Update on Mike, Cyclone Pam, and Operation “Find Our Staff”

I can’t believe it’s only been four days since I last talked to Mike, four days since the cyclone hit. It seems like weeks.

I just had my first extended communication with Mike since the cyclone. And by extended I mean we text-chatted by Skype for eight whole minutes.

Mike hasn’t been able to access gmail or facebook since before the cyclone. He’s not sure when he’ll be able to (he pushed yesterday’s update onto facebook remotely). So he hasn’t seen anyone’s messages yet, but I told him how many people are supporting him and the team virtually and financially right now.

Here is some of the information he just passed on to me…

Photograph: Unicef Pacific/AFP/Getty Images

Mike: “Things are going well here. I’ve been working from 4AM to midnight each day since Pam passed through.  I’m doing well and the team is doing well. We’re getting support and encouragement from so many people.”

Me: “I don’t know where to start… All WV staff accounted for yet?”

Mike: “54 of 82 WV staff accounted for.  Still in operation FIND OUR STAFF. World Vision office damaged. Our Emergency Operations Centre is my house. It’s a beehive of activity.”

Me: “Power back on yet?”

Mike: “No power. Got a generator working.”

Me: “You in Vila or Tanna?”

Mike: “I’m in Vila now. Nothing in Tanna. Utter devastation. You saw the post I put up yesterday. We got into Tanna yesterday. World Vision first NGO to arrive Tanna with humanitarian assistance.  I had so many tears yesterday… tears at the devastation.  And tears of proud feelings for how well my team is doing here and how important it is for us to be doing what we’re doing. I’m so privileged and blessed to be a part of this response.”

Me: “What next?”

Mike: “I am working to get out to Pentecost tomorrow.  Probably charter a helicopter.”

Mike: “Today is the one year anniversary of me being cancer free (last chemo day last year was March 17th). It’s a GREAT day to be alive.  It’s a GREAT day to be a humanitarian worker. Please call Dr. Bull office and St. Vincent’s chemo centre today and tell them it’s my one year aniversary end of chemo. Tell them I’m leading WV’s response here.  Tell them thank you.”

***

My parents have sacrificially offered to watch the kids for four to five days so I can go over to Mike for a couple of days later this week or next if I can get on a flight in. I’ll be an extra pair of hands, some moral support, and I’ll be making mental notes to help me prepare to lead some pro bono sessions on trauma and resilience for the NGOs in Port Vila after the kids and I get on the ground and this first crisis crush passes.

Anyone in Ballina who wants to do something can offer to help my parents monitor Cyclone Dominic in my absence. They may need some humanitarian relief of their own.

🙂

More later,

Lisa (and, from a distance, Mike)

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