3 kids and 13 family members in all, lost in the storm…
This couple is about our age and have been in the ministry for awhile, their names are Pastor Dante and Dolor Lingo.
Pastor Dante and Dolor Lingo now fondly call the Impangs, Tatay and Nanay(A father and mother). Pastor Impang is one of the leaders of a ministerial association in Tacloban and he had a list of pastors that were directly under him. The Lingos are a part of that and when the news of the typhoon was coming, Pastor Impang called the Lingos to seek shelter at his church which was more inland than the Lingo’s church. Because typhoons are common in the Philippines, the people in Tacloban didn’t evacuate like they were asked.
”Who would have thought the storm would be this bad,” Pastor Impang recalled!
I watched a video my parents had of the Lingos telling their story and I got to hear first hand their story. At first, you would never guess what would come out of their mouths in regards to loss and their family.
Here is their story:
“We woke up as the storm started to get stronger. We wanted to make our way to my wife’s mother’s house because it seemed stronger than ours because it was made of cement. We got to her house and as the waters started to rise, we decided to place the 4 children on top of a beam that seemed strong at the time. The beam gave way, I watched 2 of the kids get washed away. I told them, DO NOT LET GO OF EACH OTHER, NO MATTER WHAT, DO NOT LET GO! As I was saying that, I watched my 5 year old get crushed underneath the beam that came tumbling down…
The two who were swept away were found holding each other still, breathless. The little one who was crushed was found days later guarded by a dog, breathless also.
If only we had listened to Pastor Impang to go to his church when he asked…then maybe, but all we could pray as the waters started rising and washed away the 2 kids and my youngest crushed, was God, please SPARE US, ONE!” Pastor Lingo
As these words came out of their mouths, my heart broke and I had no words to express anything I was feeling…I was in awe at the peace they spoke in. The brokenness but yet the strength they spoke in. The trust they had in God in expressing their sadness and hope at the same time.
All I could think was simply this, if this happened to Chris and I, I would pray exactly the opposite, “That if God would take one, take us all…” Like Marlyn Impang prayed. But in their prayer, they showed that, no matter what happens, God will definitely be the only one to give them the strength to face one more day and it would not be in it of themselves to wake up each day.
Yes, this couple lost everything including those they dearly loved, but they sit there thankful because God did spare them 1 of their kids. Pastor Dante found him hanging on to the window as the waters were rising and sweeping over them.
God did spare them one, an answer to their prayer!
The Lingos story, I will not forget because I only kept relating them to me, Chris and our 3 kids! I could NOT imagine such loss but yet, God’s peace was so evident! That is what is amazing to me! They continue to Hope in God and continue to serve Him with all that they are!
Their story clip from CBN news:
