Cyclone Pam

 A historical storm has devastated Vanuatu.  While my son is far from the destruction, many of the moms in my Pacific Region Missionary Mom group are waiting to hear about their sons or daughters.  Missionaries in Port Villa were pulled in together, but those with missionaries on the dozens of outer islands are in for a long wait as communication is restored and all are accounted for. Pray for them.  Pray for ALL the people who have been impacted and are anxiously awaiting word of their loved ones.

Dallin is on Christmas Island about 2,000 miles east of Tarawa, Kiribati.  On the map below he is under the "e" in the word Region.  But as you can see, the rest of Kiribati is right above Vanuatu and has suffered severe flooding due to the storm surge.  Most of these islands are only a few meters above sea level and a big surge can cause a lot of damage.  Pictures of Vanuatu are all over the news, but I am posting a few pictures of the flooding in Kiribati.  Dallin is supposed to transfer back to the main island chain in a little over a week.  He was supposed to go and open one of the most Southern islands.  We will see if plans change after the damage from the storm is assessed and how much service is needed in the main area of Tarawa.

Each island usually only has one main road going around it.  Bridges are funded and built by Australia and damage to either one is a big deal.  I'm sure the government will rely on donations to help with all repairs.  There is a humanitarian group in Kiribati who is posting some pictures.

Here is the damage to the main bridge to Betio in Tarawa:

Flooding in Villages