Food was on the way yesterday, only now that food is on the way today instead. Rain happened! Nothing notable, especially with this being the tropics. But then fear happened! Again, completely within the realm of "natural". Our folks (and certainly not they alone) had nothing either way to go on, so they conjured up a vision of Yolanda coming back to kick them in the ass again (or Yolanda2, or what ever) and they simply froze in place.
And then they eventually unfroze. And now at least a several day supply of rice is on the road, someplace between the "gorcery store" in Cebu and I still don't know how many hungry mouths anxiously awaiting. For my part, I believe that nothing else can happen, and then it does. But we'll muddle through.
Also, two semi official, official reports of the "rescue activity" happening in and for the devastation that used to be the northern end of Cebu Island (well, at least the island and the people are still there). The first is that one person from the central government was in the vicinity yesterday, in the air, flying to someplace that is not the northern end of Cebu Island. The second is that a person, someone, was giving out some food in the center of Medellin town, and did not end up getting mobbed. We will feed all we can, and I'm sure that he fed all he could, and I have to have confidence that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Millions of small acts of kindness, I believe are happening all around the Visayas, and, while millions more will be required in some form, at least there is a good start.
Finally, a short story, "The Balikbayan Box Miracle" (or at least my wife, being deeply religious, has decided that we enjoyed Holy intervention). "Balikbayan Box" is an institution in the Philippines, and means that Filippinos all around the planet are allowed to send fairly unrestricted family aid to those back home by loading up large boxes of all kinds of stuff and having them delivered anywhere in the homeland. So, anyway, we were fortunate enough to be able to send three "care packages" off recently, and, specifically at a point in time which, typically, would have meant they would have been perfectly located to have been intercepted by Yolanda. Instead, and the only time in 14 years we have ever had a shipment so designated, our boxes this time went through a special screening by U.S. Customs , which meant that their departure was delayed by two weeks. So, odds are in my opinion, 200 plus pounds of prime goods (candy for the kids, some grocery items, school supplies, a large amount of womens clothing, etc.) will be arriving over at the old homestead in around two weeks from now. And my wife has already publicly decreed that these things (which were not originally intended to be distributed thusly) shall be shared as broadly as physically possible. I mean, after God personally intervened in our favor, how could she possibly react with anything other than appropriate gratitude?