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Flooding and landslides in Dili

 It rained without stopping since yesterday night.

We woke to news of flooding on WhatsApp. Then videos and photos of the sort of things I'd hoped I would never witness again after Salone-- roads collapsing, houses torn away by currents, people wading chest-deep in (or outside) their ruined homes. Almost everyone I know has had flood damage to their house. Some of our staff lost their homes. The power grid is down, either because of structural problems or to avoid electrocution through the flood water.

We are fine. We've got fuel for another few hours of the generator, and the flood did not damage our house. We were halfway through a move to the neighbouring house, but we have suspended that plan for now. Fortunately the main office is minimally affected, though the HIV clinic was completely inundated and it will be an extremely mucky clean up job tomorrow. We still have not been able to make contact with some of our staff. I'm not sure how we will do that (the first S of safety is self, in a disaster, and the roads are treacherous). We expect a couple more days of rain and then months of clean up. The cyclone was worst over West Timor.

all your waves and breakers have gone over me

The hardest thing is talking to people who have lost a great deal.

And planning for the future when we are not sure what will happen tomorrow.

Please pray for us to do this well. Thank you to those who have offered to help. We don't know yet how you can help. But it is good to know that you are there. 

Today I wished, oddly, I could talk to Ah Kong (pre-dementia), even though he would be fed up about COVID. I'd tell him how weird this is. He would have something interesting to say, and maybe some advice. Even though I might not feel better after.

Sometimes I feel angry, but also the anger reminds me that I have been (and am) so out of touch with reality for the majority of people in the world.

We will keep doing what we can. 

To P & M, if you read this: I still love you. And I think we will be okay, but just in case: I'm sorry that I can't say goodbye.

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