hang with me here but crystal dragons and those Chinese cat-like dragons (u know the ones) would be absolutely yes. Shiny rainbow Crystal dragons all wearing white pearls and live in caves underground almost like the mountain but huger. The Chinese dragons having peaceful villages up in the mountains surrounded by cherry blossoms and bamboo, them making friends with the scavengers and trading. Crystal dragons with the prettiest reflective scales and wings that look like bird/angels like dude
It’s scavenger hunt time. All 15 remaining players will be added to a separate text chat for this challenge. You may not talk in this chat, let it be a quiet chat if people want to keep notifications on. The only thing posted in here should be my prompts and score updates: EDIT: You will now be sending your photos to your tribe chats. (If anyone posts in this challenge chat other than me it’s a -1 to your score)
At predetermined times, I will post the names of a household item in the challenge chat in ALL CAPS.
You will find this item in your home and send the photo to your TRIBE CHAT.
The first person to send a picture of themselves with the item will earn a point for their tribe. Make sure we can see you in the photo.
The ruling will be the first photo to show up in my iMessage is the winning photo.
This challenge will run for six hours (lol), starting at noon PST and running until 6pm PST (lmao). Ok sorry, but this is meant to be a teamwork challenge, and considering schedules I felt it was best to spread things out so everyone had at least at least a small window to participate.
However, the TWO tribes that earn the most points after this 6 hour period will be safe, and the last place tribe will have to attend tribal council tonight.
Thanks and please let me know if you have any questions.
Our hearts hurt for the people who have lost so much in the Philippines.
Early on, I stopped reading the newspaper I frequent because it was all doom and gloom. It was more full of blame and finger pointing at what wasn't happening than paying attention how help and relief is happening, despite the unimaginable challenges.
A lot has happened in just a few days!
After we wrote last time, Joel and the other pilots did a few survey flights to take pictures and report back concerning the hardest hit areas. It was really sobering for them to see what Joel said looked like the aftermath of a huge bomb hitting the coast of Samar and Leyte. Despite the chaos, loss of life, and desperation, as they flew over they said they could see people jumping up and down waving – in true Filipino fashion, making the best of a horrible situation.
After assessing where we could be used the most, NTMA decided, along with our leadership here, that the best need we could focus on was a little group of islands off the coast of Palawan. We have some missionaries in those areas (the ones I mentioned last time who were holding their roof on during the storm). The need was great, and no help had arrived yet besides one of NTM’s airplanes – which was already there – taking supplies as fast as they could.
So our aircraft moved there, and have been helping there ever since. They are making as many airplane flights as they can to the biggest island, and unloading the supplies that are then taken by our helicopter to the smaller surrounding islands.
On the islands where we are focusing our efforts now, about 90% of the people are homeless. Their livelihood is fishing, but the reef has been damaged – and many of their boats were washed away. When the typhoon came through, not only did it destroy homes, but it knocked most of the trees down… and trees are normally what they use to repair their homes. It is a desperate situation and we are so blessed to be a small part of helping these people. Our pilots have been flying in not only food and hygiene items, but also tarps for shelter.
Getting the load ready for the next day’s flight
We have been privileged to partner with some MAF pilots in this effort – who came over here just to help with this crisis. Here is an excerpt from an update from John Woodberry with MAF:
“We are seeing some areas where local infrastructure is returning in the area and other areas with urgent needs. One island has enough food, but not too far away on another island they are still eating seaweed with not much else. There are still urgent gaps.
Tomorrow we start flying in 2,000 kgs of hygiene kits and food delivered by the Philippine Red Cross. This will be onward delivered by the helicopter after 1,000 kgs of family packs (packed up by the local church) were delivered today.
Joel with some Philippine Red Cross volunteers
The missionary family serving in the area thanked the NTM/MAF response. They were praying for 3 flights to help and we are now into two weeks of flights. They gave what they had and God multiplied it….like the 5 loaves and two fish…..a physical sense of God helping. God in his time, and according to his plan and eternal purpose.”
John also said that as of yesterday, 1.5 tons of rice had been flown to these islands. That was yesterday… and today they are busy flying even more. I know, because I’m today tracking our airplanes flying back and forth from the mainland. See? One of those blue-dot-tracks is Joel.
We received an encouraging report from this island today (below) – that the people there have enough food and water for the time being, and their wells were unaffected by the storm. Praise the Lord! It wasn’t until I heard this glimmer of hope- and breathed a small sigh of relief and gratefulness – that I realized how much the plight of the people here is weighing on my heart. To hear that one island has enough food for now – is to hear a word of HOPE.
I’m touched by this lady’s big smile, as she stands in the rubble that may have been her home.
So we plug away. We keep working, we keep loading airplanes, we keep flying, we keep flight following… in the tiny corner of the Philippines where God has appointed us to help. The need is great… it is so much bigger than us. But God’s got this. Perhaps He has ordained us to be here in this time, in these place, for this purpose. Perhaps there are people we are serving now who will one day come to know the Savior who sent us. And their lives will be forever changed.
