Following the devastation of Typhoon Odette (International Name: Rai), local leaders of the Church ascertained the needs that arose in the wake of the typhoon aftermath and as a response to the urgent need for water, on December 23, 2021, Latter-Day Saint Charities partnered with Barangay Lahug officials to provide 35,000 liters of water to as many as 300 families.
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Leading the initiative were local Church Leaders of Cebu City, Elder Colipapa, and Elder and Sister Huskinson, who arranged for water to be distributed through a water tanker sourced from private firms.
As soon as the typhoon mowed down power lines across the city, it severely affected the grid that powered the city’s water infrastructure, rendering the city both without electricity and water.
Days after the typhoon, Cebuanos lined up with barrels and water containers outside their homes. One of such places was Barangay Lahug, one of the cities most densely populated local units and home to the Cebu Philippines Temple Complex.
Typhoon Odette (Rai) brought destruction and billions in damage to infrastructure and merchandise, not to mention endangering the lives of thousands of Filipinos in its aftermath. This left citizens and government units in a scramble to help get people on their feet in the middle of the holiday season, but with this came an opportunity for church members to #LightTheWorldWithLove.
Elder Edmarc Dumas, Area Seventy, remarked, “We are grateful for the efforts and hard work of everyone who has made the water drive possible. Those who volunteered despite their challenges serve as inspiration to many.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints holds the annual Light The World initiative to encourage everyone, regardless of their faith, to be a light in their families and communities by performing deeds of service and love.
Elder Dumas further shared: “The typhoon may have dampened the holiday spirit, but as we see those who have lost so much, we feel a greater love for them and an opportunity to show love as the Savior did.”