The Damage

Tacloban City, Island of Leyte, Philippines. Image by Trocaire | Flickr | Unaltered

Two months after Typhoon Yolanda destroyed everything in its Philippines path, it seems like people have already forgotten the destruction that the storm left behind. I even ran into someone today who asked, "Oh, the Philippines...wasn't there something that happened there recently?"

It is easy to observe, react, and move on from disasters when they are so far away - or even close by like the epic flooding that happened in Colorado several months ago. Often, we cannot do much to help out so we move on to the next big news story.

But, in the case of this disaster, I hope to keep you invested and praying for the people of Leyte who need help and support for months to come yet.

The pictures we saw in the the news of Tacloban City two months ago were devastating. The mess that Yolanda left behind does not just pick itself up. Part of the volunteer effort with All Hands Volunteers will be to clean up people's property, clear out ditches, and salvage materials that can be reused.

Image by  International  Labour Organization - ILO PHOTOS | Flickr | Unaltered

By the looks of these photos, it is evident why we are required to bring rubber boots, mosquito nets, and repellent - and have all our immunizations updated! The mud and yuck is an excellent breeding ground for disease and bugs.