Elder Dylan Lewis: October 2016

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Proof of Life

Miracles and blessings surround missionaries and their loved ones. One of the miracles we received came from a Facebook post from a member of the Laoag Branch in the Philippines – PROOF OF LIFE. We are very grateful for the many blessings and answered prayers.

That's Elder Lewis in the back corner - smiling as always.

Elder Lewis is rubbing his face with his back to us, but I would recognize him anywhere.

Super Typhoon Lawin

On October 19, 2016, Super Typhoon Lawin made landfall in the Philippines. The Philippines have their own weather center and have different names for the tropical storms that affect their island. What we call Super Typhoon Haima, they refer to as Super Typhoon Lawin.

We are grateful for the mission president and his wife, President and Mrs. Andrada. They are thoughtful and caring and make sure every missionary is safe. I know that the Lord watches over his missionaries and blesses them and those around them. We are feel the miracles of the Lord.

I have learned more about typhoons than I ever thought I would. I watched with the world the blessings and miracles of many prayers for the safety of the people of the Philippines. Part of what made this super typhoon so dangerous was the very clearly defined eye at the center. The eye of the storm was causing the winds to increase raising it to a Category 5 Super Typhoon with winds up to 315 kilometers per hour (195 mph). Just as the Super Typhoon was set to make landfall in the Cagayan Province (where Elder Lewis lives), the eye collapsed dropping the winds dramatically. When the Super Typhoon made landfall in Cagayan Province it had dropped to a Category 4.

Being hit by a Category 4 Typhoon is still deadly. More than 7 eastern provinces are without power and it may be several weeks before power is restored. But we know that the Lord watches over his missionaries. The missionaries in the low lying or coastline areas were evacuated to a hotel across the street from the mission home – 84 missionaries in all. The army of missionaries spent their time putting together relief goods for those affected by the storm. After several days, the missionaries returned to their homes to start the work of cleaning up and serving those in need.