Thursday, 28 November 2013

This tragic opportunity


Last night we arrived in Manila. There is a great sense of purpose to what we are doing.  For me this is a tragic opportunity. The responsiveness to times of need and crisis is exactly what international service is about. I have no doubt I will learn a tremendous amount from the team and the people we will engage with. The focus while we are here is meeting and connecting to as many people, organisations and networks as possible to try identify partners to begin the enormous task of rebuilding the country.

The Philippines is a country of 7107 islands but I cannot help but feel that the typhoon shattered it into many more pieces. We have all seen the images in the newspapers but I am struggling to fathom how all these pieces will look in the face of so much devastation. 

The people here live a simple island life. The water that was so central has destroyed so much. But within this simplicity lies a resilience of emotions and within this brokenness lies the true spirit of humanity. And within this tragic opportunity, further opportunities for hope and a tomorrow arise. 

No comments:

Post a Comment