UPDATE on Amanda

For those who don't know, on Thursday November 7th at approximately 5pm, typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines. The storm was 3 1/2 times the size of Katrina and had wind gusts up to 235mph. It is reported to be the strongest storm in recorded history. The storm devastated the island Amanda was on and the death toll continues to rise. This area now resembles the effects of a tsunami.

11/11/2013 -As of 6am this morning, this is what we know.

We have been contacted by the church 3 times and this is what we've been told:

- Amanda is safe and being provided with clean water and food.

- They were unable to tell us where she had been relocated to.

- The mission home was hit by a 12'storm surge and is now under 8' feet of water and the mission cars are under 6' of water.

- There is no electricity, cell or land line service. Only a few satellite phones are in operation which the church had brought in.

- There are still missionaries that have not been contacted, but the church is confident they are safe. They are using all means available to get to them and confirm this: boats, helicopters, etc. (as of 12 November 2013 - 9:28 am Philippine Time = 6:28 pm UT time - the church posted ALL Tacloban Missionaries safe and accounted for!!!!)

This is what we have read or been told by others but not confirmed by the church:

- Some missionaries are or have already been transferred to different missions like Cebu and Manila at least temporarily until there are safe places they can stay with food, water, and electricity (they are declaring marshal law in some areas where looting, lawlessness and shootings have occurred). They are going by boat and then plane.

-  This was posted on one site then quickly removed (but I copied it before it was and also wrote to the poster asking if it was valid - he said yes, but that it was removed in consideration of all the families who still had not news of their missionary):

LDS Philippines

Emailed By TACLOBAN MISSION PRESIDENT, read by Elder Brent H. Nielsen, Philippines Area President

During the stake Conference at Cauayan.

"The missionaries are safe. Our mission home was flooded, we have no current (electricity), no water, no clothes, no garments, and no food. But we help each other members by wearing yellow vest helping hands.

Please pass for help."

I asked the poster if that meant the missionaries needed clothing and garments and he said yes.

- At least 2 days prior to the typhoon, missionaries were told to have a 72hr bag ready to move. Our guess is that did not change and that is why some have little else. We are guessing Amanda was one of those that lost almost everything - her apartment was close to the mission home and airport where there is little left and her apartment was on the ground floor with big windows. Some of the zones that are being transferred out only have those 72hr kits with them. (Her apartment was 1/2 mile from the mission home and 2 1/2 miles form the airport)

- We've heard there was a temporary spot set up in Tacloban for internet access, but it is not safe for the missionaries to go there.

- We saw pictures  in Tacloban City with the mission president, his wife and other missionaries passing out supplies to the people that included missionaries that were in Amanda's apartment.

- As of 2 days before the typhoon, Amanda was still sick but had received a blessing: this info was given to us by Sis Resolme, a sister that was in her apartment and went home on a medical release 2 days before the typhoon.

Amanda's apartment in Tacloban

A) shows where Amanda's apartment is B)shows where the mission home, mission office and chapel are. Out on the peninsula is where the airport and runway are.

Helping Hands in Tacloban City
Sis Andaya (with the water bottle in her pocket), Sis.Malietoa, Sis.Schaap

Pres Andaya is in the front right in the yellow shirt with the backpack and name tag.
Sis.Guy (with the red headband and shirt), Elder Parsons, Elder Tofilao 

Tacloban Airport