Saturday, September 26 started as a rainy day, which is pretty normal for this time of year in the Philippines. But by midday, it was clear that this was far from a normal rainstorm. This was a brewing flood of historical proportions. Before the end of the day, much of the city of Manila would be seriously flooded with lives lost and extensive property damage. No one was spared. Mother Nature’s fury touched us all alike – old and young, rich and poor, tall and short. The phone calls, texts and e-mails I received were heartbreaking. Everyone I knew suffered in some way. News reports showed the widespread devastation across all areas of Manila with millions of people affected.

U.S. Embassy buildings suffered extensive flood damage. Our scenic location on Manila Bay posed real problems as the torrential rainfall matched up with high tide. Our Embassy crews were tireless in pumping water, cleaning up and testing systems. Despite the massive flooding, we were forced to close to the public for only one day. A heroic effort by our teams to be able to re-open our services to the public so very quickly. Many of our Embassy staff, American and Filipino, helped out with the clean-up efforts despite having lost their homes in the floods.

We also wanted to be able to help out the Philippines with rescue and relief efforts. After talking to senior Filipino officials, we organized a rescue mission by bringing a U.S. helicopter and U.S. military zodiac boats from their temporary deployment in the Southern Philippines to Manila to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The U.S. Navy had the boats in the water within an hour of landing and set out to help rescue people and drop off relief supplies to those who chose to stay at their homes. Working through the night, they rescued dozens of people, including a pregnant woman who they safely delivered to the hospital three hours before she gave birth. We also immediately released USD 100,000 from USAID funds for relief supplies to the Philippine National Red Cross so that they could begin providing relief supplies, such as mosquito nets and hygiene kits, to those in evacuation centers.

We were far from alone in wanting to help out. Across the Philippines, ordinary citizens ignored their own losses to donate and deliver relief supplies. Americans were also generous, reaching out across the miles to give to relief groups. We are now busy organizing for the next phase of relief and recovery efforts. Together with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we will turn a long-planned exercise between the U.S. and Filipino Marines into a recovery effort. The U.S. Marines are working on a plan to bring in equipment, such as trucks and bulldozers, that can help clear debris. We will also bring in U.S. military medical teams to work with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to provide free medical services and supplies to families in evacuation centers. We will continue to look for ways to offer assistance to our Filipino friends as they rebuild and recover from this tragedy.

Mention the date September 11 and images of crumbling towers, clouds of smoke, and shattered lives come to mind. Most of us remember where we were that day. I was at the State Department’s training institute in Arlington, Virginia listening to a lecture by a visiting University professor. I heard a huge crash, which I thought must be some sort of industrial or construction accident. I remember thinking it was odd because there wasn’t any major construction nearby. Minutes later our session was suspended by one of the training center staff. As I walked out of the lecture room, I paused next to a television set mounted in the hallway and saw footage of a plane hitting the World Trade Towers in New York. A friend came up beside me to say that the crash we had just heard was an airplane slamming into the Pentagon. And just that like, our world changed.

We were all sent home, but that posed an additional problem for me. My house is not too far from the Pentagon, and police officials had closed off all the roads, including one bridge that I had to cross to get to my house. Luckily, I was able to show two forms of identification with my home address and the police agreed after consultations with supervisors to let me through. While I waited for their authorization to proceed to my home, I stared in horror at the clouds of smoke billowing out of the Pentagon. Once at home, I joined neighbors as we watched TV and heard steadily worsening news. They were in tears, but I wasn’t yet sad – the sadness would come later. I was angry and horrified that anyone, anywhere would so willingly destroy so many innocent lives. My husband soon joined us. He had been at his office at the State Department. Finding the streets totally blocked and public transportation overloaded, he put on his gym clothes and jogged the five miles to our house.

In the years since that day, we have all paused every September 11 to remember those from so many nations whose lives were lost and to honor the many selfless, heroic acts that took place that day. This year, President Obama has asked that we all honor September 11 by giving back, engaging in community service or contributing to the improvement of the lives of those around us. It is a very tangible way to honor lives lost and dreams destroyed. I hope many will join and give back in whatever way best suits their situation. As a part of this effort, I joined visiting American NBA basketball “legends” painting homes for a less fortunate community. Embassy staff and families will meet to see what more we can do to assist to the various charities we support. Give honor by giving back.

The holy month of Ramadan is now underway for millions of Muslims across the world. This is the month when Muslims fast and pray. They break the fast after sunset each evening with an Iftar dinner. Although I have known Muslims most of my life (America has many millions of Muslims), I had never participated in an Iftar dinner until I came to the Philippines. And it is a special time to break bread with friends and share a laugh or smile about the day’s activities. My Philippine Muslim friends are very welcoming of non-Muslims to their Iftar dinners and very generous in sharing the beliefs of their faiths with those who practice different religions.

The openness of the many Muslims here in the Philippines makes it rewarding to host an Iftar dinner to honor their religion and its traditions. This year I invited a very diverse group representing many religions and many nations to my home for an Iftar dinner. And as I listened to the many lively conversations taking place over the food, I reflected on how easily my guests from different backgrounds and holding different religious beliefs talked as they shared the meal. And how lucky we are to live in such a diverse world where we have the opportunity to learn and to honor the traditions of different religions.