in for a hug and they cried together. 


He was really hard to see what they had gone through, all of them burnt to a crisp from the sun and completely exhausted from all that they had done to help.  They almost didn't make it out because the airports were so crowded but a American Army man recognized the Americans out of the crowd and when he heard they were missionaries he personally made trips back and forth to get them up to Manila.  Its an amazing story!  I hope they release stuff back home on it!  The stories we have heard from them are amazing.  Out of 200 missionaries not one died.  I cant tell you that at least 50 of them should have.  The Lord protects us, so don't be worried at any point that i wont be safe!  It's amazing stuff were doing out here.


As far as the language goes, I taught my first lesson yesterday that I didn't use any English!  It was a cool experience!  I'm loving the people out here, they are so nice! 


Some random stuff.  They listen to Celine Dion so much here.  I think I'm being punished for how much i don't like her.  If you even get a small cough here we all, including the natives have to wear a mask because for the people that can't afford medical, that little cough could be the end of them.  Annnnnd all there Christmas stuff is already up haha.  No Thanksgiving here.  Too funny!


Mahal po kayo! 


Keep me updated! Stay safe. 


Elder Gordon

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