Quote:
Originally Posted by Katipan
The way the families live there I would imagine many of the deaths involved whole branches of families.
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You are very correct!
Way back when I was in language study, I went on a mission trip, with a church in Davao City, to a small island off the coast of Bohol Island. As best as I remember it took us a couple of hours by pump boats (banka) to reach the island. It was 1,000 x 300 feet. It was flat with the highest point about a half dozen feet. There were a couple hundred subsistent fishermen and families living on the island. So, if the tidal wave was as high as reported, none of those people survived. Question is ... how many other islands were there like that? They will never know the exact number of causalities, especially if whole families were wiped out.
I just read a piece from one of our friends/colleagues, who went to Bohol after the 7.2 earthquake to survey damage and help determine relief needs. He said, "large old Spanish cathedrals, built as far back as 1603 crumbled into dust. ... Ironically, the worst damage was done to those who had prospered over the years and built cement homes. The old-style bamboo and wooded houses swayed in the shake and rattle, but many survived."
Then they were hit by the typhoon. Bamboo/wood is no match for any typhoon. No, not in the direct path but close enough for terrible suffering. Here we have insurance, friends/neighbors, resources to help in a tragedy. There they live one day at a time and have zero reserves.
Point ... no matter how things are going in our lives ... we should count our blessings and be thankful.