I was awakened by my friend at 8:00 AM in our second-floor room on Malapascua island. "Sefy, wake up. There are strong winds outside" he said. My mind was still groggy from sleep, and I felt the warmth of the blanket that had kept me cozy throughout the night. However, his words had weight to them, and we had been waiting for this day for three long days. We had spent six days on the island, enjoying its serene beauty and the stunning sunset views that painted the sky with new hues every evening.

The Philippines is a place that captures your heart with its enchanting islands that offer the perfect balance between adventure and tranquility, a much-needed balance for those on a hero's journey. And today, we were about to embark on our most significant adventure yet.

Carl Jung once said, "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious." The universe follows the law of duality, and we can see its manifestation in nature in every aspect. Super Typhoon Yolanda was one such example. It was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded in our current civilization, and it wreaked havoc on the Philippines. The typhoon was expected to hit at 10 PM, but it arrived much earlier, starting at 8 AM and lasting for two hours.

I remember feeling the fear take over me, deep in a cave, where the darkness seemed impenetrable. My legs were floating in half a meter of water, and the thin plaster ceiling was the only thing separating us from the chaos outside. I stood by the window, watching the wind gust at 300 mph, too fast for my eyes to follow. Fear gripped me, and I felt paralyzed until I slipped into a trance-like state. My brain could only register three thoughts, "I'm going to die," "I'm going to die in the Philippines," and "I haven't said goodbye to my family." However, my biological instincts were still hard at work, keeping me ready to fight or flee in a matter of seconds.

When my friend and I finally found a safe place to wait out the storm, we were both shaken to our core. It was as if a part of us had died that day. Walking around the island, I was in shock, taking in the surreal destruction that surrounded me. The darkness had descended upon the island, leaving behind no electricity, internet, clean water, or food. It seemed as if their entire world had crumbled.

As I passed by a lady sitting on the floor at the entrance of her store, now reduced to a pile of metal plates, she looked up at me with compassionate eyes, smiling. I was moved to tears, wondering how she could smile in the midst of such devastation. But then I realized that family was the most powerful value of all. In that moment, she looked at me like a mother, a sister, like I was family. And I understood that we are all brothers and sisters.

The vision for Healing Waves had been taking shape in my subconscious for years. And with your help, we can continue to shape that vision and make it a reality.