Manila - Safety

Missionary Madi prior to leaving for her Mission in the Philippines. Love this girl!

Missionary Madi is thankful for all of the love and support that she received while in Cebu. But now it is time to board the flight from Cebu to Manila to meet up with the rest of her Philippines Tacloban Mission Sisters, Elders and her Mission President, President Andaya. At this point even though the missionaries have had some nurturing from the temple missionaries at the Cebu Mission Home they are anxious to be reunited with their peers. They are still feeling awkward being separated from their president and have been relying on and following the guidance of their Heavenly Father.

Once they arrive in Manila they will be assigned to a new mission. 

Missionary Madi and Sister Dumas are THANKFUL to have each other! Utah Sisters.
Sister Adasme & Sister Sousa are boarding the plane in front of them. Four Sisters for Life!

Once they arrived in Manila Missionary Madi was overcome with emotion to be reunited with those that they had been separated from. The separation was not only physical but the fact that they could not communicate via cell/phone/internet to gain guidance as to what they should do added additional stress to an already stressful situation. They had been operating on pure adrenaline for days. Due to the lack of contact with their leaders they were making decisions and moving forward in high speed survival mode. While in Cebu we were able to Skype with Missionary Madi and she joked with us saying "Hell-o  Everyone.....I am alive, I survived Yolanda! Cause I am a survivor, I'm a warrior. Just kidding it wasn't that bad were all fine here, we are here in Cebu right now......." Reaching Manila only intensified the reality that she indeed had SURVIVED YOLANDA! Safety now surrounding them, they were able to let down their guard and slowly the feelings of fear and thankfulness for the miracle of their survival and ability to reach their destination safely came flooding to the surface. Learning what others had endured brought on a new challenge of overwhelming emotions. Missionary Madi realized that she had been blessed to have been spared from the trials that others had to endure. At this point she truly no longer mentioned anything that had happened to her personally and all of her thoughts went to those other missionaries who were struggling physically and emotionally to deal with the aftermath of Yolanda. She pleaded that we pray for them and of course her people - the Filipino family that she had to leave behind in Ormoc, Matalom and all of Leyte.
The Philippines Tacloban Mission has been closed due to the magnitude of devastation in the area.



Melt Down after the journey!



 

My girls! Thankful they are warriors, survivors and in tune with their savior!

November 15, 2013

OK dudes

I am overcome with emotion and that is prolly the only time that you will ever hear/read me say that. I am so good I promise but I am emotionally and physically so tired. the tears haven't stopped since I arrived here in Manila this morning.when I saw the other missionaries and all the people who were so excited to see us and how relieved everyone was I broke down. I have never felt so loved by people in my life and I know you all love and care about me over here.  I was so blessed by how much the storm did not effect me. I was hit second hardest in the mission but it is nothing compared to what Tacloban went through. The sisters there had to escape from their house from the flood and huddle up on the roof for hours until rescue came. All of us 204 missionaries are living and well and that in itself is a huge miracle. There are areas where 90% of the people in the area were killed and the fact that the missionaries were able to survive was insane. They have seen terrible things there are tons of missionaries here who literally have 1 outfit now the literal clothes on their backs. I am overwhelmed with feelings of gratefulness for the miracles that I have been able to witness. I would never wish the things that have happened to me on anyone ever but I would never take them back. I want you guys to recognize that I was so lucky through all of this and that all these missionaries here and people still need your help and prayers. If you want to help you can put money on my card or you can donate through the church and just Tacloban Philippines on your tithing slip thing. Please continue to pray and fast for the people here and know that I am great :)

I will be reassigned to a new mission this coming week somewhere here in Phili so on Monday I will be in my new mission. I will still and forever will be a Philippines Tacloban missionary :) My testimony has grown so much through this experience. Heavenly Father loves us and he has a plan for us. There are no coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. I don't know why I am here or why anyone of us had to go through this but I know that it will change my life forever. my testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the pain that he felt for all us. All of our sorrows and afflictions he willingly bore and I am choosing at this time to follow whatever gods will is for me. I will willingly accept whatever he has in store for me at this time and for the rest of my life. I know that this church is gods church and that it is the only true church in the world. Never forget what Heavenly Father can do for you and that he is so aware of all of us. Please keep these people in your prayers and know that I am awesome!

I know that your prayers can change the world and help these people. I know that all these things are true and I say these things in the name of our savior Jesus Christ, amen.

Your Missionary Madi

Always a Tacloban Philippines sister missionary