By Pam Griffin
On Saturday, Sept. 26, Typhoon Ketsana slammed into the Luzon region of the Philippines, and the villages supported by Destin’s Mission Love Seeds took a direct hit. Several villages had landslides where homes were destroyed and lives were lost.
As of Wednesday, another tropical storm was making its way to the Philippines, with more death and destruction likely.
The MLS’s coordinator in the Philippines is Fely Zapanta. She told Mission founders Barbi Carroll and John Hawbaker that her home, in Antipolo City about 45 minutes from Manila, was flooded up to her neck. She and her family were able to survive in their attic, just recently completed by Mission Love Seeds. She also said that she first saved her computer and Mission files so that she could keep in touch with Destin.
In her first e-mail to Carrol, she said: “This morning we visit the casualties and its really sad for me to see this people and the orphans, the first casualties that we visit are a family, the disaster happen last Saturday morning, they did not mind the rains, they did not realize that the above level of land was start to collapse, the neighbors realize its already collapse… the woman is pregnant of 8 months, the mother is 27 years old and the father is 28, they have 3 siblings orphan, the eldest is in the picture with bandage at the forehead, second is 2 years old and the youngest is 1 and a half years old not including the 8 months who was got on the mothers womb dead… the rescuers found them at 5 p.m. Saturday … as I talk to the families of the wife the rescuers did all their best to get them but because of the tons of mud this family did not survive … I handed help to them because they need money for the funeral …”
Mission Love Seeds has started an Emergency Relief Fund at their Web site, www.missionloveseeds.org.
Because of the expense in shipping to the Philippines, they are asking that cash donations be made. The money will be sent to Zapanta who will then purchase rice, $30 for 100 pounds, sleeping mats, $5.50 each and blankets, $3.50 each.
Clothes can be donated to MLS to be shipped at a later date. A truck will accept donations in the parking lot by the Life Center at Destin United Methodist Church.
On a much happier note, MLS held their drawing for the condos fundraiser Sept. 30 at Pepito’s Mexican Restaurant.
Winners are:
•Grand prize: George Oliver of Lawrenceville, Ga., near Atlanta.
•2nd place: Amy Berry of Destin.
•3rd place: Beverly Henry of Alexander City, Al.
•4th place: Connie Butler of Harrisburg, Ark., who also has a home in Destin.
Almost $8,000 was raised from the sale of the raffle tickets and the monies raised will be of immense help to carry on the Mission’s work.
They want to thank all those who bought tickets or worked so hard to make the fundraiser a success.
To see photos, visit The Destin Log.
This article first appeared in The Destin Log, Oct. 3, 2009.
