Miracles found in Philippines quake

The earthquake that struck the Philippines July 16 may have had a devastating effect on many residents of northern Luzon Island, but the miracles and blessings that have come since then are a witness of Heavenly Father's love for His children.

This is how the president of the Philippines Baguio Mission, Pres. Robert D. Scott, described the situation in the Philippines. In a telephone interview with the Church News, he said it would be impossible to count the number of miracles that have occurred since the earthquake struck. "The biggest thing you become aware of is that the Lord really does take care of us."Local leaders have handled things beautifully. Our Church grounds are being used to house members and non-members. Outside the meetinghouses, refugees have set up makeshift tents. People feel safer on the Church grounds than in their homes."

Rescuers continue to pull bodies from the rubble, but the number of Church members killed in the earthquake remains at five. (See July 28 Church News)

Pres. Scott's wife, Doris, said the members are without electricity and water and are collecting rain water for use. But despite the problems, "we have never seen so spiritual a people. They think it's just great to be alive."

The mission encompasses the places hit hardest from the July 16 earthquake, which measured 7.7 on the Richter scale. Baguio, Dagupan and Agoo received the most damage from the quake that affected an area in a 100-mile radius.

Elder George I. Cannon of the Seventy and president of the Philippines/Micronesia Area related several stories of heroism and service that have taken place since the earthquake struck more than two weeks ago.

"The sweet thing one of the bishops told me was that all of the congregations were substantially larger because people are returning to Church. One congregation sang `Come, Come Ye Saints . . . all is well, all is well,' so you can see the spirit of what's happening."

Sister Scott agreed. "Because of the earthquake, people have come back to Church. Bishops are reporting better attendance and missionaries have said they have so many referrals they have a waiting list. We are getting people back to Church who haven't been there in awhile."

The day of the earthquake, 12 missionaries in the Philippines Baguio Mission were returning from a preparation day activity in Baguio and were stranded when the earthquake struck, Elder Cannon said. "They were returning to their zones and were in a place called Urdanega, driving down a steep road when the earthquake struck. They stopped the car just as landslides came down the mountain - one in front and one in back of the car."

A rock from the slide, however, struck a man on the head who was walking along the road. Rushing to his aid, the missionaries saw that the man had fallen and had a broken leg. They carried him several miles to his home and once there the man insisted that the missionaries stay in the area because it had been untouched by the quake.

"He provided them with food and blankets," Elder Cannon related. "The next morning they started to walk down the mountain and walked until 4 p.m. All down the road, there were slides with vehicles and people buried. They think it's a miracle that they made it home."

Elder Robert and Sister Camille Sorensen of Salt Lake City, a couple missionary in the Baguio mission, were in Baguio City at the time of the quake and related some of the members' miracle stories.

Frank Palacsa, first counselor in the Baguio Stake presidency, prayed to find his grandmother and was given the strength to lift heavy objects in order to get to her, Sister Sorensen said. He also found his son and granddaughter through inspiration.

To find his family members, Pres. Palacsa searched through an area of about 20 wooden, two-story buildings that had been destroyed. He also pulled a member of the Church out of the rubble after the member had been trapped for two hours.

Stake Pres. Bayani Parayno of the Dagupan Philippines Stake lost his home and is living in a school, but said he is blessed for what he has.

"All of my family are all right, and they are my precious possessions," he said. "Nothing else matters."

Pres. and Sister Scott witnessed their own miracle. They were returning from Dagupan, traveling up a mountain when the quake hit and were stranded on Marcos Road, one of the mountain roads leading into Baguio.

"The whole side of the mountain came down," Sister Scott said. "But we kept going. All we could think of was that we must make it to Baguio. The road had dipped and was coming apart in places and then came to an end."

The Scotts backed their car down the narrow roadway until they could turn around and then continued down through the broken-up road that they had just traveled over. Pres. Scott periodically had to stop the car to clear debris from the road.

Once at the bottom of the hill, they viewed firsthand what the earthquake had done to homes and buildings and saw the shock that devastated the people.

Unable to return to Baguio, with all three roads to the city being closed, Pres. and Sister Scott toured many parts of the mission to make sure missionaries were accounted for.

All were fine and in good spirits, they said. The mission home and office received minimal damage, but headquarters has been temporarily relocated to San Fernando until roads can be cleared to provide better access.

A soup kitchen, in conjunction with other community efforts, was set up at the Baguio stake center, with Relief Society sisters preparing the soup to serve to members and non-members alike. Quake refugees are being fed from 22 soup pots, each of which feeds 150 people per meal, said Terry Spallino, director of temporal affairs for the Philippines/Micronesia Area. The soup is taken by jeepney to various locations where Relief Society sisters serve the soup.

The island's monsoon season has kept things cold and rainy and a lot of people have become sick from exposure to the elements, said Brother Spallino. A medical team sent from the Philippines Manila Mission gave almost 1,000 injections to quake refugees last week for the cold and flu. Medicine for diarrhea, and typhoid and hepatitis shots have also been given.

Elder Jack and Sister Helen Bingham, a missionary couple from St. George, Utah, make up the team along with two sister missionaries, Sister Anne M. Taylor from Logandale, Nev., and Rosann Doney, of Salt Lake City, Utah. Elder Bingham is a retired doctor and the two sister missionaries are registered nurses.

In Munoz, Church officials are still assessing damages at the stake center, the hardest hit meetinghouse in the earthquake zone, but it will probably cost $75,000 or more to make repairs, Brother Spallino said.

"We are hoping to be able to save it," he said. "There is a possibility that we may have to rebuild it. Earth movement caused breakage in the foundation and structural columns."

A two-story meetinghouse in Aringay was closed because of the aftershocks. The Munoz building, however, is the only one that won't be usable for many months, Brother Spallino said.

About 15 other meetinghouses received superficial damages and members will be able to return to them by next weekend, he said.

The earthquake's confirmed death toll as of July 30 was 1,641, according to the military Office of Civil Defense.

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