THE LDS CHARITIES AND THE MORMON HELPING HANDS IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE FOR THE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN SURIGAO CITY

By: Norberto Betita

Bro. George Kenneth Lee, LDS Charities Project Manager,
left and Pres. Robert Sherwin Betita, District President
right, directing the repacking of relief goods 

After the devastating 6.7 magnitude earthquake that walloped Surigao City and the province of Surigao del Norte the LATTER-DAY SAINT (LDS) CHARITIES, the arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints humanitarian efforts is acting in haste to procure food kits, hygiene kits and temporary shelter packs for earthquake victims as part of its emergency response for the victims. Bro. G. Kenneth Lee, welfare Project Manager of LDS Charities, arrived in Surigao City immediately on the following day after the ill-fated tragedy of February 10, 2017. He was here to immediately assist the earthquake victims and temporarily relieve the sufferings of some of the families in the affected communities and to establish a linkage with the Provincial Government for the distribution of the packed relief items in accordance with their assessment.

Brother Lee explained that the resources being used are donations from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints throughout the world. The kits were procured from Butuan City and delivered at the Church’s meetinghouse in Narciso Street, Surigao City. Packing was done by the MORMON HELPING HANDS volunteers who are members of the church.

The Mormon Helping Hands Volunteers

Each pack contains 5 kilos of first class rice, 5 cans corned beef, five pieces noodles, 3 pieces body soap, 1 piece detergent bar, 4 pieces toothbrush, 3 pieces toothpaste twin packs, 4 meters trapal, 1 blanket, 1 mosquito net and 1 water container. The relief packs totaling 800 were distributed to the Municipalities of Mainit---130 packs and Sison---520 packs in accordance with the directive of the Provincial Government. The rest will be distributed under the inspiration of the local Priesthood leaders. Distribution was done by Brother Lee himself and the Mormon Helping Hands volunteers through the assistance of the Provincial Social Services Office.

According to Brother Lee, “The assistance was based on immediate basic needs in response to some families affected by the earthquake. These emergency relief assistance are items that are basic necessities such as food, hygiene kits, bedding kits and temporary shelter covers. The church humanitarian efforts may not have been able to assist all affected families but the small assistance together with the government and other organizations have helped many to relieve them from some grief and distress.”

Considering that many members of the church were also victims of the calamity, Brother Lee explained that the kits were for the community residents as part of the Church’s humanitarian effort. The assistance for the members is under the direction of the Local Priesthood leaders using fast offering funds to the needy families. The Fast Offering Funds are contribution of members which is equivalent to the cost of two meals which is usually during the first Sunday of the month intended to help the poor and needy members of the Church.

The Mormon Helping Hands Volunteers in action

It was made clear that the humanitarian initiative was entirely a voluntary action of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints through the LDS Charities. It was done in coordination with the District Leadership of the Surigao Philippines District presided by President Robert Sherwin Betita. While the LDS Charities established a connection with the Provincial government, there is nothing political about the humanitarian effort. The assistance is intended to be given to those in need regardless of political affiliations, nationalities, beliefs, colors and religions.

The LDS charities also assist communities to establish wells and other drinking water systems to provide access to clean water. As the humanitarian arm of the church it also provides skills training and resuscitation equipment to doctors, nurses and midwives. It also has programs for vision care; mobility assistance by providing wheelchairs, crutches, and canes to disabled persons; improved food production; and immunizations.

Packed relief kits ready for distribution

As I thought of the action of the LDS Charities and the Mormon Helping Hands in emergency response for the earthquake victims in Surigao City and the Province of Surigao del Norte to help provide temporary relief from the devastating effects of the 6.7 magnitude earthquake on February 10, 2017, I am reminded of my interview with a carpenter in San Francisco, Surigao del Norte who was starting to rebuild his totally damaged dwelling. He kind of said: ““Sir we need to stand where we are downed. We could not afford to be standing idle and wait for anybody’s help to come. We have to do what we can do for ourselves.” His wife also works as a househelp to assist her husband in providing for the family. I see it as one example of the best spirit of resilience and self-reliance in one Filipino poor man. He appreciated very much the little help that I offered for his family in behalf of anonymous donors.

Bro. Lee with Mormon Helping Hands Volunteers
Distributing relief packs at Sison, Surigao del Norte

One mother of three, whose husband earns a living as a carpenter could not immediately rebuild their house, because he has to work for their food. They live temporarily on a makeshift so small for their young children and themselves. My heart breaks and the thought of a prayer echo: “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall thy hand be stayed, and thine eye, yea thy pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the [sufferings] of thy people…, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?” (D&C 121:1-2).


Most of the people in the municipality of San Francisco are fishermen, carpenters and farmers. These are among the poorest people in our country. I talked with some of the residents and they admitted that the transition is very hard. They could not fish because of fear for the aftershocks while in the sea and also being concerned of their family back home with their houses damaged. For the carpenters they could not immediately rebuild because they are living from hand to mouth and they have to work each day to be able to feed their families. They are hoping against hope that the government will somehow see their wretched and most pitiful plight from the eye of fairness and political impartiality.

One of the youngest Mormon Helping Hands
volunteer

After my visit, I went home with a heavy heart, feeling profoundly sympathetic of the victim’s unfortunate and dismal condition. If only I am rich, I will immediately build for them temporary shelters that at least they may be able to sleep well during the night to reenergize for the next day’s hard labor, and slowly lift themselves up from where they once stood. But I am a poor man. All that I can wish is for them to catch the better vision of the future with the Lord’s promise as in answer to an earnest prayer, “My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high” (D&C 121:7-8).

We express our heartfelt gratitude for the humanitarian efforts of the LDS Charities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the Mormon Helping Hands Volunteers and the Provincial Social Services Office of the Surigao Provincial government for the earthquake victims in Surigao City and the Province of Surigao del Norte.

SURIGAO EARTHQUAKE: “HEAR, O YE HEAVENS, GIVE EAR, O EARTH”

By: Norberto Betita

I sat on my computer seat just a few minutes with hands rested on the chair’s arms while waiting for the internet to respond, when suddenly a very strong quake occurred simultaneous with sounds of tearing concrete walls and slabs. I was trapped between the chair and the computer table; there was no time for me to move fast while the piercing noise and the screaming of my wife who was very concerned for the safety and protection of our grandchildren continued. It was only seconds, but it seemed that I was doomed into my endless end. All I did was to look up while the house was already in total darkness waiting for concrete slabs to fall upon me anytime. It was no time for a moment’s prayer. It was not an instance to panic. I sat in total stillness; calm as a summer’s morning. I have my fate in total submission to the will of Heavenly Father. The tremor ended and we are all safe and sound. It was my very first experience of a very strong earthquake in my lifetime. We have no immediate news because of the blackout until friends called and requested to be housed in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at Narciso Street, Surigao City in fear of aftershocks. The moon was shining brightly as to light the roads of our neighborhood for evacuees who feared a possible tsunami.

I wondered why I heard kind of tearing concrete walls and slabs aside from falling glasses and utensils, but not a crack was noted on our walls and flooring. Our refrigerator stood still but its door was already open with water pitchers and containers falling to the floor. Our books on shelves did not fall. I thought that my son-in-law’s aquarium fell because I heard glasses breaking beside me in our living room, but surprisingly it stood where it was. Did angels come? I wish I had seen them. I am grateful to God for His protective hands. 

During times of great calamities and tragic events such as this, we are apt and quick to raise our voices high in petition for God’s help. Our prayers seemed to sound like loudly calling and openly pleading, “Hear, O ye heavens…” However, in between our supplications we forget to listen to the response from the other end of the line as to prompt God to say, “give ear, O earth” reminding us: “rejoice ye inhabitant thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior. Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out. His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand “(Doctrine and Covenants 76:1-3). The Savior’s words and His marvelous ways are within our grasp with canon of scriptures readily available on hand for us to learn and understand. Yet we turned a deaf ear and refused to see His invitations.

Our familiarity and understanding of God and His attributes are of paramount importance that George Albert Smith assured us, “Though the world may be filled with distress, and the heavens gather blackness, and the vivid lightnings flash, and the earth quake from center to circumference, if we know that God lives, and our lives are righteous, we will be happy because we know our Father approves [of] our lives.

“Conform your lives to the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ and when calamities threaten you will feel the support of his all powerful arm.”

The scriptures are replete with stories and testimonies of God’s hands stilling the storms of life and saving souls. The Apostle Mark described one event when Jesus and His disciples were traveling by ship on the Sea of Galilee which is 680 feet below sea level, where the cold air meeting the warm air from the lake caused temporary violent storms:

“And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

“And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

“And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

“And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:36-41).

The strong earthquake that befell our City of Surigao is one of the sudden storms of life that happens to all of us--- as individuals, as families, as communities and as a nation. This may be temporary in nature, but like it these storms or quakes of life can be so powerful and terrifying the same as the one experienced by Jesus’ disciples as to also make us ask, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” The account allows us to understand that the Lord can command nature’s fury, for the land and seas and the earth beneath and all the elements were of His divine hands created. By one simple command he said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters” (Genesis 1:6). “Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear” (Genesis 1:9). And it was He who gave Moses the power to part the Red Sea and allowed the Israelites to pass through on dry ground (See Exodus 14:21-22). Our faith, simple faith should remind us that indeed, “beside Him there is no Savior” and by His power our storms and earthquakes of life can be stilled.

Marion G. Romney’s words reverberate: “Now all the acts of governments, all the armies of the nations, all the learning and the wisdom of man together cannot turn these calamities aside. The only way they can be averted is for men to accept and conform to the way of life revealed by God our Heavenly Father. Calamities will come as a matter of cause and effect.”

Scriptural history recorded events where people are saved from tragedies of life because of their obedience to the word of the Lord and His prophets. Their faith in a living God provided for them real hope of deliverance and actual experiences of a mighty change of heart through repentance. The prophet Alma recorded: 

 

“Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.

“And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not.

“And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved” (Alma 5:7-9).

While having our Sacrament meeting on Sunday immediately following the tragedy, we again experienced three aftershocks. One was a bit stronger that my foster daughter who was the speaker lost her composure. Then there was a very slight movement. The third was even stronger while we were singing the hymn "The Spirit of God" that my granddaughter who was conducting look up in alarm for the ceiling’s rupturing sound. Yet all the more that the congregation sung exultantly and with more fervor---"And angels are coming to visit the earth. The veil o'er the earth is beginning to burst. We'll sing and we'll shout with the armies of heaven, Hosanna, hosanna to God and the Lamb" (Hymn No. 2).

As the aftershocks continue to threaten us since that ill-fated day of February 10, 2017, Friday, all we can do is just to continue our pleadings, “Hear, O ye heavens,” and as with the Psalmist cry, “Be merciful unto [us], O God, be merciful unto [us]: for [our] soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will [we] make [our] refuge, until these calamities be overpast” (Psalm 57:1). Then let us listen as God sends His message in a still small voice, “give ear, O earth,” and look to God and live.