Rescuing a Princess

Jim, Nonoy, Princess

One of the faithful leaders in the Calbayog church is Nonoy Perito.  Nonoy and his wife sent their daughter, Princess, to school in Tacloban, 160 kilometers to the south.  November 8, the day of the Typhoon, Princess called Nonoy and said, “I’m afraid.”  With a heart full of love and concern, Nonoy set off the very next day by car to rescue his daughter.  He arrived at the San Juanico Bridge, which crosses between Samar and Tacloban, and found that the bridge was closed due to the typhoon.

Nonoy started walking.  As he neared Tacloban, he found his path was blocked by the roofs of houses that were blown by the force of the typhoon into the roadway.  Barefoot, he crossed the roofs of these houses, praying that the nails on the roofs would not pierce his feet.  By the side of the road he could see the bodies of the dead, as he waded through waist-deep water. Growing up in a family of fishermen, Nonoy was used to typhoons, but this was something beyond his ability to cope.  As Nonoy grew tired, he sang,

The Lord’s our Rock, in Him we hide
A Shelter in the time of Storm.

It was already dark as he neared the boarding house where Princess stayed.  Nonoy could hear people shouting, “There is a tsunami coming!  Run to the mountains!”  Nonoy tried to calm the people who were running towards him, for he knew it was only a tactic used by looters to trick people into leaving their homes.  He prayed, “Lord give me wisdom.  I know you will help me in this time of trouble.”

After a 16 kilometer walk, Nonoy finally reached Princess.  They hugged each other, glad to be reunited in this time of fear.  Jesus was their shelter in the time of storm.