Sheppard honors Typhoon victims through prayer vigil Published Nov. 18, 2013 By Airman 1st Class Jelani Gibson 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Through the flickering flames of candlelight, Sheppard Airmen held a prayer vigil for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan. The vigil brought awareness to the plight of those adversely affected by the Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines where, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 2,357 people were killed, 3,853 are injured and another 77 are still missing. With sustained winds of 195 mph and gusts reaching 235 mph, the entire country has seen an influx of disaster. Senior Airman Pauline Cardenas, 82nd Comptroller Squadron permanent change of station technician, who has family and friends in the Philippines, held a very personal and somber stake in what was at hand. "They need us to give them hope," she said. "They have to rebuild everything." When Cardenas received news of the typhoon's effects on families there, she was worried both as a Filipino and as a mother. After hearing the news, she remembers being thankful that Zenon, her 6-year-old son, is safe and sound here with her. "I was really worried about the kids," she said. "I realized, 'oh my God', my son is safe, but what about everyone else.'" Chairs were lined up against the wall as assorted pictures of the typhoon stood above them as a stark reminder for how it affected those involved. "God hears our cry," said Capt. Kirstin Swenson, 82nd Training Wing chaplain. "God is with us even in the midst of tragedy." Although the prayers being offered were coming from Airman thousands of miles away, it was that very reverence Swenson holds valuable. "We're still brothers and sisters by our humanity," she said.