When Typhoon Durian roared onto the shores of the Philippines on Nov. 30, inhabitants of the many rural villages that dot the landscape near Legaspi could  say only two words: NOT AGAIN.

Though it was the worst, Typhoon Durian was just one in a series of devastating tropical cyclones (known as hurricanes in North America) that have already pounded the Philippines this year, with more to come. Durian's wrath triggered torrential rains, massive flooding and deadly landslides. About 3,000 people are feared dead. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared a state of calamity in the battered Bicol Region. Bicol is home to 11 Compassion-assisted projects, four of which are located in the Albay Province, the area hardest hit by the typhoon.  

Immediate Action

On December 1, the day after Typhoon Durian struck, Compassion's church partner staff were already on the move, braving the still-unabated floodwaters to check on the more than 650 Compassion-assisted children and their families who lived in the path of destruction. The air was filled with the stench of death as rescue workers found bodies buried in the mud and rubble.

Not again thought Chat Mirafuentes and Romy Mercadero, project directors in the town of Daraga, as they crossed the rushing, shoulder-high floodwaters to inspect homes in the Binitayan and Isarog communities. These small communities were two of the worst-hit areas, where many registered children lived. Even before the typhoon, families had barely eked out a living here as farmers and day laborers, bringing home less than U.S.$3 a day to support their families. Poverty meant they had little. Typhoon Durian left them with nothing. But in the midst of the destruction and seeming hopelessness, these project directors found hope.

A Child's Prayer

Hope was the last thing Edgar Herrera expected to find on the morning his family's home began filling with water. Not again, thought 12-year-old Jaikah, who attends the Daraga Child Care and Learning Center (PH-437), as she tried to help her father, Edgar, open the door of their small home. But cold water and thick mud made the task impossible.

"I swam outside to open our roof while my son battered it from inside," remembers Edgar. "Our roof gave way, and the whole family climbed on top while I held up a plastic sheet to cover my family from the still heavily pouring rain."

As the family huddled under the thin tarp, Edgar felt hopeless. But then he heard Jaikah's voice in the midst of the storm.

"Lord, please stop the rain and keep us safe," prayed Jaikah. And to Edgar's surprise the rain tapered off and the floodwaters began to slowly recede. Hours later they were led to a shelter where church members offered them dry clothes and a place to escape the flood.

Shelter From the Storm

The Herrera family, along with thousands of others in ravaged Albay Province, are now living in an evacuation shelter. These temporary shelters, largely government-run, have quickly become the hub of Compassion's relief efforts. About 4,000 members of Compassion-assisted families and 6,000 neighboring victims are housed together, and Compassion has helped them all by providing medical care, bedding, food and fresh water.

Medical missions, run by local Compassion church partners and volunteers, provide medical care to those suffering from respiratory infections, skin infections and dehydration. Church partners are already making plans to rebuild more than 300 homes destroyed by floods and mudslides, as well as to repair 366 homes.

Planning for the Future

Shelter is just the first step to recovery for these families. In the coming weeks, they will battle disease, hunger and despair, as well as the likelihood of more tropical cyclones. But Compassion is already working to provide for the physical and emotional needs of this devastated area.

In the coming months, Compassion's church partners hope to provide counseling for children and families reeling from complete loss. Compassion plans to provide vocational training programs operated by partner churches to parents who lost their jobs, and many will likely receive grants to start up new businesses. Those who prayed "Not again" will know of a peace that surpasses even the most devastating circumstances.

Your prayers and support for the people of Albay are a critical part of the healing process.

Read more about Compassion's relief efforts for victims of the Philippines Typhoon crisis.

See examples of the typhoon's devastation of 11 Compassion-assisted projects and the families they serve. Donate now to help those in crisis.