Tindog Tacloban – Tacloban Rise Up

JCF Philippines Mission Trip 2015

“Hey guys I just got a message from the school!” Pearl held up her small cellphone as she shouted over the noise of the road, “The kids are really excited to see us!” I eased back in my seat and smiled as I gazed out the window, enjoying the warm beauty of the Filipino countryside. We bounced along the dirt road with growing anticipation over the great joys before us.

Tacloban March 2014

November 2013 holds memories of great tragedy for the Philippines. Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest storm in recorded history, dealt heavy casualties and extensive damage to the archipelago. In March 2014, I had the opportunity to witness the aftermath myself. With a small team from the JET Christian Fellowship we embarked for Tacloban, Yolanda’s ground zero. The destruction and suffering we witnessed were overwhelming – like a National Geographic exposé of a warzone. Barefoot children wandering muddy streets, oil tankers parked amongst seaside slums, trash and rubble indistinguishable from buildings… the task of recovery was daunting. Yet we came with a simple mission – to bring hope and encouragement to just one school – San Vicente Elementary School. Despite the horrific survival stories we heard from this rural community, we saw within them a brilliant resilience, and just as brilliant smiles. For three days we laughed, played, and learned with those children. We taught them a bit of English and Japanese, but their lessons for us were far superior – lessons of gratitude and joy through times of suffering. Now a year later, it was those lessons and those smiles that came vividly to my memory as our van pushed on along the muddy road. But would they remember us as well?

 2014 San Vicente kids

“Ok we’re here!” We were too excited to know what to do, but apparently we weren’t the only ones. We sat in shock as a humorous scene of mild confusion unraveled at the school outside our window. A chaotic game of tag was collapsing on itself as our van rolled into sight. The children now took up new roles of running about franticly, pointing at our vehicle, jumping up and down, screaming with delight, or a messy combination of the above. But we were still frozen in our seats. Is this the right school? The image my memory was holding up didn’t quite match. The San Vicente Elementary School outside my window had a new green roof and bright yellow walls. Doors and windows were propped open to let in a warm breeze, this time by choice. Even the palm trees proudly displayed their new limbs. The manic activity of the children was starting to look more like an un-choreographed victory dance. And as it should be – recovery is a beautiful thing.

San Vicente Elementary School before and after (left 2014 // right 2015)

“What do we do?” I asked in a dazed confusion. Tito Bombell let out a warm Filipino laughed. “What are you waiting for? Go!” As the van doors opened, the swarm of children buzzed to a heightened frenzy. My eyes stung with emotion as my feet dreamily approached the school entrance. I started laughing as my vision blurred. A small group of children emerged from the new building holding something in their little hands. As I cleared my eyes I could make it out. Looking as fresh as did a year ago, was a Japanese flag with handwritten messages of encouragement – messages from us. With each step that drew us nearer, the children bubbled over in greater excitement with smiles that couldn’t be contained by their precious little faces. After recognizing some of those precious little faces, I too was fighting to stay composed. They proudly led us into their new main meeting room and took their seats. We made our way to the stage, stunned by the new ceiling and freshly painted walls. “Hello everybody!” Pearl’s voice signaled the beginning of our reunion ceremony. “HELLO!” The response was nearly deafening. “Do you remember us?” YES!” “Who am I?” “AUNTIE PEARL!” “Who is this?” “MATT!” “Who is she?” “KIMBERLIN!” “Who is he?” “JOHNNY!”

left: Kids holding the flag presented by the 2014 team (right)

main school building before and after

Three days; that was all the time we spent at San Vicente Elementary School last year. What can you really accomplish in three days? The need was far greater than we could meet, but we did what we could – donations of new school supplies, some snacks, mediocre English classes. However, I learned that these things were insignificant relative to the greatest gift we gave them. Love. It was simply our presence and our joy in being with them; that is what meant the most to these kids. During last year’s short trip, God’s biggest blessing to these kids was simple. It was us. Of all the millions of children in the Philippines that suffered through Yolanda’s brutality, God chose to send us to them. He hand-selected a team of English teachers living in Japan to come all the way out to their rural village, just for them.

I was scanning the crowded of smiling children, looking for one smile in particular. Finally, I saw it. It was unmistakable. “Jonedson!” He lit up even more as I walked over to my little buddy from last year. “Jonedson, do you remember last year?” He nodded vigorously. “You asked me to show your pictures in Japan. Do you remember?” His eyes grew bigger. “Well I showed everybody – my students, my coworkers, my friends. Jonedson you’re famous now!” I declared with a big laugh. His reaction was even more humorous. With a look of shock on his face he silently floated back into the crowd of children, with that brilliant smile still shining. Throughout the rest of the day’s activities I kept catching glimpses of Jonedson from the distance, with that stunned look and bright smile still glowing like a lighthouse.

left: 2014. right: 2015.

It was a success. Our time at San Vicente was cut short by unexpected schedule changes, but our day and a half with them were sufficient. As the sun sank lower our van drove off along that muddy road, carefully evading a pursuing group of smiling children. We smiled and waved back as their laughter faded into the distance of the rear window. With a setting sun behind us, we drove along the colorful streets of Tacloban until our van parked beside a familiar sight.

“I have returned. By the grace of Almighty God our forces stand again on Philippine soil…” It was at this very beach in 1944 that General MacArthur and his fleet landed in the Philippines to liberate the embattled nation from their Japanese captors. Wheels started turning as I read over the inscription again. MacArthur was a hero to the Filipinos because he came back for them. He had to leave a people he came to love, but he promised to return. And he kept that promise. Though I had made no such promise to the children of San Vicente Elementary School, apparently God had. I was starting to see how much it meant to these kids not only that we came for them, but that we came back for them. A year ago, none of us could fully comprehend what it meant to those kids that we travelled all the way to their small village just for them, just to spend time with them. And then we came back. We hadn’t forgotten about them. The greatest lesson we came to teach this year was nothing that we had prepared or planned. It was a simple, beautiful lesson about who our God is. Our God is a God of promises. Our God is a God of faithfulness. He loves us, and He never stops loving us. He knows us, and He never forgets us.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” -Isaiah 41:10

P.S. for a recap of 2014’s trip, take a look here